The new Netflix series “Life on Our Planet,” released Oct. 25 and narrated by Morgan Freeman, is a binge-worthy documentary. The show covers how life has evolved on Earth and how it persists through time. It is a fascinating way to spend time watching TV while also learning about science and Earth’s past.

Each of the eight episodes are around 50 minutes long and give details about different parts of Earth’s history. The season passes through each of the five mass extinctions on our planet, showing a new species’ dominance arising every time.

This pattern is part of the bigger theme of “Life on Our Planet,” which is that life will always find a way to endure. This main idea is ever present in the series, and one of the most satisfying things to watch is how it ties into every episode.

But it’s not just the concept that’s satisfying – it’s the visual effects (VFX). They are high quality and look realistic, though similar to those of other scientific shows produced in past years. It gives an accurate depiction of what animals likely looked like in Earth’s past and is really enjoyable to watch. Some scene’s VFX alone were enough to make it magical. 

A scene which had VFX that really impressed me was the Gorgonopsid scene in episode three. The Gorgonopsid was a predatory animal that existed in the transition phase between lizard and mammal domination, and the show portrays it very well. I admired how well done the graphics for this creature were, given that nobody has ever seen it before.

Unlike Apple TV’s “Prehistoric Planet” documentary from 2022, which focuses only on dinosaurs, “Life on Our Planet” portrays what came before the dinosaurs and what came after them, which is unique to this series. It showcases the parts of Earth’s history that people may not be so familiar with, and it is a great learning experience for all ages.

“Life on Our Planet” also makes comparisons to life today. After detailing how life has adapted in the past, the show jumps to modern day and gives examples of how creatures still use these evolutions now. This was one of the aspects of the shows that I loved the most, as it made the show more interesting to watch and more relatable to our world.

There were some parts of the show that could be irritating to people. The frequent time jumps to the present may be confusing to some, and there is quite a lot of dramatic music, which people might find distracting or over-the-top. However, I did not find these bothersome.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this show from start to finish. It is a great learning experience about the evolution of life and has some beautiful VFX that makes it captivating to watch.