Swords & TV
As I dust the cobwebs off my scrivener files, one of my goals for 2026, aside from reviving LFG, is to get back into blogging. Sadly, it was one of the first casualties when I transitioned into a CEO role of an animation studio.
But now, I can get back to what’s important to me:
Sharing all of my thoughts at the top of my lungs.
Today, like in the days of old, I wanted to discuss a few scifi/fantasy shows that I’m watching, along with some recommendations, because honestly, it’s a wonderful time to be a nerd.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO
The Dunk & Egg novellas were among my favorites, both in their originals formats and in the graphic novel adaptations that followed. Looks like a few producers learned from some of the mistakes of Game of Thrones & House of Dragon, and crafted an incredibly tight half hour series.
What sets this show apart is the scale and the tone.
While GoT always focused on the lead up to a massive battle around Episode 9 each season, KofSV plays more as a character study, in the building of relationships in this fantastical world. It’s small, intimate and you get to sit with these characters.
On the tone side, seems the showrunners remembered something important: there’s joy and laughter to be found, even in dire circumstances.
Even if you were turned off by the ending of GoT, or the slow pace of DofD, I would still highly recommend this one.
Sandokan, Netflix
Every now and then a show just magically appears in my ‘you would like this’ feed, and I give it a go. I knew nothing going in, what it was about, how long these stories have been around or the historical significance about privacy in the south asian sea in the 19th century.
But man am I glad I’m susceptible to AI suggestion.
I’m a huge history nerd, and there’s nothing I love more than falling down a rabbit hole of wikipedia while watching a fun tale.
The series is based on stories by Italian author Emilio Salgari, beginning in 1883. There were 11 novels about Sandokan’s adventures, and I’m hoping this series gets to more of them.
At the very least, you’ll find yourself shouting/singing ‘Sandokan’ anytime you do something cool.
Spartacus: House of Ashur, Starz
Spartacus: Blood & Sand first hit in 2010, and I was hooked immediately. Historically based with over the top violence and political intrigue? That’s my jam.
3 seasons and a prequel later, it ended, but operating within the confines of real events, it made sense. And yet, when they announced a sequel series a decade later with one of the main villains of the original one, I was intrigued, especially given the alt-history angle.
I finished the first season a couple of nights ago, and it really, really found its footing towards the last half. And that ending? Damn, there better be a season 2.
/FIN
I think next time I’ll talk about some of the Scifi shows I’ve been tuning into. But for now, what say you? Agree, strongly agree? Let’s take it to the comments.
-sohmer