TV: The Last of Us (HBO)

[HanSolo]

Well. I typically have no issues with backstory episodes if they're done well so I thought it was great. Don't know where the "no chemistry" thing is coming from. Bella was terrific once again. Liked how the flashbacks tied into Ellie staying behind with Joel. I don't think they were necessary to make that believable but it just drives through what Ellie is going through and thinking about in that moment. She's not going to run off and lose another loved one.

Also appreciate the restraint to not show every detail between Riley and Ellie getting bit and Ellie ending up with the Fireflys. Marlene told us what happened after in the first episode. Something like the Walking Dead would have shown a zombified Riley getting shot right in front of Ellie before they drag her away to their hideout. I appreciate that the show has confidence that the audience can fill in those gaps for themselves.

 

[zombie kopitar]

Well. I typically have no issues with backstory episodes if they're done well so I thought it was great. Don't know where the "no chemistry" thing is coming from. Bella was terrific once again. Liked how the flashbacks tied into Ellie staying behind with Joel. I don't think they were necessary to make that believable but it just drives through what Ellie is going through and thinking about in that moment. She's not going to run off and lose another loved one.

Also appreciate the restraint to not show every detail between Riley and Ellie getting bit and Ellie ending up with the Fireflys. Marlene told us what happened after in the first episode. Something like the Walking Dead would have shown a zombified Riley getting shot right in front of Ellie before they drag her away to their hideout. I appreciate that the show has confidence that the audience can fill in those gaps for themselves.

I mean it very much seems the story is gonna carry over into the next ep? No one spoil what happens in game though please

 

[Canucks5551]

I wasn’t a big fan of that episode. It was fine in isolation, but it didn’t really add anything plot-wise and thematically that wasn’t already implied, unlike episode 3. Kind of felt like treading water for an episode. It makes sense to me that it was from a DLC, which is a much better format to tell that story. I think in the show, more brief flashbacks would have probably been more appropriate.

 

[tacogeoff]

I wasn’t a big fan of that episode. It was fine in isolation, but it didn’t really add anything plot-wise and thematically that wasn’t already implied, unlike episode 3. Kind of felt like treading water for an episode. It makes sense to me that it was from a DLC, which is a much better format to tell that story. I think in the show, more brief flashbacks would have probably been more appropriate.

Agreed. It was already explained that she lost her best friend in the mall and found out she was immune due to this situation. It was a nice story but didn’t really captivate me as we were already told the outcome.

 

[Tw1ster]

I never played the dlc so it was nice to watch an episode with out having gone through it previously in video game form. Well acted episode

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I thought it was good... Weaker then the other flashback episode with Frank/Bill for sure though. I actually kind of agree with the people saying the chemistry between Ellie and Reilly just felt a tiny bit off.

But still good and really helps drive home more about the last episode and how Ellie has absolutely experienced loss.

 

[zombie kopitar]

i get the complaint that for a relatively short season maybe both flashbacks weren't needed, and people are just waiting for to the story progress, a bunch are salty on reddit having it drawn out another week.

But, they were both great individual pieces of story telling, and even though ep 3 tugs more at your heart strings and is just overall a great piece of art; it is far more superfluous considering they lose all his supplies in the next f***ing episode.
This had far more weight in the scope of their narrative, unless something crazy comes back into play from Frank. I think both are just briliant in the context of a binge watch though, and will completely hold up

 

[HanSolo]

I don't even know why I bother looking at Twitter for others' impressions of new episodes. Wall to wall "BORING NOT ENOUGH ACTION" takes. Almost like the fact that this is a show set in a zombie apocalypse, persistent violence is apparently a necessary predicate. And the funniest thing is the people who are like "people loved the game because of the balance between story and action."

It's like yeah, no shit. It's a video game. If there wasn't all that action, it would just be a computer animated cutscene montage on a disc. Which would make everyone ask "why even bother? just make a show out of it." That's the show we're getting lol. It would be ridiculous if every episode was 5 minutes of plot needing 5 minutes of corresponding action set pieces.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

The subtle sexualization over the past few episodes of a 13/14 yr old is disturbing. Especially in this day and age of islands, jail time, suicides, etc.

There will be people who are OK with that. There will also be individuals in this world who will have a new screen saver.

Perhaps there are people in Hollywood hoping for a return of the good ol' Blue Lagoon days. Have to start pushing the line somewhere.

 

[zombie kopitar]

The subtle sexualization over the past few episodes of a 13/14 yr old is disturbing. Especially in this day and age of islands, jail time, suicides, etc.

There will be people who are OK with that. There will also be individuals in this world who will have a new screen saver.

Perhaps there are people in Hollywood hoping for a return of the good ol' Blue Lagoon days. Have to start pushing the line somewhere.

that's a stretch. it was a pretty straight forward coming of age story with nothing overtly sexual. the constant lgbt romances are becoming way too much of a trope in hollywood and everyone knows it; but this one worked in the context very well, and nothing about this or the last episode of Ellie needing to learn how to use feminine products seemed in poor taste or out of place to me.

what would even be this screen saver you're talking about lol, also she was 17/18 when this was filmed, pretty sure and just fwiw

 

[HanSolo]

The subtle sexualization over the past few episodes of a 13/14 yr old is disturbing. Especially in this day and age of islands, jail time, suicides, etc.

There will be people who are OK with that. There will also be individuals in this world who will have a new screen saver.

Perhaps there are people in Hollywood hoping for a return of the good ol' Blue Lagoon days. Have to start pushing the line somewhere.

Can you explain? Are you talking about the scene where they're looking at Victoria's Secret? Cause if so, wow. Ellie and Riley must be the first teenagers in the history of mankind to ever crack wise and contemplate lingerie...as for "past few episodes" I legit have no idea what you could possibly be referring to.

Edit: oh lol the feminine hygiene product? are you actually f***ing serious? Subtle sexualization
Wouldn't have even thought of it if not for the above post. Uh here's some information if you ever have a daughter: that item is something a girl Ellie's age should know how to use if there aren't let's say, better alternatives.

 

[Osprey]

I didn't enjoy that episode. It felt like another filler episode with a lot of pandering to viewer nostalgia for malls and arcades. I also found it too predictable. By halfway through, I knew how it was going to end.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

episode 7
pretty good episode overall. seemed pretty freaking accurate to the game. I mean they had little extra things u could do in the mall but why the hell would they have a water gun fight or throw bricks through car windows.
the photobooth part I kinda wish facebook came up so they could question wtf it was lol.
it was nice to see Ellie get to play the game this time, if they did what they did in the game it prob would have been pretty corny with that scene
and thinking back Joel's injury makes more sense this way although the game was so much more brutal

I didn't enjoy that episode. It felt like another filler episode with a lot of pandering to viewer nostalgia for malls and arcades. I also found it too predictable. By halfway through, I knew how it was going to end.

so did half the people watching lol

 

[GKJ]

I didn't enjoy that episode. It felt like another filler episode with a lot of pandering to viewer nostalgia for malls and arcades. I also found it too predictable. By halfway through, I knew how it was going to end.

Everybody knew, they already told us what happened.

But it was important that they show more depth to Ellie, who is more the main character of the show than Joel as things go forward. Up to this point she was some mouthy, miserable teenage girl where it could get easy to forget why we’re supposed to be rooting for her. Especially if they hold true to the events of the game going forward.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

that's a stretch. it was a pretty straight forward coming of age story with nothing overtly sexual. the constant lgbt romances are becoming way too much of a trope in hollywood and everyone knows it; but this one worked in the context very well, and nothing about this or the last episode of Ellie needing to learn how to use feminine products seemed in poor taste or out of place to me.

what would even be this screen saver you're talking about lol, also she was 17/18 when this was filmed, pretty sure and just fwiw

It's called grooming for a reason. It was not just this episode. The gun episode, magazine, etc. She is fourteen in the show.

As someone who has worked with sexualized children in an institutional setting, it was soon obvious that predators don't start in a blunt fashion. It's begins with innuendo, just like this show.

There are three kinds of people when discussing this subject. The people who like the sexualization of children, the people who denounce it, and the people who enable it by minimizing it, or acting like it isn't real.

There is a reason the Rich Island Bunch are able to do what they do for so long and why only one person is sitting in Jail right now. It's easier for most to stick their heads in the sand so they don't have to think on it. Can't really blame them for that.

 

[HanSolo]

It's called grooming for a reason. It was not just this episode. The gun episode, magazine, etc. She is fourteen in the show.

As someone who has worked with sexualized children in an institutional setting, it was soon obvious that predators don't start in a blunt fashion. It's begins with innuendo, just like this show.

There are three kinds of people when discussing this subject. The people who like the sexualization of children, the people who denounce it, and the people who enable it by minimizing it, or acting like it isn't real.

There is a reason the Rich Island Bunch are able to do what they do for so long and why only one person is sitting in Jail right now. It's easier for most to stick their heads in the sand so they don't have to think on it. Can't really blame them for that.

Oh well it's a good thing you defined that classification so you can make a bold claim and then claim no one can critique your position without enabling grooming and sexualization of minors. Guess we all gotta sit this one out. Also what gun episode? The episode where Ellie gets to use a gun for the first time? In a zombie apocalypse? If you're going to make big bold claims from a soapbox, at least try not to be so vague.

Edit: wait are you talking about this? Cause this is way less than subtle, man. It's just not sexualization. At least not from Joel. And teenagers make jokes like Ellie's all the time.



Like call me an enabler all you want. You're reaching. The only example I can grant you is her finding the magazine but they don't make that cheap sexualization. Joel immediately gets very uncomfortable and tells her to put it away, which Ellie does after messing with him a bit. Did have to be in the show? No. But it's not like it's some crazy unheard of thing for a teenager to stumble on old porn. If Joel gave her that magazine and started talking about what's going on between the pages, yeah that would be pretty inexcusable but nothing like that happened.

 

[norrisnick]

Oh well it's a good thing you defined that classification so you can make a bold claim and then claim no one can critique your position without enabling grooming and sexualization of minors. Guess we all gotta sit this one out. Also what gun episode? The episode where Ellie gets to use a gun for the first time? In a zombie apocalypse? If you're going to make big bold claims from a soapbox, at least try not to be so vague.

Showing a minor how to safely handle a "gun" is clearly a metaphor for handling a penis.

 

[HanSolo]

Showing a minor how to safely handle a "gun" is clearly a metaphor for handling a penis.

I hope that's just a joke. I'm assuming it is but I feel like this thread has swung into a fever dream considering we just got House of the Dragon where we got overt grooming of a minor with incestual overtones and there wasn't this much comparison to Epstein and his buddies.

 

[norrisnick]

I hope that's just a joke.

From me? Absolutely. I don't speak for that other dude.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

It's called grooming for a reason. It was not just this episode. The gun episode, magazine, etc. She is fourteen in the show.

As someone who has worked with sexualized children in an institutional setting, it was soon obvious that predators don't start in a blunt fashion. It's begins with innuendo, just like this show.

There are three kinds of people when discussing this subject. The people who like the sexualization of children, the people who denounce it, and the people who enable it by minimizing it, or acting like it isn't real.

There is a reason the Rich Island Bunch are able to do what they do for so long and why only one person is sitting in Jail right now. It's easier for most to stick their heads in the sand so they don't have to think on it. Can't really blame them for that.

What in the f*** are you talking about.

I mean specifically, what are you talking about? Use actual, specific examples in the show where they are sexualising Ellie.

 

[Jussi]

Damn... That Mall sequence was so B.Movie. Chemistry was off...

The running and stupid fight wasted 15 min...Im not sure about the flashback being so long...
Worse episode for me.

Yeah, not a fan either. Fell asleep a couple of times and had to rewind. Could've been 15 minutes shorter at least.

 

[zombie kopitar]

There are three kinds of people when discussing this subject. The people who like the sexualization of children, the people who denounce it, and the people who enable it by minimizing it, or acting like it isn't real.

There's clearly a fourth, those that are not minimizing it but think you are reaching for something that isn't even remotely there, and in fact just straight bizarre to even suggest it's so prevalent in this specific show

I can list a slew of shows where I'd agree with you (more or less), not Last of Us though lol

What is your screen saver shot you are talking about in ep7, it just doesn't even make sense

 

[LarKing]

I enjoyed the episode. It feels like every episode is almost a standalone yet they all tie together. Yeah, we all knew what would eventually happen but sometimes seeing why someone is the way they are has a lot more weight than just hearing why someone is they way they are.

I didn't enjoy that episode. It felt like another filler episode with a lot of pandering to viewer nostalgia for malls and arcades. I also found it too predictable. By halfway through, I knew how it was going to end.

I mean, the show has already told us how that was going to end so good job paying attention I guess?

 

[cneely]

It's called grooming for a reason. It was not just this episode. The gun episode, magazine, etc. She is fourteen in the show.

As someone who has worked with sexualized children in an institutional setting, it was soon obvious that predators don't start in a blunt fashion. It's begins with innuendo, just like this show.

There are three kinds of people when discussing this subject. The people who like the sexualization of children, the people who denounce it, and the people who enable it by minimizing it, or acting like it isn't real.

There is a reason the Rich Island Bunch are able to do what they do for so long and why only one person is sitting in Jail right now. It's easier for most to stick their heads in the sand so they don't have to think on it. Can't really blame them for that.

What the hell are you talking about?

 

[HanSolo]

I enjoyed the episode. It feels like every episode is almost a standalone yet they all tie together. Yeah, we all knew what would eventually happen but sometimes seeing why someone is the way they are has a lot more weight than just hearing why someone is they way they are.


I mean, the show has already told us how that was going to end so good job paying attention I guess?

I just can't stand "filler" talk. This show does not pretend to be anything more than a character study. It's barely a zombie show because the zombies are a more tangible manifestation of the real threat, a fungal virus that's put humanity on the brink. It's not as interesting if Ellie has a potentially world saving immunity to some illness you can't see. That's why they insist on calling them "infected" and not zombies. The infected pose a threat and a challenge to survival but this isn't supposed to be an action show. It's a story about two people who have suffered severe loss who have every reason to give up in this dark and miserable reality who learn to find the strength to keep going, hold onto hope, and embrace love while you have it. I don't think episode 7 is a standout necessarily, but it's very much in line with this central thematic/narrative purpose. Filler in a show like this would be random bullshit that has nothing to do with the central characters or building out the world they occupy. And it would be there just because they don't have any other worthwhile stories to tell between now and the finale. This episode served its purpose just fine, and all the people (not just Osprey) lazily calling it filler, really get on my nerves.

Not every element of a story worth telling needs to constantly move the story along to the climax.