It’s been a long journey to the screen for The Last of Us, but the wait is almost over.
HBO has dropped photos for The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 1, which premieres at 9 p.m. on January 15.
The series premiere clocks in at 85 minutes, meaning we’ll get some excellent insight into the world made famous by the video game series.
Joel and Tess on a Mission
Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Tess (Anna Torv) look set to begin the series by working together.
The promotional shots released by HBO certainly remind me of the beginning of the first video game, but it remains to be seen just how faithful this new take will be.
If the first photos and trailer are any indication, the series captures the infected and the harrowing perils of the world the characters call home.
Operation: Transport Ellie!
HBO has already revealed the series will stay relatively faithful to the games, with Joel hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
“What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival,” HBO’s official description teases.
Consider us intrigued!
Meet Sarah, Joel’s Daughter
Sarah doesn’t get much time in the video game series, but based on the first photos, it looks like the series adaptation will be delving deeper into the character.
The hope is that the series can expand on the source material instead of changing it.
In the above photo, Sarah wears the same T-shirt she wears at the beginning of the first game.
Remember, we don’t see Sarah out of the house in daylight in the video games, so this should make for some more backstory.
Sarah does have a bag, so we have to assume she’s returning home from school in these promotional shots.
Will this be the day the world falls apart thanks to the virus, or will we get more backstory?
There are many possibilities here, but I hope it doesn’t harm the integrity of the source material.
The Fireflies Will Have a Presence
The fireflies are a pivotal group in the first video game.
Merle Dandridge, who played Marlene in the video games, will reprise her role in the series, which is an incredible easter egg for fans.
Little is known about the TV’s iteration of the Fireflies, so all we can do is buckle up for what is sure to be a wild ride.
If the series stays true to the video games, there should be plenty of twists and turns.
The Series Takes Place in a Hopeless World
The series premiere photos HBO shared showcase messages that signal the world of the series will be hopeless.
All the characters will look for the light in a darkness-filled world.
By the end of the series premiere, we should be well-versed in the parameters of the Last of Us universe.
The desperate mission to transport Ellie should pave the way for plenty of new characters along the way.
Over to you, TV Fanatics?
What are your thoughts on the first photos?
Hit the comments.
Check out the trailer below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.