We’ve all been waiting for this video game adaptation to be released ever since we got the first trailer to it! I honestly I have to say that I never played the games but I’m still very excited about this show.
So on January 15th 2023, we got the first episode.
This show has nine episodes in its first season. It starrs Pedro Pascal (“Game Of Thrones”), Bella Ramsey (“His Dark Materials”), Gabriel Luna (“Love, Death + Robots”), Merle Dandridge (“The Flight Attendant”), Brendan Fletcher (“Violent Night”), Melanie Lynskey (“Candy”),Storm Reid (“One Way”), just to name a few.
This series was directed by Jeremy Webb (“The Umbrella Academy”) and Neil Druckmann (created of “The Last Of Us” video games).
This series is an Action/Adventure/Drama/Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller.
Onto the premise: 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
In episode one,Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel and Ellie are tasked with a mission that could change everything.
In episode two, Joel, Tess, and Ellie traverse through an abandoned and flooded Boston hotel on their way to drop Ellie off with a group of Fireflies.
I really liked the opening scene of this episode in Jakarta, where we got a glimpse into the fungi outbreak.
I know the doctors suggestion was very drastic but it was sadly the only thing to do to stop the outbreak…
I really liked the camera work as well.
But I didn’t like the zombie kiss…
That scene was too weird und uncomfortable to watch…
I really liked that we learned more about Joel’s background. Along with Tess’s background.
We got introduced to the “clickers,” an advanced stage of the infected whose skull is now fungal bloom. They lack sight but have echolocation-style fine hearing like bats, and use their own clicking sounds to locate things in their surrounding area.
Once again ih manages to capture the vibe and atmosphere.
This episode also had some great tense moments whrre i held my breath a couple of times! The design of the infected was also solid! I like how this show also tells us more about the disease along with the characters.
Can’t wait to watch more!
I Really enjoyed the frog scene.
This episode was shorter than the first one, but it kept the high quality.
The episode starts with a flashback set in 2003, and we follow an Indonesian doctor that was called in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Ophiocordyceps. This is nothing less than the source of the apocalypse. This whole segment is absent from the game, but it feels just right to be here. It’s beautifully executed.
We got to see and learn how much of a threat the Clickers are. Because they are resistant, scary and erratic.
The show then reinforces the lethality of this world when Tess says: “our luck had to run out, sooner or later”, as she reveals a bite on her neck.
An infected awakens nearby, but Joel kills him. We witness how tendrils can attract infected from far away. Joel escapes with Ellie and Tess is left behind.
Just like the previous episode, this one was faithful while giving us a new side of this journey.
In Episode Three, When a stranger approaches his compound, survivalist Bill forges an unlikely connection. Later, Joel and Ellie seek Bill’s guidance.
Frank. from the game, we meet Bill after Ellie and Joel leave Boston and he mentions his partner Frank in passing and we find some letters scattered around as well as other clues that kind of fill in the story.
Well the show decided to devote an entire episode essentially to the relationship of Bill and Frank in forms of flashbacks and it was quite a bit of story telling. Anchored by the much anticipated Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank.
Both were excellent casting choices but Offerman as Bill really acted his ass off.
Nick brought so much else to the role and his performance deserves to be recognized.
Elsewhere though we did spend some time with Ellie and Joel and as their own relationship continues to grow, slowly.
We see them start to come together a bit. Ellie continually wants a gun and Joel continues to deny her but you can see where the relationship is going.
Going into next weeks episode though will be a big leap story wise moving them into the next phase of their story.
We also had another nice way of giving us exposition as Ellie and Joel stroll down the road and Joel tells her some of the way the virus started and just how hard those early days were not just fighting infected but the governments trying to lock everything down. This conversation serves to gives us background information but also depress us with a small glimpse of humanity and survival before we go head on into Frank and Bills story.
Big stuff coming next week and I can’t wait to see how it will be handled by the looks of the sneak preview.
Each episode goes one step further in intensity, drama, and expanding on the game universe. I truly enjoy they give more backstory to characters and events without straying too far from the source material.
This show consistently pulls no punches, and shows a deeply intimate view of an apocalypse. The absolute heartbreak.this wo caused me. I couldn’t stop crying afterwards.
I can’t wait to see where this show continues to go.
I cannot stress this enough, please don’t just watch this episode, allow yourself to feel it.
In Episode Seven, As Joel fights to survive, Ellie looks back on the night that changed everything.
In Episode eight, Ellie crosses paths with a vengeful group of survivors – and draws the attention of its leader. A weakened Joel faces a new threat.
In Episode Nine, The Season Finale, A pregnant Anna places her trust in a lifelong friend. Later, Joel and Ellie near the end of their journey.
Did you know? Troy Baker who plays James in the episode is the voice and MOCAP actor who plays Joel in the games. Baker said he thought he was going to wind up playing a clicker or one of the infected on the show.
The opening scene in Indonesia takes place on September 24th, 2003 two days before the premiere episode’s events. In that first episode a short radio segment mentions “disturbances” in Jakarta.
It’s not easy to create a tv show based on a video game which not only pulls you in as a fan of the games but also pulls you in a newbie like I was into the source material, and that’s because of its story and the characters.
Somehow, TLOU, manages to just that with its well adapted world and character arcs and dynamics.
This series was visually shot well with the love of detail when it comes to landscapes of the game now turned tv series.
I loved the anxious atmosphere it created because you don’t know if you turn to one corner, Werner you all live or die…
Both Pedro and Belle give off great chemistry as they go onto this journey together…
I’m sure us, the audience, will be rooting for these two in the upcoming episodes.
Overall I really enjoyed this episode and can’t wait to watch episodes 2 on Sunday!
In episode four, After Joel and Ellie leave Bill and Frank’s compound, they come across something that is even more deadly than the infected. People. Joel must protect Ellie at all costs, lest he relive what happened to his daughter all those years ago.
We see the humanity and the relationship between Joel and Ellie throughout this episode which is exactly what The Last of Us is about. Sure, it is about clickers and killing infected and getting ambushed by enemies, but at its core it is the story of Joel and Ellie’s relationship.
This episode is the first one so far in this series that really feels like the story has gotten going and we are learning everything we already knew about Joel and Ellie (but in the way Pedro and Bella portray them) but we’re getting something deeper.
This episode is true to the characters, true to the story, but it goes deeper in a way that was impossible in the game.
and far more riveting episode compared to the more emotional and sombre tone seen in the last. I heavily enjoyed this episode as it provided both complex and mature themes as well as showing some much deserved (and possibly needed) character development for both Ellie and Joel, who didn’t receive much development in Long, Long Time (episode 3) due to heavy focus on both Bill and Frank instead.
While there was heavy criticism for the narrative choices and differences in the previous episode, I am glad that the creators chose to make original characters for this episode as it affects the events that occur. Both Jeffrey Pierce and Melanie Lynskey gave great performances for this episode and are contenders for best guest drama actor/actress at the Emmy’s along with Anna Torv (Tess), Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett (Bill and Frank).
The cinematography is astonishing (best so far), the direction and the general atmosphere of the episode is amazing. The highlight of the episode though for me is the top notch writing and the acting from the characters. The episode plays very well with themes of what is right and wrong, what it means to fight for survival and for your life and why you should always have hope as Ellie said. Also this episode shows that death is very close to everyone in this apocalyptic world and that the clickers are not the only threat. People can also be very dangerous and also depending on who is their leader. And of course we have the chemistry and the relationship between Joel and Ellie growing even more and for the first time some smiles and humanity into Joel’s soul.
Episode five, While attempting to evade the rebels, Joel and Ellie cross paths with the most wanted man in Kansas City. Kathleen continues her hunt.
Episode six, After ignoring the advice of locals, Joel and Ellie descend deeper into dangerous territory in search for the Fireflies – and Tommy.
Some great character moments and an intense conclusion is the best way to sum up this episode! We explore Ellie and Joels character more as well as their relationship!
This episode shows us Joel from a much more vulnerable side as we see how his actions and what he has been through have shapped him! Pedro Pascal gave his best performance as Joel in this episode! I got emotional in some of the scenes!
This episode was also more slow at times cause it was more character focused, until the end where things suddenly picked up and you are reminded what kind of world it is! I am very excited for the next episode.
Did you know? Gustavo Santaolalla, the music composer for video games The Last of Us (2013) and The Last of Us: Part II (2020), was brought on to compose the series soundtrack.
It is the first HBO series to be based on a video game.
The first season covers the first game in the series.
The first season was mostly shot in chronological order.
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