The Last of Us episode 1 has been released in full online for free – here’s how to watch-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

Fans of the video game and newcomers have been raving about the series (Picture: HBO)

We might not have even reached the end of January yet, but The Last of Us has already become one of the exciting TV shows to watch in 2023.

Having been released on HBO in the US and Sky and NOW in the UK, the adaptation of the beloved video game series has garnered glowing reviews.

Viewers have been gripped by the adventure that lies ahead for smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) and teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in a world that’s become post-apocalyptic as a result of a parasitic, fungal infection that’s caused a pandemic and seemingly has no cure.

For those who have yet to watch episode 1, or are unable to access it, we have exciting news to share – the entire instalment, lasting approximately one hour and 20 minutes, has been released online.

So how can you watch it? Here’s all you need to know.

How to watch The Last of Us episode 1 online

If you’re yet to be introduced to the world of The Last of Us on TV or simply fancy rewatching it online, you’re in luck – the entire first episode is now available on the Sky YouTube channel.

Yes, you read that right. Every gruesome detail, heartbreaking tear, terrifying encounter and gut-wrenching death in the premiere can now be watched simply by streaming it on the video platform.

It appears as though this may be a one-off, simply to allow potential new viewers to get a taste for the show to see if they fancy carrying on for the entire nine-episode arc.

Nonetheless, what a treat to simply swan onto YouTube and watch – or rewatch – one of the most highly-praised opening episodes of a TV show as of late?

Could pandemic in The Last of Us actually happen in real life?

The release of The Last of Us on the small screen has prompted some people to question whether the fungal outbreak depicted in the show could ever happen in real life among the human population.

It’s revealed on the drama that the infection is called Cordyceps, with the exact name for this particular strain featured in the story called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is also known in real life as zombie ant fungus, as it causes ‘its ant victims to behave like “zombies”’, an article published in the journal Scientific Reports in 2020 outlined.

Nick Offerman makes his debut in episode three of the show (Picture: HBO)

However, Ian Will, a fungal geneticist at the University of Central Flroida, assured National Geographic that a spread to humans ‘is not likely to happen in real life’.

Professor Elaine Bignell, a leader in the field of human fungal pathogen, added to Sky News: ‘Some fungi can get passed from one person to the next – and in the environment we are exposed to them all the time – but it would take a very significant variant to be able to cause the sorts of species extinction event that they’re dramatising.’

The Last of Us is available to watch on Sky and NOW, with new episodes released on Mondays.

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