PSA: This week’s episode of The Last of Us drops early

Those wizards at HBO have officially pulled off the impossible: creating a video game adaptation that is, against all odds, actually good (so far, at least). The Last of Us is only halfway through its first season and already an entirely new audience is falling in love with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and having their hearts sufficiently shattered every Monday evening like clockwork. At least that's when you'll usually be reaching for Kleenex. For one week only, The Last of Us will be releasing two days early on Binge and Foxtel Now, with Episode 5: "Endure and Survive" set to drop on Saturday the 11th of February.

At the time of writing, there are already four episodes of The Last of Us ready to stream. As mentioned above, Episode 5 will release two days early on Saturday the 11th of February at 1:00PM AEDT. From Episode 6 until the season finale in March, The Last of Us will continue to release every Monday at 1:00PM AEDT. 

• Binge
• Foxtel Now

As an HBO original program, The Last of Us is exclusive to Foxtel's streaming and pay TV platforms during its first season's initial run. For traditional Foxtel subscribers, The Last of Us will air at the same time every Monday on the FOX Showcase channel (available in Foxtel's Entertainment bundle). 

Unlike many streaming services these days, Binge still offers a two-week free trial. So you can sign up now, catch up on The Last of Us episodes that already aired and cancel once the season is done. 

As with most HBO blockbusters, Binge and Foxtel will retain the streaming rights once the first season has aired but all nine episodes will become available to rent or purchase on digital platforms like iTunes and Google Play after the finale on the 13th of March. 

All up, there will be nine episodes in the first season of The Last of Us. Considering the show's popularity (and much more story to tell from the game's sequel), a second season is pretty much a sure thing. Here are the Australian release dates for every episode of The Last of Us. 

• Episode 1 "When You're Lost in the Darkness": 16 January 2023
• Episode 2 "Infected": 22 January 2023
• Episode 3 "Long, Long Time": 30 January 2023
• Episode 4"Please Hold to My Hand": 5 February 2023
• Episode 5 "Endure and Survive": 12 February 2023
• Episode 6 "Kin": 20 February 2023
• Episode 7 "Left Behind": 27 February 2023
• Episode 8 "When We Are in Need": 6 March 2023
• Episode 9 "Finale": 13 March 2023

The Last of Us is a prestige television drama adapted from the 2013 PlayStation game of the same name (one of our favourites). Like the game, the TV show opens on the eve of society's collapse after a mass fungal infection sweeps the world, transforming humans into mindless flesh-hungry drones. It's here we meet Joel, one of the protagonists, and his family as they desperately flee their home in search of safety. 

Soon after, we're transported 20 years into the future, where an older and more world-weary Joel and his partner Tess have earned a reputation for smuggling drugs in and out of their Quarantine Zone. It's this reputation that inadvertently lands them with the responsibility of transporting one very special person across a desolate America; Ellie, our other protagonist for the adventure ahead.

So far, The Last of Us has been a fairly faithful adaptation as far as video game TV shows and movies go. All of the iconic characters are here, though their circumstance and place in the story is sometimes tweaked. The only changes made to the game's plot so far have been for the better; fleshing out underserved characters from the game, spending more time with people important to the story's emotional core, that sort of thing.

Take a look at the table below for a comparison of streaming services available in Australia.