5 shows to quickly binge before The Last Of Us Season 2

When The Last of Us was released between January and March 2023, it went on to gain immense popularity amongst TV shows, enthralling viewers with its poignant narrative. This also includes its gripping action sequences and nuanced character development. It is a compelling post-apocalyptic story supplemented with themes of survival, morality, and human resilience in the face of complete void and annihilation.

Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, respectively, the HBO series was adapted from the critically acclaimed video game from which it takes its name. The excitement is building up as fans look forward to Season 2. It is set to debut on April 13, 2025, on streaming platforms.

The Last of Us Season 1 adaptation has raised the bar for post-apocalyptic and survival-themed narratives. However, if you have a taste for such stories, here is a list of several compelling TV shows that explore similar themes.

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5 Shows to watch before The Last Of Us Season 2

Here are 5 TV shows to watch before The Last Of Us Season 2 is released:

1. Fallout

Fallout is based on the well-known eponymous video game series. This show on Amazon Prime Video depicts a world altered by nuclear war where survivors live either in underground vaults or battle for making it alive through the wastelands. The first season of the show debuted on April 10, 2024. It has eight episodes.

Lucy (Ella Purnell), the protagonist, is a sheltered vault dweller. Facing the harsh realities of the surface world, she had to make her way through a violent and diseased world divided between factions such as the mutants and the raiders.

Fallout features Kyle MacLachlan as Lucy's father, a Vault supervisor, Aaron Moten as a soldier in the Brotherhood of Steel, and Walton Goggins as a ghoul bounty hunter.

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2. Game of Thrones

Set in medieval times, HBO's Game of Thrones is a sweeping fantasy epic. The show deals with themes like political turmoil, moral ambiguity, and survival. Even six years after its final season, GoT continues to be one of the most critically acclaimed shows of all time. The show was initially an adaptation of A Song of Fire and Ice, a series of fantasy novels, and has eight seasons with a total of seventy-three episodes, which ran from 2011 to 2019.

The primary plot revolved around the power battles between noble families fighting to gain control of Westeros' Iron Throne. Shifting alliances and betrayals are common, creating a sense of impending danger, as if the world is on the brink of an apocalypse, thus keeping the viewers engaged and on the edge of their seats throughout

Game of Thrones boasts a star-studded cast with Lena Headey, Kit Harington, and Emilia Clarke being a few among the others. It is streaming on Max.

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3. Narcos

Narcos uses a different strategy. It focuses on actual crime in the current world as opposed to the post-apocalyptic survival in some distant dystopian future. The show first aired in 2015 and ran for three seasons.

Following the rise and fall of gangs in the drug business, the plot primarily focuses on Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the DEA officers who are after him. The show also deals with the themes of corruption in law enforcement and the long-standing, devastating impacts they have on the lives of individuals.

Narcos stars Wagner Moura and Pedro Pascal in titular roles. The show is streaming on Netflix.

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4. Chernobyl

Chernobyl is an HBO miniseries created by American writer, director, and producer Craig Mazin, who is also the creator of The Last of Us alongside Neil Druckmann. Released in 2019, the show is a compelling depiction of the 1986 nuclear plant disaster and its aftermath.

The story follows Soviet scientist Valery Legasov as he battles bureaucratic carelessness and the government's efforts to cover it up and contain the catastrophe. Chernobyl emphasizes the sacrifices that need to be made to save a community from greater tragedies. The show also explores the psychological and bodily horrors of radiation exposure.

The cast of Chernobyl includes Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson, who play the central characters of Valery Legaslov, Boris Shcherbina, and Ulana Khomyuk, respectively. The show is currently streaming on JioHotstar.

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5. The Walking Dead

One of the most iconic zombie television shows, The Walking Dead follows a group of survivors navigating through a post-apocalyptic world that is overrun by the undead. The show has 11 seasons and 177 episodes, and ran from 2010 to 2022, Its success has resulted in several spin-offs (like The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live) and, hence, a subsequent expansion of The Walking Dead universe.

The show follows the life of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a former sheriff, who has woken up from a state of coma to discover that zombies have taken over the world. He then joins a group of survivors and takes the lead in guiding them through dangers.

The cast members of The Walking Dead include Rick Grimes, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, and Melissa McBride, among others. it is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Read More: How did Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann decide the episode count for The Last of Us Season 2? Here's what Craig revealed