In the past few years, fantasy shows have taken flight and become one of the most beloved genres in TV. From Game of Thrones, and its prequel series House of the Dragon, to Stranger Things and even Percy Jackson and the Olympians, fantasy TV shows are everywhere on streaming. But while some of these titles have become household names, some older, lesser-known fantasy TV series deserve a second chance.
Among them is The Outpost, a sci-fi fantasy series from The CW that aired for four seasons from 2019 to 2021. The series, which earned an average 84% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes, never reached the same level of fame as the shows above, but still delivered on drama and action, all while creating an interesting and complex world.
‘The Outpost’ Is an Underseen Fantasy Must-Watch
The Outpost, created by Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin, is a story of vengeance. It all kicks off when main character Talon (Jessica Green) is spared her life when she’s a young girl and becomes the lone survivor of her race, the Blackbloods. Years after her family’s massacre, Talon sets off to track her family’s killers and discovers that she has extraordinary and uncontrolled powers. As she tracks down her enemies, she must also learn how to harness her powers, and come to terms with her family’s dark past.
In each of the episodes, the series follows an old-school, monster-of-the-week format where she encounters new enemies, shows off her impressive skills, and uncovers a new piece of her race’s lore and background. But while the show is certainly centered on Talon’s fight for justice, The Outpost works best as an ensemble as Talon’s friends and enemies shape her experiences. Among the notable secondary characters are Captain Garret Spears (Jake Stormoen), an officer of the Prime Order who begins to question his loyalty as he sparks a connection with Talon, Janzo (Anand Desai-Barochia), an alchemist/inventor who becomes one of Talon’s closest confidants as well as the series’ comic relief, and Gwynn Calkussar (Imogen Waterhouse), a seemingly naive noblewoman who proves her way as the rightful heir to the throne.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don’t trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You’d Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Resistance, Zion
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.
You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.
The Wasteland
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.
You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Los Angeles, 2049
Blade Runner
You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.
Arrakis
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
‘The Outpost’ Is Streaming for Free
Talon (Jessica Green) in The OutpostImage via The CW
Over time, The Outpost has been compared to a few more well-known TV series, like The Witcher but with a smaller, scrapper production, orXena: Warrior Princess, but with a grittier, darker edge. Regardless of what fantasy series it compares to, audiences can give The CW series a whole new wave of viewers now that it will be streaming for free. Per Comicbook.com, the four-season series will be streaming for free on Kanopy starting on May 1, 2026. To sign up, viewers only need a valid library card or university login to sign up and start streaming. With that said, only the first season of the show will be available on the platform. Luckily, The Outpost is also streaming for free on Tubi, Pluto TV, and on the official The CW website.
Don’t let the end of the world stop you from watching these shows.
With that said, while The Outpost has remained under the radar since its release in 2018, the series could be finally reaching its viewers with free streaming. Plus, given its 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say the series is a hit among viewers, delivering on action, sci-fi supernatural powers, and a fantasy world viewers can’t help but be immersed in.
