The Last of Us Episode 1: Are you excited to see The Last of Us? We’ve only seen the first four episodes of the new HBO Max show, but we already love it. We’re sure you will, too. Also, I watched the first episode of The Last of Us again in a movie theatre earlier this week. Based on how excited the crowd was, I think this will be the next big HBO show.
This new show, based on one of the most highly regarded computer games of recent years, is set in a future 2023 in which a worldwide outbreak of a fungal disease called cordyceps has devastated the whole world. Those who lived through it lost so much; we follow some of them on a big mission.
Even though the show doesn’t start in America after the pandemic, most of it takes place there. Joel (Pedro Pascal of The Mandalorian), a tired and guilty survivor, is told to bring young Ellie (Bella Ramsey of Game of Thrones) to the West. They are told in whispers that this trip is very important.
The Last of Us Episode 1 Release Date
The Last of Us will only be shown on HBO and only be available to stream on HBO Max. The first episode of the series will air on HBO on January 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and at the same time on HBO Max. The planned length of Episode 1 is 1 hour and 25 minutes.
The Last of Us Episode 1 Preview
Like the infected people in The Last of Us, HBO’s new Sunday night show has changed the way my brain works. And now I need more. The Last of Us is (so far) HBO’s best new show in a while. It is based on a series of video games with the same name. Yes, I would put it higher than House of the Dragon.
But let’s get one coincidence out of the way right away: The Last of Us is a science-fiction drama in which a smuggler (Pedro Pascal) has to move a smart, important child (Bella Ramsey) over a long distance. Yes, that’s a lot like Pascal’s other TV show, The Mandalorian, which is about to start its third season (in March). However, The Last of Us came out about 6.5 years before Mando S1.
The first four episodes of The Last of Us, which are the only ones critics have seen so far, have shown that it could be the best show of the year. Not only does it differ slightly from the video game in good ways, but the third episode is a great example of how to tell a story.
The Last of Us is a great movie. It was written and directed by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl on HBO) and Neil Druckmann (who made the game). And it’s already surprising people with new and deep parts.
In this review of The Last of Us, I’ll talk more about why this HBO show will be seen as one of the best of its generation if things keep going as they are. This review won’t give anything away, so when The Last of Us comes out on HBO Max on January 15, you won’t know much about it (Sky Atlantic and NOW will have it in the UK). But before The Last of Us comes out, we have a suggestion for a show to watch first.
The four episodes of The Last of Us that I’ve seen so far are held up by five main parts. Fans of the video game will recognise Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and Tess (Anna Torv). Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) are getting a lot more screen time. There are other characters, but (as TLOU fans know) the less said about them, the better.
Let’s start with Joel. Pascal has done a great job of describing him. From how the character sounds (Pascal nails Troy Baker’s voice in the game) to how he moves when he’s tired, this is a version of Joel that even the most devoted fans cannot help but love. When something is copied precisely, the result is often boring. It’s not like that. Joel, played by Pascal, is a broken man who is still sad but trying to move on. He’s not so broken that he can’t laugh at a joke, thank goodness, but his guard is up and it’s hard to get through.
Bella Ramsey’s character Ellie often walks close to the line where you can’t help but think, “This child’s dialogue is weird,” but the writing doesn’t cross Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Leia line. But Ramsey comes out swinging for the fences, just like Ellie seems to be “hostile” by nature. A lot of the time, it seems like she and Pascal are playing a very professional game of “one-upmanship” to show each other how to give the best witty lines. So far, Ramsey hasn’t been given very strong material to work with, but she’s already proving to be the right choice.
You might know Anna Torv from the show Fringe, which is still on HBO Max. However, she has nothing to do with Tess, a survivor and smuggler who is dating Joel. Torv doesn’t have much to do with the character, but she makes it seem like she’s always been there.
As for Bill Offerman and Frank Bartlett? They are some of the most emotionally powerful parts of the show so far. Mazin and Druckmann have made a story for these two that is less sad and more powerful than the one that is told indirectly in the game through bits and pieces of found documents.
The Last of Us Episode 1 Cast
- Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams
- Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller
- Ashley Johnson as Anna Williams
- Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen
- Anna Torv as Theresa ‘Tess’ Servopoulos
- Troy Baker as James
- Storm Reid as Riley Abel
- Merle Dandridge as Marlene
- John Hannah
- Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller
- Nico Parker as Sarah Miller
- Jeffrey Pierce as Perry
- Brad Leland as Mr. Adler
- Autumn Thom as Infected
- Marlee Grace Becker as Infected Girl
- Kevin Sateri as Head Stuttering Passenger
- Bud Klasky as Man being eaten
The Last of Us Episode 1 Recap
The recap will update after the release of the episode. I know that comparison kills, but let me put The Last of Us in context with the other HBO shows.
There is no need for an HBO strength of schedule list to remind us that Succession, House of the Dragon, and Euphoria are all formidable. The Last of Us, however, stands a higher chance of becoming a massive commercial success than any of the aforementioned titles. In the same way that House of the Dragon had an established fanbase before it premiered, this show does as well, if not better, without the baggage of its forerunner’s flaws. Even while Joel isn’t without his flaws, he’s more appealing than any of the Roy kids. Even though I enjoy Euphoria, I recognise that it may be too intense for some. In contrast, The Last of Us wisely dials back on the horror to avoid alienating its target audience.
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