TV: The Last of Us (HBO)

[JoVel]

Took about two lines from Pedro for me to go "yeah, that's Joel". A really good performance and all around a great opening to the show. Wasn't overly impressed by Bella yet but I'll give her time to grow on me as Ellie.

Ellie is rude and aggressive at the early parts of the game but I felt it was overdone in this episode. Like, the part where Joel goes on to take a nap and Ellie very angrily asks what she's supposed to do, that just felt weird.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Very good start to TLOU

Not really surprised since it is HBO, but everything was top notch.

Never played games but saw the React channel stuff on it during pandemic so I was not blind to storyline, etc

Didn't realize Nico Parker was going to be in it. She looks just like her mother.

 

[Kcb12345]

Took about two lines from Pedro for me to go "yeah, that's Joel". A really good performance and all around a great opening to the show. Wasn't overly impressed by Bella yet but I'll give her time to grow on me as Ellie.

Ellie is rude and aggressive at the early parts of the game but I felt it was overdone in this episode. Like, the part where Joel goes on to take a nap and Ellie very angrily asks what she's supposed to do, that just felt weird.

That line by Ellie is straight out of the game

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Also, pretty sure it would be question most people would ask if your forced to go with strangers ending up in apartment of strangers and one of them wants to go take a nap.

 

[JoVel]

That line by Ellie is straight out of the game

Yes I know, that wasn't my point. Just that I thought the aggressiveness was a little overdone on Ellie's lines.

 

[Natey]

Just finished the first episode. I really loved it.

A few minor issues, but overall - it was great.

My two pretty minor issues were;

1. That they built the Sarah stuff for so much longer than the game. I also thought it was a bit strange how this part was extended so much but they cut out so much from the next part of the game inside the quarantine zone. I didn't mind it being extended, but I also would have liked to get to know Tess a little more.

2. They cut out my favourite part of Tommy sacrificing himself for Sarah. It was a huge building block for his character and they took out, despite making her involvement so much more.

I can't believe there were so many complaints about Bella before the show came out. She's Ellie for sure. Joel and Tess seem like perfect casting decisions too. Tommy seemed fine, but taking out the huge part of his character above was a really bad decision.

 

[Osprey]

I thought that it was OK. It was solid enough in most production aspects, as you'd expect from HBO, Not much felt new or exceptional, though. It was reminiscent of many other post-apocalyptic/zombie movies and shows. I wasn't a fan of the shaky and sometimes videogamey camerawork. The storyline was a little confusing and the characters felt a bit underdeveloped, but it was just one episode. I'll certainly keep watching and see if it draws me in more as it moves along.

 

[BTP]

Fantastic first episode. The games are my 2 fav of all time, by far. I was very happy with the quality of this show. And from I read from reviews, the first episode is the weakest of the series - so it should only get better from here on out. And that makes sense too, because this part of the game was the weakest part of it as well

 

[Dubi Doo]

*SPOILER *

The death of his daughter was extremely realistic to me. He's putting pressure on the wound while apologizing that it hurts so much. The pain in his voice knowing his last ditch effort to put pressure on the wound and put his daughter in more pain really hit ne. That scene kicked me right in the balls.

I have about 30 mins left, but I can confidently say- that episode rocked. Damn. Im fully engaged!

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Sounds like initially it was supposed to be a 10 episode season and that first episode would have been cut up into two separate episodes with the cutoff for episode 1 being shortly after the flash forward to 20 years later. HBO thought the first episode needed to have Ellie in it convinced them to combine episode 1 and 2 essentially.

 

[Natey]

I watched it again today. For a second viewing, I only picked up one more gripe. Which is pretty good cause that's what I was watching for.

The gripe was the Sarah flashback at the end. It seemed WAY too early in the story for Joel to protect Ellie that heartfelt - especially with the flashback of Sarah. Just seemed like something that should happen later. Right now they barely have a relationship.

 

[Super Cake]

Pretty good episode.

Hopefully it keeps up. Not to worried about this season though. It is next season that i think could be a problem if it is true that this season follows the first game and the 2nd season follows the 2nd game. I stopped playing the 2nd game halfway through.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I watched it again today. For a second viewing, I only picked up one more gripe. Which is pretty good cause that's what I was watching for.

The gripe was the Sarah flashback at the end. It seemed WAY too early in the story for Joel to protect Ellie that heartfelt - especially with the flashback of Sarah. Just seemed like something that should happen later. Right now they barely have a relationship.

I took it more of like a violent outburst of PTSD from having the gun pointed at him like that then any heartfelt carrying for Ellie at that point. Just wasn't going to stand there again.

 

[HanSolo]

I watched it again today. For a second viewing, I only picked up one more gripe. Which is pretty good cause that's what I was watching for.

The gripe was the Sarah flashback at the end. It seemed WAY too early in the story for Joel to protect Ellie that heartfelt - especially with the flashback of Sarah. Just seemed like something that should happen later. Right now they barely have a relationship.

That's not how I read the scene. I don't think even with the scene that we've established that Joel has personally taken on a protective surrogate father role. I saw it more as pure PTSD from his own daughter's death that sprung a desperate reaction and an unloading of fury. I'm not finding the most artful way to describe what I mean but I don't think he did it because he particularly cares about Ellie yet. It was just a deep seated trauma that triggered a reaction.

I took it more of like a violent outburst of PTSD from having the gun pointed at him like that then any heartfelt carrying for Ellie at that point. Just wasn't going to stand there again.

Responded before I read your post. Agreed.

 

[Natey]

I took it more of like a violent outburst of PTSD from having the gun pointed at him like that then any heartfelt carrying for Ellie at that point. Just wasn't going to stand there again.

I mean I took it like that too. But I also could see many people comparing Ellie and his daughter which it shouldn't have yet (the person I was watching with said this - "awe get sees her as daughter.")

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Really liked it, only thing was that the post apocalyptic world didnt immerse me. The outbreak part was great, the QZ just felt like a cardboard background

 

[Natey]

That's not how I read the scene. I don't think even with the scene that we've established that Joel has personally taken on a protective surrogate father role. I saw it more as pure PTSD from his own daughter's death that sprung a desperate reaction and an unloading of fury. I'm not finding the most artful way to describe what I mean but I don't think he did it because he particularly cares about Ellie yet. It was just a deep seated trauma that triggered a reaction.


Responded before I read your post. Agreed.

I probably worded it wrong. But I think that's what they were going for. But because he was also protecting Ellie, the flashback kind of hinted at that even though I don't believe that was their intention. I only came to this because the person I was watching with said it and they never played the game.

Pretty good episode.

Hopefully it keeps up. Not to worried about this season though. It is next season that i think could be a problem if it is true that this season follows the first game and the 2nd season follows the 2nd game. I stopped playing the 2nd game halfway through.

Same. That's about where I stopped as well.

Which is sad because I love their games. The story for #2 just wasn't great to me.

On that note: hopefully you've played the Uncharted series? Awesome games.

And two lesser known games in the same style... A Plague Tale. These games overtook Last of Us for me.

 

[HanSolo]

I probably worded it wrong. But I think that's what they were going for. But because he was also protecting Ellie, the flashback kind of hinted at that even though I don't believe that was their intention. I only came to this because the person I was watching with said it and they never played the game.


Same. That's about where I stopped as well.

Which is sad because I love their games. The story for #2 just wasn't great to me.

On that note: hopefully you've played the Uncharted series? Awesome games.

And two lesser known games in the same style... A Plague Tale. These games overtook Last of Us for me.

I thought the full circle moment was a nice piece of character work so...I don't know, the way I perceived it works just fine on a personal level. But if others thought it was premature relationship growth..I guess a minor flaw.

 

[Super Cake]

I probably worded it wrong. But I think that's what they were going for. But because he was also protecting Ellie, the flashback kind of hinted at that even though I don't believe that was their intention. I only came to this because the person I was watching with said it and they never played the game.


Same. That's about where I stopped as well.

Which is sad because I love their games. The story for #2 just wasn't great to me.

On that note: hopefully you've played the Uncharted series? Awesome games.

And two lesser known games in the same style... A Plague Tale. These games overtook Last of Us for me.

Did play the uncharted games. They were great.

I honestly would be fine with the creators of this show just ignoring the Last of Us Part 2 and have season 2 and beyond be about something else if their is indeed a season 2.

 

[HanSolo]

Did play the uncharted games. They were great.

I honestly would be fine with the creators of this show just ignoring the Last of Us Part 2 and have season 2 and beyond be about something else if their is indeed a season 2.

Unlikely. The creator of the game is an executive producer.

 

[Tuggy]

I liked the second game. Not as much as the first, but I still liked it.

Two of my favorite games.

Spoiler

My worry is Bella Ramsey being the lead when they enter a certain part of the second game. Still lots of time for her to grow as Ellie, so we'll see.

 

[Super Cake]

Unlikely. The creator of the game is an executive producer.

Too bad. Maybe the show will do a better job than the game did.

 

[GKJ]

I think they should’ve pushed the timeline a bit more into the future. Or keep it what it was.

Also I walk back my comment thinking Pedro Pascal as Joel looking like Jeremy Renner, but I do think Anna Torv as Tess looks like a disheveled Carrie Coon from the Leftovers.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

I probably worded it wrong. But I think that's what they were going for. But because he was also protecting Ellie, the flashback kind of hinted at that even though I don't believe that was their intention. I only came to this because the person I was watching with said it and they never played the game.


Same. That's about where I stopped as well.

Which is sad because I love their games. The story for #2 just wasn't great to me.

On that note: hopefully you've played the Uncharted series? Awesome games.

And two lesser known games in the same style... A Plague Tale. These games overtook Last of Us for me.

Plague Tale: Innocence was a great game, extremely simple but still real good

 

[93LEAFS]

Fantastic first episode. The games are my 2 fav of all time, by far. I was very happy with the quality of this show. And from I read from reviews, the first episode is the weakest of the series - so it should only get better from here on out. And that makes sense too, because this part of the game was the weakest part of it as well

without getting into spoilers, while maybe the weakest, it is absolutely essential for character development that carries the story.