3 Shows Like ‘The Last Of Us’ To Hold You Over Until April 13
As we anxiously await the release of The Last of Us Season 2, on April 13, here are 3 other top-rated TV shows about the end of the world.
Station Eleven
Civilized society is seldom the only thing that collapses upon the sudden end of the world. Additionally, the average person witnesses their moral reasoning slowly start to splinter as they adjust to their new form of living, as evidenced by every example of post-apocalyptic media from Mad Max and The Last of Us to 28 Weeks Later and Station Eleven. With the latter, HBO delivers another incredible dystopian outing – one every bit as somber and morose as its later video game-based successor. Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s acclaimed novel, Station Eleven traces a traveling theater group as they venture through the wasteland of tomorrow. Like The Last of Us, Station Eleven zeroes in on the fragile interpersonal relationships that characterize most post-apocalyptic TV series, emphasizing the idea that every person you encounter on your travels could mean the difference between life or death.
Chernobyl
Before he was busy adapting the nightmarish world of The Last of Us for the small screen, showrunner Craig Mazin turned his attention to recreating the infamous Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Often cited as the worst nuclear-related incident in global history, Chernobyl displays the inherent dangers surrounding nuclear power, as well as the industrious efforts of first responders to contain and control the resulting fallout. A first-rate biographical drama underscoring the heroism of various scientists, firefighters, miners, and volunteers in trying to combat the disaster, Chernobyl wonderfully displays Mazin’s ability to recreate a singular setting populated by a cast of nuanced characters – something that became even more apparent with The Last of Us’s opening season.
Sweet Tooth
Who says video games have to be the sole source of inspiration for post-apocalyptic TV series? With Netflix’s three-season long Sweet Tooth, the streaming service recreates the magical realist world of Jeff Lemire’s comic book series, following a wide range of colorful characters trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in the wake of a disastrous global pandemic. With animal-human hybrids seemingly set to replace the remnants of humanity, Sweet Tooth focuses on the immediate aftermath sprung about from the end of the world, shining a light on the characters’ overarching hostility to those outside their species, as well as those simply trying to connect with one another, regardless of their physical appearance.