Netflix's 'The Boroughs' Makes Aging TV's Most Exciting Superpower Yet

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentNetflix's 'The Boroughs' Makes Aging TV's Most Exciting Superpower YetByDana Feldman,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dana Feldman is a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers entertainment.Follow AuthorMay 24, 2026, 11:28pm EDTDenis O’Hare, Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina, and Clarke Peters in 'The Boroughs' on Netflix. PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIXNetflix’s The Boroughs is redefining the sci-fi genre with a thrilling adventure centered on senior citizens who refuse to slow down. Created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who also serve as executive producers and co-showrunners, the eight-episode series teams them up with executive producers Matt and Ross Duffer of Stranger Things fame to tell a mysterious and emotional story set in a seemingly idyllic retirement community in the New Mexico desert.At the center of the story is retired engineer Sam Cooper, played by Alfred Molina, a grieving widower who reluctantly moves to the picturesque community at the urging of his daughter, Claire, portrayed by Jena Malone. Though the retirement haven promises its residents the perfect place to enjoy their golden years, Sam soon discovers something sinister lurking beneath the manicured cul-de-sacs and serene backdrop. The Duffer brothers, longtime admirers of Addiss and Matthews' work on The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, were eager to collaborate on a project inspired in part by the beloved 1985 film Cocoon. The Boroughs also marks the first project developed under the Duffers’ Upside Down Pictures banner.Like Stranger Things, The Boroughs follows a ragtag group of unlikely heroes facing terrifying supernatural forces. However, while Stranger Things explores coming-of-age themes, The Boroughs examines aging, grief, friendship, and purpose later in life. Alfred Molina and Alfre Woodard in 'The Boroughs' on Netflix.COURTESY OF NETFLIXMORE FOR YOU...