TV Show
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Episode 5 premiering early due to Super Bowl LVII
‘Last of Us’ fans will be excited to know that the newest episode of HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic drama will be premiering earlier than usual this week.
HBO’s adaptation of the popular video game ‘The Last of Us’ will be premiering earlier this week, with Episode 5 coming out on Friday, February 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT rather than Sunday, its normal air day.
The decision comes about presumably to avoid competition with Super Bowl LVII on Sunday. The show will then return to its regular airing date on February 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Praise for the television adaptation
The show has earned accolades since premiering on January 15, praised by fans for being a faithful adaptation of the award-winning video game, with video game news network IGN even going so far as to show side-by-side comparisons between the television series and the video game in a recent Twitter post.
The latest episode of the series aired on its regular day and time on Sunday, February 5 despite the 65th Annual Grammy Awards airing at the same time. The episode introduced actress Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen Coghlan, a new character created for the television adaptation.
Episode 3 also received a warm response from viewers due to its portrayal of a gay couple, Bill and Frank. While the couple was beloved by fans of the game, their relationship was further explored in the television series to the delight of fans.
Neil Druckmann, who created the game, is also one of the series’ showrunners along with Craig Mazin. In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Druckmann explored the differences in the portrayal of the characters of Bill and Frank.
“Bill’s romantic feelings for Frank ‘went over a lot of people’s heads’ [...] At the time, [the subtlety is] what helped get it in. It’s sad to say, but it would have been controversial otherwise,” he said.
“When writing television, we don’t have gameplay, and I’m looking for time to spend with characters doing something different than what I just saw [...] I need something different now. Here’s a man who’s in safety. Now let’s talk about this Frank guy.”
Fans eagerly await what new changes the rest of the series will bring to the world of ‘The Last of Us’.