When Is The Last of Us Set? HBO Series VS Game Timeline Explained
The HBO series’ timeline has become one more major shift from The Last of Us’ game, but probably worked in a better way. Here’s when everything in The Last of Us’ TV version happens and how it differentiates from the original idea.
Both The Last of Us’ game and show follow the events of some post-apocalyptic future, though they do so with a major difference in their timeline.
The HBO series has recently given another hint at the time its second season’s events are unfolding, witnessing Ellie’s journey to Joel’s grave which mentions 2029 as the year of his passing.
Alternatively, in the original video game the same occurrences happen a whole decade later, which at some point might have caused confusion among The Last of Us’ fans.
However, the timeline change was yet another big shift that the show’s creators considered necessary for the TV format — here’s why.
Timeline in The Last of Us’ TV Series and Game, Explained
It might be that the 2020 pandemic popped up in Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s minds at the time, but The Last of Us’ TV adaptation has its events unfolding in a different decade, marking 2003 as the outbreak year.
It then reaches 2023 as the world remains in the midst of apocalypse and eventually time-jumps to 2028. Coincidence or not, 2023 was also the year the show’s first season aired.
Meanwhile, the zombie invasion in the video game takes its time before arriving, with the story beginning in 2013 and then time-jumping to 2033.
There’s a Reason Why The Last of Us Show Changes the Game’s Timeline
Even though the slight change didn’t affect the series’ plot line in any way, The Last of Us’ creators felt like the original game’s timeline would be less convincing for the viewers watching the show in 2023 and not in 2013.
“[The decision to shift the timeline] was something I talked about with Neil very early on. It's a subtle difference. But I have this thing about jumping into the future. I feel like, if I'm watching a show and the year is 2023, and the show takes place in 2043, it’s just a little less real. Even if I'm watching a show in 2023 and it takes place in 2016, it’s a little less real. So I thought it might be interesting to just say, ‘Hey, look, in this parallel universe, this is happening right now. This is happening this year”, The Last of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin revealed in an interview with TechRadar back in 2023.
He then added that, even though the time shift did affect the show’s background, the team still managed to keep that old vibe to please both the game players and show fans.
“Practically speaking, [the decision] didn't change much other than giving us a slightly different palette of prompts and set design and car choices. But interestingly, as we then go on through the series and keep finding new places and new relics of the old world, we keep coming back to that 2003 vibe. So it was really just about helping people connect a little bit more and nothing more than that”, Mazin said.
When Is The Last of Us New Episode Coming?
The series’ season 2 episode 5 will be dropped on Max on May 11. The remaining two episodes will be released weekly each Sunday until May 25.
