As quickly as it came, “Silo” season 3 went. The third installment of the Apple TV sci-fi drama, which is based on the novel trilogy (“Wool,” “Shift” and “Dust” by author Hugh Howey), wrapped up its 10th and final episode on the streaming service on Friday, Sept. 4.
Don’t worry, there’s plenty more dystopian fun in the future, with a fourth season of the Rebecca Ferguson-led series already picked up and expected to hit the streamer in July 2027. But if you need a little something to keep you distracted from that nearly yearlong wait until new episodes, we’ve got five recommendations: equally excellent series like “Silo,” each equipped with a futuristic sci-fi edge, a rich sense of world-building and a high-stakes mystery that will keep you guessing.
If you like “Silo,” here are five sci-fi dramas to watch next.
‘Paradise’
Sterling K. Brown leads Hulu political thriller “Paradise” as Xavier Collins, the lead Secret Service agent tasked with detailing U.S. President Cal Bradford (played by James Marsden) — that is, until the POTUS is found killed in his bedroom. That shocking murder sets off a high-stakes investigation that finds Brown’s character at the center as the primary suspect.
Oh, and did we forget to mention that this is all taking place following a global apocalypse that has destroyed the outside world, in a high-tech underground bunker filled with the world’s most prominent and powerful people? Speaking of, the stacked ensemble includes Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Krys Marshall, Enuka Okuma, Tuc Watkins, Thomas Doherty and Shailene Woodley, the latter of whom just received an Emmy Award for her performance here.
‘Pluribus’
For his first foray outside of the “Breaking Bad” universe since “Better Call Saul” ended in 2022, creator Vince Gilligan left the world of gritty realism in favor of post-apocalyptic science fiction, led by a familiar face. In a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award-winning lead performance, Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol Sturka, a chronically unhappy romance novelist who finds herself one of only a handful of people on Earth who are naturally immune to an alien virus that has transformed the rest of humanity into an overly happy hive mind. (The title “Pluribus“ plays on the Latin phrase “e pluribus unum,” or “out of many, one.”)
While the rest of the world delights in their artificial peacefulness, cynical Carol is desperate to reclaim human agency and joins together with fellow survivors to break the collective consciousness.
Stream“Pluribus” on Apple TVnow
‘Severance’
From director Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, “Severance”is a sci-fi thriller about a company where employees surgically split their memories between work and personal life. “Their ‘innie’ exists only at the office, while their ‘outie’ never knows what happens there,” according to our ChatGPT tinkering. “What starts as a clean solution to work–life balance becomes a disturbing exploration of control, identity, and what a job is allowed to take from you.”
It’s all a little more mind-bending than that, but to fantastic effect: The acclaimed drama series — which stars Adam Scott, Oscar winner Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken and Emmy winners John Turturro, Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman, among others — has a stellar 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the site’s critical consensus praises: “Audacious, mysterious, and bringing fresh insight into the perils of corporate drudgery, Severance is the complete package.”
Stream“Severance” on Apple TVnow
‘Station Eleven’
If you want your sci-fi saga neatly packaged in an easily digestible miniseries format, this is the one for you: Based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel, “Station Eleven” ran for 10 episodes on HBO Max and packed in a whole lot of dystopian drama into that runtime.
Starring Mackenzie Davis (who won a Critics’ Choice award for her lead performance), Himesh Patel, Daniel Zovatto, Nabhaan Rizwan, Daniel Zovatto and Lori Petty, the limited series centers on the survivors of a devastating flu as they work as traveling performers and try to rebuild their world following the collapse of civilization. Its surprisingly complex characters and non-linear story structure help make it one of the best post-apocalypse shows.
Stream“Station Eleven” on HBO Maxnow
‘Fallout’
“Fallout” quickly became one of the most successful video game adaptations on television when it debuted on Prime Video back in April 2024 (65 million viewers worldwide within the first 16 days is pretty good proof, no?) and it continued that hot streak with an even “darker, bloodier and still delightfully funny” second season this past December.
A third season is currently in the works but if you haven’t dabbled in this dystopian gem just yet, now’s a great time: The series takes place 200 years after a global nuclear apocalypse, where survivors live in secure, luxury underground vaults. However, when they’re forced to leave those safe and cushy confines, they’re shocked to discover the highly violent universe waiting for them on the outside. The action-packed sci-fi series counts Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Walton Goggins, and Frances Turner among its cast regulars.
Stream“Fallout” on Prime Videonow
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