The Last Of Us Season 1 starts precisely how fans of the video games expected – but that really doesn’t make watching it play out any easier. Instead, this series proves, right from the start, just how loyal it plans to be to the source material while breaking fans’ hearts all over again.
The premiere episode clocks in at just over 80 minutes, giving new-to-the-series viewers the time they need to get to know these characters and this world. Many will be instantly hooked, as the cast and creators gave this thing everything they have to ensure it truly delivers.
A Hint at What Is To Come
The first few minutes of the episode perfectly set up for the worldwide outbreak that kicks off the apocalyptic story. Josh Brener plays a television host in the 1960s who discusses viruses and potential life-ending outbreaks with a couple of experts. One of them mentions that it is the fungi we need to worry about as a society. Then, he details how they can take over insects’ bodies, controlling them in ways that will spread the contagion without killing off the hosts.
For those familiar with The Last Of Us games, it was apparent this hints at the direction things are going. An excellent little addition to the story, but one that feels like it should have been part of it all along. The scientific facts he uses in the explanation are all accurate, which is a little bit terrifying. While not a threat at this time, he claims that should the Earth get warmer, the fungi can evolve to live inside humans. And if this happens? Well, we are all screwed.
A Heartbreaking Moment
Cut to 2003, and we see Joel, Sarah, and Tommy Miller. Joel and Tommy are brothers, and Sarah is Joel’s daughter. The morning scene is very similar to how it plays out in the video game. They have an old couple as neighbors, and the wife is clearly wheelchair-bound and cannot speak.
It is Joel’s birthday, and Sarah gets his watch fixed for him (with his money) as a gift. However, before she sees her father, she goes to the neighbor’s house, where we are treated to some genuinely creepy scenes as the older woman becomes infected somehow. She is still in her wheelchair, but her mouth opens as she twitches. When Joel gets home, he and Sarah put on a bad movie to celebrate his special day. After Sarah falls asleep, Tommy calls him to come to bail him out of jail, so he puts her in bed and leaves to get him.
This is where things really start to copy the video game. It almost feels like the cut scenes and walkthroughs have become live-action. Sarah awakens around 2 AM to find her father gone. The neighbor’s dog is at her door, so she goes to see what is happening. Meanwhile, there are helicopters and sirens, and the TV warns residents to stay inside. She discovers the older woman eating her caretaker, and the older man has been bit and is sitting down in the house, bleeding.
The detail of the fungi growing out of the old woman’s mouth as she looks up at Sarah is incredible. It looks both creepy and impressive if that makes sense. Sarah is basically chased out of the house into her father’s arms. Joel, Tommy, and Sarah try to flee from town in the truck, which is once again ripped from the game. Unfortunately, they get in an accident, which causes Joel and Tommy to be separated, and Sarah is injured.
As Joel carries her through town, trying to escape, they meet up with a soldier. He radios in his discovery and gets the order to kill them. He shoots at them, and they start rolling down the hill. Tommy arrives just in time to save Joel from being killed, but Sarah has been fatally shot. Joel’s watch is again broken, but when we skip 20 years in the future, he still wears it.
20 Years in the Future
Once in 2023, we see what the outbreak has done to the world. There are quarantine zones, military leaders, and a rebel group that calls themselves the Fireflies (remember them, they are essential). We also meet Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been infected yet has never turned. The Fireflies chain her up and observe her for a few days to see what happens, and when nothing does, they realize she could help find the cure.
We see that Joel is with a woman named Tess (Anna Torv), and they sneak out of the quarantine zone to get people’s supplies. However, Tommy is missing, so Joel wants to look for him.
As he tries to escape, he runs into Marlene (Merle Dandridge), who ends up injured after trying to leave the zone. She is planning to take Ellie to the Firefly headquarters so they can run tests and see what they can come up with.
She asks Joel and Tess for help, hoping they will accompany Ellie to where she needs to go. Ellie is the same age as Sarah was when she was killed because, of course, she is. So Joel and Tess accept in exchange for a vehicle and supplies to allow them to look for Tommy after they escort Ellie.
Ellie has quite the attitude and expresses that she is an orphan who was in the military schooling system. The three leave the zone, being forced to kill a soldier they have dealt with in the past on their way out.
The Last Of Us Episode 1 introduces us to the major players in the series, with every actor delivering spot-on performances. Those new to the series are sure to be thoroughly entertained, while those who love the games will be thrilled with just how close it is to the source material.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, The Last Of Us premiere delivered everything that long-time fans were hoping for and more. The setup of the outbreak is perfect, and even the heartbreaking moments will have fans smiling as they hold back tears.
The performances, specifically from Pedro Pascal, are top-notch. It is clear the casting team thought long and hard about their choices. The Last of Us is that much better for it.
Rating: 10/10
