The question was never if 2023 would bring an HBO hit to rival House of the Dragon or Euphoria, but when. This year, it only took a few weeks for the first winner to land: The post-apocalyptic video game adaptation The Last of Us premiered to rave reviews and thrilled audiences, who helped make it the cable channel’s second-biggest debut in more than a decade, per Variety.
Starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal as survivors Ellie and Joel, tasked with a cross-country mission through zombie-infested America, The Last of Us is an adaptation of the beloved, bestselling PlayStation video game first released in 2013. The series is taking a traditional rollout approach to delivering its nine episodes, scheduled to drop weekly into March. Here’s how to get caught up—or when to tune in next.
When do new episodes of The Last of Us come out?
The Last of Us airs live on HBO (most) Sunday nights at 9 p.m. EST, and becomes available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. However, this week’s episode will air on Friday, February 10, thanks to the Super Bowl conflicting with the usual Sunday time slot.
How can I watch The Last of Us?
You’ll need either a cable subscription to HBO or a subscription to HBO Max, which you can purchase ad-free for $15.99 per month or $9.99 per month with ads.
How many episodes of The Last of Us are left?
Here’s the weekly schedule as we know it so far.
- Episode 1, “When You’re Lost In the Darkness,” streaming as of January 15
- Episode 2, “Infected,” streaming as of January 22
- Episode 3, “Long, Long Time,” streaming as of January 29
- Episode 4, “Please Hold My Hand,” streaming as of February 5
- Episode 5, “Endure and Survive,” streaming as of February 12
- Episode 6, “Kin,” streaming as of February 19
- Episode 7, “Left Behind,” streaming as of February 26
- Episode 8, streaming on March 5
- Episode 9, streaming on March 12
When does The Last of Us finale air?
There are nine total episodes in The Last of Us season 1, meaning the finale will air on March 12. But that doesn’t mean the end for the series: There’s already a second season coming.
How can I play the original The Last of Us game?
If you want to experience The Last of Us in all its original glory, you have two options: If you’re good with a PlayStation controller, you can play through the game on PS3, PS4, or PS5PS5. (There’s also a PC version coming later this year.) If you’re not so handy with a joystick, you can find gameplay videos covering the entirety of The Last of Us Part I all over YouTube. Just prepare yourself for a 10-hour movie.
Watch The Last of Us on HBO Max
Culture Writer
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.
