20th Century Fox Televison/Hard Eight/Kobal/ShutterstockWhen X-Files writers Glen Morgan and James Wong created a science fiction show in the middle of the 1990s, the expectations for said show were, at least among sci-fi fans, very, very high. In the summer of 1995, leading up to its debut, ads for Space: Above and Beyond were everywhere, from TV Guide to the inside and backs of DC Comics. Launched the same year as Star Trek: Voyager, well into the run of Babylon 5, and in the midst of a seaQuest rebrand, Space: Above and Beyond launched during what was, in retrospect, a golden age of big, epic sci-fi shows with close-knit ensembles and narratives that posed big questions. Blending the sensibilities of the novel version of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers (the movie wasn’t out until 1997) as well as Joe Haldeman’s iconic military sci-fi novel from 1974, Morgan and Wong gave the world an unironic military sci-fi epic with a conscience.But by 1996, the ambitious first season of the show would end up being its last. And in its Season 1 finale — which became the series finale — Space: Above and Beyond dropped an excellent twist which proved that this underrated show was playing a very long game. Today, the finale is highly watchable, along with some prescient themes. Here’s why it's worth tracking down on DVD or digging out your old VHS tapes from the ‘90s.Space: Above and Beyond began with what seemed like a simple premise: In 2063, Earth colonies outside of our solar system are attacked and destroyed by aliens known as “the Chigs.” This event plunges Earth into a full-scale interstellar conflict with the Chigs, but with one caveat: The humans don’t know what the Chigs actually look like. Which, after 23 episodes, sets up the Season 1 finale, “... Tell Our Moms We Done Our Best,” for a very big twist. By most metrics, Space: Above and Beyond was the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, but a decade earlier. Unlike most sci-fi shows until that point, Space: Above and Beyond felt revolutionary for simply depicting the military the way it exists in real life, but slightly into the future. The main characters aren’t part of some kooky space military; they’re members of the United States Marine Corps, which now operates on land, air, sea, and in space. This aesthetic and narrative choice was then somewhat revolutionary. The show followed a group of untested cadets, “The Wild Cards,” into several battles and plotlines, some of which played out like sci-fi stories of the week, while others advanced the larger military campaigns of the series. Perhaps the closest contemporary to Space: Above and Beyond wasn’t a TV show or a film at all, but instead, a game: The Wing Commander games of the 1990s. 1994’s Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (starring Mark Hamill), specifically, had a dark, grim feeling, and also followed fighter pilots waging battle from an outer space aircraft carrier.The Wild Cards were ready for action, but not a second season. | 20th Century Fox Televison/Hard Eight/Kobal/ShutterstockBut, the true secret weapon of Space: Above and Beyond is that this show was crafted by X-Files veterans, meaning there were several slow-burning mysteries playing out throughout the entire season. In addition to humans and Chigs, Above and Beyond also gave us intelligent AIs who had revolted, called “Silicates” (think the Cylon “skin jobs for Battlestar), as well as several characters who were artificially grown humans called In Vitroes, who were very often treated as second-class citizens. Layered into this was a corporate conspiracy plotline about a tech company called “Aero-Tech,” which was like the most evil version of SpaceX and Blue Origin, with a touch of Lex Luthor.That said, the battle with the alien Chigs became the focus of the show’s finale, and with its last moments, Above and Beyond dropped a huge bomb: The Chigs claim to also be from Earth, originally. Not only did Aero-Tech probably know this all along, but this plot twist also made it clear that the basic question of the show — what does it mean to be human? — was taken to extremes. Not only did the Silicates, In Vitros, and humans all originate on Earth, but the show also suggests that the entire massive conflict with aliens was, in the final analysis, not technically a battle with extraterrestrials. If you’ve never watched Space: Above and Beyond, this detail is a pretty big spoiler. But how the show actually finds its way to that point is worth the ride. The series was never able to fully explain all of its storylines, but in a sense, the fact that what we got ends with such huge upheavals proves that the twist wasn’t exactly the point. Space: Above and Beyond proved that a serious, gritty military sci-fi drama could work on TV, and it deserves to sit alongside some of the greatest dramas ever created. Space: Above and Beyond is not streaming anywhere currently, though some episodes have been uploaded by fans to YouTube. The best way to watch the whole series as intended is to track down the DVDs.