7 Best HBO Dramas to Watch While You Wait for The Last of Us Season 3

The second season of HBO’s The Last of Us continued telling the tale of Ellie and Joel’s journey in a zombie-infested America. The zombie apocalypse show has evolved into HBO’s flagship program, delivering captivating drama and intense sequences that strive to meet the high standards set by both The Last of Us games. The often stoic Joel and the enthusiastic Ellie’s dynamic is one of the great duos in video games, with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay pulling off tremendous performances in the live-action adaptation, carrying the show on their back.

Related

6 Biggest Changes In Season 2 Of The Last Of Us

Was season 2 of The Last of Us a more faithful or less faithful adaptation than season 1?

With Season 2 coming to a close, TLOU fans in desperate need of compelling HBO drama to consume while they wait for Season 3 to arrive can look no further, as the network boasts a vast catalog of television that matches the standards set by TLOU.

7

Raised By Wolves

Dystopian Future That Sees Religious Factions Come To Prominence

Raised by Wolves

Release Date

2020 – 2021

Network

HBO Max

Showrunner

Aaron Guzikowski

Sci-Fi gem Raised by Wolves may explore a foreign world, but its post-apocalyptic storytelling, set in a world where the Earth has been destroyed, mirrors aspects of TLOU, particularly in the continuation of human life after such earth-shattering events. After religious warfare on Earth obliterates the planet, humanity is rebuilt on Kepler-22b, where androids raise human children. However, religion and other nefarious factors cause the job to be tainted, as the children struggle to survive on the alien planet.

Like TLOU‘s religious group, the Scars, who appear in season 2, Raised by Wolves heavily features religion at the center of its narrative, telling an enticing story draped in familiar sci-fi tropes.

6

Station Eleven

Flu Wipes Out Much Of Humanity As Very Few Remain

The post-apocalyptic drama Station Eleven certainly flew under the radar for many on HBO Max, with the limited series mirroring TLOU in its examination of a dystopian future featuring cults and characters with deep-rooted connections. After a deadly flu decimates the world’s population, society attempts to rebuild, with a traveling performance troupe making the rounds, headlined by Kirsten Raymonde, a budding actress who reminisces about Arthur Leander, an essential figure in her life, who has connections to many prominent characters within Station Eleven.

Narratively, Station Eleven‘s non-linear approach frequently jumps between before the pandemic and the present, similar to TLOU, with its exploration of art, culture, and loss, all of which contribute to a fresh and in-depth story.

5

Years And Years

Downfall Of British Society Over A Fifteen-Year Span

The British production Years and Years offered a fresh depiction of societal decline through the lens of a British family, as warfare, financial despair, and technological advancements rock the world. Following the Lyons family, six episodes tell the story of their lives throughout a 15-year period as society crumbles under the weight of war, political upheaval, and technological threats.

Related

The Last Of Us Season 2: Best Episodes, Ranked

The second season of The Last of Us was certainly eventful, and these were the best episodes in it.

For those eager to witness the slow-burning decline of society akin to TLOU‘s dystopian setting, Years and Years is a limited series that offers an original perspective on humanity’s fall.

4

Watchmen

Vigilante Show Set In A Fractured World

The Watchmen franchise, popularized through Zack Snyder’s cult classic movie adaptation, saw HBO choosing to deliver a one-season spectacle of Watchmen, based on the renowned DC Comics. In a world where masked vigilantes are heavily managed in society, Angela Abar, also known as Sister Night, is a vigilante detective who investigates a white supremacist group, uncovering many truths about a corrupt world.

Sharing similarities with TLOU through its sci-fi exploration of worlds that endure pain and suffering, as well as characters hiding their true identity and actions, Watchmen provides intense drama brimming with corruption and terror that very few shows have achieved.

3

Chernobyl

Nuclear Disaster In Ukraine That Changed The World

One of the most harrowing shows of all time is the miniseries Chernobyl, a biographical show detailing the real-life events of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine that altered the world dramatically. Masterminded by TLOU’s showrunner, Craig Mazin, Chernobyl examines the nuclear explosion and the systematic failures that led to the disastrous accident, as well as the government officials, in an attempt to cover up an event that radically changed lives, particularly in Eastern Europe.

The apocalyptic and distressing feel of Chernobyl is unlike anything else ever depicted on television, with the show going on to become an awards darling, owing to its immense and visceral qualities that shook audiences upon release.

2

Game of Thrones

Epic World Full Of Magic And Politicking That Sees Ice Zombies Run Riot

Game of Thrones was a behemoth of its time, bringing forth a fantasy world that went far beyond any other, offering truly enthralling drama to the highest level. Weaving magic alongside the politicking of royalty and noble houses, Game of Thrones sees characters vying for control and power, with betrayal, death, sex, and dragons taking center stage.

Related

10 Best Female Characters In The Last Of Us, Ranked

These powerful female characters in The Last Of Us prove that strength goes beyond survival and violence.

However, like TLOU, Game of Thrones‘ use of wights in the Night King’s army of the dead, eerily similar to zombies, and the memorable performances of Pascal and Ramsay as Oberyn Martell and Lyanna Mormont, respectively, see the shows undoubtedly overlap, offering some of HBO’s finest entertainment.

1

The Leftovers

Part Of Humanity Disappears, Leaving The Rest Of Society To Pick Up The Pieces

Similar to the Thanos snap in the MCU, The Leftovers‘ premise of 2% of the world vanishing from Earth, leaving the rest of humanity to continue forth, offers a fascinating story that many overlooked while airing. From the mind of television visionary Damon Lindelof, The Leftovers explores themes of loss and grief, with different characters and families each learning to cope with their sudden loss in their own way.

Akin to TLOU, a world-changing event dramatically alters humanity and its trajectory, as The Leftovers‘ three-season run saw it become an underappreciated HBO gem.