The 5 best sci-fi and fantasy TV shows of 2019

PLUS: The new Star Wars movie, the war on microplastics, and giant surveillance balloons in space. [View this email in your browser]( [[WIRED Daily Newsletter]12.20.19]( [A shiny golden robot ]( [MOVIE REVIEW]( ['Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Was Built to Win. So It Had to Fail]( BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER [J.J. Abrams' final chapter in the Skywalker Saga suffers under the weight of too many expectations.]( [plastic crushed bottle against black background with blue and pink shapes surroudning it]( [PLASTIC PLANET]( [The Year Humanity Declared War on Microplastics]( BY MATT SIMON [The pollutants are absolutely everywhere—blowing in the wind and swirling in the ocean. Here's how we can clean up our act.]( [A translucent white balloon floats up into the sky]( [EYES IN THE SKY]( [Giant Surveillance Balloons Are Lurking at the Edge of Space]( BY DANIEL OBERHAUS [Companies are sending massive, high-altitude balloons to the stratosphere to snap images of Earth with unprecedented resolution. Say cheese!]( [A woman fixes her hair in a bathroom]( [YEAR IN REVIEW]( [The 5 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy TV Shows of 2019]( BY WIRED STAFF [This may have been the best year for genre television—ever.]( [Subscribe to WIRED]( [GET WIRED](  [Insider access to our Holiday Sale.](  [For a limited time, get a full year of the print magazine + digital access to wired.com for just $5.](  [Subscribe Today]( [AI brain with computer vision]( [MACHINE UN-LEARNING]( [AI Is Biased. Here's How Scientists Are Trying to Fix It]( BY WILL KNIGHT [Researchers are revising the ImageNet data set. But algorithmic anti-bias training is harder than it seems.]( [Image may contain: Electronics, Jewelry, Accessories, Accessory, and Ring]( [SLUMBER PARTY]( [Gifts for People Who Just Need a Good Night's Sleep]( BY JESS GREY [Sweet dreams are made of these.]( [iphone 11 ]( [GADGET LAB PODCAST]( [Our Favorite Stuff from 2019, Plus Our 2020 Predictions]( BY WIRED STAFF [The Gadget Lab team points to their favorite things from this year, and points ahead.]( [A red helicopter is hoisted from a river onto a barge]( ['SHOE SELFIES']( [Feds Call Helicopter That Crashed in NYC River a ‘Death Trap’]( BY ERIC ADAMS [An NTSB investigation faults the companies behind the sightseeing flight for a slew of safety failures, which resulted in five deaths.]( [Get the Gadget Lab Newsletter]( [Sweet deals and tasty recommendations in your inbox on Thursdays and Saturdays every week. Sign up!]( [WIRED]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( or [Manage your newsletter subscriptions](newsletter=wir)