4 Years Ago Today, Netflix Brought Back Its Worst Sci-Fi Show (Starring Superman & A Star Wars Legend)

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Science fiction has given us many fantastic, consistently good TV shows. However, a Netflix series that premiered its second season four years ago isn’t among them. While shows like *Star Trek: The Next Generation*, *The X-Files*, and *Stranger Things* have captured audiences and become pop culture hits with their creative worlds and ambitious ideas, one Netflix sci-fi show featuring stars from *Superman* and *Star Wars* leaves many wondering why it got a second season.

Netflix’s science fiction series, *Another Life*, created by Aaron Martin, followed astronaut Niko Breckinridge (played by Katee Sackhoff, known from *Star Wars*) and her crew as they investigated a mysterious alien artifact that appeared on Earth. The show also starred Tyler Hoechlin (*Superman*). Despite a poor reception to its first season, *Another Life* returned for a second season on October 14, 2021, and today marks the four-year anniversary of its release.

Netflix Brought Another Life Back for Season 2, but It Wasn’t Necessarily a Good Thing

The show *Another Life* received very poor reviews. While it featured well-known actors, the first season only earned a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (compared to a 68% audience score). The second season was even worse – it didn’t receive enough reviews to get a critics’ score, and the few reviews it did get criticized it for failing to live up to its potential, despite being a slight improvement over the first season. Overall, the show suffered from poor writing and execution.

The show’s second season premiered in 2021 with 10 episodes, aiming to address the issues of its first season. While Season 1 felt directionless and lacked clear structure, Season 2 had a tighter focus and used supporting stories to strengthen the main plot. The characters were also significantly improved, becoming more developed and relatable. The season explored the sci-fi aspects of the show more fully, expanding the universe and introducing ideas like wormholes and alien possession. Despite a slight increase in audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes (77%), critics still found the storylines weak and the twists predictable, which ultimately led to the show’s cancellation after two seasons.

Another Life Got the Season 2 Renewal That Other Sci-Fi Shows Deserved

With so many excellent science fiction shows already on television, it’s surprising that *Another Life* received a second season. Many other sci-fi shows seemed more promising but were canceled after only one season. For example, *Firefly* had a fantastic pilot and kept up the excitement in its early episodes, yet Fox canceled it, making it one of the most disappointing cancellations in the genre. However, *Firefly* isn’t the only sci-fi show that ended after just one season.

Several sci-fi shows were unfortunately cut short despite their potential. Fox’s *Almost Human* brilliantly combined science fiction with crime investigations in a memorable first season, reminiscent of *Blade Runner*. *Caprica*, a prequel to *Battlestar Galactica*, also stood out for its detailed and immersive world-building. Even Netflix has cancelled promising sci-fi series after just one season, including *1899* and *I Am Not Okay With This* – the latter was initially renewed for a second season, but that decision was later reversed.

It’s easy to argue that any of those other shows were better than *Another Life*. That series received overwhelmingly negative reviews from the start, with critics calling it uninspired, full of clichés, and ultimately failing to stand out. Despite this, Netflix decided to continue with *Another Life* instead of giving another chance to those other programs.

All 20 episodes of Another Life are available to stream on Netflix.

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2025-10-15 02:40