Red Mosquito

Ensign9 wrote:Amazing episode of television. I was not thrilled with the prospect of a siege based on its absence from the game but they shot the hell out of that sequence. Bravo. WHERE THE EFF WERE THE DIREWOLVES DURING THE BATTLE OF WINTERFELL, D&D?!?

I’ll save most of my game-knowledge feedback (and criticism) for the spoiler tags.

Spoiler: show

As great as the episode was, the arc we’re about to go on for two seasons has been undercut by revealing so much about Abby and her motivations this early. You should HATE Abby and her crew right now and, while I expect the TV-only audience will be upset, I think they’ll partially understand why Abby did what she did here and not feel the same sense of loathing. It feels like Mazin and Druckmann—of all people!—are pulling their punches and I don’t understand why.

And, more literally, the killing blow Abby delivers in the game feels much more brutal.

Edit: I do wonder if the toxic fandom reaction to Abby and her actress before and during Part II’s release influenced their decision to garner a little more audience sympathy for her show version and Dever. I can’t necessarily fault them for that but it doesn’t serve the best interests of the story.

I’ll finish with this: if you had ever considered playing the games, Part II in particular, I highly recommend spending the next week doing so. They’re incredible and I fear the show is going to further diverge from their narrative in all the wrong ways, potentially robbing all of you of the story’s full impact. And I don’t suggest watching a compilation of all the cutscenes on YouTube; you need to spend in-game time with the characters to realize the full scope. This doesn’t mean the show can’t or won’t be great but, man, I’m scratching my head at the decisions here.

Spoiler: show

I feel like I remember knowing why Abby was killing Joel while she was. Is that not right? I saw no point in the opening sequence during episode one this season, though.

Spoiler: show

I rewatched the video game death scene last night to ensure I wasn't misremembering. Abby and her crew are much more gruff and militaristic, and the killing itself is more brutal.

I didn't watch the cutscenes prior to that sequence again but I don't think you're explicitly told what their motives are but I think it was relatively clear there was a Firefly connection. It's not until the zoo scene halfway through the game that you really understand who's who and why Abby became what she became.

Regardless of what facts were revealed, you do NOT make an emotional connection with Abby in the game at that point because you don’t get the type of emotional context TV Abby monologues with this episode.

daft twat wrote:The siege was intense. Great addition. It explains the Tommy/Dina swap. Really loved the whole episode. My hope is we don’t see Abby again until season 3. I don’t see any reason they can’t follow the storytelling perspective of the game.

Spoiler: show

Ensign9 wrote:

daft twat wrote:The siege was intense. Great addition. It explains the Tommy/Dina swap. Really loved the whole episode. My hope is we don’t see Abby again until season 3. I don’t see any reason they can’t follow the storytelling perspective of the game.

That's what they should do but I think they intend to keep Abby front and center throughout the season.

Higgs wrote:

Spoiler: show

Spoiler: show

I hate the early choices they're making that deviate from the game as most of it is sequencing and timing of events and reveals they're fucking up. My eyes practically rolled out of the back of my head at the THREE MONTHS LATER card and that town hall meeting was a pedantic mess. To paraphrase Joel: "just fucking get on with it."

This episode was mostly a slog for me because of it. This should be a lean, MEAN descent into hell over this season and they're playing it too soft. Maybe they don't think the game version is palatable enough for a wider audience which, to be fair, is a valid concern for HBO.

VinylGuy wrote:I havent played the game so its not the bible for me, and so fat S2 is engaging enough. Well see how they develop Ellie being a madman or what, but i liked the overall quietness of this episode after the mayhem of the previous one.

Ensign9 wrote:The storytelling choices they're making all make logical sense within the framing of the show and I'm sure it'll end up a fine season that many will enjoy. It’s shot beautifully and I'd probably be enjoying it quite a bit myself had I not played the game.

Spoiler: show

I hate the early choices they're making that deviate from the game as most of it is sequencing and timing of events and reveals they're fucking up. My eyes practically rolled out of the back of my head at the THREE MONTHS LATER card and that town hall meeting was a pedantic mess. To paraphrase Joel: "just fucking get on with it."

This episode was mostly a slog for me because of it. This should be a lean, MEAN descent into hell over this season and they're playing it too soft. Maybe they don't think the game version is palatable enough for a wider audience which, to be fair, is a valid concern for HBO.

I dunno; I'm probably being way too hard on the show. I'm just very protective of Part II.

Spoiler: show

I think by the end of this show I’ll feel a lot more empathy for Ellie than I did in the game. She wasn’t a Nathan Drake level of serial killer, but I was repulsed by her toward the end.

Spoiler: show

daft twat wrote:I think by the end of this show I’ll feel a lot more empathy for Ellie than I did in the game. She wasn’t a Nathan Drake level of serial killer, but I was repulsed by her toward the end.

That was the point!