Joel and Ellie have taken the early steps of their darkish journey on HBO Max, with the primary three episodes of The Final of Us now out there on the streaming service. Episode 3 got here out final Sunday, and episode 4 will drop this Sunday, Feb. 5.

The present adapts the legendary PlayStation online game collection from developer Naughty Canine, with the nine-episode season 1 specializing in the preliminary entry within the franchise. It is also been renewed for a second season.

The present premiered on Jan. 15, drawing an viewers of 10 million in its first two days, with episodes coming every week till March 12.

The Final of Us launch dates and instances

This is the total launch schedule for The Final of Us on HBO Max. We’ll modify this if the corporate proclaims any modifications or breaks. New episodes will arrive at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET), which you would possibly keep in mind because the time slot occupied by Home of the Dragon final yr.

• Episode 1: Out there now
• Episode 2: Out there now
• Episode 3: Out there now
• Episode 4: Sunday, Feb. 5
• Episode 5: Sunday, Feb. 12
• Episode 6: Sunday, Feb. 19
• Episode 7: Sunday, Feb. 26
• Episode 8: Sunday, March 5
• Episode 9: Sunday, March 12

The place is The Final of Us out there outdoors the US?

The present drops globally on the similar time, so there are the instances for a number of areas:

• Canada, Crave at 9 p.m. Sunday
• UK and Eire: Sky Atlantic and Now at 2 a.m. Monday
• Australia: Binge and Foxtel at 1 p.m. AEDT Monday
• New Zealand: Neon at 3 p.m. Monday

What’s The Final of Us?

Set in a world the place an unnervingly plausible fungal mind an infection transforms many of the world’s inhabitants into violent cannibals, the video games comply with grumpy smuggler Joel and his upbeat teen pal Ellie as they journey throughout a ruined US. 

Who’s in it?

The collection stars The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal as Joel, together with his fellow Sport of Thrones alumnus Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman, Anna Torv from Fringe and Yellowjackets‘ Melanie Lynskey present up too.

Is there trailers?

HBO gave us just a few tastes of the present. The most up-to-date trailer arrived in December, and the corporate has been dropping episode previews forward of every new installment. 

How scary is it?

It is extra thriller than horror, with loads of intense moments. The contaminated do not present up typically — Joel and Ellie face extra human survivors than monsters — however are used to nice impact once they do.

Do I have to have performed the video games?

No. The present retells the occasions of the primary recreation, which got here out in 2013, with some storylines and background components expanded. 

Writers Craig Mazin (creator of HBO’s Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (the video games collection’ inventive director) added a flashback scene to offer newcomers a agency grounding within the story’s origins.  

Nevertheless, The Final of Us and its 2020 sequel are a few of the most partaking video games ever made. It is best to positively dive in if the present intrigues you. The unique recreation is offered on PS3, PS4 and PS5 (a PC model is popping out March 3), whereas the second is at the moment solely on PS4.