HBO has released a new 1-minute promo forThe Last of Usepisode 4 featuring actress Melanie Lynskey as an original character created for the series. The promo also shows viewers what’s to come for Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay) as they encounter a group of dangerous survivors while travelling through Kansas City.
Created byChernobylwriter Craig Maizin and Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann,The Last of Usis a post-apocalyptic series set twenty years after a fungal infection causes a global pandemic. Based on the popular video game series,The Last of Usfollows Joel, a jaded smuggler tasked with transporting a teenage girl named Ellie, whose immunity to the fungal virus may provide a cure. Together they venture across the post-apocalyptic United States in search of the Fireflies, a rebel group that may be able to create a vaccine from Ellie’s immunity. The first episode ofThe Last of Uspremiered on January 15th to widespread critical acclaim. After only two episodes,HBO renewedThe Last of Usfor a second season.
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The 1-minuteThe Last of Uspromo from HBOopens with Joel and Ellie, where we last saw them at the end of episode 3, heading west toward Wyoming in a beat-up Chevy. The promo begins with light banter as Ellie tells Joel that his homemade coffee “smells like burnt shit.” Things worsen as the duo gets lost in post-apocalyptic Kansas City. As Ellie tries to read the map, she reminds Joel that this is only the second day she’s ever been in a car. They come across what appears to be a survivor in need of help, but when Ellie asks if they’re going to help, Joel tells her “no” before flooring the Chevy to try and avoid the obvious trap. A hidden spike strip renders the car useless as Joel and Ellie crash through a storefront window. The rest of theLast of Uspromo features Joel and Ellie as they navigate through the city, trying to avoid their would-be attackers. We also get a brief look at Lynskey’s new character Kathleen, the group’s leader, as she hunts down Joel and Ellie.
So far, after three episodes,The Last of Ushas proven to be an exceptional video game adaptation, drawing from the games and deviating in creative and effective ways. Last night’s phenomenal episode was a perfect example of this, as it shifted perspective to a survivalist couple named Bill and Frank, played byParks and Recreationstar Nick OffermanandThe White Lotus' Murray Bartlett. The series gave viewers more detail regarding these characters, who are less expanded upon in the games.
Based on theLast of Usepisode 4 promo, it looks like next week’s episode will also make some changes. In the first game, Joel and Ellie pass through Pittsburgh, where they encounter a group of hunters. The scene in the promo with the injured man is taken almost verbatim from the first game, but the location has been shifted to Kansas City. Another change from the games is the inclusion of Lynskey’s Kathleen, an original character created for the series. Not much is known about Kathleen, but HBO describes her as a “ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City."
Hopefully, next week’s episode ofThe Last of Us will feature more positive changes from game to screen. Either way, it looks like Kathleen and her revolutionary group will make things hard for Ellie and Joel.
The Last of Usepisode 4 premieres on Sunday, February 5th, at 9 pm EST on HBO.
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