'The Last Of Us' Is Destined To HBO's Next Great Hit: REVIEW

"The Last of Us" lived up to its monumental hype with the premiere episode.

The HBO series is based on a video game of the same name, and ever since Pedro Pascal was announced in the lead role of Joel, expectations have been through the roof.

Even before the first trailer dropped, the narrative was that the saga would be HBO's next "Game of Thrones" caliber hit.

The season one premiere aired Sunday night on HBO, and as expected, the show is downright incredible.

"The Last of Us" is going to be a monster hit.

I entered the series with very little knowledge of the video game. Outside of maybe 15 minutes of playtime, I know nothing about the origin story.

More or less, I entered the season one premiere with Pascal and Belle Ramsey completely blind. The plot revolves around a world-changing fungus-based pandemic that has wiped out most of the world.

"The Last of Us" on HBO is incredible. (Credit: HBO)

When the fungus gets to you, it becomes some kind of parasite that turns you into a bloodthirsty zombie.

Viewers watch the outbreak start in 2003 as Joel attempts to rush his daughter and brother Tommy to safety. It doesn't go according to plan, and then we jump to 2023.

The civilization has collapsed and a military dictatorship is in control of Boston, where we find Joel.

Pedro Pascal shines in "The Last of Us." (Credit: HBO)

The series features plenty of mysterious elements.

A mysterious girl named Ellie (Ramsey) enters at this point, and for some reason, she might be the most important person in the world when it comes to defeating the pandemic. I won't spoil why, but it becomes evident almost immediately. She has to be kept safe and ferried to a resistance group known as the Fireflies.

Without ruining the premiere, that's the baseline of the series, and it's awesome. Even if you're not into sci-fi thrillers or post-apocalyptic stories, you're bound to love the HBO series.

I honestly can't remember the last time I was glued to the TV like I was watching the premiere. It was addicting and captivating in the best of ways. Again, I have no ties to "The Last of Us." I'm not part of the baked in audience from the video game. Not at all, but I was still completely engaged.

"The Last of Us" appears to be HBO's next great hit. (Credit: HBO)

HBO is known for making great shows, and there's no doubt in my mind "The Last of Us" is going to be the network's next massive hit. It's definitely worth every second of your time.