Next The Last of Us episode to air early

The next episode of The Last of Us will air a few days earlier than usual to avoid a timing conflict with the Super Bowl in the US.

The fifth episode of HBO’s The Last of Us will be streaming earlier than usual to avoid a conflict with the Super Bowl on Monday.

The Last of Us episodes are usually released on streaming services on Monday nights in the US, a timeslot that was previously filled by big hitters like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

But HBO has moved the release of the next episode so it doesn’t conflict with the American football championship finals, the Super Bowl, which is airing on Monday in the US.

Instead episode 5 will be released on Friday, February 10 on HBO Max in North America and other supported regions. Sky has also confirmed that it will be releasing the episode early in Europe.

Binge in Australia has also confirmed that the episode will be available at the same time, releasing on Saturday, 11 February at 1pm AEDT.

Never let your guard down.

Episode 4 of #TheLastOfUs is now streaming on BINGE. Stream Episode 5 early on Saturday February 11 at 1pm (AEDT). pic.twitter.com/8kXuvXpw52

— BINGE (@binge) February 6, 2023

The fifth episode, titled “Endure and Survive”, will have Ellie and Joel travelling through Kansas City, which coincidentally has its team, the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in the Super Bowl on Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles (thanks TheGamer).

The episode will also seemingly feature Henry and Sam, two brothers who played a major part in the game, as well as an appearance from Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced and performed Tommy in the original game.

The sixth episode of the series is expected to air in the usual Monday night timeslot, which should be February 19, or February 20 in Australia on Binge and Foxtel.

Praise for the TV adaptation has been strong since its debut, with glowing reviews across the board from critics and viewers alike. Episode 3 in particular has received nearly universal acclaim for its reworking of the story of Bill and Frank, who took on a vastly different role in the game.

Critics praised the episode for its depiction of gay romance, terminal illness, and mental health, with many praising Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett’s performances and suggesting that the episode was worthy of an Emmy.

The creators of The Last of Us’ TV show adaptation thanked fans last month after the positive reaction to the show. Game developer Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin both took to social media to thank fans for their response, with Mazin saying that he wasn’t expecting such a positive reaction.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.