When HBO first began talks for a television adaptation of The Last of Us, fans expressed mass concern. The video game franchise, which debuted in 2013, remains one of the most beloved stories in the gaming community -- no one wanted to see it ruined.
Plus, attempts to adapt the game had already failed once: TLOU almost became the subject of a live-action movie distributed by Sony, but the project fell through in 2019.
Show creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann looked at these past struggles as learning opportunities for their television show, which is currently in the midst of season 1 on HBO Max.
To succeed in their adaptation, Mazin and Druckmann knew that they had to ground their show’s foundation in the game’s origins, but the first episode’s release in January seemed to surprise even the most ardent of fans with how much they truly got it right.
With each week's Sunday release, fans point out the growing number of scenes that recreate the game almost identically, with others complimenting the areas where Mazin and Druckmann chose to go in a different direction.
Check out our favorite The Last of Us game-to-show comparisons by episode below.
EPISODE 1 - "When You're Lost in the Darkness"
Sitting on the couch in their Texas home, Joel's daughter Sarah gifts him a mended watch for his birthday. This video also includes a side-by-side of the game and show's theme songs:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 1 side by side scene comparison. #thelastofus#lastofus#thelastofusseries#thelastofushbo#lastofusshow#joelandellie#mustwatchshows#hbomax#showstowatch#jbuckstudios#jbuck#pedropascal♬ original sound - JBuck
After the mutated Cordycepts begin to wreak havoc on Joel and Sarah's hometown, they flee their house in Joel's truck with Joel's brother Tommy. From inside the vehicle, Sarah sees a burning building on the side of the road:
@iam.gelso The last of us Comparison #thelastofus#game#thelastofus#hbosuono originale - Gelso
In Texas, Joel holds Sarah in his arms before she is killed by a soldier:
@spectrexgaming How did you like the first episode? #gaming#thelastofusoriginal sound - SpectreX Gaming
Joel meets Ellie in Boston, where he suspects she's infected but she tells him she is immune:
@kevinbukkart TLOU PS5 Vs série Part3 #thelastofusshow#comparative#tlouhboedit#sarahmiller#joelmiller#pedropascal#tommymiller#ps5#thelastofuspart1#foryou#pourtoi#thelastofusson original - Kevin Bukkart
During one of their first conversations after Joel agrees to help Ellie move west, she notices his broken watch. The detail is a callback to how much has happened since Sarah's death:
@chuyhustlin Tlou tv show x game comparison #tlou#tloutvseries#thelastofus#joelmiller#elliewilliams#fypシ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
Joel and Ellie banter as he takes a nap:
@chuyhustlin Tlou tv show x game comparison #tlou#tloutvseries#thelastofus#joelmiller#elliewilliams#fypシ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
EPISODE 2 - "Infected"
In Boston with Joel and Tess, Ellie balances on a piece of scaffolding and then wades through a flooded hotel lobby. Later, Joel falls through a broken door and he, Tess and Ellie fend off a clicker attack:
@kevinbukkart The Last Of Us episode 2 - Show vs Video Game. The Last of Us series is the best video game adaptation, in this video I go over scene by scene the best moments from the gameplay #primevideo#thelastofusshow#thelastofus#jeuvideo#ellie#tlou#comparative#hbo#ps5#pedropascal#bellaramseySpooky, quiet, scary atmosphere piano songs - Skittlegirl Sound
At the end of the episode, Tess reveals she was infected by the clicker attack. Her death is one of the show's most emotional goodbyes:
@spectrexgaming How did you like the new episode? #gaming#thelastofus original sound - SpectreX Gaming
EPISODE 3 - "Long, Long Time"
Ellie finds an old arcade game and asks Joel if he's seen it before. She remembers a friend she used to have who knew everything about the game:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 3 side by side scene comparison Part 2 #thelastofus#lastofus#thelastofusshow#hbomax#sidebysidecomparison#sidebyside#scenecomparison#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
Ellie attempts to comfort Joel about Tess' death after they also discover Bill and Frank dead. The now-viral Bill and Frank backstory was a departure from the video game's narrative:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 3 side by side scene comparison Part 1 #thelastofus#lastofus#lastofusshow#sidebysidecomparison#sidebyside#scenecomparison#hbomax#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
EPISODE 4 - "Please Hold to My Hand"
Ellie finds a book of puns at an abandoned gas station outside Wyoming. She taunts Joel with bad jokes:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 4 - Ellie’s Joke Book #thelastofus#lastofus#sidebysidecomparison#sidebyside#scenecomparison#thelastofusseries#thelastofusshow#hbomax#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
While driving, Ellie taunts Joel with the magazines and tapes of music she finds in the back of the truck they took from Bill and Frank:
@kevinbukkart The Last Of Us épisode 4. Comparaison jeu vs série Game vs show comparison #tlou#hbomax#primevideo#thelastofus#ellie#ps5#pedropascal#bellaramsey#joelmiller son original - Kevin Bukkart
Joel and Ellie detour through Kansas City, where encounter a wounded man outside their car who Joel recognizes as an ambusher. The man attacks the vehicle, and Joel and Ellie must defend themselves:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 4 - Raider’s Attack #thelastofus#lastofus#thelastofusseries#thelastofusshow#sidebysidecomparison#sidebyside#scenecomparison#joelandellie#clickers#pedropascal#hbomax#jbuckstudios#jbuck original sound - JBuck
As a result of the ambush, Ellie must make her first kill with the gun she had hidden in her backpack. Actor Bella Ramsey was commended for their acting in this scene:
@spectrexgaming W or L for the new episode? #gamingontiktok#thelastofus Richter: On the Nature of Daylight - Orchestral Version - Max Richter Orchestra & Lorenz Dangel
While hiding in Kansas City, Ellie wakes up to find Sam and Henry holding her and Joel hostage. The episode ends on this cliffhanger:
@spectrexgaming Next week is gonna be heartbreaking #gamingontiktok#thelastofus Richter: On the Nature of Daylight - Orchestral Version - Max Richter Orchestra & Lorenz Dangel
EPISODE 5 - "Endure and Survive"
Joel and Henry plan their escape from Kansas City while Ellie bonds with Sam, making him laugh for the first time in a long time. Sam is deaf in the TV show; in the game, he is hearing.
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 5 - Sewers & More #thelastofus#lastofus#sidebysidecomparison#sidebysideapv#scenecomparison#thelastofusseries#thelastofusshow#hbomax#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
After the group weathers an attack from an infected group, Sam tells Ellie he is infected:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 5 - Ellie talks with Sam #thelastofus#lastofus#sidebysidecomparison#sidebysideapv#scenecomparison#thelastofusseries#thelastofusshow#hbomax#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
Though Ellie tries to save him with her blood, an infected Sam attacks her the next morning. Henry is forced to kill Sam for the group's safety:
@jbuckstudios The Last of Us Episode 5 - Sam attacks Ellie #thelastofus#lastofus#sidebysidecomparison#sidebysideapv#scenecomparison#thelastofusseries#thelastofusshow#hbomax#joelandellie#jbuckstudios#jbuck#thelastofusedit original sound - JBuck
Horrified by what he's done, Henry kills himself in front of Joel and Ellie:
The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on HBO and HBO Max.
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