Pluribus & 6 Other Apple TV Sci-Fi Masterpieces

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Sep 4, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Apple TV+ has many masterpiece sci-fi TV shows, such as Pluribus, which deserve your time and attention. The streaming platform has become known as the go-to choice for science fiction, and this has never been more apparent than with the release of Pluribus in 2025. The TV show received rave reviews, and it quickly became Apple TV+’s most-watched original TV show of all time. Pluribus was picked up for season 2, which is thrilling since it truly deserves the “masterpiece” label. However, it isn’t the only science fiction series from the streamer to rise to that level of quality. Some get a bit overhyped, such as Foundation. The space opera is fantastic entertainment, but it falls short of an A+. Meanwhile, Dark Matter season 1 was nearly perfect, but it couldn't repeat this moving forward. As I outlined in my Dark Matter season 2 review, the mind-bending series didn’t quite live up to the first season. If I could give half-star ratings, it would’ve gotten 6.5 out of 10 stars. However, Pluribus and these six other sci-fi shows have phenomenal storytelling, impressive production values, and stellar casts. They deserve the “masterpiece” label. Severance (2022-Present) MovieStillsDB While Apple TV has A+ science fiction, only one of the shows, Severance, has been deemed one of the best shows of the past decade. The series has an intriguing, high-concept premise. The employees of the brutal corporation Lumon Industries. They have devices implanted in their brains to separate memories of their work life, their “Innie,” and their personal life, their “Outie.” Mark, played by Adam Scott, gets promoted to department head while grieving the loss of his wife. However, he encounters a coworker outside the office who claims to have reversed the severance. There is so much to love about Severance, from smart writing to absurdist social satire. The writers never underestimate the intelligence of the audience, which is refreshing. The sci-fi thriller’s phenomenal cast makes the characters easy to follow, infusing every moment with nuance and subtext. What’s more, the show has high production values and an impressive set design. Across two seasons, it has garnered 41 Emmy nominations, and it’s officially returning for season 3. For All Mankind (2019-2027) The Apple TV show For All Mankind was the first show to put the streamer on the map as a provider of peak science fiction TV. The story is set in an alternate history in which the Soviet Union landed on the Moon first, rather than the United States, and the Space Race never ended. Starting in 1969, each season jumps forward a decade and extrapolates on what the future could look like from the perspective of the NASA scientists and astronauts. For All Mankind's Soviet-focused spinoff, Star City, debuted this year and holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The world is brilliantly developed. The creative team pays close attention to recreating real locations and technology. What’s more, the writers recognize that a single change can have broader impacts, including on sociopolitical attitudes, the economy, and culture. For All Mankind's soapy storylines, which some point to as the show’s weakness, have always been there, and the small hiccups aren’t enough to strip away the “masterpiece” label. Hopefully, the final season won’t do anything to take that away. Calls (2021) Courtesy of Apple TV+ Sci-fi and horror often go hand-in-hand, with stories like Alien and The Twilight Zone bringing out the best in both. Based on a French show of the same name, the vastly underrated and mostly unknown TV show Calls fits right in with the horror-sci-fi fusion genre, taking an experimental approach to storytelling. Calls blends together anthological storytelling and a serialized narrative. I cannot elaborate on the plot, as that would spoil things. The show isn’t pure radio drama, nor is it a fully acted onscreen production. The story is told through first-person audio, akin to War of the Worlds, except everything is made up of phone calls. However, creator Fede Álvarez pairs it with very simple yet captivating visuals made of multicolored audio waves. They may not directly depict the action, but it’s clear that the abstract imagery fits the tone and plot. On top of that, the cast is absolutely stacked, with big names like Aubrey Plaza, Pedro Pascal, and Rosario Dawson voicing characters. Ultimately, everything ties together into a fantastic 2-and-a-half-hour binge-watch. Silo (2023-Present) Apple TV has provided two very different post-apocalyptic sci-fi masterpieces. Silo is one of the most compelling shows in the genre. Around 350 years after the nuclear apocalypse, the last 10,000 people on Earth live in a 144-level subterranean silo, divided into three castes. The top caste is for those in power. The middle is for farming and schools. The bottom section is for blue-collar work. All of them live under an authoritarian set of rules called The Pact. Silo's worldbuilding is enough reason to watch it on its own, as it’s incredibly creative and unique. The slow-burn plot follows Juliette Nichols, a mechanical engineer who becomes the new sheriff and investigates a string of potential cover-ups. Silo thrives because it’s a trust-the-process story that provides both answers and more mysteries. The characters are compelling, making it easy to invest in their story. What’s more, Silo has a promised endpoint, meaning audiences will get an actual conclusion. Dr. Brain (2021) Dr. Brain was the first Apple TV+ Korean-language show, and it came out swinging. The show follows a brain scientist named Sewon, who undergoes a dangerous operation so that he can “brain-sync” with the dead so he can solve a family tragedy. When synced, he can access their thoughts and memories, allowing him to search for clues about their deaths. However, he finds it increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from the memories. The TV show is driven by the compelling performance of the late Lee Sun-Kyun, who received an Emmy nomination for the role. Sewon is brilliant and also lives with a socio-emotional disorder. It would be easy to fall into the “savant” stereotype, but Lee makes the character feel more three-dimensional. The cinematography and visuals of Dr. Brain are striking, and there's plenty of action and mystery to keep the story going. The biggest downside of Dr. Brain is its open ending. The series was renewed for season 2, but it was abandoned after Lee's tragic death. Murderbot (2025-Present) ©Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett Collection ​ While most of the sci-fi shows on Apple TV+ lean serious, Murderbot is a glorious comedy sci-fi series. In a technologically advanced future, the show follows a titular free-willed security unit (SecUnit) that must conceal its newfound autonomy. It joins a mission to protect scientists. However, it doesn’t like or understand humans, isolating itself, and would rather spend its time watching its favorite soap opera, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. Murderbot subverts expectations with a sentient AI who would rather be alone than take over the world. Alexander Skarsgård makes Murderbot into a character many neurodivergent folks, myself included, can relate to, as it cannot understand human social behaviors and struggles to make eye contact. The main character is sarcastic and cynical, which is made better by its perfect deadpan delivery. The only major downside of the masterpiece TV show is that the episodes last only around 20 minutes each. That being said, All Systems Red is only 160 pages, so it’s not unreasonable for the show to be on the shorter side. Pluribus (2025-Present) Credit: AppleTV via MovieStillsDB Vince Gilligan, the brilliant mind behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, two of the best TV shows in recent decades, is also the creator of Pluribus, Apple TV’s masterpiece starring Rhea Seehorn. The show follows Carol Sturka, a cynical romance writer who becomes one of 13 survivors of an apocalypse in which a happy, subservient hive mind takes over humanity. During the apocalypse, Carol’s wife dies, making her even angrier. As the tagline states, “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.” Carol is a refreshingly unexpected protagonist. She could easily become unlikable, given her cynical view of humanity. However, Seehorn’s Golden Globe-winning performance makes her deeply empathetic. The series offers an original story that doesn’t feel like a copy of anything else. Additionally, the post-apocalyptic show subverts expectations by presenting a utopia. This allows Pluribus to explore philosophical questions about what it means to be human. Ultimately, the Apple TV show is an essential sci-fi show that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime.