The Umbrella Academy (2019 - ) focused on a group of young adults (siblings) who were enlisted into a school for the gifted from the day they were born. These adults each had their own set of eccentric qualities. This made them essential for preventing the foreseen future from happening. In season 2 of the TV series, the characters saw the devastating "end of the world" events occurring in a different timeline.
After returning from the past, the siblings were shocked to find that another academy was standing in their home. There were bits of hints as to what to come in season 3 of The Umbrella Academy as to who the Sparrows are, but fans won't know more until June 22, 2022, when the season premieres on Netflix. Instead of counting down the days until the season premiere, viewers can watch a few science-fiction television shows that are both short and long to pass the time.
'Misfits' (2009 - 2013)
The siblings from The Umbrella Academy had one common trait: they didn't fit in with the rest of society. In the British science-fiction series Misfits starring Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Curtis, Joe Gilgun as Rudy, and Iwan Rheon as Simon, a group of young adults were imprisoned and sent to do community service work. During their community service, a storm strikes all of them giving them a range of superpowers.
Misfits dipped into dark humor as this group of juveniles didn't want to become superheroes, and they aren't qualified to be saving anyone's lives. Misfits is available for free on Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Amazon Prime Video.
'The 100' (2014 - 2020)
The seven-season science-fiction series, The 100, was set in the dystopian world where the last remaining humans from Earth were now living aboard the space station known as "The Ark". Crime was treated differently; those who committed a crime were deemed as inessential was faced with being sent to live on Earth. They were considered guinea pigs for figuring out whether Earth was habitable after a nuclear blast destroyed anything that was on Earth 97 years ago.
The first batch of prisoners were young adults, and they were named "the 100". They were told by authorities that they should treat this as a second chance, and their crimes would only be forgiven if they survived the dangers that now inhabited the Earth. Each season brought more suspense, but some viewers were left puzzled as to how the last season of The 100 actually fits with the themes from the previous seasons. The 100 is currently available on Netflix.
'12 Monkeys' (2015 - 2018)
In the TV series, 12 Monkeys, Aaron Stanford starred as James Cole, a time traveler from the future hired to prevent a virus, that is capable of destroying almost all the world's population, from being released in the past. Unlike the characters in The Umbrella Academy, James traveled through time using a time machine from 2043 to 2015. In 2015, he met Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull), a scientist that informed James several years into the future that he should stop the virus from being released.
Even though, the TV series12 Monkeys is a remake of the 1995 film 12 Monkeys, the consequences of the past are explored more in-depth in the TV series than in the movie. The organization "Army of the 12 Monkeys" was not only responsible for creating the virus but wanted to destroy time. 12 Monkeys aired on Syfy but is now available on Hulu.
'Stranger Things' (2016 - )
Stranger Things took place in Hawkins, Indiana in 1983 where a group of kids came across supernatural monsters. The kids: Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) try to find their friend who disappeared after returning home one night. Authorities had trouble believing that the quiet town of Hawkins was inhabited by a monster.
While season one focused on finding the missing boy, the following seasons explained the main characters' backstories as they uncovered other mysteries occurring in Hawkins. Stranger Things is available on Netflix. Season 4 will be released on May 27, 2022.
'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' (2018 - 2020)
In some cultures turning 16 is a great milestone, and it's usually celebrated with a party, for Sabrina in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, this meant going through a supernatural ceremony. In Greendale, a teenager named Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) lived with her two aunts, Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis), and her cousin, Ambrose (Chance Perdomo). Her two aunts were witches whereas Sabrina was both a witch and a human. Despite possessing both qualities, on her 16th birthday, she had to choose whether she wanted to stay a human or a witch.
Each choice holds its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was darker and infused with more supernatural beings than in the 1996 sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, even though they included similar characters. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is available on Netflix.
'The Boys' (2019 - )
Anyone who considers themselves a superhero automatically is seen as always helpful and committed to protecting society from any harm. If the expectation is that heroes always fight for the right cause, is there no possibility that they could trick society into thinking that all their actions are for the good of the cause? The Boys focused on those who regulate those superheroes in their own way.
The superheroes were advertised by the news networks, but only The Boys know how truly arrogant the heroes were once they are off-camera. Season 3 of The Boys is set to premiere on June 3, 2022, and continues the season 2 storyline of how the government views the heroes. The Boys is available on Amazon Prime.
'Locke & Key' (2020 - )
Locke & Key starred Emilia Jones as Kinsley Locke daughter of Nina Locke (Darby Stanchfield) and sister to Bode (Jackson Robert Scott) and Tyler (Connor Jessup). They moved to an ancient mansion called the Keyhouse, which belonged to Kinsley's father who passed away. The house might look similar to the home that the Thrombey's lived in, in the movie Knives Out (2019), but the house in Locke & Key serves a more prominent role.
Portraits hang on the walls of the Keyhouse, and hidden keys unlock secret doorways to an alternative reality. Not all the keys that they found opened doors. Locke & Key is currently available on Netflix, and season 2 will premiere in late 2022.
'Shadow and Bone' (2021- )
Viewers who prefer a shorter series might want to binge Shadow and Bone, the TV series based on the novels written by Leigh Bardugo. Jessie Mei Li starred as Alina Starkov, a cartographer who worked for the army of Ravka. She discovered she harnesses a special power enabling her to control the surrounding environment.
Her specific power allowed her to control light thus allowing her to destroy both humans and monsters around her. Everyone considered controlling light to be a rumor until they met Alina. Alina trained to use her power to fend off the nearby enemies as she searched for the creature that could fuel her power even more. There hasn't been any confirmation as to when season 2 will premiere, but season one of Shadow and Bone is streaming on Netflix.