Summary and Final Thoughts.

The Last Of Us TV Series may be the best video game adaptation ever made, but is that really saying all that much?.
It's not like its competition is exactly all that fierce, yes it's more enjoyable than the Mortal Kombat film and The Super Mario Brothers Movie but so is a colonoscopy. 

I found this series as a whole to be a pale imitation of the source material, it's fine, it has a few good moments and one standout episode (episode 3), but it's really not all that good. Our characters never feel like they're in any actual danger as all threats are defeated with relative ease when compared to the video game. Many of the changes to the game are unnecessary and detract rather than add to the story. The writing is occasionally heavy handed and the dialogue when it deviates from the script written for the game is objectively worse.

The acting is the strongest element of the show but the characterisation of Joel in particular is less complex and interesting than the game, there is very little in the way of actual character development for him here and you never get the sense that he was ever all that much of a monster in the first place. 

Bella Ramsey was good as Ellie but her performance never really reaches the same level as Ashley Johnson's mainly due to the writing, Ellie is supposed to be changed by the events that occur during the winter section of the story. Here she is shown to already be angry and traumatised by the time we meet her, the loss of her wide eyed innocence that occurs after her confrontation with David in the game is not present in the show because she was never all that innocent to begin with. 

People who have never played the game will no doubt love this series because they don't know what they're missing and there is enough of the original story to hook people in who have never been exposed to it before but for devout fans like myself I know that what i'm looking at isn't all that great. It's fine but I was left wanting more and that's something I've never experienced playing the game, which no matter how many times I've played it lands with the same impact each time. 

Episode 1

Its really hard for me to give a non-biased review of this because The Last Of Us is not just one of my favourite video games ever made but one of my favourite stories ever made, but I went in with as open a mind as possible. 

So, I feel largely positive about it but a bit mixed if I'm entirely honest with you. It perfectly captures the look and feel of the game particularly the Boston quarantine zone with its dilapidated buildings and starving desperate inhabitants and Pedro Pascal is really good as Joel Miller but I feel it does have some issues.

The opening works very well, Sarah's death hit me nearly as hard as the game and that's not an easy thing to do, going into it I was very wary of that scene and if it would work or not, every time I play the game that scene breaks me, it did here as well, 
Sarah's actress embodies her really well. Watching the world fall apart before Joel's eyes, planes crashing into the street while infected run rampant killing all that are in their path, this whole opening sequence was perfectly done. 

But here's where the show runs into a few problems, everything it does the game does 100 times better, the biggest issue this show faces is that it is in the shadow of one of the best stories ever told that was already presented to us by actors who were perfect for the roles they played. 

Now, there's eight more episodes to go but so far I'm not sold on Bella Ramsey as Ellie and that, is a big, big problem. 

There are also particular moments where the show doesn't allow the scenes room to breathe and it just moves on, the second half feels rushed for time.

For example when Ellie is tested and they have to kill the Fedra guard, its over in a matter of seconds, in the game a lot of time is spent on Tess and Joel's reactions to Ellie stating that she is immune, it's a crucial scene that's integral to the games plot,
here it's just glossed over, there's no gravity to that scene, 
she simply states she's immune and then they escape.

I did enjoy my time with the first episode 
but I think because I've seen this story told better elsewhere it doesn't impress me quite as much as I want it to.

It's good quite possibly the best video game to film adaptation but the game is great, 
that's the real difference here,
hopefully my opinion changes as the show goes on 

Episode 2:

Bella Ramsey is slowly convincing me that she is a good choice for Ellie, here she has more time devoted to her, it's not an entirely Ellie centric episode but it gives us a glimpse of the dynamic building between Joel and Ellie and Bella Ramsey so far has moments where she embodies the character very well, she's not my first choice, (I would have cast Book-smart's Kaitlyn Denver as Ellie) however she displays more emotion than just flat out obstinate anger as we get to see glimpses of Ellie's playful side, 
there's more for her to do in this episode.

Another thing this episode had going for it was that this is the first time we are introduced to the clickers, the build up and pay off of that sequence couldn't have been done any better.

I still have some gripes with the lack of spores being used as a way of the virus spreading, as they're replaced in the show by tendrils protruding from the infected's mouths and body, in some scenes they're shown to make up part of the foliage in the city acting as an unconscious network that works as form of hive mind communication for the infected to navigate to where a potential victim is. It's an interesting inclusion but the last of us purist in me would have made no changes to the source material whatsoever.

Without dwelling on it too much the show still doesn't work as well as it should when it deviates from the source material, the only real negative I had with this episode was Tess's death, It is far, far better in the game.

In the game Tess is defiant to the very end as an onslaught of Fedra officers storm into the museum taking her down in an array of gunfire, her redemption arc fulfilled knowing that as Joel and Ellie flee the scene humanity may perhaps have some small hope of surviving the outbreak. 

In the show Tess willingly, figuratively and literally embraces the infected and dies accepting her fate so that Joel and Ellie may escape. It doesn't feel out of character for this version of Tess, 
but I know which one I prefer. I don't like Tess being resigned to her fate in that way, effectively giving in, there's also something to be said about the difference in antagonist with the infected being the primary threat of the episode, the infected are not the main threat in The Last Of Us, the people Joel and Ellie encounter are.

The lack of hunters and solely focusing on the infected in a pivotal moment like this while fine deviates from the core themes of the story, especially when the action sequences in the museum following Tess's death are some of the best in the game and could easily be replicated on screen.

With all that said episode two is a vast improvement on the first and I'm looking forward to where the series will go from here.

Episode 3:

The Last Of Us Episode 3 is easily the best episode so far,
Bill is very different in this episode than he is in the game but it really, really works. His relationship with Frank is beautiful and tragic in the tv show, whereas in the game its simply implied. This is the only instance where the show might actually tell a more rounded interesting story with one of its characters than the game did.

The changes they made in episode two in regards to Tess's death fell completely flat because you have something better to compare it to, whereas here the writers are choosing to tell a story that hasn't been done before, it raises the question If the television series would work better without Joel and Ellie as the focus, being as there are no improvements that could possibly be made on the game in that regard.

However, this is the episode that has finally completely sold me on Bella Ramsey as Ellie. she is perfect as Ellie in this episode, overall I feel very positive about the show going forward if it continues like this.

Episode 4:

Episode 4 was good, it's taken me a little while but now I really do see Bella and Pedro as Joel and Ellie. Although there are changes to the way in which certain scenes play out, the order of events, etc, the necessary emotion and impact of them is retained fully.

For example, when Ellie kills for the first time to save Joel, she mentions in the show that she has killed before and although this is different from the game the way the scene is handled is perfect.

Seeing the progression of their relationship is beautiful, 
you can really see Joel change over the course of the few episodes we've had with them and the moments of levity between the two amongst all the chaos of the world of The Last Of Us is the same as in the video game. I really have no complaints of this episode at all and it feels like the show is getting better and better as it goes along. Overall I'm very pleased with this series so far, bar episode 2.

Episode 5:

Episode 5 was good, the thing that has been pretty consistent with this show is that the the most important scenes just aren't as impactful as the game. They still work but the changes just aren't necessary, Sam being deaf didn't add anything to the story and in fact took away a lot of the dialogue which was necessary to make his death as impactful as it was in the game. The conversation between him and Ellie goes on a lot longer in the game and has more depth to it. I don't see the necessity to make a change like this without having a reason to do it.

However when he gets bit and Ellie cuts her hand and places it on the wound telling him that her blood is medicine, that was a great moment that wasn't in the game, it really adds to Ellie's survivors guilt which will occur later down the line, she tried to save him but she couldn't but a vaccine could.

Another weakness is that there's a pointless side character called Kathleen who in the show is hunting Henry, she's a completely unnecessary addition who never feels truly menacing enough to be threatening. There's nothing to warrant her being in the story, she doesn't earn her place in the narrative whatsoever.

I did enjoy the episode but like I say I've seen this content done better for the most part. If I take it as an episode of a television series, yes, it's good, very good in fact, the action sequences in particular were excellent in this one, the standout moment is when the infected explode from the floor like a swarm of rats and descend upon the resistance soldiers and the reveal of the bloater was great, but I would have liked a little more from it. The sequence felt like it could have been longer. 

The biggest strength the series has going for it by far is Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, though his Joel is a little too meek for my liking. In the famous sniper scene Joel in the show shows a reluctance to killing the sniper, Joel in the game is anything but hesitant when it comes to violence and to me this just felt a little out of character, but I understand its a different iteration of the character and that's ok.

A lot of my issues with the show remind me of the old adage if it's not broken don't fix it, I don't think the director and Neil Druckmann understand that every single line of dialogue in that game is important, you take away one line and the scene is not as impactful as a result, alternatively you add a sub-plot and it detracts from the story.

The game The Last Of Us is a perfect story, expertly told.
The show so far emulates that story well but apart from episode three it has not yet met the emotional heights of the game, it comes close, very close at times but I doubt it will ever be on the same playing field but like I have said with the other episodes, 
if you view it as a television series alone, yes, it's very good but its impossible to not see it in the shadow of one of the greatest stories ever told.

Episode 6:

The Last Of Us episode 6 just didn't work for me, there are a few little changes that make the scenes from the game fall completely flat here. When Joel arrives In Jackson and speaks to Tommy about taking Ellie in his place to find the fireflies he breaks down crying. Joel's stoicism is a defining part of his character, making him openly cry and confess how he's feeling in front of another person, even if it's his brother is so at odds with who this man is that it simply does not work. This Joel Miller would not have survived the apocalypse and has not done terrible things to stay alive.

People have said this outburst of emotion is due to his PTSD, this is not how men generally exhibit symptoms of post traumatic stress, a primary symptom of PTSD is emotional numbing, something that's very apparent in the original. 
Joel survived because he was able to shut off his emotions completely, even when Ellie does ignite his ability to care for someone other than himself and his own survival he isn't open with how he feels, because vulnerability is what gets you killed in the world of The Last Of Us.

The world isn't shown as horrifically in the show as it should be and as it is in the game, this is a consistent issue with the series, it never really pushes into what the erosion of society has done to people, how its effected them and how they express themselves and relate to one another.

I don't want to just list things I didn't like about the episode, I did enjoy the back and forth between Joel and Ellie, that has remained consistently true to the characters since their relationship developed into the one we know in the game. Bella Ramsey is great as Ellie and has been for the last few episodes, Pedro Pascal's depiction of Joel however has gotten progressively weaker as the series has gone on.

I understand it's a different take but there are certain core traits that you cannot change about a character without changing what makes them who they are.

I'll give you another example to emphasise this point, Joel in the series gives Ellie the choice to either stay in Jackson or to come with him. We already know how Ellie feels about Joel, this is the part of the narrative in the game where we see Joel truly decide to take on Ellie and accept his place as her guardian. It's one of the most pivotal character development moments in the story, after their argument he realises that they both have lost everything but each other and that this kid needs someone in her life that won't leave no matter what, she needs him.

Taking that significant moment away and replacing it with Joel crying over what a failure he thinks he is does not work and it cheapens Joel as a character. He is an obstinate, stubborn son of a bitch and wouldn't do that, not once, not ever. It's part of why we feel for Joel, the audience are supposed to cry the tears he is unable to express himself. Think of the last scene in part 2, when Ellie says she can't forgive him for what he did but she'd like to try, Joel doesn't cry, he stifles the emotion and we cry for him.

That is how you write Joel.

Look, if you're taking it as its own thing that's fine, 
but I love this story and I love these characters for a reason 
altering the most important elements of the narrative is only necessary if the writers can produce a scene that is as good if not better than what came before it as was the case with episode three.

I will still continue to watch the show until it's conclusion 
but it does sadden me a little that wider audiences are getting a diluted, neutered version of The Last Of Us.

Episode 7:

Episode 7 was a perfect adaptation of the Left Behind DLC from the video game. Bella Ramsay has proved again that she is the best thing about this show, you can tell she has studied the game and taken as much from Ashley Johnson's performance as possible. We aren't getting an interpretation of Ellie as we are with Joel, we are getting Ellie, the character I know and love from the original.

The casting of Storm Reid as Riley was dead on. I can't fault anything about this episode, It was true to the source material and didn't needlessly change things like the last episode. Here's the thing with this series, sometimes it doesn't know when to change things and when to leave them untouched. Different isn't always better.

I'm glad that they made the effort to more or less keep every line of dialogue from the DLC in this episode. The reason it's a big deal when they add or take away lines of dialogue from the original is that this story is built on its writing, because that's the very reason why it earned its place in the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. I have a feeling episode eight and nine will be very good. Overall I expect my feelings about the show to be that as a whole it works but that it has moments of inconsistency when it adds or takes away necessary factors which made the game's story as effective as it is.

Episode 8:

Episode 8 was very good and for the most part stuck very closely to the source material. There was only one significant deviation which I felt was unnecessary but it still worked, and that was David being a preacher. I'm not mad at this change and it does help explain why people would follow someone as psychopathic a person as David but I don't think it was all that necessary.

My other criticism is one that appears a lot with this series, there isn't enough action. There are some great action sequences that would work so well on film that just aren't in the series and I wonder why that is, there is a whole section of Ellie fighting off David's crew which is such a great part of the game. It's a segment which perfectly foreshadows her revenge quest in part 2.
It's important for her character as its the first time we ever see Ellie have to defend herself because Joel isn't around to do it, it's an odd choice it wasn't included.

I enjoyed Pedro Pascal a lot in this episode but he was under utilised a little bit, I need to see Joel killing people when he goes to find Ellie. there is great potential for a few action sequences that don't make it in there, he simply finds out where she is and they leave, that is not enough.

The Last Of Us is supposed to be an extremely threatening world and we aren't being shown that for some reason. I get that the focus is on the relationship between Joel and Ellie but those action sequences are important elements of the game. Having them escape with relative ease doesn't make much narrative sense and felt a bit rushed.

The standout performance from this episode and this series so far has been Bella Ramsey, she was perfect in this episode, there is one scene in particular that requires a lot from her and she sells it so well, I was blown away by how good of an actress she proved she was here. Her performance as a whole feels like a combination of Ellie from parts 1 and 2. She is jovial and innocent but also rage-full and broken, I think this was a purposeful choice, it's foreshadowing what she will be capable of once Joel dies.

Scott Shepherd is also very good as David, his performance is nearly on par with Nolan North, which is high praise as I love his portrayal of the character. David retained that softly spoken menace of the original performance and I'm glad that they weren't afraid to lean into the overt implications of his sexual interest in Ellie as Its part of what makes his character so frightening. 

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with how Winter turned out.

Episode 9: