Summary
One thing I always appreciated about TV shows waswhen the story jumped into a parallel universe, but there were some that I wish we’d seen more of. Some ofthe best TV shows of all timehave delved into the concept of their respective universes being different from normal, which was often a refreshing and new take on an already established fictional world. However,the best sci-fi TV shows everexecuted this premise the best overall.
Parallel universes have varied depending on context, have generally been physical places that a character visits by traveling across dimensions. However,some were formed based on a significant alteration in a time stream, which then created a brand-new worldthat only existed because of one decision. In fact, some of my favorite TV shows were ones that smoothly balanced more than one timeline at once. TV shows have introduced some beautifully developed parallel universes, but I always wished that they’d go back in another episode.
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There were loads ofinteresting timelines inThe Umbrella Academy, but one I wish that the show had spent additional time on is the Phoenix Academy.It only appears in season 4 in one brief scene, which was a really exciting moment. Even though the Umbrella and Sparrow groups were brilliant by themselves,the Phoenix Academy memberswere the ultimate incarnation of Reginald’s superhero team. I understand that Lila and Five might not have wanted to stick around in the timeline for too long, especially considering the ball of fire flying toward them, but I hoped there’d be more.
Allison was also replaced by another version of the Sparrows’ Alphonso in the Phoenix timeline, and Fei joined as well.
The Phoenixes were all abrupt and arrogant, similar to the Sparrows, but even more brash. They were actually enthusiastic about being Reginald’s playthings, andI’d love to know more about the version of the Hargreeves siblings that didn’t grow up under his thumb full of resentment.Allison was also replaced by another version of the Sparrows’ Alphonso in the Phoenix timeline, and Fei joined as well. I was intrigued to see further moments of this weird melding of the two groups, but unfortunately, this timeline was only on screen for a singular scene and never mentioned again.
Even though it happened in the final season,I had hoped thatSupernaturalwould at least reference Sam and Dean Winchester’s stints as vampires again. Despite the versions of the brothers being a part of a future envisioned by Chuck, a timeline in which they’d been successful in locking him away, it was great to see the pair change species for a while. The boys had hunted all manner ofdemons and creatures inSupernatural, so it was quite comical that Chuck’s imaginary revenge was to have them converted into vampires, out of all the decisions he could have made.
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Vampire Sam and Dean did briefly appear on a TV screen a few episodes later, but there was no further mention after this. Granted, Sam wasn’t going to allow the timeline to happen when he saw Chuck’s terror, but “The Trap” had the potential to be its own spinoff. However,this timeline did force Sam to acknowledge Eileen’s death properly.Despite Sam being decapitated by Bobby, Dean’s fate was left unclear. I’m curious to know how vampire Dean’s life panned out after this and learn whether he survived or roamed the world of demons alone, this time as one himself.
“A Black Hole” was my favorite and one ofthe best episodes ofYoung Sheldon. There were a couple of realities in this episode, butthe very best was how each of the characters around the dinner table was completely subverted in their archetypes. Sheldon was the only normal child, and Missy was now a genius. George Sr. and Mary also switched, with the football coach becoming dedicated to religion and the housewife swapping her apron for a party lifestyle. Georgie’s thick locks disappeared, and John became a cowboy. However, alternative Connie was by far the funniest.
The obsession with therapy and psychoanalysis, the button-up shirt, clutching a glass of wine, and even the pearls were all textbook Beverly.
I absolutely loved uptight New Yorker Connie because it was clear that this version of her was supposed to beBeverly Hofstadter fromThe Big Bang Theory. The obsession with therapy and psychoanalysis, the button-up shirt, clutching a glass of wine, and even the pearls were all textbook Beverly. I know that sitcoms don’t tend to revisit these alternative worlds generally, butit would’ve been amazing if Sheldon had continued this narrative in his mind.However, it’s unlikely he’d ever want to let Missy be the genius of the family, even if it was imaginary.
Many ofthe greatestDoctor WhostoriesfromRussell T. Davies’ original era were dedicated to the loss of Rose Tyler in a parallel universe. Although the alternate universe was mentioned a lot through seasons 2, 3, and 4 ofDoctor Who, afterRose returned to Pete’s World with the Metacrisis Doctorin “Journeys End,” all mentions of it disappeared. I thought this was a fascinating premise, but my issue wasn’t with what happened to Rose; it was the Cybermen. Mickey stayed with Jake to tackle several Cyberfactories worldwide, but there was no clarification as to how that mission went.
Obviously, some Cybermen slipped past the duo, as Earth was invaded in “Doomsday.” However, it wasn’t established whether the Cybers were completely stopped in the parallel universe or not. The Doctor planned to send Rose there to be safe, at least initially, so it was presumed to be safe. ButDoctor Whonever actually confirmed what that world looked like after the downfall of John Lumic,and Rose and Mickey were too busy in “Journeys End” to discuss the topic. I hoped Russell T. Davies would acknowledge this when he returned for the Fourteenth Doctor’s era, but alas, he didn’t.
One of the main reasons I foundRed Dwarf greatwas that it didn’t take itself so seriously, like in the season 2 episode “Parallel Universe.” It was a hilarious idea for the team, especially Lister, to meet their female counterparts.It pushed the guys to reevaluate their attitudes by visiting a world in which women were the superior gender, but Lister’s pregnancy was a truly mind-shattering moment for him that was very much deserved. What was so weird about this, however, was that after Lister gave birth to twins and sent them back to the parallel universe, everything was forgotten.
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Lister’s pregnancy was aTV show storyline that was abandoned and criticized for it. I always thought it was bizarre thatRed Dwarfput so much effort into establishing this female-led world and introducing the twins just to cut the plot short.The show revisited the concept of parallel universes in later seasons, but it seemingly ignored such a massive piece of character developmentfor not just Lister, but everyone involved. The twins grew up to full adults in three days, but I desperately wanted to see Lister go back and check in on them at a later point.
Considering how wacky Professor Farnsworth’s inventions were, I’ve always been surprised thatFuturamanever brought back his parallel universe box. “The Farnsworth Parabox” allowed theFuturamacharacters to meet alternate versions of themselves, butthe reason why this particular concept was so interesting was that the distinctions between the Planet Express crews were rather minimal.It was primarily physical appearances, though, and the color of Fry and Leela’s hair, Zoidberg’s shell, and Bender’s casing were all different. Farnsworth’s box folded in on itself after everyone returned to their correct universes, and it seemed like the new world was destroyed.
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However, it was never officially confirmed. Plus, Farnsworth famously meddled with time and space on the regular, and something as simple as the box’s destruction would never stop him from accessing it again. I have always lovedFuturama’s lack of consideration for the rules of sci-fi, but that’s what made it so brilliant and one ofthe best animated TV shows ever.Even still,I still hoped thatFuturamawould revisit that parallel universe at some point, as it would have been great to see more of the alternate Leela and Fry’s marriage.
The Pillow World parallel universe that Finn explored in theAdventure Timeepisode “Puhoy” stood out because it saw the character take some time for himself to reflect.Finn’s new dimension within Jake’s pillow fort was a brilliantly clever idea,particularly because it was a soft and safe place for him to think over his feelings for Flame Princess. I loved Pillow World for several reasons, but especially because I wanted to join Finn there myself. Everything was made out of some form of bedding, even the skyline, which was absolutely adorable.
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Although it was never confirmed as to whether Pillow World was a dream or not,Adventure Time’s lorefrequently proved that there were few limitations when it came to alternative universes.Some of these worlds were revisited inAdventure Timeafter its initial episodes, like Farmworld, but I was always disappointed that the show didn’t reprise the pillow fort universe as a setting. I’d love to know more about Jake’s pillow family and finally discover the mystery of the red door as well.
