Once upon a time, in the long long ago, summer television was nothing but reruns, games shows, and the time to get caught up on your favorite soaps because school was finally out. The world has changed since then, and summer is now the perfect time to dive into fresh, summer programming.
We’ve lined up the top five comic book and sci-fi shows that are returning this summer. Each show is guaranteed to heat up your TV screens and capture your attention. Whether you love time travel, Westerns, or bulletproof heroes from Harlem, we’ve got something for you.
12 Monkeys
While it may be based on the film, 12 Monkeys is anything but predictable. James Cole (Aaron Stanford) and Dr. Cassandra Railly (Amanda Schull) are trying to save the world in this sci-fi thriller which returns in June for its fourth and final season.
The show is wickedly smart, beautifully acted and boasts enough twists and turns to make any fan of a good sci-fi mystery happy. 12 Monkeys follows a wayward group of survivors who believe they can save the world from a viral apocalypse by using time travel. They face constant adversity as the creators of the apocalypse can time travel as well.
It’s come down to the last eleven episodes and you really don’t want to miss them. FANDOM’s review claims Season 4 is the show’s finest season yet. If you’re not caught up, you can stream the first three seasons on Hulu.
12 Monkeys returns to SYFY on Friday, June 15 at 8PM.
Preacher
AMC’s Preacher torches the idea of a safe comic book adaptation and preaches to the fans in blazing technicolor. Based on the comic of the same name, Preacher is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin and proves that, no matter how outside the box a show can be, it can always go further.
In an alternate future, preacher Jesse Custer, the always unpredictable (and love of Jesse’s life) Tulip O’Hare, and vampire Cassidy go in search of a God who’s gone off the grid. They are always looking to stay one step ahead of… well, a whole lot of bad guys.
Season 3 will take Jesse on a very personal journey of loss and redemption. After losing the love of his life, Jesse will head back to his grandmother’s home in Angelville in hopes of a resurrection. But Gran’ma (played by the always amazing Betty Buckley) isn’t willing to do anything without a price. What price will Jesse pay to save the woman he loves?
Preacher returns to AMC on Sunday, June 24 at 10PM.
Killjoys
Bounty hunters in space! Actually, it’s badass, kickass, smartass, bounty hunters in space in a SYFY show that beautifully mixes action, humor, drama, and serious situations all at the same time.
Killjoys follows Dutch (Ant-Man‘s Hannah John-Kamen) and brothers John and D’avin Jaqobis, a trio who have discovered a conspiracy that threatens all life within the Quad — not to mention the galaxy. The ruling families of Qresh, known as The Nine, made a deal with an alien race known as the Hullen and now the Hullen have returned to recoup their end of that deal.
Since the inception of the series, we’ve discovered that Dutch has a double — the Hullen leader Aneela. Aneela is actually Dutch’s mother/clone/sister (honestly it’s hard to explain, but it works within the show) who was once hell bent on The Quad’s destruction. Aneela has now teamed up with Dutch because they have a bigger enemy to fight — The Lady. The Lady is the supreme leader of the Hullen (she’s sort of the Borg Queen of the Hullen hive mind) and she’s determined to get her way no matter the cost.
There’s a lot happening on the show, which makes Killjoys one of the best rides on TV. We can’t wait to see Season 4.
Killjoys returns to SYFY, Friday July 20 at 10PM.
Luke Cage
Marvel’s Luke Cage returns to Netflix with a new villain and all new episodes this June.
Mustafa Shakir joins the cast as John McIver aka Bushmaster, a man who can knock the bulletproof man to the ground with one punch. Now that Luke’s taken down Cottonmouth, Bushmaster only wants one thing; to become the King of Harlem. The Emmy winning Alfre Woodard returns as Mariah Dillard and it looks like she’s going to give Bushmaster a run for his money, considering Harlem doesn’t need a king when she is Harlem’s queen.
Also returning is Simone Missick as Misty Knight — who’s sporting a new and very important bionic arm — and Rosario as Claire Temple, the main woman in Luke’s life who may or may not be tired of taking care of superheroes.
Meanwhile, Luke’s having to deal with being a local hero and sudden fame, which brings its own set of challenges. If you want to get up to speed before Season 2 starts, we’ve got you covered.
Luke Cage returns Friday, June 22 at 12:01AM.
Wynonna Earp
Buffy Summers may have had to deal with the Hellmouth in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but the infamous Wynonna Earp, daughter of, yep you guessed it, famous gunslinger and sheriff Wyatt Earp, is dealing with a whole town appropriately known as Purgatory. There, she fends off a hotbed of paranormal and demonic activity.
To hear the local sheriff tell it, there’s always a plausible (a very stretchy Mythbusters plausible) explanation for why Purgatory is such a strange place to live. However, Wynonna, her sister Waverly, the cursed Doc Holliday, sheriff Nicole Haught, and the rest of the Black Badge Division know all too well what Purgatory is really home to : revenants, witches, monsters, and demons, that all want out into the world. Thankfully, Wynonna and her gun “Peacemaker” are ready to send them all back to Hell.
Season 2 concluded with Wynonna giving birth after she had just kicked all sorts of demon tail. While her baby had been safely sent away, a giant demon named Balshasar terrorized the town, which separated the team and made them more than a little worse for wear.
Wynonna’s mission now is to find the only other living Earp so that together, they can slay demon and save the town. Can Mama Earp save the day? Tune in to SYFY on Friday, July 20 at 9PM to find out.
