When was the last time you could remember feeling genuinely excited by something? I’m talking about that feeling you would get as a child the night before your birthday or that rush right before the rollercoaster drops. There’s nothing quite like that mix of emotions and intense muchness that is excitement, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a feeling worth chasing.
But why am I talking about that feeling you get when reunited with your best friend after too long apart or getting on the aeroplane on the way to a new adventure? Because that feeling, that overwhelming cocktail of emotion and butterflies that makes you want to jump and scream and cry and laugh all at the same time? Well, that is precisely how I felt watching The Last of Us.
Throughout my life, there have been certain games that I’ve played that have just hit differently than anything else. The Last of Us was one of those games. I can still remember staying up and playing the game throughout the night (and if you know me, you will know that sleep time is sacred) just because I needed to know what would happen. And throughout every playthrough since, and there have been many, that feeling has just never let up.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive going into The Last of Us TV Show because, let’s be honest, video game adaptions don’t have the best record. And I’m not just talking about the ones that have sucked, either. Even the ones that haven’t been terrible haven’t ever given me the same feels that the games did… until now.
Look, I don’t want to say much about the show itself because I feel that talking about it will do it no justice. Instead, if The Last of Us was a story that was special to you and something you’ve carried somewhere close to your heart for years now, then you don’t need to be scared.
The Last of Us TV Show might not be perfect, but it’s as close to it as you’re going to get. I can’t think of a single other video game adaption that has filled me with the same excitement as this show did, episode after episode – and if I’m being candid, it isn’t just a great adaption; it’s a brilliant show regardless, and it feels like something was always supposed to exist.
The Last of Us TV Show episodes will be arriving weekly on a TV screen near you starting on the 15th of January, so make sure you have snacks ready. Unfortunately, South Africans don’t yet have HBO Max access, but Showmax has us covered.
Showmax will be releasing all the episodes at the same time as HBO Max, so South Africans can look forward to catching the first episode on Sunday without having to dodge spoilers as if they were Infected.