The Last Of Us - HBO ***No Game Spoilers***

[Xenos]

 

[Xenos]

5 hours ago, Packerraymond said:

Easy to assume with the following the game has that "if we do this right, we'll have a hit on our hands." Oh well. Still enjoyable but not quite what it could've been.

Not easy to assume at all from WB’s and HBO’s perspective. Especially given all the financial cuts they’ve done.

Edited March 13, 2023 by Xenos

[Xenos]

Doing great number wise.

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-season-1-finale-ratings-viewers-1235551465/
 

Quote

WBD also shared that the first six episodes of the series are now averaging 30.4 million viewers, including ongoing viewership past initial airings, with Episode 1 alone approaching 40 million total viewers in the weeks since it debuted. In Europe and Latin America, “The Last of Us” has become the most watched show in HBO Max’s history.

 

[Shockwave]

5 hours ago, Xenos said:

Not easy to assume at all from WB’s and HBO’s perspective. Especially given all the financial cuts they’ve done.

How many game to big screen projects have absolutely bombed? Don't blame them for playing it safe. I suspect season 2 will be much more elaborate in spectacle and scope. 

[rob_shadows]

I never actually finished the game so I didn't know how things went down in the end and I'm surprised I've never heard anyone refer to him this way but am I the only one who realizes Joel is clearly the bad guy here?

[Ty21]

8 minutes ago, rob_shadows said:

I never actually finished the game so I didn't know how things went down in the end and I'm surprised I've never heard anyone refer to him this way but am I the only one who realizes Joel is clearly the bad guy here?

Pretty much what I said in my own post earlier, I think everyone knows he’s a monster but it’s like Heisenberg. He’s the anti-hero you shouldn’t root for but do anyway

[Ty21]

MASSIVE SPOILER FOR NEXT SEASON DONT CLICK IT 

Spoiler

Poop

Spoiler

I think they take the heavy beginning of game two and make it the finale of season two. With their intention to add more infected, idk how ready they’d be to make it a solo Ellie story because solo stories are harder to do. Even The Last Man on Earth couldn’t even hold out on the one character thing. But I suppose, then again, killing xxxx off I feel like it something you need to rectify and move on from swiftly rather than wait a whole year on before season 3

 

[Xenos]

56 minutes ago, rob_shadows said:

I never actually finished the game so I didn't know how things went down in the end and I'm surprised I've never heard anyone refer to him this way but am I the only one who realizes Joel is clearly the bad guy here?

I wasn’t expecting that. Things got a little more disturbing afterwards when he started talking about how Ellie would have been great friends with Sarah.

[titansNvolsR#1]

Least favorite episode of the season. This would have been a great time to bring in more infected since we didn't see them 90% of the season. Also really weird Rambo scene with Joel mowing down an entire building of people. Maybe it was a video game thing.

Regardless, super excited for season 2.

[Pats#1]

The show isn’t bad at all, it was enjoyable and my wife and I looked forward to each episode….but man did this feel like an inefficient spark notes version of the game.

 

To those complaining about the people complaining about the lack of clickers….stop it. The Last of Us isn’t a “zombie” game , it’s about the lengths humans will go for self preservation, both mentally and physically, but the “zombies” at least have to be involved a bit.
 

The game wasn’t overrun with clickers but it found a fantastic balance of having enough of them to show how they were the driving force behind all of these people resorting to such violent and barbaric tendencies.

 

Outside of episodes 1 & 2…the clickers and fungus just feel inconsequential in the story. I’m not saying they should be the main focus, because it wasn’t of the game, but the game at least showed us the WHY of it all….why all these people have lost their humanity….and that’s the fungus/clickers and the damage they’ve done and danger they pose.

 

Outside of the lack of clickers, the pacing was just bad for 75% of the show….I mentioned it before, but the show weirdly felt rushed and dragging on all at the same time. There were a bunch of crucial parts of the game that were cut but then the show has a bunch of filler scenes that just were unnecessary and did nothing to move the story forward. 
 

I know it sounds like I hated the show, but I really didn’t, it was fine, it’s just tough (and I know it’s unfair) when comparing it to such an amazing game. 
 

I wish I could say I’m looking forward to season 2 but I know what happens next and the terrible storyline that follows. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Pats#1

[August4th]

felt like they put 2 seasons(18-20 ep) worth of material into 9 episodes. the pacing started to remind me of GOT season 7

[Broncofan]

While I know some viewers hate that the VG gets referenced too much - for this ep, the context absolutely matters - because, as others mentioned - this was just a case of trying to pack too much in too little time.

If you've seen the finale, there's nothing really to spoil, but I'll tag it just in case

Spoiler

-Joel & Ellie's travels through Salt Lake City, while it captured the giraffe scene perfectly - didn't really address how reticient they were at the trip ending.   And it certainly didn't capture the angst that Marlene felt at the research findings, and the fact that sacrificing Ellie was the only solution.    Joel's march through the hospital, you came across 3 audio recordings Marlene was logging - and they were absolutely crucial to uncover this duality.

-On a similar front, Joel's struggle through the hospital, and the ways he had to overcome the Fireflies, made it far more like a struggle than the "Joel's gone full badass".    And again, the VG by now had already shown that Joel was willing to do anything for Ellie.   For Joel to go on a 5-min spree of violence, in comparison to the game, just plain missed the mark on setting the scene that a 3-hour final VG chapter accomplished. 

-Finally, the flashback / recap method for Ellie & Joel's convo was MILES better in the VG - even though the dialogue was the same, how it fit in that chapter was far more organic, than going that route for a 45 minute ep.

In short, up until now, you could FF through key fight events, and you'd still get the impact, because of the character development and relationships.   But to a lesser extent with David in 1.8, and now full-on with the Fireflies, skipping through those areas the VG covered, just didn't establish the context / gravitas for David, or the complexity of the decisions the Fireflies faced, and the struggle Joel had in getting to Ellie.  

And yes, Joel's the bad guy in this ep - that's the wonderful duality captured in the game.   It just felt a lot more rushed because we hadn't seen the buildup (other than the hints he gave, and then that wonderful chair scene in 1.8), before getting Deus Ex Machina Joel in that hospital sequence.     Ironically, I don't know that more zombies/clickers in the season would have added to the finale - but I do know that more time in SEA (just like more time with David in 1.8) would have landed a LOT more depth to the impact of the big events that went down.   The show deftly did enough for the first 7 eps to have it land with enough background, but 1.8 & 1.9 would have been so much more with about 60-75 more mins of air time (10-15 mins more in 1.8, and 45 more for 1.9).  In retrospect, having spent 2 eps on getting out of Boston (1.1 ending was supposed to happen by 1.2), instead of more on the back end, was the one choice I wish Mazin & Druckmann made (realizing they had only 10 eps to do the 1st VG).

Overall, I absolutely loved the adaptation - but if they had been able to do SEA in 2 eps, instead of 1, I think we'd have viewed this finale in a VERY different light.   But they didn't.    As it is, I'd agree Mazin & Druckmann missed the landing here.    Sadly, I'd agree this was my least favorite ep - mainly because it didn't earn the finale's big moments.    Ultimately, that's why those who didn't play the VG referenced the ep feeling off, and why the VG players are disappointed.     

Don't get me wrong, it's clearly the best series on TV right now (not including the fall TV schedule), and I think Pascal/Ramsey & Offerman (massive lock IMO) will be faves to win Emmy's next year...but yeah, disappointing ending.    I'm glad to hear S2 & S3 will encompass the 2nd game, the finale showed why.   Glad to see Ramsey's back for S2, I absolutely believe she's earned it, and looking forward to S2 knowing we'll get 18-20 eps for the next installment.

[BroncosFan2010]

I fell like they pretty clearly had to rush S1 to see if it 'hit'. I expect the next seasons to take a much slower pace now that its clear the viewers love it. 

[minutemancl]

I think shows that are shot for shot remakes of cinematic video games are/were a mistake.

Overall, this was a fine show. I'm not sure I'll ever think about it again, to be honest.

[Shockwave]

The making of special on HBO was interesting. I'm impressed by how much of this was done with practical effects. They even made a full on practical bloater suit but eventually decided to go with a CGI bloater.