It is laborious to consider it has been two years since “The Final of Us” took audiences by storm. As we at /Movie wrote of the thrilling, character-driven achievement in TV, “‘The Final of Us’ is a survival story that cares much less about how we survive than why, however it nonetheless manages to tug off some grisly motion to match its supply materials … Breathe a sigh of aid: ‘The Final of Us” may be very, excellent.'”
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Based mostly on the online game franchise by Naughty Canine, the primary season takes place after the world has been overrun with a mutated Cordyceps virus turning people into hive-minded zombies. Pedro Pascal performs Joel, a grieving father entrusted with defending Ellie (Bella Ramsey), whereas escorting her throughout the nation after she’s found to be resistant to the virus, hoping somebody can present a remedy.
The sequence has lastly returned for its highly-anticipated second season, which, for individuals who have performed “The Final of Us – Half II,” brings a specific amount of dread. Whether or not “The Last of Us” season 2 works on television stays to be seen, however even when it in some way would not, listed here are our suggestions for extra exhibits for those who’re a fan of the creators behind HBO’s hit, the trope of post-apocalypse and zombies, or just simply exhibits the place really no one is secure from the cruelness of storytelling.
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These are the very best exhibits like HBO’s “The Final of Us.”
Chernobyl
Whereas “The Final of Us” as a online game was heralded by the sequence’ co-creator, Neil Druckmann, he had some assist from Craig Mazin, who had beforehand garnered acclaim on HBO along with his drama miniseries “Chernobyl.” Impressed by the titular nuclear catastrophe from 1986, “Chernobyl” was one of many cable community’s greatest hits upon its launch in 2019, topping the streaming numbers of exhibits like “Recreation of Thrones.”
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When it premiered, /Movie known as “Chernobyl” the most vital, terrifying, and relevant horror story of 2019, writing that it “excels at portraying not solely the bodily and physique horror that these women and men skilled, but in addition the psychological horror inflicted on them.” Of the sequence’ whole 5 episodes, Mazin was the screenwriter behind every one, bringing a sensitivity to the subject material that “The Final of Us” followers will acknowledge from his follow-up sequence, of which he additionally wrote or co-wrote all however one episode.
Most notably, there are many similarities in “Chernobyl” tonally to sure flashbacks from “The Final of Us” depicting the origin of the Cordyceps pandemic, albeit what makes “Chernobyl” far more chilling and hard-to-stomach is that it is no science-fiction. It definitely will not be the simplest watch, even for individuals who might simply deal with “The Final of Us,” however for those who had any appreciation for Mazin’s tv work, that is the subsequent sequence that you ought to be watching.
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The Mandalorian
Many have famous how related Pedro Pascal’s position as Joel Miller in “The Final of Us” is to his position within the Disney+ “Star Wars” sequence “The Mandalorian.” Going down shortly after the occasions of the unique “Star Wars” trilogy, the sequence follows the procedural adventures of Din Djarin, a bounty hunter whose Mandalorian creed is examined when he rescues a baby of Yoda’s species and reluctantly turns into its surrogate father to guard it from remnants of the Empire.
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There are definitely similarities to the dynamic between Din Djarin and Grogu to Joel and Ellie in “The Final of Us,” however the exhibits are additionally oddly related for his or her world-building. “The Final of Us” typically spends total episodes devoted to supporting characters that Joel and Ellie encounter on their journey, which can be true for “The Mandalorian,” particularly when it highlights visitor stars like Katee Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan or Invoice Burr’s Migs Mayfeld.
The present may not be as constant in high quality as “The Final of Us,” and Pascal’s position as Djarin typically is not far more than voiceover work, however as /Movie wrote in its season 3 review of “The Mandalorian,” which many take into account its weakest season, it nonetheless incorporates “what we liked in regards to the present within the first place: the connection between Din and Grogu, mythos-expanding ‘Star Wars’ motion, and an entire lot of enjoyable.”
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Dopesick
Those that have performed via “The Final of Us – Half II” are well-acquainted with Abby, for higher or worse. Nevertheless, those that solely watched HBO’s adaptation will meet her for the primary time in season two, performed by Kaitlyn Dever (above). The actress has had a robust profession in comedy and drama to this point, however for an thought of how properly she’ll slot in a present like “The Final of Us,” take a look at her efficiency in Hulu’s miniseries “Dopesick.”
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“Dopesick” dramatizes the influence of the opioid disaster on American households, with Dever taking part in Betsy, a coal miner who turns into hooked on OxyContin after it is prescribed to her for a again damage, sending her down a slippery slope of rehabilitation and desperation. Whereas the sequence would not characteristic any zombies or post-apocalyptic survival, it makes the Cordyceps pandemic of “The Final of Us” look gentle compared to the epidemic of dependancy that swept America via the early twenty first century.
Particularly contemplating the controversy behind Dever’s “The Last of Us” character, followers know it should take loads for audiences to empathize with Abby. Fortunately, exhibits like “Dopesick” show that Dever can do it simply, so when you’ve got any appreciation for the actress’ efficiency in “The Final of Us,” “Dopesick” is a robust (and vital) miniseries that you must watch.
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Silo
Apple TV+ has turn into a brand new dwelling for status tv, because the streaming dwelling for some of the best sci-fi shows on TV in the intervening time. A type of exhibits is “Silo,” which premiered in 2023 and wrapped up its second in early 2025, with two extra on the way in which. Based mostly on a sequence of novels by Hugh Howey, “Silo” facilities on a dystopic future the place humanity has survived in an underground advanced inside a large silo, with Rebecca Ferguson (above) starring as Juliette, an engineer who turns into embroiled in a homicide thriller with a righteous sheriff (David Oyelowo) and his suspicious spouse (Rashida Jones).
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Clearly, the dystopian setting of “Silo” is in components much like “The Final of Us” on condition that the floor world, believed by these contained in the silo to be toxic, appears ravaged by apocalyptic catastrophe. The group behind the titular silo can be paying homage to FEDRA (the Federal Catastrophe Reply Company) within the HBO sequence, given how controlling they’re of their residents and secretive in regards to the origins of the surface world.
As we at /Movie wrote of the post-apocalyptic neo-noir’s intrigue and world-building, it “in the end stands aside from normal post-apocalyptic fare because of its means to deftly pull the viewers’s focus from one level of curiosity to a different, retaining us totally absorbed within the particulars of this unusual world all of the whereas.” Suffice it to say, if “The Final of Us” left you hungry for dystopian drama, “Silo” is one among TV’s present greatest.
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American Primeval
This current Netflix miniseries would not have any dystopic authorities organizations or zombie virus outbreaks, however its exploration of mid-Nineteenth century America and deep exploration of its characters will enchantment to followers of “The Final of Us.” Having launched in January 2025, “American Primeval” finds Taylor Kitsch in a Joel Miller-esque position as Isaac, a mountaineer plagued with grief who reluctantly agrees to shepherd a mom (Betty Gilpin, seen above) and her disabled son (Preston Mota) via the damaging highway to California in an effort to reunite with the boy’s father.
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“American Primeval” dominated Netflix’s top charts upon launch, which must be no shock given how gripping it’s from begin to end. The sequence’ creator, Mark L. Smith, beforehand wrote Oscar-winning movie “The Revenant,” which ought to provide you with some thought as to the way in which this present depicts the brutality of nature. With solely six episodes, it is a brisk albeit bloody present that throws western tropes just like the “damsel-in-distress” or the “cowboy anti-hero” on its head, not in contrast to “The Final of Us.”
If you happen to had a selected affinity for the episodes of “The Final of Us” that particularly adopted the journey of Joel and Ellie via the American wild, “American Primeval” is the present for you. Whereas it would not boast any participating zombie motion, like “The Final of Us,” it understands that the true evil on the earth comes from different human beings.
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Yellowjackets
“Yellowjackets” is one other present that will not have zombies, however it does have cannibalism, which it has in widespread with “The Final of Us.” The Showtime sequence premiered in 2021, centering on a highschool ladies’ soccer workforce who find yourself in a aircraft crash, leaving them stranded within the Canadian wild. In the meantime, the present concurrently explores their lives 25 years later, because the survivors nonetheless face penalties from their teenage trauma.
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Notably, one of many present’s greatest stars is Melanie Lynskey, who performs Shauna. “The Final of Us” followers will acknowledge Lynskey from the HBO sequence, the place she performed Kathleen, the chief of a Kansas Metropolis-based revolution whose willpower to search out and kill Henry (Lamar Johnson) and his youthful brother Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard) see a seemingly-sweet lady flip right into a ruthless monster.
/Movie wrote that the coming-of-age cannibal mystery series’ third season, regardless of having faltered somewhat since its Emmy-nominated first season, “is proof optimistic that this present nonetheless has lots to say about female rage and the haunting powers of grief and guilt.” Plus, its checklist of visitor stars has begun to rival even the primary season of “The Final of Us,” with appearances by Hilary Swank, Elijah Wooden, and Joel McHale.
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Station Eleven
“Station Eleven” is barely a restricted sequence of 10 episodes on HBO, which means it is a straightforward look ahead to “The Final of Us” followers biding time between new episodes of the second season. Based mostly on a novel by Emily St. John Mandel, “Station Eleven” takes place in an alternate future the place, not in contrast to the Cordyceps virus (or, in all equity, the actual world), a pandemic has fully obliterated human civilization, however it facilities on a gaggle of survivors who’ve banded collectively as The Touring Symphony, a post-apocalyptic theater troupe.
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Mackenzie Davis is the present’s middle as Kirsten, the troupe’s greatest star, who was solely a baby when the pandemic started. The present equally explores how Kirsten survived as a baby with the assistance of Jeevan (Himesh Patel), a stranger who turns into her reluctant caretaker. The supporting solid additionally options gifted stars like David Cross, Lori Petty, and Gael García Bernal.
We at /Movie deemed “Station Eleven” a colorful, humane, and Shakespearean post-pandemic watch, writing, “‘Station Eleven’ is a present about what’s actually vital: folks, artwork, and the power of life that hums beneath the distractions.” It is definitely much more optimistic about surviving an apocalypse than “The Final of Us” is, which after watching season 2 of the sequence, may be precisely what followers want.
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Z Nation
If you happen to’re hungry for extra zombie motion after “The Final of Us,” then “Z Nation” is a sequence that can get you hooked. Premiering on Syfy in 2014, the present shares an identical premise to the HBO sequence because of Keith Allan’s character Alvin, who after a sequence of experimental vaccines is discovered to be resistant to a lethal zombie outbreak that ravages society. Whereas, like Ellie, his antibodies maintain the remedy for humankind, Alvin slowly discovers that his immunity may additionally be slowly turning him right into a mutated zombie himself, able to controlling the senseless troopers he comes throughout.
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Most of “Z Nation” facilities on Alvin’s journey to California to ship the remedy, accompanied by Kellita Smith as an ex-Nationwide Guard named Roberta and DJ Qualls as a hacker named Simon. “Z Nation” is way much less grim than “The Final of Us,” making it an underrated zombie show to watch if you love shows like “The Walking Dead” or different exhibits prefer it. As we at /Movie wrote, “The present sometimes veers into campy territory, and it has problem deciding how critically it needs to take itself. Nonetheless, for those who’re keen to roll with these punches, it may be a enjoyable, entertaining journey.”
Sadly, Syfy cancelled “Z Nation” after its fifth season in 2018, seemingly as a result of rising price of manufacturing, however that hasn’t stopped followers of the cult sequence to clamor for a revival. As of March 2024, it looks like there’s nonetheless some hope…
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Fallout
Online game diversifications will be hit and miss, however “The Final of Us” is not the one franchise to have seen success as a tv sequence these days. In 2024, Amazon Prime premiered “Fallout,” a drama sequence primarily based on a a lot totally different post-apocalyptic online game sequence than “The Final of Us.” The sequence takes place after nuclear catastrophe within the near-future leaves survivors retreating into a fancy system of underground bunkers, generally known as vaults, the place people are unknowingly experimented on by an organization known as Vault-Tec.
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Ella Purnell stars as Lucy, a younger lady within the 12 months 2296, who leaves her vault seeking her father Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), encountering eclectic characters similar to Walton Goggins’ hideous (but still handsome) Ghoul, a lone ranger who was disfigured by nuclear radiation. Each followers of the franchise and unfamiliar new viewers deemed “Fallout” a stellar video game adaptation, with us at /Movie writing, “The world of ‘Fallout’ feels as huge and detailed as ‘Basis’ or ‘Rings of Energy,’ whereas nonetheless feeling as desolate as ‘The Final of Us,’ … [it] understands the very best components of the ‘Fallout’ video games and tips on how to translate them to a brand new medium.
If you happen to’re a online game fan who was stunned by how properly HBO dealt with “The Final of Us,” then worry not; Amazon does nice service to the “Fallout” franchise and proves that online game diversifications do not have to be extremely devoted to the supply materials to nonetheless be good.
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The Leftovers
One other drama sequence from HBO, “The Leftovers” premiered in 2014 and ran for 3 seasons. In “The Leftovers,” a mere 2% of the inhabitants on Earth all of a sudden disappear, which can not seem to be a lot, however it’s sufficient to ship society crumbling, making method for cultish factions rising. Like “The Final of Us,” the present has an ensemble, however it primarily follows the lives of the Garveys, Kevin (Justin Theroux) and daughter Jill (Margaret Qualley), who wrestle following the exodus of matriarch Laurie (Amy Brenneman) and son Tommy (Chris Zylka).
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Future seasons discover different survivors throughout America, because the thriller of this worldwide phenomenon is additional explored. Nevertheless, as /Movie wrote of the emotionally satisfying finale of “The Leftovers,” “Within the closing minutes, all that issues are the 2 folks sitting throughout from one another. As far out as Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta’s HBO sequence bought, it turned more and more extra intimate over the course of three seasons.” Whereas “The Final of Us” does discover a number of the thriller behind how Cordyceps took over the world, “The Leftovers” is content material with retaining all the things grounded.
Clearly, that type of emotional concentrate on intimate character improvement in a high-concept setting will enchantment to followers of “The Final of Us,” and the sequence is brief and candy sufficient to not really feel like a grind to get via all 28 episodes.
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Recreation of Thrones
The sequence has drawn numerous comparisons to fantasy franchises like “Lord of the Rings,” however it’s no shock that the enduring HBO drama “Recreation of Thrones” took off, given its wealthy world, morally gray characters, and fascinating plot. Nevertheless, season 2 of “The Final of Us” will seemingly draw much more comparisons to “Recreation of Thrones” due to how ruthless will probably be in proving that no character is secure, one thing the fantasy sequence turned considerably notorious for because it ran all through the 2010s.
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Plus, some might argue that, like “The Final of Us,” “Recreation of Thrones” can be a zombie present. From the sequence’ first moments, one of many greatest threats to Westeros is the invasion of White Walkers, a military of undead zombies from the wintry north past The Wall. Followers of Joel and Ellie will even see similarities within the likes of “Game of Thrones” main characters Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, and The Hound, however the obvious one is Lyanna Mormont, who debuts within the sixth season, performed by none aside from Bella Ramsey herself.
Regardless of how you’re feeling about what worked and what didn’t work about the “Game of Thrones” finale, there isn’t any denying that it modified fashionable status tv, for higher or worse. Like the way forward for “The Final of Us” past its first season, there can be discourse about its storytelling selections for many years to come back.
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The Strolling Lifeless
You merely cannot speak about zombies on tv with out speaking about “The Strolling Lifeless.” The AMC sequence, primarily based on a comic book e book franchise by Robert Kirkman, ran for 11 seasons and was probably the most talked-about exhibits of the 2010s, with characters like Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln, seen above), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), and Michonne (Danai Gurira) turning into family names by the tip of its run. The sequence facilities on Grimes, a sheriff who awakens from a coma to find that society has crumbled from a zombie outbreak, reuniting along with his household and surviving not simply from zombies, however different people.
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The place “The Strolling Lifeless” closely differs from “The Final of Us” is in its solid. Throughout every season of “The Walking Dead,” it hardly ever maintained a gentle ensemble, as characters typically joined or had been killed off from episode to episode, with even Lincoln’s personal Grimes departing in its ninth season. However, the sequence has additionally seen numerous spin-offs, together with “Worry the Strolling Lifeless,” in addition to a sequence targeted on Norman Reedus’ character, “The Strolling Lifeless: Daryl Dixon.”
So far as zombie tv goes, “The Final of Us” as a recreation owes a number of its success to the recognition of “The Strolling Lifeless,” however the sheer scale of the AMC sequence as a franchise could scare off some who’re simply searching for one other present to binge. Nonetheless, for those who’ve seen all the things else on this checklist however have but to look at “The Strolling Lifeless,” you are lacking out.
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