HBO: The Last of Us

[Rayman]

SoA was FX.

True, I’m a spaniard so sometimes I get confused with all the networks, specially since here they come through other platforms. Well, lets substitute it with Boardwalk Empire as another example of HBO messing up production.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I love Boardwalk what went wrong there?

 

[Rayman]

I love Boardwalk what went wrong there?

I loved it too, it’s still one of the most underrated series of all time imo, but the last season was rushed as hell. Some say the just wanted to end it since he had more projects. Just remember that 1924 to 1931 jump, missing the crack, and Arnold Rothstein just disappearing… what a sin that was. If that happened today with a hit series such as GoT or TLoU, the showrunner would have to look for asylum in another country.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Boardwalk peaked with season 3. Bobby Cannavale was so great as Gyp Rosetti, they then replaced him with weak ass Jeffrey Wright and even Stephen Graham as Capone couldn't live up to his performance.

 

[darth dennis]

True, I’m a spaniard so sometimes I get confused with all the networks, specially since here they come through other platforms. Well, lets substitute it with Boardwalk Empire as another example of HBO messing up production.

Ugh, don't get me started on Boardwalk Empire. Killing off a favorite character prematurely took a lot of wind out of that show's sails...

 

[Johnny Utah]

I met Jack Huston in London. Couldn’t meet a nicer bloke.

 

[Space Jockey]

Great final episode, but too dang short....and again no clickers. I can't believe we've only seen clickers twice in the entire season. 43 minutes for the finale? Crazy!

They definitely had season 2 in mind when filming this.... can't think of any other reason why there was little infected action. Maybe they were saving it, who knows!

I feel like I've gone to a posh restaurant. Spectacular food, cost a fortune, but the food was the size of a dime in the middle of the plate and I leave feeling conflicted, somewhat ripped off, and still hungry.

 

[DarkChocobi]

I started to firmly believe that the main reason they did this realistic adaptation series of the games (Part I + II) was to mainly push the sales of the...games by expanding the franchise to non-gamer segmentation. Whole series was kinda hollow and kinda superficial....

Basically, wanted to understand more ? Buy and play the actual games, lol.

 

[Buttmunch]

As someone from Salt Lake, it drove me crazy that apparently they came into the valley from the West based on the scenery with the giraffes. Very illogical coming from Colorado that is East of us

They also got lazy using footage that has the temple with scaffolding all over it like it has had for the last three years for the renovations but didn’t have in 2003. Arguably the most famous building in Salt Lake and they didn’t even attempt to spotlight. Nearly missed it altogether myself.

I felt the finale was lackluster. They severely downplayed the infected the entire season. I’m surprised now clickers even made it in. Would have loved a ‘boss’ fight with one of the big boys at least.

Really curious how they handle next season. Do they end after that? Do they stretch the game into 2 seasons? Do they go beyond the games like GoT with the books? Or do they just stop after 2 seasons?

 

[Space Jockey]

If they try to do the whole of LofU 2 in one season it'll be absolutely lousy. My better half summed up this season quite well...she said we watched all the cutscenes with none of the gameplay.

 

[RandomHero]

Really curious how they handle next season. Do they end after that? Do they stretch the game into 2 seasons? Do they go beyond the games like GoT with the books? Or do they just stop after 2 seasons?

I think they had said at one point that they envisioned TLOU2 being two seasons, and that they didn't want to drag the show out.

Personally, I think season 2 would be best based on the flashbacks from Part 2 and enhancing the story a bit there, and then it can end with Abby on the driving range. Let the second game be seasons 3 and 4 and call it there. By the time they actually make TLOU3 Bella will be too old to play Ellie anymore unless there's a huge time jump in the game, but by then it'd likely be hard to get her to sign on again. We probably won't see a Part 3 until like 2028 at the earliest.

 

[RandomHero]

While I did enjoy the last episode - it mirrored the game almost exactly, which I thought was well done - I did have a few issues with it.

For one - Joel's rampage was just too short for me, and he was too calm during it. Maybe it was simply that he didn't die and respawn 20 times that changed the experience for me, but, I felt that Joel's killing spree was over too fast. I'm not saying he needed to murder 50 people John Wick style, but I would have liked to have felt the desperation of him trying to get to Ellie before it was too late. Make it more of a western shootout where he's pinned down and taking cover and gaining some ground slowly before finally getting to her.

He also was a little too calm - that's where he felt too much like John Wick. He was so focused and zoned in - I wanted to see more anger from him. More passion for Ellie and needing to save her. I think it would have added to the desperation of the moment.

The ending mirrored the game exactly the way it cut to black. It just didn't hit as hard in the show because we didn't see nearly enough infected to understand why Ellie was so damn important as a cure. In the game, we've been fighting infected for so long that you stop and think "damn, the world is in a pretty terrible spot" because Joel's choice. But in the show, it always felt like the raiders and other groups were the bigger danger, which was a little too much of a post-prison Walking Dead vibe for me.

The giraffe scene was beautifully done. You really see Joel look at Ellie as his daughter. I thought that was great. Merle Dandridge really was exceptional as Marlene. And huge shoutout to Ashley Johnson as Ellie's mother - I really enjoyed the backstory on why Ellie was immune and thought it actually did make sense. Very good world building.

Overall I enjoyed the show, it's by far the best video game adaptation made for live action. I think a lot could have been done better throughout but to bring the story to a mass audience is always a challenge and maybe it works better when you're not invested in the story from the game like we were.

 

[Wor-Gar]

So he gave up on humanity just to have time with a new pretend daughter?

Humanity IS sad.

 

[Asta]

I thought this was a fitting end. True to the spirit, and pretty much the letter, of the game.

Ellie expressed her determination to finish what she started. Joel came to the point where he couldn't bear to lose her, leading to violence in the name of love.

Ellie's doubt:

Joel's lie:

Ellie's uneasy acceptance:

Therein setting up the conflicts in TLOU2: violence in the name of hate.


It's all there.


If only there'd been more time spent between them in the series on the journey to that moment, rather than veering off into the lives of other characters.

 

[chrisstbh]

I really don’t like casting the game actors then just having them sound like the game counterparts. Takes me out of it.

 

[Mandible]

So he gave up on humanity just to have time with a new pretend daughter?

Humanity IS sad.

The problem is:

The series was so poorly executed and (as I've complained the whole way along) missed all of the character building and nuances of the games phenomenal writing and execution.

So what you're saying, sir, is absolutely correct... in context to this lackluster **** show.

However, in the game, in makes perfect sense and makes the ending so heartbreaking, for so many different reasons (including what you mentioned). Unfortunately it has all been squandered here; because of what? I don't know? Egos? Agendas? Lack of budget? I just don't get it.

Monstrously missed opportunity.

At least for those that weren't blinded by the "goggles" is was evident from early on how unsatisfying this ending was going to be.

Next...

 

[Space Jockey]

The problem is:

The series was so poorly executed and (as I've complained the whole way along) missed all of the character building and nuances of the games phenomenal writing and execution.

So what you're saying, sir, is absolutely correct... in context to this lackluster **** show.

However, in the game, in makes perfect sense and makes the ending so heartbreaking, for so many different reasons (including what you mentioned). Unfortunately it has all been squandered here; because of what? I don't know? Egos? Agendas? Lack of budget? I just don't get it.

Monstrously missed opportunity.

At least for those that weren't blinded by the "goggles" is was evident from early on how unsatisfying this ending was going to be.

Next...

I think it's discourteous to say that, because you didn't enjoy it, those that did are branded as having 'goggles'. Sure it has its pitfalls, but it certainly wasn't a ****show.

 

[chrisstbh]

I think it's discourteous to say that, because you didn't enjoy it, those that did are branded as having 'goggles'. Sure it has its pitfalls, but it certainly wasn't a ****show.

Yeah some of these criticisms are far too harsh imo. Was the show as good as the game? Not really, but it was still a pretty good show overall. I think in some aspects it was better than the game.

The game is still there, you can still play it, this hasn't tainted the brand in any way and at the end of the day this show succeeded; it brought in plenty of new fans of The Last of Us IP and majority of non game playing viewers seem to be loving it. And that's who the show is for, a new audience.

Just because it wasn't as good as the game doesn't mean it's bad. Some people are still stuck in this mentality of "if it's not the best thing ever then its ****".

 

[Mandible]

I think it's discourteous to say that, because you didn't enjoy it, those that did are branded as having 'goggles'. Sure it has its pitfalls, but it certainly wasn't a ****show.

Have to agree to disagree.

The "goggles" are people's level of "letting things slide" in my eyes. I barely let anything slide these days which is my own issue, and thus, I don't enjoy much anymore because so many things are just dialed in and decisions made for wrong reasons (to many fingers in the pie these days - again, you can count the amount of film auteurs left in the business on one hand).

I grew up in a time where the script was everything - yet barely anyone at the decision end of the business (except for the "dumb" creatives) care about scripts anymore. A lot of producers don't even read the script. It's all a clinical equation, and if the numbers "work" the project gets greenlit - even if the script is complete ass.

I guess I'm jealous of the "goggles." I wish I could look past things and let things slide, but I can't...

And so, to me, it was a **** show because it failed to evoke even 1/100th of the emotions the game did. Even at a basic storytelling level it was all over the place and full of - as you said - pitfalls.

But if people enjoyed it, that's great... I just can't see anyone giving a **** about this in 10 years time like they still do the game.

 

[Space Jockey]

Have to agree to disagree.

The "goggles" are people's level of "letting things slide" in my eyes. I barely let anything slide these days which is my own issue, and thus, I don't enjoy much anymore because so many things are just dialed in and decisions made for wrong reasons (to many fingers in the pie these days - again, you can count the amount of film auteurs left in the business on one hand).

I grew up in a time where the script was everything - yet barely anyone at the decision end of the business (except for the "dumb" creatives) care about scripts anymore. A lot of producers don't even read the script. It's all a clinical equation, and if the numbers "work" the project gets greenlit - even if the script is complete ass.

I guess I'm jealous of the "goggles." I wish I could look past things and let things slide, but I can't...

And so, to me, it was a **** show because it failed to evoke even 1/100th of the emotions the game did. Even at a basic storytelling level it was all over the place and full of - as you said - pitfalls.

But if people enjoyed it, that's great... I just can't see anyone giving a **** about this in 10 years time like they still do the game.

I see where you're coming from.
I don't know how they are going to even begin to tackle the second game - whether one likes the game or hates it, there's no denying that the emotional impact of that one hits the gamer with a wallop, not just with the one major scene many talk about but the story as a whole, start to finish. One sees the raw emotions on the faces on all characters as they do what they do, and it set a very high bar indeed.