HBO’s newest TV series, “The Last of Us,” has already attracted a large audience — it is HBO’s second-biggest premiere in over a decade, second only to “House of Dragon,” the “Game of Thrones” spinoff series, per Variety.
The series, which debuted on Sunday, Jan. 15, raked in over 4.7 million viewers, reports Deadline.
Here is everything you need to know before watching “The Last of Us.”
The breakdown
- “The Last of Us” is a TV adaptation based on the hit Playstation video game.
- The series stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nick Offerman and Ashley Johnson.
- The series has nine episodes.
- It is rated TV-MA for violence, intensity and profanity.
What is ‘The Last of Us’ about?
“The Last of Us” is a post-apocalyptic series that takes place 20 years after modern civilization is destroyed. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a man who has survived through the decaying society, is hired to smuggle a young teenage girl, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), to safety. The task turns out to be more difficult than Joel anticipated, and he and Ellie must rely on each other as they travel the U.S., per HBO.
What is ‘The Last of Us’ rated?
“The Last of Us” is rated TV-MA for severe violence and gore, intense or frightening scenes and profanity.
Is ‘The Last of Us’ a good show for kids?
No, this is not a family-friendly series to watch with kids.
This series has an endless stream of violent scenes, such as cannibalism, bloody deaths and a virus running rampant — leading to graphic scenes. It also has a lot of intense scenes that could be frightening to children. Corpses, weapons, monsters, explosions and drugs are all present in the show, per IMDb.
It is also full of profanity. There is heavy use of the f-word and other adult language, per Common Sense Media.
Shows similar to ‘The Last of Us’ to watch instead
If you are still looking for a post-apocalyptic TV series, but wants something tamer, here are some similar TV shows to “The Last of Us.”
- “The 100” (Netflix): 100 juvenile delinquents are sent to Earth almost 100 years after a nuclear war destroyed civilization.
- “Revolution” (Tubi): A group of revolutionaries seek to overthrow a militia group that took over the U.S. following a global blackout.
- “Wayward Pines” (Hulu): A secret agent goes looking for two missing federal agents in Wayward Pines, Idaho. Once he gets into the city, he realizes he will never make it out alive.