If you’ve been counting down the days until Alien: Earth hits your screen — same. Noah Hawley’s upcoming reimagining of the iconic sci-fi horror franchise promises facehuggers, corporate greed, and a whole lot of existential dread, all set in a chilling future not too far from our own. It drops on August 12, 2025, on Hulu, and honestly, the hype is real.
But let’s be honest, waiting isn’t our strong suit. Luckily, Hawley isn’t some random name attached to a reboot. He’s the mastermind behind some of the most stylish, genre-bending, and critically adored shows in the past decade. While the Xenomorphs are busy getting ready for their close-up, why not dive into the twisted, beautiful chaos of Hawley’s previous TV creations? From surreal mutants to icy Midwestern crimes, he’s got something for every kind of binge-watcher.
Let’s break down four of his best series you can stream right now.
1. Fargo
Let’s talk Fargo, the crown jewel in Noah Hawley’s TV empire. Inspired by the Coen Brothers’ cult classic film, Fargo isn’t just a rehash of the movie; it’s an anthology crime drama that reinvents itself every season, and somehow still keeps that same signature mix of dark humor, Midwestern niceties, and straight-up chaos.
The cast is stacked across the board. Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Ewan McGregor (in a double role, no less), Juno Temple, and Jon Hamm have all brought their A-game to this frozen crimeverse.
Each season of Fargo tells a fresh story, set in a different era but always soaked in snow, secrets, and that eerie small-town tension where you just know something’s about to go horribly wrong. You’ve got hitmen, mobsters, corrupt cops, naive dreamers, and everyday folks making really, really bad choices. Hawley keeps the writing razor-sharp and the cinematography absolutely stunning; it’s practically prestige-TV ASMR.
Whether you’re into morally gray characters or just want to hear people say “Oh yeah, sure” before committing a felony, Fargo is the perfect binge while you wait for Alien: Earth to land. Honestly? It might even make you forget you’re waiting.
All episodes of Fargo are now streaming on Hulu and Apple TV+.
2. Legion
If Fargo is Hawley’s icy crime opera, Legion is his full-blown psychedelic fever dream, and yes, that’s a compliment. Based on a deep-cut Marvel character, Legion follows David Haller, played with absolute brilliance by Dan Stevens (yep, the same guy from Downton Abbey, but forget everything you think you know). David isn’t your typical mutant; he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia, hears voices, sees things that may or may not be real, and, oh yeah, turns out he might be one of the most powerful beings alive. Classic.
The show flips every superhero trope on its head. Forget capes and punchy one-liners, Legion is more like an art film disguised as a comic book series. The storytelling is nonlinear, the visuals are wild (think Wes Anderson meets Inception on acid), and the soundtrack slaps.
You also get a killer supporting cast, including Aubrey Plaza, who delivers absolute chaos as the unpredictable Lenny, and Jean Smart, serving major therapist-who-knows-more energy.
If you’re into shows that make your brain hurt in the best way possible and leave you Googling theories at 2 AM, this is your next obsession. Legion is Hawley totally unleashed, and honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way.
All seasons of Legion are now streaming on Hulu.
3. The Unusuals
The Unusuals is a quirky, underrated police dramedy that deserves way more love than it got. Set in the 2nd Precinct of the NYPD, this 2009 gem is basically what happens when you take a standard cop show and inject it with just the right amount of weird. Think less Law & Order, more Brooklyn Nine-Nine with a dark, unpredictable edge.
The ensemble cast is fantastic, led by Amber Tamblyn as Detective Casey Shraeger, a wealthy undercover cop who tries to keep her identity low-key while immersing herself in the precinct’s chaotic energy. She’s joined by Jeremy Renner (yep, pre-Hawkeye days), Harold Perrineau, Adam Goldberg, and Terry Kinney, each detective more eccentric than the last, all hiding secrets that unravel bit by bit.
From cops who sleep in bulletproof vests to others who moonlight as amateur philosophers, the show plays like a character study dressed in a badge and gun.
Though it only lasted one season, The Unusuals packs in sharp writing, surprising heart, and plenty of WTF moments. It’s short, snappy, and weird in all the best ways, perfect for a quick binge while you count down to Alien: Earth.
All episodes of The Unusuals are now streaming on Apple TV+.
4. Bones
Noah Hawley was in the Bones universe before he was bending time and space or sending you into existential dread. Yes, the guy behind all your fave genre-bending shows got his early TV reps writing for this mid-2000s comfort classic. And if you’ve somehow never seen Bones, it’s the perfect binge when you want crime-solving, chemistry, and just enough weird science to keep things spicy.
Bones follows Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, played by Emily Deschanel, who’s basically a brilliant, emotionally awkward forensic anthropologist with zero chill. She teams up with FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz being peak 2000s heartthrob), and together they solve murders using (you guessed it) skeletal remains. The dynamic? Total opposites attract, slow-burn perfection. The vibe? A little quirky, a little dark, and very addictive.
While Hawley didn’t create it, he was in the writer’s room in those early seasons, helping craft the smart, snappy dialogue and the offbeat, lovable characters. So even though Bones is more classic procedural than trippy mind maze, you can totally spot those early Hawley fingerprints.
All episodes of Bones are now streaming on Prime Video.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
