If you’re like me, you might have been taken by surprise to find out that one of Hulu’s biggest original hits of the last decade was finally coming to a close this spring. The Handmaid’s Tale dominated dystopian television discourse in the mid-to-late 2010s. It proved Hulu’s worth in the streaming space and adapted Margaret Atwood’s novel for a new generation of fans. While the first season was award-winning and fawned over by audiences worldwide, further seasons saw a decline in pop culture relevance.
What started out as a brilliant take on the consequences of women being forced to manipulate their bodies for the United States government teetered on repetitive as the characters maneuvered the same plot lines, and the themes bordered on stale. The final season just came to a close, and most people were happy with the sixth season and its finale. If you’re already missing it and want other contemplative, post-apocalyptic shows, these are the shows like The Handmaid’s Tale to watch next.
Upload (2020)
Upload is one of the more creative shows Prime Video has produced despite not getting a lot of fanfare compared to The Boys or Fallout. The show follows an afterlife that takes place in a digital world. Characters are sent to the cloud after they die, but not everyone gets the traditional existence they’ve come to expect after they take their last breath. The series is a dynamic and often funny look at the way humans have limited control in their destinies, crafting apt parallels to the way The Handmaid’s Tale dissects personal liberties and freedoms.
The Plot Against America (2020)
The Plot Against America is a scary but endlessly fascinating examination of what would have happened if Franklin Roosevelt hadn’t won reelection as President of the United States in the early 1940s. With Charles Lindbergh as the leader of the free world, fascism and bigotry reign supreme, and the country dives headfirst into a Nazi-like state. David Simon of The Wire is behind the camera, and Winona Ryder of Stranger Things stars in front of it. Tons of star power and great source material from author Phillip Roth make this miniseries a must-see.
The Americans (2013)
The Americans is an underrated candidate for show of the decade during the 2010s. This is a rich and layered story about a Soviet spy couple who move into a run-of-the-mill Virginia neighborhood. Posing as your stereotypical Americans, they navigate their personal and professional lives as USSR agents against the complex backdrop of tension between their home country and the one they’re tasked with infiltrating. Keri Russell, who now stars in The Diplomat, is excellent as usual here.
Orphan Black (2013)
Orphan Black is about a woman who assumes the identity of someone who she eventually finds out was a clone of herself. The complications of pretending to be someone she isn’t, even if that someone is supposedly identical, makes you think about the inherent uniqueness of each person on this planet. The series is a beautiful mix of science fiction elements that dig into the ethics of not only human cloning, but also the philosophical nature of being alive.
Colony (2016)
Colony was a victim of early cancellation on USA Network, and it’s an absolute shame because it was telling one of the most interesting alien occupation stories on TV. Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies play a couple trying to protect their family in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles after a race of extraterrestrials chooses Earth as its host planet. The lack of aliens shown on the screen and a focus on the humans who are left in the wake of the end of the world make Colony a different type of alien show, one that deserved more seasons to finish its slower pace.
Black Mirror (2011)
Watchmen (2019)
Regina King turns in a career performance in this incredible reimagining of the Watchmen graphic novels. The show pits vigilante cops against racist Oklahoma civilians in a battle for the soul of America. The series is not for those who shy away from violence or a brash examination of this country’s bigotry.
Cleverman (2016)
Cleverman is about a society that places fantastical beasts and everyday humans right next to each other. The blended community leads to devastating conflict and scary parallels to other dystopian alien stories and alternate histories of Indigenous peoples in Australia. Iain Glen from Game of Thrones will be the most familiar face in the cast here.
