Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the HBO show The Last of Us.The HBO Max series The Last of Us is the entertainment industry's latest video game adaptation, and it has proved to be highly successful. The explosively popular show set in the midst of a zombie apocalypse has been put on a pedestal for its sharp content and poignant storytelling.
Every episode of the show seems to garner praise after its release, though admittedly some installments receive more criticism than others. IMDb shows a distinct hierarchy in the reception of each episode, rating all installments of The Last of Us television series so far.
9 "Left Behind"
Season 1, Episode 7
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Centered almost exclusively on the past, audiences meet an Ellie (Bella Ramsey) unaware of her immunity. She goes on an adventure with her best friend, Riley (Storm Reid), breaking into an abandoned mall for rare a night of fun. Ellie learns lessons of love and loss among revelations of Riley's Firefly status. The tragic ending sees both girls attacked and bitten by an Infected.
Leaving the question of Joel's fate to be answered in a later episode likely played a hand in making this installment the lowest-rated of the show. That being said, Ellie and Riley's history is a well-developed one, offering a missing piece to Ellie's mysterious past that's just as crucial as any other episode of the show.
8 "Long, Long Time"
Season 1, Episode 3
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Episode three shifts away from Ellie and Joel (Pedro Pascal) and focuses almost exclusively on the story of Bill and Frank (Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett). Bill spends years alone and zombie-free after the initial outbreak, until Frank arrives and ingratiates himself into Bill's world. They spend the rest of their lives together, eventually choosing to die side by side.
The one-off episode is a bittersweet depiction of how love endures even during a catastrophe like a zombie apocalypse. Though jarring to have an episode with no Infected, this end-of-the-world love story on TLoU was one that was praised widely among viewers, securing its rating not with action, but through its romantic arc.
7 "Please Hold to My Hand"
Season 1, Episode 4
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Ellie and Joel are back in the spotlight on their cross-country journey, searching for both Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and any way to turn Ellie's immunity into a cure. The road trip builds Ellie and Joel's dynamic, which is tested by an ambushed in Kansas, ending with Ellie shooting someone to save Joel.
The growing bond between Ellie and Joel is essential in this episode, as it sets up their adult-child bond on the show and motivations for future installments. Though not shocking or overflowing with Infected, this piece still features crucial information and character development that will be used later in the series.
6 "Kin"
Season 1, Episode 6
IMDb Rating: 8.9/10
Months after the disaster in Kansas, Joel and Ellie finally make it to Wyoming, where Tommy is revealed to not only be alive, but well. Fearing losing another daughter, Joel tries to break ties with Ellie, who steadfastly refuses to be abandoned. Their relationship strengthens before the fight at the end, where Joel kills someone and is brought to the brink of death during the fight.
This episode slows down the momentum in favor of dissecting the bonds between characters. The high rating likely comes not from the action at the end, tense though it is, but the deep dive into the emotions and relationships displayed, from Joel's tearful confession to the expertly adapted argument between him and Ellie when he attempts to leave her.
5 "Infected"
Season 1, Episode 2
IMDb Rating: 9.1/10
The trio journeys beyond the Boston Quarantine Zone into the unkempt and wild world lying in wait. A simple trade, Ellie for supplies, goes awry when they run into Infected, one of whom bites Tess. The group stumbles to the rendezvous only to find the rebels slaughtered, and scores of Infected at their heels. Tess sacrifices herself in the hopes that Joel and Ellie can escape west and find a cure for the wretched disease.
This episode moves beyond the standard features of a military quarantine zone and into the wilderness that has crept over the abandoned cities. Paired with a gruesome look at variations of the zombies, the high rating here stems from the accurate depiction of the setting and details featured in the game.
4 "When You're Lost in the Darkness"
Season 1, Episode 1
IMDb Rating: 9.2/10
The pilot episode of The Last of Us follows Sarah (Nico Parker) on a seemingly ordinary day. By the time night rolls around, a zombie infection has ravaged the world. Chaos sends Joel, Sarah, and Tommy fleeing, and the start of the outbreak ends with Joel devastated over the loss of his daughter. Twenty years later shows Joel on a mission to locate his brother. Along the way, he and Tess (Anna Torv) meet Ellie, a snarky teen immune to the zombie disease.
With so much content, it can be easy for such a lengthy episode to lose audiences' attention. But the launch of The Last of Us proved both informative and riveting. Time flies in a zombie apocalypse, and undoubtedly many viewers found that they simply couldn't look away from the captivating story unfolding on screen.
3 "Look For the Light"
Season 1, Episode 9
IMDb Rating: 9.2/10
In an action-packed flashback, Anna (Ashley Johnson) and Marlene (Merle Dandridge) finally show audiences how Ellie became immune. In the present, a traumatized Ellie is comforted by Joel, who reveals his own dark truths and past wounds. Just as the future seems brighter, the two are ambushed by Fireflies. Marlene takes Ellie and preps her for a lethal surgery, hoping to produce a cure for the disease. Unable to face losing another daughter, Joel slaughters every rebel in sight to save her, killing the hope for a cure.
While this story is heavily focused on Ellie, audiences follow Joel and his journey for a reason. Joel has the key to saving the world in his hands, and he chooses to hide her because all that matters to him is saving his daughter. Viewers see the harsh decision Joel makes and understand the reasoning behind it, a logic that has come full circle from Sarah's death in the pilot. With a poignant and video-game-accurate ending, this highly-rated finale is one that will not soon be forgotten.
2 "When We Are in Need"
Season 1, Episode 8
IMDb Rating: 9.4/10
With Joel on his deathbed, Ellie is on her own to keep them both alive. She runs into members of a nearby village when hunting and exchanges food for medicine. The seemingly harmless bargain takes a sharp and dangerous turn when the fanatical leader (and one of TLoU's best supporting characters) realizes Joel killed one of his citizens. The story grows darker still as Ellie is captured and subjected to levels of abuse. Joel battles his infection and hitmen as Ellie fights for her life, and they meet up in a tear-jerking reunion at the episode's breathtaking close.
Intense due to the threat of human villainy rather than mindless zombies, the dark subject matter and Ramsey's raw emotions leave audiences horrified and fascinated. Ellie displays intelligence, violence, and an ironclad will to survive in this chapter of her story, meeting Joel at the end speechless and unsure of what the future holds.
1 "Endure and Survive"
Season 1, Episode 5
IMDb Rating: 9.5/10
Joel and Ellie run into Sam (Keivonn Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson), the most wanted people in the Kansas QZ. The four team up to escape the rebel sect, but are tailed by Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), the ruthless leader. On the outskirts, both sides are ambushed by a mass of zombies, and a narrow escape does not prevent the newly introduced brothers from meeting a tragic end.
A slow start gives way to skyrocketing tension once the heroes are cornered. Deceptively calm until a raging storm, this episode surprises both video game players and casual watchers with the intensity of its ending, capturing the bonds of family and the tragedy of impossible choices.