TV

The Last of Us

The game people compared to prestige TV is now prestige TV.

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Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO

When The Last of Us came out for the PlayStation 3 in 2013, critics and gamers alike hailed it as a new achievement for video games as a medium, praising not just the gameplay but its complex story that was closer to what you might expect from prestige TV than most games at the time.

Now, a decade later, Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, creator of the game, have closed the loop, turning the game into a series for HBO. Pedro Pascal plays Joel, a man who is tasked with getting a young girl named Ellie, played by Game of Thrones breakout Bella Ramsey, across a post-apocalyptic United States because she just might be the only person who is immune to the fungal infection that’s turned humanity into mushroomy zombies. Anna Torv, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, and more also star.

  1. Episode 9 Look For the Light
    The Last of Us Season-Finale Recap: End of the Road Ellie and Joel get something resembling a happy ending in the finale, but at what cost?
  2. Episode 8 When We Are In Need
    The Last of Us Recap: The Hunger Club It wouldn’t be the apocalypse without a bit of religious zealotry and cannibalism, now would it?
  3. Episode 7 Left Behind
    The Last of Us Recap: The Best Night of Your Life The Last of Us breaks away from the crisis at hand to show a glimpse of who Ellie was before hitting the road with Joel.
  4. Episode 6 Kin
    The Last of Us Recap: Beyond the River of Death Joel’s worst fears have come true.
  5. Episode 5 Endure and Survive
    The Last of Us Recap: Killer City Joel and Ellie’s escape from Kansas City makes for the most violent and shocking episode yet.
  6. Episode 4 Please Hold to My Hand
    The Last of Us Recap: Kansas City, Here We Come If they’re going to survive Melanie Lynskey’s Kansas City, Joel will need to trust Ellie more.
  7. Episode 3 Long, Long Time
    The Last of Us Recap: This Is You A very special episode explores what waits on the other side of survival.
  8. Episode 2 Infected
    The Last of Us Recap: Good Night, Beantown The end of the line for Boston and a beloved character.
  9. Episode 1 When You’re Lost in the Darkness
    The Last of Us Series-Premiere Recap: Fungus Among Us The Last of Us became a gold standard for video-game storytelling. The adaptation’s premiere makes it clear HBO doesn’t want to screw that up.

The Latest on The Last of Us

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    The Last of Us Spawns a Second Season (of Pedro Pascal)Danny Ramirez joins the cast as Manny, and Tati Gabrielle is Nora.
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    15 Inanimate Objects I Can’t Look at Without Crying Thanks to TVIf you can encounter a slow cooker, strawberries, or a roll of duct tape without tearing up, well, this list is not about you.
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  3. featurettes
    Demystifying Game Design in The Last of Us Part 2 RemasteredBehind-the-scenes features give a fascinating, if incomplete, look behind Naughty Dog’s curtain.
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  4. emmys 2023
    All the Winners of the Creative Arts EmmysThe Last of Us was the big winner. And Detroiters alums Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson both snagged trophies!
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  5. 2024 preview
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    Why Are Intimacy Coordinators Still the Butt of the Joke?It’s 2023 and Hollywood is still confused about what they do and how to use them.
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    Bella Ramsey Hopes Pedro Pascal Is Still Cool With Being Called ‘Daddy’“Now I’m worried it’s gone too far.”
    By Alejandra Gularte
  11. wii did it
    Wii Sports Finally Made It to the World Video Game Hall of FameAlong with The Last of Us, Barbie Fashion Designer, and Computer Space.
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  12. awards chatter
    The Last of Us Nominated for Best Kiss at MTV Movie & TV AwardsIf Cordyceps isn’t up your alley, what about My Policeman?
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  13. tv ratings
    A Good Night for the Oscars and The Last of UsBoth programs went head to head Sunday night — and both networks had reason to be happy about their ratings performances.
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  14. vulture lists
    7 Sporror Books to Scratch That Scary Fungus Itch After The Last of UsThese fungus-featuring horror books will fill the mushroom-shaped hole in your heart.
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  15. adaptations
    The Last of Us’s Most Interesting Game Departures ExplainedCo-creator Neil Druckmann unpacks the rationale behind the TV show’s deviations from the original video game.
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  16. lingering questions
    Where Does The Last of Us Go From Here?Let the speculation for season two (and beyond?) commence.
    By Brian Tallerico
  17. exit interview
    ‘We Have to Interrogate How We Feel About Our Heroes’The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin questions the inherent positivity of love.
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  18. finales
    The Last of Us Is Faithful to the EndThe season finale’s climax effectively streamlines its source material but illuminates the show’s narrowing adaptational ambition.
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    The Last of Us’s Merle Dandridge Doesn’t Know If Marlene Was Right“The decision cleaves her spirit in two.”
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    The Last of Us Star Gabriel Luna on the Miller Family’s Bonding“I know I’m the Ghost Rider and he’s the Mandalorian, but we could’ve used a little help…”
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