The Last of Us, HBO’s latest record breaker, is based on the incredibly popular Playstation and PC game by the same name. The show follows Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie Williams, played by Bella Ramsey, as they “endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across a post-outbreak America.” 

Ellie and Joel’s story takes place in 2023, 20 years after the world became infected by a human-controlling virus that infiltrates and controls the body, leaving the Infected with a completely conscious mind but no control over their body. Their mission: find the rebel group called The Fireflies and make the cure to the infection.

The nine episode first season is highly revered amongst long time fans of the video game and HBO-watchers. The show became the streaming giant’s most streamed program of all time with 29 million viewers per episode. The world is simply enthralled with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s superb performance. 

 The Last of Us video game, which has sold 37 million copies since its release in 2013, and the prequel comic book series The Last of Us: American Dreams, which earned a 9.3/10 rating on IGN, continue to be extremely successful. The show was so appealing to fans of the game because of the close attention to detail and extremely accurate visuals and dialogue taken from the game. The show also featured a short cameo by Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in the video game, as Ellie’s mother in a flashback scene to Ellie’s birth. 

With Joel still mourning the death of his daughter at the beginning of the apocalypse, his devotion to Ellie as he helps her navigate barren lands and gangs is all the more meaningful. He is not simply a man on a mission, he is a man with a tragic, dark history learning how to move forward and use his experience to help a cause greater than himself.  Ellie helped him in his healing process and filled the parental hole in his heart. Joel’s mission turned from simply guiding Ellie for a reward to protecting Ellie at all costs. 

The series was renewed for a season two just two episodes into the first season and Pedro Pascal  said “there is a chance” that filming could begin this year. The biggest challenge for fans who have not played the game has gone from trying not to cry through the many emotional scenes throughout the show to avoiding spoilers as the show continues to trend online. Needless to say, the world cannot wait for season two of The Last of Us.