Apple TV’s 10/10 Sci-Fi Titan Crushes Another Major Milestone

2 weeks ago 14

Published Feb 14, 2026, 3:20 PM EST

Rohan Naahar is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal of introducing audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

When Apple TV's phenomenal track record with the sci-fi genre is discussed, one show is invariably overlooked. Everybody correctly praises Severance and Silo, and even Invasion and Foundation. The list grew recently, with the release and reception of Pluribus. Created by Vince Gilligan, best known for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Pluribus holds a 98% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and has already been hailed as an instant classic by many. However, there is a rather large missing element on this list: a sci-fi show that debuted to excellent reviews a couple of years ago, but has perhaps not been given the respect it deserves because it's part of a larger franchise, and not strictly original. That said, the show in question has passed a major streaming milestone, proving how popular it remains.

The show premiered in 2023 with a 10-episode season set across three different timelines. It was about as ambitious as Apple TV's own Pachinko in this regard. Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, the show featured Anna Sawai in the lead role, before she appeared in Hulu's breakout hit Shōgun. She was joined by Kiersey Clemons, Anders Holm, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, and father-son duo Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell. Matt Shakman, who directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps last year, helmed the first two episodes of the first season.

Apple TV's Sci-Fi Show Is Silently Slaying Competition on Streaming

We're talking, of course, about Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The mega-budget show is set to return with its second season on February 27, and has already begun generating interest. According to FlixPatrol, the show has now spent more than 200 days on the domestic Apple TV chart, currently topped by Shrinking. The first season holds a "Certified Fresh" 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "With performances by father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell that work like a charm, Monarch adds a welcome wrinkle to the Godzilla legacy by honing its monstrous scope to a very human level." Monarch is an extension of the MonsterVerse film franchise that has grossed over $2.5 billion in theaters. Along with the second season of Monarch, the franchise will continue with Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, which is set to be released theatrically next year.

You can watch Monarch at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.