'The Last of Us' Episode 5 Will Premiere Early on HBO Ahead of Super Bowl

By Andrew Roberts

Fans of HBO's hit adaptation of The Last of Us got some good news following the premiere of the fourth episode on Sunday. The network confirmed that The Last of Us episode five is going to premiere early next week due to the Super Bowl.

According to the statement by the network, The Last of Us episode five will premiere early on HBO On Demand and HBO Max starting on Friday, Feb. 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT, while the episode will still premiere on television Sunday, Feb. 12, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Future episodes of the show will return to its regular schedule through its season finale on March 12. The series has already become a major hit for the network, winning over fans of the video game franchise and new fans who were blown away by the first three episodes.

The show currently has a 97 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and is being heralded as the network's next big drama, joining Game of Thrones and others as pillars of the network's shift to streaming.

As Forbes points out, The Last of Us continues to improve its ratings and viewership with each new episode. It is something that HBO typically doesn't experience, with Forbes sharing that episode two of the series grew by 22 percent, while episode three jumped even more with 12 percent.

Game of Thrones' first season lost viewership following its premiere. House of the Dragon gained in its second week but fell for episode three. The White Lotus showed improvement with its third episode, with Euphoria following suit. The Last of Us is reaching percentage gains that are not typical for the network.

It is also a sign of things to come with video game adaptations. While Halo premiered on Paramount+ earlier in 2022, the future is full of planned adaptations that will all seek the same success as The Last of Us.

Assassin's Creed is set to jump to TV, Tomb Raider is coming to Amazon Prime under the care of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Peacock is betting on Twisted Metal, while Fallout, God of War, Horizon, and Gears of War are all potentially coming to screens in the next few years. It is an exciting moment for gaming fans, so hopefully, the quality remains.

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