HBO's The Last Of Us: 10 Things We Need To See

There are multiple time-gaps within The Last of Us that are begging for further exploration when HBO's adaptation hits screens in January 2023. This writer has already touched on the thrilling notion of an unexplored origin story for Tommy and Joel, as well as the over-arching, unanswered questions posed by much of the game's canon. However, that's just the headline.

The immediate aftermath of Henry's tragic suicide and Ellie's fight for survival following Joel's near fatal injury in the midst of winter, number amongst several sub-plots from the games where a time jump is utilized to fill empty narrative space. Additionally, while Abby's involvement has yet to even be confirmed, the second installment does little to paint a detailed picture of the time in between Joel murdering her father and Abby playing nine holes with his head.

Considering the inherently dark nature of this universe, it goes without saying that filling in the blank spaces in the story will not make for easy viewing in the slightest. The traumatic nature of the various sequences that bring some of the games' more gut-wrenching moments to life are legitimately harrowing. The emotional weight of these unexplored time gaps means that it is hard to conceive a reality in which they do not translate to unbelievably moving television.

To quote another HBO mainstay, "... in a brutal, horribly uncomfortable sort of way."