If you loved ‘Nautilus,’ these epic shows are your next watch
If you loved ‘Nautilus,’ these epic shows are your next watch
Dive into more high-stakes adventures with crews who fight back against empires.
There’s nothing out there quite like “Nautilus” on AMC+. It’s a steampunk origin story for Captain Nemo that reimagines him as an Indian prince who builds a game-changing submarine (the Nautilus), breaks out of prison, and wages war on the East India Mercantile Company. The show mashes up Jules Verne-style adventure with anti-colonial revenge, and yep, there are whales and giant squids too. If you’ve been watching Nemo and his scrappy crew dodge cannon fire, rescue sea creatures, and go toe-to-toe with sea monsters every Sunday, you know the Season 1 finale airs Sunday, Aug. 17, and that’s going to leave a hole in your line-up. Well, here are a few shows to watch after you’re done with Season 1 of “Nautilus.”
Nautilus
The origin story of the iconic Captain Nemo: an Indian Prince robbed of his birthright and family, a prisoner of the East India Mercantile Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces that have taken everything from him.
Loved ‘Nautilus’? Watch: ‘Black Sails’
If your favorite part of “Nautilus” is the whole misfit crew sailing outside the law thing, “Black Sails” is the next one to queue up. It’s a “Treasure Island” prequel that follows a young Long John Silver as he joins forces with the infamous Captain Flint. Just like Nemo, these guys are rebels trying to break out from under an empire’s thumb.
Set in 1715 Nassau during peak pirate chaos, it mixes fictional characters with real-life pirates like Blackbeard and Anne Bonny. The hunt for the Spanish treasure ship Urca de Lima drives Season 1, and the backstabbing and shifting alliances feel a lot like Nemo vs. the East India Company. “Black Sails” is grittier — expect lost limbs and damaged ships — but the outlaw freedom and tactical sea battles definitely echo the same spirit. No steampunk here, just salty realism and tall ships that actually look and feel like they’re sailing into trouble.
Black Sails
The pirate adventures of Captain Flint and his men twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island.” Flint, the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day, takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver. Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day – a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers, a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.
Watch next: ‘Vikings’
“Nautilus” lit the fuse on my love for sweeping historical epics, and “Vikings” brings that same intensity, just swap the submarines for longships. The show dives into Norse and European history, following Ragnar Lothbrok, a legendary Viking who rises from farmer to king.
Like Nemo, Ragnar is a rebel driven by ambition, navigating politics, battles, and big spiritual questions along the way. It recreates real stuff like the raid on Lindisfarne, but blends in myth and imagination too. It also explores family, faith, and leadership when everything around you is so brutal. It’s bloodier than “Nautilus” and more grounded, but the theme of a tight-knit crew fighting for their future totally tracks.
Vikings
The adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok, the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods. Legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.
Try out: ‘Andor’
If Nemo’s battle against the East India Company is what grabbed you, “Andor” spins that into a full-blown space rebellion. Set five years before “Rogue One,” the show kicks off on a planet ruled by corporate security, and Cassian Andor becoming a fugitive. He’s broke, jaded, and not exactly a freedom fighter… at least not yet.
Like Nemo, he’s a reluctant outsider who slowly gets pulled into a bigger fight. But instead of sea monsters and submarines, it’s spy networks, prison breaks, and moral messiness. “Andor” is way more grounded than typical Star Wars, and that’s a big reason why I like it. It’s slower, more adult, and every choice feels like it matters. If you loved the underdog spirit of “Nautilus,” this one’s a no-brainer.
Andor
In an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue, Cassian Andor will discover the difference he can make in the struggle against the tyrannical Galactic Empire. He embarks on a path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Wild card: ‘Chief of War’
For another story about indigenous resistance on an epic scale, “Chief of War” on Apple TV+ hits hard. This new historical drama (new episodes every Friday) tells the story of how the Hawaiian Islands were unified, with Jason Momoa playing Kaʻiana, a warrior returning to find his homeland torn apart.
The political struggle among four rival kingdoms, the arrival of Western forces, and the cultural stakes make this feel massive. What sets it apart is how personal it gets. Kaʻiana is caught between tradition and change, trying to do right by his people while figuring out who he is. While “Nautilus” brings sci-fi flair and underwater battles, “Chief of War” swaps in real history, canoes, and lush island landscapes. It’s just as focused on resistance, identity, and cultural survival, only this time, it’s grounded in a true story.
Chief of War
With Hawaii’s four kingdoms divided by war, the ferocious warrior Kaʻiana embarks on an epic mission to unite his people—as an existential threat approaches their shores.
More to watch after finishing ‘Nautilus’:
‘Carnival Row’ | Prime Video
Carnival Row
In a mystical and dark city filled with humans, fairies and other creatures, a police detective investigates a series of gruesome murders leveled against the fairy population. During his investigation, the detective becomes the prime suspect and must find the real killer to clear his name.
‘Shadow and Bone’ | Netflix
Shadow and Bone
In a world cleaved in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness, a young soldier uncovers a power that might finally unite her country. But as she struggles to hone her power, dangerous forces plot against her. Thugs, thieves, assassins and saints are at war now, and it will take more than magic to survive.
‘The Last of Us’ | HBO Max
The Last of Us
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.
‘His Dark Materials’ | HBO Max
His Dark Materials
Lyra is an orphan who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. She is later joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As she learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds.