HBO's The Last of Us

[Nick]

I’ll say in a vacuum, this was a very good and tense episode, it’s just hard to look past what things could’ve been when you skip a major part of it which is Ellie growing a trust for David

The way I envision a two episode track of this would leave Joel still hurt at the end of Episode 8, they wouldn’t have beaten you over the head that they were cannibals, and Ellie and David fighting clickers and a bloater to finish the episode. No hints at cannibalism at all in this episode

Enter episode 9, Joel is now healed, he goes to find Ellie (essentially same type of stuff happens in him going to find her), we’ve continued to watch people eat the food and only does the audience fully realize what they are when Ellie is in the cage and sees the ear.

There’s a lot of meat (no pun intended) in this segment of the game, probably the best part of it, and they just left it on the bone. I get a clicker battle probably would’ve been expensive, but that part of the game is why she starts to trust him. They played it very on the nose with David in the show whereas he hid his intentions in the game. This is the first episode where adding new things didn’t make it better imo.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I’ll say in a vacuum, this was a very good and tense episode, it’s just hard to look past what things could’ve been when you skip a major part of it which is Ellie growing a trust for David

The way I envision a two episode track of this would leave Joel still hurt at the end of Episode 8, they wouldn’t have beaten you over the head that they were cannibals, and Ellie fighting clickers and a blister to finish the episode. No hints at cannibalism at all in this episode

Enter episode 9, Joel is now fully healed, he goes to find Ellie (essentially same type of stuff happens in him going to find her), we’ve continued to watch people eat the food and only does the audience fully realize what they are when Ellie is in the cage and sees the ear.

There’s a lot of meet in this segment of the game, probably the best part of it, and they just left it on the bone. I get a clicker battle probably would’ve been expensive, but that part of the game is why she starts to trust him. They played it very on the nose with David in the show whereas he hid his intentions in the game. This is the first episode where adding new things didn’t make it better imo.

To me its the first time budget kinda hurt the show. I think up until this point its been fine but this is where the small scale/budget kinda doesn't highlight the best parts of this story.

Still good but man,m I guess Bills episode will be my favorite episode of the season

 

[Nick]

To me its the first time budget kinda hurt the show. I think up until this point its been fine but this is where the small scale/budget kinda doesn't highlight the best parts of this story.

Still good but man,m I guess Bills episode will be my favorite episode of the season

Yeah and I’m not comparing to the game because I’ve played it and I want the show to be exactly like it. I don’t need it to be exactly like it. I’ve loved the deviations that the show has done overall. This episode just felt rushed to me and I would’ve loved to have slowed it down.

 

[Jerroddragon]

Yeah and I’m not comparing to the game because I’ve played it and I want the show to be exactly like it. I don’t need it to be exactly like it. I’ve loved the deviations that the show has done overall. This episode just felt rushed to me and I would’ve loved to have slowed it down.

I think 2 40-45 mins episodes for this story would have also worked better

 

[TheGentTrent]

This week's episode broke the record set by the premiere. It'll definitely be interesting to see if the finale can top it when going up against the Oscars.

 

[Nick]

This week's episode broke the record set by the premiere. It'll definitely be interesting to see if the finale can top it when going up against the Oscars.

Episode 4 went up against The Grammy's which saw 13M viewers and TLOU still was able to get 7.5M eyeballs on it in the first 24 hours, which I believe was the record for the season up until Episode 8. Last year The Oscars saw 16.62M viewers, so not far off from Grammy's. The ratings for The Oscars have been rapidly declining every year, too. The only thing I can think that may save it this year is that there's a lot of high profile films nominated for big awards with EEAAO, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way Of Water, and Elvis all nominated for Best Picture, so the audience will have actually seen a lot of these movies.

 

[Skold]

Ugh. A dubious decision at best.

 

[SeventyOne]

Short episode, but really well done.

Spoiler

I'm sure the final hospital scene was straight out of the game, but it wasn't shot like a video game. Minimal blood and gore, nothing showy, just incredibly matter of fact.

9 episodes to set up a Philosophy 101 final exam question, but the depth of the characters makes that pay off. It takes it from a hypothetical level to something more.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

1: Arcane
2: The Last of Us
3: Castlevania
4: Sonic 2
5: Sonic 1

Really strong final outing for the show; even if it highlights one of my bigger problems with the show more in the infected.

 

[Jake S]

it’s not much of a philosophical debate. joel acts exactly in line with everything we’ve learned about him up to this point. the show isn’t so much considering the values of utilitarianism as it is examining how one man responds to tremendous grief and trauma.

Spoiler

tl;dr that man wasn’t going to feel the guilt of having two daughters die on his mind.

 

[Nick]

When I saw that this was a 43 minute episode I was really skeptical that they were going to be able to pull it off, but man, it all really came together. This episode was taut, but perfect in it's execution and didn't miss anything from the game that you would want to be in it + the opening scene with Anna was not only incredibly acted, but I thought it was really cool seeing the Ellie from the game and Marlene from the game in a scene between each other and honestly, those couple of scenes added a ton of extra context to the game that I can now have in mind while playing.

Spoiler

Although, with the fireflies knowing how Ellie became immune, you would think that they would try to populate society and somehow figure out a way to have infected bit you as you are giving birth? I have no idea if that would work or if Ellie was just lucky, but it's interesting to think about.

1: Arcane
2: The Last of Us
3: Castlevania
4: Sonic 2
5: Sonic 1

Really strong final outing for the show; even if it highlights one of my bigger problems with the show more in the infected.

Next up for Playstation Productions to compete to get on the list:

• Gran Turismo (August 11th, theatrical)
• Twisted Metal (Peacock, 2023)
• God Of War (Prime Video, TBA)
• Horizon (Netflix, TBA)
• Days Gone (Sony, Theatrical)
• Ghosts Of Tsushima (Sony, Theatrical) - Chad Stahelski directing
• Gravity Rush (Sony, Theatrical)

 

[Skipper Justin]

Bring on season 2! #teamabby

 

[Jerroddragon]

It was good episode

my GF was confused, like wait that’s it? That’s how or ends and told her it’s like the game

I wonder if others are underwhelmed by the ending as well that didn’t play the game

 

[Nick]

It was good episode

my GF was confused, like wait that’s it? That’s how or ends and told her it’s like the game

I wonder if others are underwhelmed by the ending as well that didn’t play the game

My mom said that’s it too. I told her in the game it was the epilogue so the game had pretty much finished already. This part was to set up a second game. Seeing it in live action it really leaves you wanting more, which isn’t a terrible thing as I think people will be hyped when S2 comes around.

This episode was almost shot for shot the final part of the game with the exception of the opening scene with Ashley Johnson.

I think overall this season was a fairly easy season to adapt. I think Season 2 will see more deviations in larger ways and more often. I loved that game, but I can see how it can be tweaked whereas the first game imo was just perfect.

 

[Jerroddragon]

My mom said that’s it too. I told her in the game it was the epilogue so the game had pretty much finished already. This part was to set up a second game. Seeing it in live action it really leaves you wanting more, which isn’t a terrible thing as I think people will be hyped when S2 comes around.

This episode was almost shot for shot the final part of the game with the exception of the opening scene with Ashley Johnson.

I think overall this season was a fairly easy season to adapt. I think Season 2 will see more deviations in larger ways and more often. I loved that game, but I can see how it can be tweaked whereas the first game imo was just perfect.

My GF was less interested because it was just kinda left open....kinda like house of dragons as well

I do miss when shows could both be left open but also kinda finish. Like GOT season one feels like its open but also the big events happen in Episode 9 so Episode ten of GOT season one was an epilogue to the season which I prefer as well

As someone who played the game its a great season but understand why on its own its kinda...lacking for many who didn't play the game and almost dont have the full picture like some do.

 

[Jake S]

As someone who played the game its a great season but understand why on its own its kinda...lacking for many who didn't play the game and almost dont have the full picture like some do.

I don't really get this, though. the season has a very clear narrative arc that begins with joel and ellie (and tess) starting the journey to bring her to the fireflies and ends with ... them getting to the fireflies. it's a big, apocalypse road trip. them leaving the hospital and returning to the settlement is the close of that narrative chapter.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I don't really get this, though. the season has a very clear narrative arc that begins with joel and ellie (and tess) starting the journey to bring her to the fireflies and ends with ... them getting to the fireflies. it's a big, apocalypse road trip. them leaving the hospital and returning to the settlement is the close of that narrative chapter.

People like closer.

Like where do Joel and Ellie fit with Tommy town? Find out in season 2 but lets be honest season 2 has more then enough to get people to come back, would have been cool to see more. I used my example of GOT as what I prefer as well. The Big event happening and an episode as an epilogue afterwards.

the show is great but felt more closure from Arcane while still being open for a season 2. I liked the last episode but its not the highlight of the series for me.

 

[Nick]

Perhaps they could’ve changed the way the final scene was done, done it just outside the gate to Tommy’s commune, and then ended with them walking in. Cut to black.

They went the route of a virtual shot for shot live action version of the game. I think it works and let’s not act like this season doesn’t work for non-gamers. It’s the most popular show on TV and people like my mom and brother who knew nothing coming in can’t wait until next season already.

 

[Nick]

The Last of Us Season 2 info. Spoiler blurred to block out any TLOU Part 2 spoilers.
- Will be different than the games
- Bella Ramsey will return as Ellie
- Will have much more infected
- Will cover The Last of Us Part 2 story
- Won’t cover the whole second game
- Filming could start later this year
- New kinds of infected are coming
- Will expand upon Tendrils system with infected
- Could see the inclusion of Spores
- Abby and Ellie changing perspectives
- Side character stories just like Bill and Frank
- Release date will likely be around 2024-2025
- Time skip
- Joel and Ellie’s relationship post s1 ending will be heavily explored

It sounds like, to me at least, they will be picking up more directly after Part 1 than Part 2 does in order to let Bella age, do side stories again, and end season 2 off really without delving too much into what's in the game version of Part 2 at all, but probably building on what's already there i.e. WLF, a younger Abby, Tommy & Maria, Dina, etc, and it will also allow them to put off Joel's fate until either end of S2 or beginning of S3.. This will allow us to spend a ton of time with and really get to know our main cast of characters for Seasons 2 & 3. I could see them going beyond 3 seasons even if TLOU 3 never happens, although considering the time it takes for them to shoot a season, they could easily have TLOU 3 out by 2027 which would be roughly when Season 3 would be out and it would also provide a template for the future of the show, although Mazin & Druckmann can do it without another game being out.

Source:
The Last of Us finale writers on that cliffhanger ending and Joel's John Wick moment

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'm happy I was right about season 2. I was hoping to see the inbetween and it looks like we will get that, which is a win. Because I need time before we get to the darker tones of the second game