HBO: The Last of Us

[Ensign9]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

[Ensign9]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

Finished. I hate their handling of Abby so far. Also not a fan of this infected pipes bit and where it seems to be headed based on the season preview after the credits. Everything else was good.

JUST FOLLOW THE GAME, CRAIG

Spoiler: show

I also think they should have done “it” at the end of the first episode. Don’t drag this out.

[Bi_3]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

Yup. When I said "looking forward for her to prove to them she can do badass just fine" that was not what I meant.


Also, I have not played the game so no real spoilers please, but I assume that O'Hara's character was made up for TV right?

[Monkey_Driven]

My frustration with this show has less to do with the creative choices necessary to adapt it to TV and more to do with how blatant and obvious the dialogue can be. It's part of a larger problem with modern television, but lines like, "I'm going to kill him....slowly" are just plain lazy. It's TV built for people who are watching while scrolling through their Instagram stories.

Overall, I liked this episode. I'm going to give the placement of Abby's introduction a pass for now to see how the rest of the season plays out.

[tree_]

i'm finding it difficult to find any reason to watch this

[E.H. Ruddock]

It's TV built for people who are watching while scrolling through their Instagram stories.

This hits hard. I have such a problem with this with most shows these days. Even the ones I generally think are really good.

[Bi_3]

It's TV built for people who are watching while scrolling through their Instagram stories.

This hits hard. I have such a problem with this with most shows these days. Even the ones I generally think are really good.

Something something writing 101.

[Ensign9]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

Yup. When I said "looking forward for her to prove to them she can do badass just fine" that was not what I meant.

Also, I have not played the game so no real spoilers please, but I assume that O'Hara's character was made up for TV right?

I'm fuzzy but don't think she was. However, her husband is referenced through some of the environmental storytelling.

[Monkey_Driven]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

Yup. When I said "looking forward for her to prove to them she can do badass just fine" that was not what I meant.


Also, I have not played the game so no real spoilers please, but I assume that O'Hara's character was made up for TV right?

I'm fuzzy but don't think she was. Howevwr, her husband is referenced through some of the environmental storytelling.

Correct, her character was not in the game, but there are a few references to Eugene.

[Simple Torture]

I was nearly out on this season, but decided to throw it on this morning. It reminded me a lot of last season: love most of the actors, it’s shot beautifully, the world feels full and alive. I just don’t feel like the plot is very propulsive. There’s very little that makes me go, “Wow, I can’t wait to come back and watch again next week!” I think Mazin knocked it out of the park with Chernobyl, and he’s proved that he can carry over the fullness and realness of a world, but Chernobyl had the built in ticking clock and characters were out to solve something, to fix things, to fight against a bureaucracy—they had so many relatable goals and drives! In this show, it’s all about trauma and survival, and I just don’t find it as compelling. I’m basically holding on because I just like to know what’s going on with the conversation, and it’s pretty light and you don’t have to pay too much attention, so it’s easy to watch while I’m also taking care of the kids.

[Bi_3]

Just started the episode and paused it to come here and say that I can’t believe they opened with that scene. If they deviate too much from flow of the game, I’m gonna be pissed.

Yup. When I said "looking forward for her to prove to them she can do badass just fine" that was not what I meant.


Also, I have not played the game so no real spoilers please, but I assume that O'Hara's character was made up for TV right?

I'm fuzzy but don't think she was. Howevwr, her husband is referenced through some of the environmental storytelling.

Correct, her character was not in the game, but there are a few references to Eugene.

Huh. “Talking to a shrink to explain character motivations” is becoming a common crutch as well

[Ensign9]

Some other big pluses to acknowledge are Ramsey and Merced. My brain still can’t quite compute how different Bella looks compared to the game’s incarnation but she’s fantastic.

Merced is also great but I keep waiting for a xenomorph to suddenly pop up behind her.

[daft twat]

Bella’s miscasting as Abby is awful. Look, I’m a low 7 on my best day if everyone else is drunk, but she’s so gawky that my wife, who never says shit about the way people looks, said, “As if,” out loud during the dance scene with Dina, who is perfect, by the way. Ellie in the game is repulsive, but it’s not her looks.

Abby might actually be worse. I could not believe I was looking at Loretta from Justified (love that show so much!). She looks like she’s put on as much as 20 pounds since then. She needs another 40-50 of muscle. Abby is meant to be physically imposing.

Both of these young women can act, but this is not a book they’re putting on film. The core audience has spent 50 plus hours with these characters and their likenesses are imprinted in their minds. I’m still enjoying the show, and I appreciate the additions like Catherine O’Hara, but the show is not better than the game.

[Monkey_Driven]

Bella’s miscasting as Abby is awful. Look, I’m a low 7 on my best day if everyone else is drunk, but she’s so gawky that my wife, who never says shit about the way people looks, said, “As if,” out loud during the dance scene with Dina, who is perfect, by the way. Ellie in the game is repulsive, but it’s not her looks.

Abby might actually be worse. I could not believe I was looking at Loretta from Justified (love that show so much!). She looks like she’s put on as much as 20 pounds since then. She needs another 40-50 of muscle. Abby is meant to be physically imposing.

Both of these young women can act, but this is not a book they’re putting on film. The core audience has spent 50 plus hours with these characters and their likenesses are imprinted in their minds. I’m still enjoying the show, and I appreciate the additions like Catherine O’Hara, but the show is not better than the game.

Most definitely. It's still pretty good, sometimes even great!

[Mecca]

I never played the games so I am just enjoying everything

[Jorge]

It's kind of wild how many folks seem to want this adaptation to rigidly stick to the game in everything from structure and dialogue to actors' looks. Do you just want to watch the videogame cutscenes again? You can watch those online for free. Let this be its own thing

[BurtReynolds]

They previously said they weren't gonna stick with Last of Us 2 (because the story of Last of Us 2 is dogshit).

[tragabigzanda]

If S2 just skips Aquarium Boyfriend it'll already improve somewhat on the game.

[Ensign9]

It's kind of wild how many folks seem to want this adaptation to rigidly stick to the game in everything from structure and dialogue to actors' looks. Do you just want to watch the videogame cutscenes again? You can watch those online for free. Let this be its own thing

I agree wholeheartedly (most of my season 1 criticisms were directed toward the scenes that were carbon copies of the game).

BUT…I think the storytelling choices in the second game are so outstanding that my bar for tolerating any deviation in season 2 is low. They are clearly capable of successfully crafting unique elements (the flashbacks, the entire Bill and Frank episode, etc.) but they have to be better than the game to justify them.

Spoiler: show

Thus far, they have botched the most important character’s intro, in the opinion of a die hard fan of the games who knows what is to come.

[Ensign9]

They previously said they weren't gonna stick with Last of Us 2 (because the story of Last of Us 2 is dogshit).

Please go away.