Itching for the next episode of HBO’s The Last Of Us? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. And to stoke the fires of anticipation, the marketing gurus behind the premium cable network have served up a preview of everything else to come in what already promises to be a very strong season 1.
The footage intended to sustain us until next Monday – and the Monday after that and so on and so on – teases the depiction of how Ellie (Bella Ramsey) became infected by the Cordyceps virus, Ellie’s relationship with Riley (Storm Reid), terrifying-looking Clickers bursting onto the scene, the introduction of survivalists Frank (Murray Bartlett) and Bill (Nick Offerman), Tommy’s (Gabriel Luna) snowy commune, and a long journey ahead on the road of post-apocalyptic America.
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As noted in our spoiler-free review, against all odds, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have crafted an experience that’s simultaneously faithful to the source material while also providing something new and exciting for those intimately familiar with the story.
Bolstered by electric performances from leads Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian) as Joel, Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) as Ellie, plus Australia’s own Anna Torv (Fringe) as Tess, it perfectly captures:
- the frenetic chaos of a crumbling civilisation
- the anxious-breathed claustrophobia of the video game’s stealth sequences
- the emotional violence of Joel and Ellie’s journey
- and the regular violence necessary to survive in an unforgiving world such as the one depicted
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Presented in a way that’s somehow even more cinematic than what is arguably one of the most cinematic PlayStation titles to date, you can practically see every dollar of the series’ much-publicised $100 million production budget onscreen. A resounding – and extremely lonely – tick in the win column of video game adaptations.
While it no longer boasts a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, we anticipate HBO’s The Last of Us will go down as the standout series of 2023.
Check out HBO’s The Last of Us season 1 preview above.
