Prime Video’s Most Underrated Sci-Fi Show Has a Time Travel Twist

The big picture

• Prime Video has been pushing original sci-fi shows, with notable hits like now
  The Extension
  i
  Outdoor range
  .
• night sky
  starring JK Simmons and Sissy Spacek, it's Prime Video's most underrated sci-fi gem, complete with teleportation and time travel.
• The show explores rich characters and intricate storylines, showcasing compelling multi-generational character arcs in a single season.

Prime Video still isn't necessarily known for its original sci-fi TV shows, but in recent years, the streamer has made a concerted effort to rectify that. The Extension is available on Prime Video and is the most well-known of the genre, with a highly celebrated six-season run,but originally aired on SyFy; Battlestar Galactica it was also picked up by the streamer with great success. However, more recent notable internal efforts such as Outdoor rangestarring Josh Brolin i Imogene Pootsi Philip K. Dickanthology series of, Electric dreamshave shown that Prime Video is getting more serious about developing its own clever and mind-blowing sci-fi originals.

Arguably the best sci-fi show they've produced to date, however, it's an underrated gem featuring two of the most decorated and accomplished actors of the last 50 years. night sky stars JK Simmons i Sissy Spacek; the Holden MillerThe created show debuted in 2022 and features eight episodes of sci-fi goodness, including fan favorites like teleportation and time travel. The exceptional chemistry between the talented leads and the compelling premise do night sky Prime Video's most underrated sci-fi original.

What is 'Night Sky' about?

Franklin and Irene York (JK Simmons and Sissy Spacek, respectively) spend their golden years together on their farm outside the small Illinois town of Farnsworth. His existence seems sleepy and uneventful, but they hide a secret that will end up turning their little corner of the peaceful world into a dangerous place sought after by teleporters and time travelers with malevolent intentions. In the pilot episode, when Irene asks Franklin if they can “go stargazing,” she's not talking about sitting on the porch and looking at the sky or lying on a blanket and looking at the Milky Way.

Instead, we see Franklin wheel her across the yard and into a small wooden tool shed. Descending a dark tunnel lit only by a single bulb, they finally reach a vault door, and inside is a teleportation portal to another world. They enter a room with a beautiful panoramic view of an alien sun and moon across rugged alien terrain. It's a phenomenon they've kept to themselves and used as a viewing room for years, but when a mysterious man named Jude (Chai Hansen) appears, his life is turned upside down.

Franklin and Irene's Chemistry Takes a Curveball in “Night Sky”

Simmons and Spacek share the chemistry and effortless charm that only two screen veterans can pull off; he is supposed to feel that he knows himself like the back of his hand, and he does. The seamless delivery between the two draws you in on the slow burn in the first couple of episodes, but then the sci-fi and drama elements kick in with a bang.

His drumming existence is disrupted by a few different things: his nosy neighbor, Byron (Adam Bartley), Irene's thirst to know what lies beyond the glass under the shed, as well as an enigmatic stranger who randomly appears in the chamber covered in someone else's blood. Franklin and Irene take the injured man home and put him in the room of their late son, Michael, who committed suicide 20 years earlier. Afterwards, Irene convinces Frank that this man must have come from “the other side” of the glass.

When they rummage through the man's bag, they find all sorts of anachronistic goodies that could only have come from a time traveler, like 17th century Spanish doubloons and a small brick of an alien element. After regaining health, we discover that the stranger's name is Jude. Spacek shines as a headstrong old woman who finds new life upon the arrival of her mercurial new host.while Simmons deftly plays the old, skeptical caprice.

Well-developed characters that separate 'Night Sky' from other sci-fi shows

In episode 2, we are introduced to a mother and daughter who are simple alpaca farmers on an Argentinian farm. Tony (Rocio Hernandez) is the precocious daughter of the adorable Stella (Julieta Zylberberg). We quickly find out that they too have a chamber like the one under Franklin and Irene's shed. Stella tells Toni that they are guardians of the time travel chamber, and that it is the most important job they can have. Another mysterious and intimidating man named Cornelius (Piotr Adamczyk) appears on their farm, giving them an important task that will test their resolve and loyalty to a long line of gatekeepers. Eventually, Stella, Toni, and Cornelius find their way to York's Farnsworth Farm in search of Jude, and the true meaning of the chambers and their occupants becomes apparent.

night sky it's a special kind of science fiction series because it takes its time. Many will call it a “slow burn” or deliberate pacing, but for this particular Prime Video show, it's essential to peel back all the layers of the richly contoured cast of characters. There aren't a ton of visual effects or otherworldly spacescapes to be found night skybut it is a rare sci-fi offering that offers rich, nuanced characters with carefully crafted backstories, along with love and loss being explored from the perspectives of both parents and children. The time travel and teleportation element will soothe your sci-fi itch, but caring about the outcome of the stories and multi-generational character arcs makes this a worthy series. There will not be a second season of night skyso go ahead and enjoy the fantastic eight episode season we have did get from Prime Video.

night sky is available to stream on Prime Video in the US

Watch on Prime Video