The Last of Us has been called "outstanding" and "devastating" by viewers. Shortly after the first episode of the eagerly anticipated HBO adaptation landed on HBO, those tuning in took to social media to praise the opener – and it seems as if they were most delighted by the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey and how faithful it is to the games.
For those who have not played the Naughty Dog video games on which its based, the show centers on Joel (Pascal), a smuggler who's tasked with escorting Ellie (Ramsey), a young girl with a potentially society-changing secret, out of their quarantine zone and across the United States. A mission that's not so easy, considering the world has been ravaged by a violent fungal infection that has destroyed civilization and turned some of its hosts into vicious, mushroom-headed monsters.
"The Last Of Us is cementing my utter hatred for Hollywood 'telling new stories in familiar worlds.' TLOU is so good, so faithful, and the changes all make sense. See? Just adapt the source material. Faithfully," one enthusiast wrote on Twitter. "Fill in / tweak where NEEDED, not for ego reasons."
"The first 35 minutes of The Last of Us is one of the most devastating pieces of television I’ve seen in years. Just a sublime start to this series," added another, while a third tweeted: "Just watched the first ep of Last of Us. It's so good. Pedro Pascal is such a good actor in his own right, but here, he just is Joel. I don't see Pedro. I see Joel. I can already tell how good the rest is going to be. Also, it saves me ever having to play it again which is good."
Check out some more reactions below...
Yeah, the last of us is gonna be a banger show.that first episode was incredible.January 16, 2023
Impossible to put into words how much The Last of Us and Part II mean to me, but that actually makes me a hard sell for the show rather than an easy one - and I’m impressed so far! Pedro Pescal, Bella Ramsey and Anna Torv are so good. Most excited for the stuff it expands on.January 16, 2023
I have no idea why all these game adaptations think they have to 'make it their own'. Seeing the opening sequence of The Last of Us recreated faithfully is one of the most exhilarating things I've watched in a LONG time. It felt so good! More of this, adaptors!!#TheLastOfUsJanuary 16, 2023
The Last of Us Episode 1 was incredible so far. A bit of a soft ending but there is so much deeper emotion to it and the depiction in live action is absolutely respectful and pays homage to the source material. 9/10 #TheLastOfUs #TheLastOfUsHBOJanuary 16, 2023
The first episode of The Last of Us was so good pic.twitter.com/PxNC3cqVB9January 16, 2023
First episode of The Last Of Us was outstanding. Was dreading the opening scene and they did such a gut wrenching job. Really excited to see where they take it.January 16, 2023
FUCK the last of us first episode is SO GOOD .January 16, 2023
The Last of Us continues on Sunday, January 22 on HBO in the US. Episode 2 is set to air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV the following day in the UK. Ensure you never miss an episode by checking out our The Last of Us release schedule and our breakdown of how many episodes are in The Last of Us.
For more from the series, check out our guide to the major Last of Us episode 1 changes from the games and a terrifying look at the Cordyceps fungus.
