Fans of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) will get to see them early next week if they're subscribed to HBO Max. The Last of Us will premiere Episode 5 two days early on Friday, February 10 exclusively on the streamer and HBO On Demand before airing on the linear network at its usual time on Sunday, February 12.
The move comes as HBO's original drama only continues to win over more fans and grow with each new episode. After scoring the second-highest viewership for a series debut for the network in a decade behind only their juggernaut Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, The Last of Us proceeded to post record growth from a premiere to Episode 2 as the series reeled in its remaining skeptics. Episode 3, meanwhile, has been the pièce de résistance of the series to this point, bringing in 6.4 million viewers, the highest of the series yet, to watch what is widely regarded as its most emotional episode so far. The early premiere of Episode 5 will capitalize on the series' staggering popularity, though it's not planned to continue as the remaining episodes will air at their usual time on Sundays until the finale on March 12.
HBO's new original, based on the iconic games from Naughty Dog and created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, has been following survivors Joel and Ellie through a post-apocalyptic U.S. and out of an oppressive quarantine zone. Pascal and Ramsey lead a star-studded cast that also features Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, and Elaine Miles alongside the original game's two stars Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. Episode 3 also recently featured the arrivals of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett's characters Bill and Frank respectively.
What's Next for Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us?
This week, Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce will make their debuts in the show as it looks to tackle the Pittsburgh section of the game. Lynskey plays Kathleen, an original character who appears to be a major threat to Joel and Ellie as they try to avoid her and her men in the town. If this is indeed the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone sequence, it's already shaping up as another departure from the game by giving some of the raiders in the town names and personalities rather than just creating a group of random bad guys for the pair to fight through.
The long-term future of The Last of Us is looking healthy as well as the show was recently renewed for a second season. Druckmann and Mazin still have so much to pull from, including the Left Behind DLC, which follows Ellie in a flashback looking back at her days with her close friend and love interest Riley, and The Last of Us Part II which takes place years later and explores the cycle of revenge between Ellie, Joel, and a new character Abby.
See The Last of Us Episode 5 early on February 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Episode 4 releases on Sunday, February 5. Check out the trailer for the upcoming installment below.