HBO: The Last of Us

[BeefEaster]

This show has really run out of steam since episode 5. It's like they overestimated how much they could fit into 9 episodes so important story beats kept getting scaled back as the series went on when they realized they were running out of time and money.

 

[chrisstbh]

This show was never made for hardcore fans of the game that has been clear from episode one. All of my friends and relatives who wouldn’t know the game if it bit them on the ### are now watching it lol.

It's been clear since they announced it, it's to bring the story to more people; people that have never played or will never play the game - or those that will now go play the game.

It's a great show, I think being are being far too harsh on it. Sure it's not the game, but it's hardly bad.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The neutered violence has turned me off this show. This week's episode was a chore to get through.

I miss Hannibal. That show was able to take gore and violence and turn it into art. This show has Barrie Gower doing the makeup effects - he did Chernobyl and Vecna for Stranger Things - and his effects are few and far between.

I was really hoping for genuine horrifying violence, like Sam Esmail did so well in Mr Robot. But we have this instead, it's disappointing.

 

[jaztermareal]

I never get the argument that something "isn't made for established fanbase, it is made for general audience" therefore it has to be changed in dumb ways. No it doesn't. You could do a 1 to 1 adaptation and all those people who never play games would still watch it because its a new HBO prestige show and you know what, they would probably enjoy it more because there would be more focus on the main characters, more primary story scenes, mire intense action, etc etc etc.


Nothing will be exactly 1 to 1 but when you intentionally chop down and condense or outright drop important sequences that are key to building your leads in favour of inserting a romance story that doesn't actually add anything of note to the overall story during a very limited episode count series for example you are only hurting the show. Same goes for the infected and brutality mentioned before, you need at least a good portion of that to really show the world is a dangerous place, you know, to ramp up the stakes! You can get more drama and thrill if you genuinely believe tbe characters are in real danger and that can also help to make their bond stand out more in a brutal and dangerous world. Show don't tell how horrifying the setting is.

Let's just agree that show is not a disaster like Redident Evil but at the same time really not that great, a far cry from the game that really should have served as a "how to" guide for storytelling for this show.

 

[Gipetto0812]

Agreed, I've been constantly disappointed with the lack of infected and violence not only does it make the show less intense it really reduces the impact of the ending by making the world such a safe place, apparently these two last episodes will have zero infected in them which is just bizarre,

Agreed. With so little infected threats shown as well as other kind, it makes the world they're living in not nearly as bad and bleak as the game depiction. The show makes it seem like maybe you'll run into an infected here or there but for the most part you're alright. The show makes it more like, in the bigger picture, that the human race just sort of had to go back to basics.

this is clearly a deliberate choice by HBO to make this seem like prestige TV to the Emmy academy, the zombie genre was always frowned up by those snobs and HBO even had rules for the actors and writers to avoid the "zombie" word at all costs while promoting the show.

If I remember correctly, not even reviewers of the show are technically allowed to say "zombies" but are supposed to say "infected." Otherwise, HBO could potentially remove them from being allowed screeners of future shows.

 

[JAWS]

Never played the game

Fully enjoying the show

 

[ironwez20]

Yea if you played the game and know what to expect then this adaptation isn’t as good as the game. The game felt more fleshed out and more complex. The left behind story arc was done beautifully in the game. So there is only two episodes left huh? Well I guess that means we have just David and the hospital coming. I’m not sure how that’s going to work tho. I don’t really believe in the relationship between Joel and Ellie in the show yet.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The entire David section will be neatly wrapped up in 53 minutes.

 

[chrisstbh]

I never get the argument that something "isn't made for established fanbase, it is made for general audience" therefore it has to be changed in dumb ways.

Nobody said that. But the fact remains that this is not for people that have already played the game, it never was. I still think it's a great show, even if it's not the game 1:1, and a majority people that haven't played the game appear to be loving it.

People that have played the game are also unable to remove their bias from the equation.

 

[a-dev]

I still prefer traditional zombies (slow or fast) to these cabbageheads. There's my intelligent critique of the show.

 

[ArtDamage]

Video game shows not made for people who played the video game, comic book movies not made for people that read the comics. What a time to be alive

I enjoyed this episode well enough. Although, there's no getting around how much it feels like it once again stopped the momentum building in the story.

 

[Jmek]

I can understand the comments from those who are disappointed by the toning down in the violence in the show. The game was horrifically violent, they've also changed Joel's character quite a bit. He's a lot softer / still retains more of his humanity, in the show compared to the game.
The infected were a lot more prevalent too, however when they are in the show they are a real threat. No smashing them in the head cakewalk ala The Walking dead.
In saying that though I'm enjoying the show a helluva lot, it's a different take focussing on the characters rather than the horror. As games are a visual medium I actually prefer this approach to a verbatim retelling as I've seen it before, many times as I've replayed the game numerous times.
It would be different if it was a book adaptation though, as I would prefer that they stick to the source material, and it's always fun to see how close they get to your imagination.

 

[R_R_X]

I can understand the comments from those who are disappointed by the toning down in the violence in the show. The game was horrifically violent, they've also changed Joel's character quite a bit. He's a lot softer / still retains more of his humanity, in the show compared to the game.
The infected were a lot more prevalent too, however when they are in the show they are a real threat. No smashing them in the head cakewalk ala The Walking dead.
In saying that though I'm enjoying the show a helluva lot, it's a different take focussing on the characters rather than the horror. As games are a visual medium I actually prefer this approach to a verbatim retelling as I've seen it before, many times as I've replayed the game numerous times.
It would be different if it was a book adaptation though, as I would prefer that they stick to the source material, and it's always fun to see how close they get to your imagination.

What they're doing in the show is completely skipping over the character he was in the first game, it's no coincidence he is the exact same age he was in Part 2 and more emotional it just makes the transformation he goes through not as impactful, he goes from a hardened violent stone cold killer who hides away from those emotions and tears to basically a dad again who opens himself to others and the world and learns to love and be loved again thanks to Ellie.

The game never focused on the horror either, the focus was always on the characters of Joel and Ellie, well at least in the first game, the horror aspects were just there for the gameplay and lore but you're right there's been nothing in the show that filled me with dread like the basement with the generator, the closest thing they had to that was the clickers in episode 2.

I wouldn't mind changes either, in fact I wanted changes to be made and to see some moments and arcs expanded but what they've done is change what didn't need to be changed and remixed and added storylines and characters that ultimately don't matter and rushed the main arc of Joel and Ellie in order to do so, in the promotion for the show they talked a lot about the limitation of a video game saying you have to always stick with Joel and Ellie but for me that's what makes it stronger, this is their story, not Bill's, not Frank's, not Kathleen's or anybody else's, going through the world with them, seeing things play out through their eyes and being in their shoes going through those vital moments connected me more deeply with them and those around them which is something the show hasn't been able to do for me.

 

[Mr.NoCredit]

I loved the episode. I played the first game through like 5 or 6 times. It’s TV. It’s not the game. I think it’s well done and really enjoyable. Too much comparison to the game isn’t a fair way to judge the show. How totally cool that it’s been made into a visually entertaining series. I loved the mall. I thought we’d see more infected but thought it was well done with just the one.
There are things in the show that some of us like and little things that some of us don’t. It’s not perfect or in some ways it is. I choose to not let the little things distract me and enjoy the “overall” show as is. It’s exciting to watch and enjoyable on several levels. Sure, I didn’t care for a few things on the show but as a whole it’s absolutely a killer “drama” made from a wonderful video game. I love Pedro as Joel and think Bella was a perfect choice. I love how they dressed them in “their game gear” and the progression of the show. As an adaptation it’s wonderful! I could nitpick quite a few things but what’s the point!? I find it very entertaining and love the fact that HBO and Naughty Dog have put this together to entertain “All of Us”!

 

[Asta]

I liked the episode. Thought it hit the right notes - Bella getting across Ellie's determination not to lose Joel, which is given more depth by the Left Behind segment where she loses Riley.

As others have said, it's still missing something. It doesn't have the full range of the game, such as a single Infected instead of a number of them. On the one hand the TV series builds a bigger world, but on the other shrinks its impact by removing key scenes, increased threat levels, and reducing the interaction between Ellie and Joel.

 

[Wor-Gar]

As others have said, it's still missing something.

Yeah, I have to admit, I'm getting a little bored with the show now.

These "Lost" type episodes -- taking the long way around to develop a character -- would be great if the central show had such an adrenaline rush that you wanted the respite. Sadly, not sure who said it, but the infected seem like the least of the problems in the world. Right now, the worst horrors for people living in this time seem to be the cold and utter boredom.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Speaking of Lost, I had a craving to watch a good episode after LoU last night.

I picked the one where Sayid tortures Ben in season 2 with Clancy Brown guest starring. Great show in its prime.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Speaking of Lost, I had a craving to watch a good episode after LoU last night.

I picked the one where Sayid tortures Ben in season 2 with Clancy Brown guest starring. Great show in its prime.

Yeah. The one that always sticks with me is the Locke episode where you learn he's wheelchair-bound -- and it ends with understanding why wiggling his toe after the plane crash was so astonishing to him.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The first 3 seasons are great.

 

[Asta]

Season finale leaked screenshot...