The first season of HBO’s The Last of Us is drawing to a close. The post-apocalyptic drama – based on the 2013 video game of the same name – is just days away from its ninth and final episode, with protagonists Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) nearing the end of their treacherous cross-country journey.
The series has received critical acclaim from both fans and critics, with some praising it as one of the best TV shows of all time. It has also attracted an impressive viewership in both the UK and US.
Variety reported that episode eight reached an impressive 8.1 million viewers when it aired in the US on Sunday night, marking a new series high and a 74 per cent increase from the viewership of the series premiere. Co-creators and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have assembled a stellar cast for the series, centred around Pascal and Ramsey.
READ MORE: Will there be a The Last of Us season two and will it be based on the second game?
The showrunners were also keen to have stars of the video game return for its live-action adaptation. The series has already seen Merle Dandridge reprise her role as Firefly leader Marlene in the series premiere, while Jeffrey Pierce – the original voice of Tommy – played ill-fated villain Perry in the Kansas City episodes.
Original Joel actor Troy Baker also had a supporting role in episode eight as James, a member of a group of cannibalistic survivors living in an old resort called Silver Lake. Now the teaser for episode nine shows the original Ellie actress will also make an appearance in the series.
Voice and motion-capture actress Ashley Johnson – who played the teenage protagonist in The Last of Us video game and its 2020 sequel – will appear in flashback scenes in the final episode. The 39-year-old earned two BAFTA Games Awards for her portrayal as Ellie – one for The Last of Us and one for its DLC The Last of Us: Left Behind – as well as nominations for her performance in The Last of Us Part II.
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The trailer for the series finale – titled Look for the Light – sees Ashley in flashbacks as Ellie’s mother, Anna, being chased by an infected. She is also seen in the main series trailer holding a baby Ellie after having just given birth, suggesting the series finale may explain Ellie’s immunity to the Cordyceps infection.
Anna was not featured in the video game, with her backstory only teased via a letter in Ellie’s backpack revealing her friendship with Firefly leader Marlene. Her debut episode is likely to flesh out the character’s backstory, as well as giving fans further insight into Ellie’s origins.
Entertainment Weekly has described Anna as “a pregnant woman, alone and on the run, who must give birth under the most terrifying of circumstances.” Druckmann also revealed details about bringing the character to life in the series.
Speaking to Variety, he said: “The one that shows up very late in the season is Ellie’s mom. I had written a short story after we had shipped the game already. It was supposed to be an animated short, but it fell apart and didn’t come to be.
“There was a moment where we almost made it as DLC, but it fell apart. In our conversations, I brought it up to Craig and he was immediately excited by it. We brought it to life in the most beautiful, poetic way, which is Ashley Johnson playing Ellie’s mom and she was the original actor for Ellie.”
The season finale of The Last of Us airs on Sky Atlantic on Monday, March 13 at 9pm.
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