The Last of Us episode 9 release date, air time, trailer, and more details

Episode 9 of The Last of Us, which is also the finale episode of the first season, will premiere on both HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 9 pm Eastern Time, 8 pm Central Time, and 6 pm Pacific Time.

HBO's The Last of Us has been nothing short of a masterpiece, and viewers are deeply invested in its compelling storyline. Moreover, the way Joel and Ellie's characters have developed over the past few weeks has been truly magnificent.

The duo didn't meet under the most ideal circumstances. In fact, they would never have crossed paths if the ravaging pandemic did not happen, and yet, their camaraderie has become one of the most appealing aspects of the show.

With the season nearing its conclusion, it is the end of the line for Joel and Ellie. We will finally learn the fate of these two beloved characters in the next and final episode and get answers to several questions.

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The Last of Us episode 9: Will Joel and Ellie make it out alive and safe?

Episode 9, titled Look for the Light, has been directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann. Here is the official episode preview released by HBO,

As is evident from the preview, the upcoming episode looks nothing short of intense. Joel and Ellie seem to be just inches away from their destination. Even though Joel now adores Ellie as a daughter, he can't forget the true purpose of the long journey.

In a scene where Joel and Ellie get a grenade thrown at them, viewers are made aware that the duo have a target on their back. Joel is also seen carrying his gun solo. This means that Ellie has been taken away from him. There is another sequence where an unknown character is getting attacked by a runner, but to know the story behind the scene, viewers will have to wait for the episode.

Guaranteeing Joel and Ellie's safety beforehand is impossible because nobody is safe in The Last of Us universe.

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What happened in The Last of Us episode 8?

Episode 8 of The Last of Us was by far one of the most violent and grim episodes of the show so far. Joel was severely injured after several incidents in episode 6 and Ellie started to lose hope.

However, she mustered the courage to stitch Joel's wound. She then tucked him into bed and went out with a gun for help. Ellie came face-to-face with a group of men who lived in a nearby settlement and were led by a priest called David. She also met another senior member of the group there, named James. The group provided Ellie with medication that Ellie used to heal Joel.

However, soon enough, the true motive of this sinister group was revealed. They were a bunch of cannibals who wanted to kill Ellie and Joel. Moreover, since Joel killed one of their men in episode 6, revenge was their biggest priority. David also revealed to Ellie that he was a maths teacher before the apocalypse and thought that the fungus radiated love.

David saw Ellie as an equal and wanted her to join them, but Ellie strongly rejected his proposal and broke his finger. While Joel was awake and killing a couple of cannibals nearby, Ellie was pretty close to being killed. Thankfully, she managed to kill James first, and when David tried to violate her, she murdered him with a butcher's knife.

The episode ended with Joel hugging Ellie and the duo walking away.

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Episode 9 of The Last of Us will be the final episode of this season. The show will premiere on both HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 9 pm Eastern Time, 8 pm Central Time, and 6 pm Pacific Time.