TV: The Last of Us (HBO)

[Transplanted Caper]

Enjoyed tonight's episode. I don't know a single thing about the game, but it all ties together well and absolutely feels like it could be an original work.

 

[Kcb12345]

Spoiler: Game vs TV show

Love this

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Another top, top notch episode.

 

[TheAngryHank]

The gun in Joels face at the end looked empty.

 

[Bounces R Way]

As far as setup episodes go that was pretty good. I will say for a zombie apocalypse show there is a distinct lack of zombies in it.

It was cool seeing 8th ave in Calgary all done up, used to work at the Globe Cinema and lived a couple blocks from there. Think I recognized the freeway tunnel as being the new one near the airport as well.

Really liking Ramsey as Ellie so far but I don't have a reference point, will probably start the game as soon as my new XBox finally arrives. Generally think the show is well done but I dunno where these best TV show ever takes seem to be coming from. It's good story and execution so far, not really seeing anything that is truly exceptional or setting a new standard.

 

[HanSolo]

As far as setup episodes go that was pretty good. I will say for a zombie apocalypse show there is a distinct lack of zombies in it.

It was cool seeing 8th ave in Calgary all done up, used to work at the Globe Cinema and lived a couple blocks from there. Think I recognized the freeway tunnel as being the new one near the airport as well.

Really liking Ramsey as Ellie so far but I don't have a reference point, will probably start the game as soon as my new XBox finally arrives. Generally think the show is well done but I dunno where these best TV show ever takes seem to be coming from. It's good story and execution so far, not really seeing anything that is truly exceptional or setting a new standard.

There's a difference between being prestige television and being the greatest of all time. Anyone claiming the latter shouldn't be taken seriously. There's a strong argument for the former though. Though I would've said the same thing about Westworld if it never got around to making season 2 and beyond. Regardless, I'd say there's another argument for best live action video game adaptation ever.

Anyway another strong episode. Nice to get the Ellie-Joel development on track.

 

[Kcb12345]

As far as setup episodes go that was pretty good. I will say for a zombie apocalypse show there is a distinct lack of zombies in it.

It was cool seeing 8th ave in Calgary all done up, used to work at the Globe Cinema and lived a couple blocks from there. Think I recognized the freeway tunnel as being the new one near the airport as well.

Really liking Ramsey as Ellie so far but I don't have a reference point, will probably start the game as soon as my new XBox finally arrives. Generally think the show is well done but I dunno where these best TV show ever takes seem to be coming from. It's good story and execution so far, not really seeing anything that is truly exceptional or setting a new standard.

The game is on playstation only. Next month will be PC too

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I like the game's performances more, the line delivery feels rushed like u accidentally hit the trigger and its on 1.5x speed

 

[Arthur Morgan]

As far as setup episodes go that was pretty good. I will say for a zombie apocalypse show there is a distinct lack of zombies in it.

It was cool seeing 8th ave in Calgary all done up, used to work at the Globe Cinema and lived a couple blocks from there. Think I recognized the freeway tunnel as being the new one near the airport as well.

Really liking Ramsey as Ellie so far but I don't have a reference point, will probably start the game as soon as my new XBox finally arrives. Generally think the show is well done but I dunno where these best TV show ever takes seem to be coming from. It's good story and execution so far, not really seeing anything that is truly exceptional or setting a new standard.

they seem stronger/harder to kill in this so when we encounter them I assume it's suppose to make it more serious. and keep in mind. they arent zombies. they are just infected
shouldnt be able to play this on Xbox it's releasing to PC soon but shouldnt be on Xbox

 

[King Makar19]

Spoiler ffs

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The guy who plays Pierce(raider with the big bushy beard) was Tommy's VA from the games.

 

[John Price]

Spoiler: Game vs TV show

Love this

I've been watching comparisons after the episode between the game and the TV show. Having never played the game I like it. There's a few small details that were changed (notice how

Spoiler

the car crash and ambush is different, in the game someone physically removes Ellie from the truck

)

 

[Richard]

I didn't like this episode. Why would any logical person ignore whatever is under that building?

Behind the scenes commentary

- game they were in Pittsburgh but they ended up in KC in the show

Pittsburgh is so unique of a city (and IMO, one of the easiest major cities to defend in case of a zombie outbreak --- downtown is basically a castle (the courthouse IS a castle).

Not going there is a huge loss, again in my opinion.

 

[GKJ]

Should’ve shown Joel using the tolls on 76

 

[GKJ]

I didn't like this episode. Why would any logical person ignore whatever is under that building?


Pittsburgh is so unique of a city (and IMO, one of the easiest major cities to defend in case of a zombie outbreak --- downtown is basically a castle (the courthouse IS a castle).

Not going there is a huge loss, again in my opinion.

What were they going to do about it?

 

[Richard]

What were they going to do about it?

Ah stop sending their entire military force on a house to house search for someone who's only value is that they made the boss mad and try to defend their people from the actual threat?

Like talking dead level bad episode this week

 

[ThePhoenixx]

What were they going to do about it?

I didn't play the game, but even I can tell what's coming out of that heaving hole.

They have plenty of gas to drive around with, so I presume they have enough to pour down there and start cooking.

I realize the extent of the growth underground is probably quite extensive, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[John Price]

I didn't like this episode. Why would any logical person ignore whatever is under that building?


Pittsburgh is so unique of a city (and IMO, one of the easiest major cities to defend in case of a zombie outbreak --- downtown is basically a castle (the courthouse IS a castle).

Not going there is a huge loss, again in my opinion.

They were filming in Calgary and decided kc fit more

 

[GKJ]

I didn't play the game, but even I can tell what's coming out of that heaving hole.

They have plenty of gas to drive around with, so I presume they have enough to pour down there and start cooking.

I realize the extent of the growth underground is probably quite extensive, but you have to start somewhere.

The previews show it to be quite fiery already so maybe that doesn’t help.

 

[HanSolo]

Ah stop sending their entire military force on a house to house search for someone who's only value is that they made the boss mad and try to defend their people from the actual threat?

Like talking dead level bad episode this week

This new character, Kathleen that I hate recognizing from Two and a Half men of all things, is clearly acting irrationally based on personal vendetta. That's made pretty abundantly clear. People in positions of power often ignore the "smart thing to do" and put it off for later over their own personal needs in this normal day and age. Presumably this woman is the leader of the group that overtook an entire QZ and overthrew FEDRA in the process. For whatever wrong FEDRA is at least they are (seemingly) structured and diligent in prioritizing the spread of infection and danger to the QZ, at least from what we saw in the first two episodes. It's not unreasonable to think that Kathleen and her group have less structure and diligence than that. That isn't to say nobody gives a shit about the safety of the community. The military guy was clearly gravely concerned, but he deferred to his leader. Which isn't weird. He wouldn't be the first soldier in the history of humankind to put aside concerns in the interest of following orders.

Is whatever is down there probably going to bust out and f*** things up for this Kansas City group and put Ellie and Joel in danger? Yeah probably. But it's only conducive to making the episode shitty if you require that every character in a fictional medium always acts in the most rational manner and always puts rationality over personal weaknesses in character. If that's the case I'm not really sure what shows you enjoy, but I doubt they're very good. It's easy to sit on the couch and say a character was being too dumb to accept just as it's easy to sit on the couch and yell at a hockey player for not making a pass to someone wide open in the slot. People aren't perfect. Especially people who wield power.

 

[TheAngryHank]

This new character, Kathleen that I hate recognizing from Two and a Half men of all things, is clearly acting irrationally based on personal vendetta. That's made pretty abundantly clear. People in positions of power often ignore the "smart thing to do" and put it off for later over their own personal needs in this normal day and age. Presumably this woman is the leader of the group that overtook an entire QZ and overthrew FEDRA in the process. For whatever wrong FEDRA is at least they are (seemingly) structured and diligent in prioritizing the spread of infection and danger to the QZ, at least from what we saw in the first two episodes. It's not unreasonable to think that Kathleen and her group have less structure and diligence than that. That isn't to say nobody gives a shit about the safety of the community. The military guy was clearly gravely concerned, but he deferred to his leader. Which isn't weird. He wouldn't be the first soldier in the history of humankind to put aside concerns in the interest of following orders.

Is whatever is down there probably going to bust out and f*** things up for this Kansas City group and put Ellie and Joel in danger? Yeah probably. But it's only conducive to making the episode shitty if you require that every character in a fictional medium always acts in the most rational manner and always puts rationality over personal weaknesses in character. If that's the case I'm not really sure what shows you enjoy, but I doubt they're very good. It's easy to sit on the couch and say a character was being too dumb to accept just as it's easy to sit on the couch and yell at a hockey player for not making a pass to someone wide open in the slot. People aren't perfect. Especially people who wield power.

Plus those dudes are probably bored shitless, so a wild goose chase is probably fun.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Was an ok episode, I found it a weird point to end the show on

Ellie struggling with shooting the guy was good. An inspiring colony acting like raiders was not (feigning needing help to ambush people)

 

[Richard]

This new character, Kathleen that I hate recognizing from Two and a Half men of all things, is clearly acting irrationally based on personal vendetta. That's made pretty abundantly clear. People in positions of power often ignore the "smart thing to do" and put it off for later over their own personal needs in this normal day and age. Presumably this woman is the leader of the group that overtook an entire QZ and overthrew FEDRA in the process. For whatever wrong FEDRA is at least they are (seemingly) structured and diligent in prioritizing the spread of infection and danger to the QZ, at least from what we saw in the first two episodes. It's not unreasonable to think that Kathleen and her group have less structure and diligence than that. That isn't to say nobody gives a shit about the safety of the community. The military guy was clearly gravely concerned, but he deferred to his leader. Which isn't weird. He wouldn't be the first soldier in the history of humankind to put aside concerns in the interest of following orders.

Is whatever is down there probably going to bust out and f*** things up for this Kansas City group and put Ellie and Joel in danger? Yeah probably. But it's only conducive to making the episode shitty if you require that every character in a fictional medium always acts in the most rational manner and always puts rationality over personal weaknesses in character. If that's the case I'm not really sure what shows you enjoy, but I doubt they're very good. It's easy to sit on the couch and say a character was being too dumb to accept just as it's easy to sit on the couch and yell at a hockey player for not making a pass to someone wide open in the slot. People aren't perfect. Especially people who wield power.

Human nature is about preservation, agreed. Preservation of power is a huge motivator. You what is a more impactful tool for motivation --- staying the f*** alive.

Let's just ignore the quivering floor and continue to chase a dad and son (or a dad and quasi daughter). Makes a lot of sense to me!

Plus, her acting was horrible.

 

[HanSolo]

Human nature is about preservation, agreed. Preservation of power is a huge motivator. You what is a more impactful tool for motivation --- staying the f*** alive.

Let's just ignore the quivering floor and continue to chase a dad and son (or a dad and quasi daughter). Makes a lot of sense to me!

Plus, her acting was horrible.

Again, easy to say it's nonsensical from the couch when you don't have these kinds of circumstances facing you and having grief and loss overriding your logic and reasoning. I won't say too much more but while I haven't played through the game...(don't read if you haven't either)

Spoiler

But I did have the ending spoiled for me long before this show even went into development. And if you're reading I'm assuming you know what Joel does to the doctors at the end of the first game. He knows that Ellie dying could save the entire human race and his emotions override his logic and reasoning because he loves Ellie and doesn't want to lose her. I'm not going to get into moral debate over Joel's choices, but the point is, in extreme circumstances in this narrative universe, the people don't act the way you'd hope they would. Granted I didn't go through every story in Last of Us 1, but that's part of the message of the climax of the whole thing. If Kathleen cares more about revenge than the safety of her people, that makes her selfish, unhinged (pretty safe case for this given how quickly she tried to rile her people up blaming what Joel and Ellie did on others), and morally bankrupt. It doesn't make the story itself bad. The threads are there for at least some semblance of nuance in the form of her being driven by retribution over the preservation of her people. It's not the first time a character in fiction has been defined that way and she won't be the last. And as for the rest of her people, 3-4 of their own just got killed. It's not unreasonable to think they'd be all for payback.

As for the performance, it was below par compared to the rest of the cast but "horrible" is a bit of a stretch. She was fine.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Again, easy to say it's nonsensical from the couch when you don't have these kinds of circumstances facing you and having grief and loss overriding your logic and reasoning. I won't say too much more but while I haven't played through the game...(don't read if you haven't either)

Spoiler

But I did have the ending spoiled for me long before this show even went into development. And if you're reading I'm assuming you know what Joel does to the doctors at the end of the first game. He knows that Ellie dying could save the entire human race and his emotions override his logic and reasoning because he loves Ellie and doesn't want to lose her. I'm not going to get into moral debate over Joel's choices, but the point is, in extreme circumstances in this narrative universe, the people don't act the way you'd hope they would. Granted I didn't go through every story in Last of Us 1, but that's part of the message of the climax of the whole thing. If Kathleen cares more about revenge than the safety of her people, that makes her selfish, unhinged (pretty safe case for this given how quickly she tried to rile her people up blaming what Joel and Ellie did on others), and morally bankrupt. It doesn't make the story itself bad. The threads are there for at least some semblance of nuance in the form of her being driven by retribution over the preservation of her people. It's not the first time a character in fiction has been defined that way and she won't be the last. And as for the rest of her people, 3-4 of their own just got killed. It's not unreasonable to think they'd be all for payback.

As for the performance, it was below par compared to the rest of the cast but "horrible" is a bit of a stretch. She was fine.

They survived until now so obviously she (they) used their brains before this moment in time.

It is also hard to believe that people survived under her leadership if she was so flakey. Just because other poor writers used a bad character template to promote action/conflict, it doesn't give future writers immunity from criticism.