Joel de la Fuente as Paul Wang and Morgan Weisser as Nathan West in 'Space: Above and Beyond'.Image via 20th Century Fox
By
Collier Jennings
Published 9 minutes ago
Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with a substantial amount of experience under his belt. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. Using his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's been able to tackle a wide variety of articles.
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Stop me if you've heard this before: in the distant future, a ragtag group of pilots will wage war against an oppressive empire that reigns over the stars. At first glance, this could describe any film or TV show in the Star Wars universe or Battlestar Galactica. The series in question, however, is Space: Above and Beyond. Created by Glen Morgan and James Wang, Space: Above and Beyond manages to augment what feels like a simple space warfare story with some surprisingly deep themes about the perils of prejudice and the resilience of the human spirit.
When Space: Above and Beyond picks up, humanity is on the losing end of a battle against an alien race known only as the "Chigs." As a result, the highly untrained and untested squadron dubbed the "Wild Cards" serves as the last line of defense against the Chig empire. Throughout its short-lived run, Space: Above and Beyond managed to break all the rules when it came to space warfare stories. This approach didn't just help Space: Above and Beyond stand head and shoulders above the pack; it also made sure this series gave the Star Wars universe a run for its money.
'Space: Above and Beyond' Is a Layered, Compelling Slice of Science Fiction
Image via Fox
If there's a rule book about how to craft a sci-fi series, Space: Above and Beyond ripped it into shreds. Humanity wasn't on top of the totem pole; in fact, the reason the Chigs managed to keep Earth on the ropes is that they possess faster-than-light technology, while human forces have to rely on wormholes for travel. There's also the matter of the "In Vitros," genetically enhanced humans built to be soldiers, and "Silicates", androids who rebelled against humanity. One of the Wild Cards, Cooper Hawkes (Rodney Rowland), is an In Vitro, while their commander, T. C. McQueen (James Morrison), is a veteran of the "AI Wars" between humanity and the Silicates.
At first glance, the Silicates and In Vitros' story might sound far too similar to replicants from Blade Runner or the machine uprising in The Matrix. However, things take a different turn throughout the series as it's revealed that the Silicates have joined the Chigs' war against humanity; they are also obsessed with the idea of chance, as one Silicate decides the fate of a colonized planet in a simple coin flip — something you'd never see a replicant do.
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Posts 4 By Collier Jennings Nov 21, 2025If that wasn't shocking enough, the Chigs actually surrender in the series finale and reveal they attacked humanity only because of a greedy billionaire's actions. It was a plot twist no one saw coming, but it sadly would mark the end of Space: Above and Beyond.
'Space: Above and Beyond' Might Be Short-Lived, but Its Impact Is Long
The cast of 'Space: Above and Beyond'.Image via Fox Television
Space: Above and Beyond ends on a cliffhanger, as most of the Wild Cards are wounded while Earth prepares to rebuild. Ending on such a massive cliffhanger feels extremely cruel, yet it also highlights Fox's issue with marketing science fiction shows. Space: Above and Beyond shares much in common with Firefly, another sci-fi cult classic that Fox canceled in its prime; it was a truly groundbreaking slice of science fiction, yet it received little promotion and even worse scheduling. It started a trend that continued with other shows, including Karl Urban's Almost Human and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Despite its short shelf life, Space: Above and Beyond continues to influence science fiction shows. Alongside Babylon 5, it's one of the first shows to feature a season-long story arc, long before it became the norm. Glen Morgan and James Wong would continue to craft other sci-fi and horror franchises, including the Final Destination films.
The crew was also packed with talent, including Batman: The Animated Series composer Shirley Walker and director David Nutter, who'd go on to direct the pilots of shows such as Smallville and Supernatural. Thirty years later, Space: Above and Beyond is still a shining example of how TV shows can defy the conventions that Star Wars has set.
Space: Above and Beyond
Like Action & Adventure Drama Science Fiction Release Date 1995 - 1996-00-00 Network FOX Directors David Nutter, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Martin Smith, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Stephen Cragg, Winrich Kolbe, Henri Safran, Jesús Salvador Treviño, Jim Charleston, Michael Katleman, Stephen L. Posey, Tucker Gates Writers Marilyn Osborn, Richard WhitleyCast
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