The Last of Us has been a thrilling and hugely successful adaptation of the PlayStation video game of the same name. All good things come to an end though, and the season finale is almost here. After eight episodes the scene is set for a climax that will be bold, brutal and the shortest episode of the series. Despite the series kicking off with a bumper episode, and featuring others that have pushed beyond the hour mark, the season finale will be just 46 minutes long.
Only a few years ago, around 46 minutes was the expected length of every show thanks to the restrictions of network schedules. However, streaming has allowed many shows to play around with the length of their episodes without having to worry if they would have to cut some content to fit within an allotted timeframe. This has allowed the likes of stranger things to put out feature length episodes in its fourth season, while other shows have chosen to air episodes as short as 12 minutes if the story requires them.
For The Last of Us, the length of its episodes have mostly stuck to the formula of around 50 minutes plus, but that doesn’t mean that fans weren’t hoping for a little more come the finale. That said, the episode only playing for 46 minutes is probably a good thing for the series as a whole because it almost guarantees that rather than being packed with unnecessary filler the episode will be all emotion, action and preparation for a long wait to season two’s premiere.
The Last of Us Has One More Chance to Add to its Impressive Reviews.
Over the course of the last eight weeks, The Last of Us has hardly put a foot wrong, and taking into account the various bouts of review-bombing the series has received for its inclusive storylines and LGBTQ+ characters, then it remains one of the highest rated TV shows of all time. The finale could well give the show’s rating one last boost, even though it certainly doesn’t need it as a second season has already been green lit and the viewing figures are even higher than originally anticipated.
The series has adapted The Last of Us impeccably, expanding on the narrative where necessary but sticking to the main story points throughout. Star Bella Ramsey has already prepared fans to be divided over the way the season is resolved, which most likely means that there will be another deviation from the original video game.
There has currently been no indication of exactly when season two will make its debut on HBO and HBO Max, but it is not expected to arrive any earlier than late in 2024 at the very earliest. However, season one will be available in its entirety on HBO Max, allowing anyone who wants to revisit the journey of Joel and Ellie to do so at their leisure.