The first official trailer for HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us dropped today at CCXP and was chock full of Easter Eggs and fresh faces. From familiar foes to brand-new characters created for the show, we’re breaking down some key moments from the first trailer for newcomers and game players alike.
First, the sets have to be commended for their game-like accuracy. The ones we’ve seen are stunning and so true to the game we’re in for a visual feast when this series drops. But now, onto more specifics.
Minor spoilers ahead! If you want to go into the series with no information, stop here.
Ellie is the Key
The bite that started it all. Ellie Williams was a regular girl until she got bit and didn’t turn, making her the key to the cure the Fireflies have been working to develop for years. The goal? Get Ellie to the Fireflies, and none other than Joel Miller has this task tossed into his very unwilling lap. What is originally set to be a quick drop-off turns into an unexpected journey west for our duo.
Two New Characters
While we know of at least one more made-for-series character, Melanie Lynskey’s Kathleen, only these two appeared in the trailer. They seem to be aiding Joel and Ellie on their journey west, which hints that the series will be diving into a section of Joel and Ellie’s journey not seen in the game at all.
After getting through Pittsburgh and its suburbs, the game jumps forward to find Joel and Ellie in Jackson County, Wyoming, but the series may finally answer long-asked questions about what went down between those two checkpoints. Seemingly, a lot of warnings about what the west and the path there holds.
Ellie’s Backstory
While we get the verbal story of Ellie, the series will provide the medium to show it. I won’t go into details, but while this is obviously just a guess, I’d imagine we’ll be seeing the flashbacks that we hear via Marlene’s tape recorders in Chapter 11 of the game and more.
That’s also Ellie’s original voice actor Ashley Johnson!
We’re Getting Left Behind
The Last of Us‘ expansion pack, Left Behind, is thankfully being included in the series. It’ll be interesting to see how they sequence all the events covered between the original game and the DLC, as Left Behind flashes back to Ellie prior to meeting Joel from a time with him that was omitted from the original game. The information contained here is vital, however, and some of my favorite moments from the universe.
We already knew some of the events would be included after Storm Reid was cast as Riley, Ellie’s friend from Left Behind, but it was great to see these moments included in the trailer in hopes that they get the attention they deserve. There better be squirt guns is all I’m saying.
Frank
The excitement I felt seeing Frank get his own poster increased tenfold seeing him here in the trailer. The untold story of Frank and Bill was one I was immediately curious about and I’m absolutely thrilled we’ll get to see it in any capacity in the series. Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman are stellar castings for these roles (although Bartlett is going off of my own mental image as we never see Frank’s face in the game) and I’m eager to see where their tale fits in.
Troy Baker Isn’t Playing David
Oh, winter … how we dread and anticipate you eagerly. One could argue it’s the most emotional section of the game, I’ll accept The Firefly Lab as its only competitor. Maybe it was just me, but when Joel’s original voice actor, Troy Baker, was cast in an unnamed role I was certainly afraid it would be David. However, the trailer has done well to alleviate my worries.
Baker, however, is one of David’s men as seen there on the left!
Look at This Guy!
I got goosebumps here and just really wanted to showcase how incredible this looks. That’s all. Those bloaters, man … nasty sons a bitches.
The Last of Us will premiere Sunday, January 15 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Stay tuned for more as the release date gets closer!
