TV: The Last of Us (HBO)

[Mr Fahrenheit]

f*** yeah amazing episode

Man I hate that there's only 1 episode left this season though. Sad stuff. Loved seeing Troy Baker in this episode too. His Joel voice was all I could hear when he talked

The woman who plays Ellie will be in the finale

 

[Serpico]

Tied for best episode with #3. Got to see a flash of Part II Ellie when she screams at David in the cell after breaking his finger.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Because that's not need to do

well if you want a little suspense it would be needed. they are in a world full of infected. wish we got to see them more often than we have, because you know they are a major part of the world.

This has to be the best episode for me so far. Ramsey peaked here and the interrogation scene was so good.



I don't know what that would've really added here.

little suspense/tension here or there, never hurt anymore. was a great episode though

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Because those are sections that are fun and interesting to play in a game but are in the long run superfluous to the story. They’re cool to play. But incredibly expensive to film and logistically challenging without the payoff of advancing story at all.

Basically what I’m saying is HBO isn’t going to spend a lot of time and money to do it just to make gamers happy because gamers will never be happy. You give them big infected set pieces and they’ll start complaining there’s no episodes that’s all Joel opening drawers to find crafting supplies. It would never end. If an infected scene is integral to the story it’ll be there I’m sure. Until then, play the video game again.

to be fair, its a world full of them and we have only seen them like 3 or 4 episodes out of 8 so far and I cant imagine there will be any if the next episode.

they just dont seem like much of an issue. I mean when they are on screen they are incredibly powerful so seems they are going in that direction but be nice if they even had to sneak past out every once in a while. can u imagine The Walking Dead without any zombies? I just figured we would see them little more often, since they are always an issue in the game. always have to sneak past them or kill them.

I dunno if its just me but The Last Of Us without infected doesnt really feel like The Last Of Us. We're going to get the story either way be nice to see them have to deal with things they would actually have to deal with in that world.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

To be fair the last chapter of the game is mostly combat which we've seen hasn't understandably been a big focus on this show time wise.

they have kinda skipped almost all the violence in this game and only focused on the story. I dunno why they decided to rush through the 1st game so quickly. they could have turned it into a solid couple seasons giving us more in depth look at things kinda like how they did the Bill episode and gave us so much of a backstory.

The shows doing a good job in getting the story done but the world is kinda lacking imo, the sets look great but its just hard to believe these infected would destroy the world to this extent. with how little we have seen of them it's hard to believe the military hasn't wiped out all the infection by now

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

they have kinda skipped almost all the violence in this game and only focused on the story. I dunno why they decided to rush through the 1st game so quickly. they could have turned it into a solid couple seasons giving us more in depth look at things kinda like how they did the Bill episode and gave us so much of a backstory.

The shows doing a good job in getting the story done but the world is kinda lacking imo, the sets look great but its just hard to believe these infected would destroy the world to this extent. with how little we have seen of them it's hard to believe the military hasn't wiped out all the infection by now

I don't think there's much more that could have been told. Pacing hasn't really been a big issue this season, as the game is quite short.

I think last nights episode could have been extended to a second episode, but really that's the only piece of the narrative that could have been dug into more, and it comes down to more of the elements the show introduced. I would have been very open to slowing down the David section, especially with the revelation that very few members of the group knew about their cannibalism.

Boston did its part, Bill did its part, KC/Pitts did its part, Jackson did its part, and the University did its part. I do agree that the infected should be having a much larger presence in the show, but it's not a deal breaker for me.

I think it's being set up that we're going to have one final, massive, infection showdown in the finale. It wouldn't make a ton of sense to keep them away from the audience for so long without a plan to have them be a significant precense in the climax.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't know what that would've really added here.

In the game, fighting off infected is how David gain's Ellies trust. While the conversation scene around the campfire was excellent, it could have come after Ellie became more comfortable around David (and would have felt much more believable for the timespan required for "buddy boy" to hike back to the town and then return). It also helps build the context that the infected are still a real threat, and why these people around David are bending to his will as he is providing protection (while simultaneously explaining why it's so dangerous and difficult to find food). It's not like they're in the complete wilderness at this point, so having some bands of infected in these suburbs and resorts would make sense.

While this show certainly doesn't need to be a zombie hacking marathon, we've only seen one infected in the past three episodes combined. I think it's a fair criticism to point out that they might be underutilizing that aspect of this universe in the TV adaptation.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

In the game, fighting off infected is how David gain's Ellies trust. While the conversation scene around the campfire was excellent, it could have come after Ellie became more comfortable around David (and would have felt much more believable for the timespan required for "buddy boy" to hike back to the town and then return). It also helps build the context that the infected are still a real threat, and why these people around David are bending to his will as he is providing protection (while simultaneously explaining why it's so dangerous and difficult to find food). It's not like they're in the complete wilderness at this point, so having some bands of infected in these suburbs and resorts would make sense.

While this show certainly doesn't need to be a zombie hacking marathon, we've only seen one infected in the past three episodes combined. I think it's a fair criticism to point out that they might be underutilizing that aspect of this universe in the TV adaptation.

I agree with that, but then I also listened to Mazin on the podcast and he essentially said that if they went that route they'd have to acknowledge the threat of infected in the wilderness around the town, and would have needed to come back to it at a later point in the episode, which they didn't want to do.

 

[kook10]

I agree with that, but then I also listened to Mazin on the podcast and he essentially said that if they went that route they'd have to acknowledge the threat of infected in the wilderness around the town, and would have needed to come back to it at a later point in the episode, which they didn't want to do.

I dont think ilI would have picked it up in the audio alone, but I noticed that captions indicated clicking sounds in the woods while she was hunting. It certainly could have been more overt.

 

[Hivemind]

I agree with that, but then I also listened to Mazin on the podcast and he essentially said that if they went that route they'd have to acknowledge the threat of infected in the wilderness around the town, and would have needed to come back to it at a later point in the episode, which they didn't want to do.

I don't see why they would have to revisit it later in the episode. Seems like a construct they're placing on themselves.

I dont think ilI would have picked it up in the audio alone, but I noticed that captions indicated clicking sounds in the woods while she was hunting. It certainly could have been more overt.

Those clicks were referring to the footsteps of the deer.

 

[GKJ]

Isn’t one of the points that the world warmed to a point where the cordyceps would survive in warmer temperatures? Wouldn’t it be plausible that they simply cannot survive when it’s freezing out during blizzards?

 

[kook10]

Those clicks were referring to the footsteps of the deer.

Possibly I misunderstood. I found it mildly confusing because "clicking" is a more specific term within the show, and would make sense to hint at surrounding danger.

 

[Walkingthroughforest]

I don't see why they would have to revisit it later in the episode. Seems like a construct they're placing on themselves.


Those clicks were referring to the footsteps of the deer.

Chekhov’s clicker. You set it up, it has to pay off.

 

[Osprey]

I liked it enough. My main issue is that sinister minister trope is too familiar and predictable. At least he was a much better villain than Kathleen, the sinister soccer mom. Also, Joel calling Ellie "baby girl" at the end didn't feel believable, since he hadn't been conscious for all that long since declaring that she wasn't his daughter and walking out on her.

I don't necessarily mind the lack of infected, but I agree that they're so few and far between that they don't feel like much of a threat. The show is apparently about how other humans are the real threat, and that's fine, but the stakes of the season and Ellie's importance seem diminished if humans need saving from themselves more than from the plague.

 

[TheAngryHank]

The mushroom fungus is probably dormant so the infected are probably frozen or hibernating .

 

[Stylizer1]

Never played the game, like the show.

 

[Super Cake]

Fwiw, Bella said that the final episode will massively divide fans.

 

[T REX]

Damn. That was a very well paced episode. Really loved the head preacher guy's performance, knew he was hinky from the get go but it really ramped up nicely.

Joel when he gets his game face on is a scary dude. "It's alright, I believe him".. chilling.

I have to say too, Bella Ramsey is really stealing the show. Maybe one of the best teenager performances ever.

Epic performance. Offerman, Pablo and Bella are all getting Emmys. I am glad I never played so I dont have to worry about canon and other minor bs.

Great show

 

[Hivemind]

Chekhov’s clicker. You set it up, it has to pay off.

This isn't a Checkhov's gun. It's not a gun sitting on the set somewhere, it would be a infected they actually face and fend off as part of David gaining Ellie's trust (just like in the game). It's already been paid off.

 

[HanSolo]

The mushroom fungus is probably dormant so the infected are probably frozen or hibernating .

Isn’t one of the points that the world warmed to a point where the cordyceps would survive in warmer temperatures? Wouldn’t it be plausible that they simply cannot survive when it’s freezing out during blizzards?

Fair point. Little redundant from Hank calling it a mushroom fungus but yeah. I don't know that it necessarily needed to be in humans, having evolved to withstand higher temperatures, it just left human infection possible. But then again, not being a mycologist or a botanist, I still don't think fungus can thrive in below freezing temperatures. (I looked it up and some but not all fungi can survive at zero degrees Celsius).

I liked it enough. My main issue is that sinister minister trope is too familiar and predictable. At least he was a much better villain than Kathleen, the sinister soccer mom. Also, Joel calling Ellie "baby girl" at the end didn't feel believable, since he hadn't been conscious for all that long since declaring that she wasn't his daughter and walking out on her.

I don't necessarily mind the lack of infected, but I agree that they're so few and far between that they don't feel like much of a threat. The show is apparently about how other humans are the real threat, and that's fine, but the stakes of the season and Ellie's importance seem diminished if humans need saving from themselves more than from the plague.

Just personal opinion but I bought it and felt catharsis from the line. Holistically speaking, Joel has been fighting to keep Ellie alive about as much as he was fighting against letting himself care for her. To me, I didn't view Joel saying "you're sure as hell not my daughter" as him actually drawing that harsh and hard distinction as much as he was just incensed that Ellie brought Sarah up and reminded him of his failure to keep her alive. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but the conversation he had with Tommy, he was clearly emotional and fearful that he was going to experience that pain all over again. First with Sarah, then Tess, and potentially Ellie as someone, by that point, he'd clearly come to care about. So I don't think Joel was saying he didn't care for her that strongly as much as he seemed to still be fighting against that kind of love for his own sake. Something he reneged on by deciding to continue their mission together.

What the last two episodes come down to for me is you have Ellie refusing to quit on Joel even after he told her to save herself. It goes back to the two others he cared deeply about and lost. Sarah was more or less Joel's whole world before the outbreak and Tess was his ride or die for longer than Sarah had been alive. Both relationships are highlighted by a sort of interdependency. If Joel was still fighting himself trying not to care for Ellie as much as he did Tess and Sarah, watching Ellie stubbornly fight to save his life pretty much melted that fight away. I viewed the "baby girl" line not so much as "okay you're my daughter now despite what I said" but more of Joel giving up on resisting the parental sort of love he's come to feel for Ellie. He saw that Ellie would do anything for him and he'd do anything for her.

Again, maybe I'm over-analyzing but through my lens I saw it as completely believable and honestly some excellent characterization and relationship development.

 

[TNT87]

Hell of an episode.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I liked it enough. My main issue is that sinister minister trope is too familiar and predictable. At least he was a much better villain than Kathleen, the sinister soccer mom. Also, Joel calling Ellie "baby girl" at the end didn't feel believable, since he hadn't been conscious for all that long since declaring that she wasn't his daughter and walking out on her.

I don't necessarily mind the lack of infected, but I agree that they're so few and far between that they don't feel like much of a threat. The show is apparently about how other humans are the real threat, and that's fine, but the stakes of the season and Ellie's importance seem diminished if humans need saving from themselves more than from the plague.

Wow, you really aren't interpreting what you're watching if that was how you interpreted the episode where he "walks out on her"


Yikes

 

[Osprey]

Wow, you really aren't interpreting what you're watching if that was how you interpreted the episode where he "walks out on her"


Yikes

What are you talking about? I only described what happened.

Are you suggesting that he didn't walk out on her? If so, here's the definition of "abandon," which is listed in the thesaurus as a synonym for "walk out on":

1 a : to give up to the control or influence of another person or agent
b : to give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in
2 : to withdraw from often in the face of danger or encroachment
3 : to withdraw protection, support, or help from

Joel gave up responsibility of Ellie to Tommy, and he did it against her wishes and knowing that he'd never see her again, so he did abandon or walk out on her. He even literally walked out of her room while she was distraught. The term fits. The fact that he changed his mind at the last minute the following day doesn't erase the fact that he made that initial decision.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I actually think the on-screen absence of the infected is what sets this show apart.

Let’s be honest, the fear and horror of zombies gets lost very quickly in other shows in this genre. Most of them end up feeling like a mindless action video game ironically. TLOU is the inverse… an adapted video game that mostly abandons the game action for drama, storytelling, world building, etc. It’s better TV for it.

why abandon one part for another that was always going to be part of it anyways? doesnt have to be endless action but little suspense a little tension would likely make the show even better

 

[TheBeastCoast]

What are you talking about? I only described what happened.

Are you suggesting that he didn't walk out on her? If so, here's the definition of "abandon," which is listed in the thesaurus as a synonym for "walk out on":

Joel gave up responsibility of Ellie to Tommy, and he did it against her wishes and knowing that he'd never see her again, so he did abandon or walk out on her. He even literally walked out of her room while she was distraught. The term fits. The fact that he changed his mind at the last minute the following day doesn't erase the fact that he made that initial decision.

I mean you are omitting the entire conversation with Tommy where the reason he did all of that is because he didn't think he was good enough to protect her anymore. In his mind he wasn't abandoning her he was protecting her more by letting Tommy take over. That was literally the entire point. I would say you might have missed it.