If You Liked The Last of Us, This MAX TV Series Is a Must Watch

Picture this: a man dies on stage during a theater performance. A child watches everything from backstage. A few hours later, a pandemic begins to spread in a completely irreversible way, killing almost the entire world population in a matter of days. People disappear, cities collapse, and society ceases to exist. 20 years later, a group of survivors travels from community to community staging Shakespeare plays. None of this involves monsters or combat, but the result is just as impactful. If you liked The Last of Us, then Station Eleven is a must-see. However, unlike other post-apocalyptic series, this one doesn’t try to scare the viewer with violence or creatures. What it shows is the total collapse of social structure and how people deal with the trauma of losing everything.

Based on the book of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven is a 10-episode miniseries that shows the world before, during, and after a deadly pandemic. The series alternates between different timelines to explore how people’s lives were affected not only by the catastrophe but also by what came after: the rebuilding, the trauma, the choices, and the legacies that remained. The focus is not on action, but on emotional survival, which is why it is so effective. So ,how exactly is it similar to The Last of Us?

Just as the acclaimed series based on the game focuses on the relationship between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal), Station Eleven centers on human connections and how they evolve in extreme situations. There are no traditional villains or immediate threats. The real challenges are internal and psychological. The characters are constantly dealing with grief, isolation, and uncertainty about whether it’s even worth continuing. It’s a different kind of approach from what you usually see in stories from this genre, but it’s just as compelling. Station Eleven pushes things further by asking: What still defines our humanity when everything else is gone? And maybe more importantly: what remains worth preserving?

One of the most impressive things about the show is how it avoids sensationalism. The pandemic isn’t used as a backdrop for action sequences or over-the-top drama. The real interest lies in how the characters try to build (or lose) their sense of identity, purpose, and connection. Jeevan (Himesh Patel), for instance, begins as an ordinary man who, by chance, ends up responsible for a child. There’s no grand hero moment – just difficult, real choices made day by day. Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis), on the other hand, is someone shaped by early trauma and the reality of growing up in this transformed world. The series takes time to explore her emotional landscape, how she sees the world, and even her fixation on a particular comic book. Other characters like Miranda (Danielle Deadwyler), Arthur (Gael García Bernal), and the mysterious “Prophet” help build out this universe and bring even more depth to the story.

[RELATED: HBO Max Developing More Shows From Critically Acclaimed Station Eleven Team]

Despite the bleak premise, Station Eleven is also built on slow and deliberate character development – something that resonates with many viewers who appreciate strong storytelling. If you enjoyed the emotional depth and slower pacing of The Last of Us, this series will feel like a natural next step. Both shows understand that what’s left after the end of the world isn’t just ruin and loss – it’s also the ongoing effort to find meaning, beauty, and human connection. While The Last of Us explores pain and loss in a hostile world, Station Eleven broadens the conversation and looks at what we do with what’s left – the memories, the art, and the small habits that still link us to one another. It doesn’t offer easy resolutions or rely on shocking twists. Instead, it portrays what it’s like to keep going in a world that has almost forgotten how to live.

The direction stays grounded and focused on details: a look, a pause, a flashback. The soundtrack matches this tone, bringing in emotion without overwhelming the viewer. Every element of the production supports the idea that the world didn’t end all at once, but gradually – and that surviving the end is only the beginning. What really matters is how you live with what comes after. It’s all very well done, both technically and narratively. No surprise the series was a critical success.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 98% approval rating from critics, who praised its mature storytelling, smart writing, and thoughtful direction. It was also nominated for seven Emmy Awards. This isn’t the kind of show you just put on in the background. It requires attention and a bit of patience, but if you stick with it, it’s absolutely worth it.

If you were drawn to The Last of Us because of its characters, the emotional weight of their relationships, and the way the past keeps shaping the present, then Station Eleven is definitely a series to add to your list. It’s not about survival in the usual sense – it’s about what it means to keep going. There are no monsters or bad guys here, but it dives deep into the kind of ghosts that people carry inside. If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic story with strong character work, depth, and reflections on what’s still meaningful when everything falls apart, this Max series is a must-watch.

Station Eleven can be streamed on (HBO) Max.