Television The Last of Us - TV Series HBO | NO GAME REFERENCES OR SPOILERS | Receives 24 Emmy nominations

AlPistacho said:
That’s the genius. 10 episodes of just Joel and Ellie would get very boring very quick. They’ve found a way to expand on Joel’s past while also introducing new side characters, or giving us side missing viewing.
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Exactly. Plus from a lot of the interviews Druckman has given over the years, zombie apocalypse is really just the backdrop for the human experience. You get such a wonderful flavor of it in the game that can't translate like for like into the show. But they've done a phenomenal job of it so far.

mu4c_20le said:
This episode is the perfect example of why I wanted to see more flashbacks, it gives creative freedom to the show runners to do their thing without greatly impacting the canon. And they are very good.
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Just the right amount of building on the source material for me. I do wonder how it hits for anyone that hasn't played the game. I can understand this episode being unexpected but more curious about how it will all feel for them looking back with the context of the full season.
 
Zebs said:
I don't know why anyone would go into this show hoping it literally just recreates the game scene for scene. Haven't they already watched that?

I loved the game but the aspects of the tv show I've loved so far have all been the expansions made around the central storyline (The background-building cold opens & this episode).
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Yeah, the cold open to ep2 is possibly the best scene in the whole thing so far… (unsurprisingly the one that’s most reminiscent of Chenobyl too)
 
This is not directed here so much, but if I was being a cynic I'd posit that some of the pushback for this episode is more the
gayme
, as opposed to the way things were portrayed with perhaps more subtlety originally. A remnant of the time I guess.

When the episode dropped there were only a couple of negative reviews
with thinly-veiled homophobia
on RT, but there's loads now. Society is a mess, but some have been deleted by RT's moderation now.

There was one asking why
Bill would kiss a man as he would never have done that in the original
, for example. I mean, really? I had forgotten, I've mentioned this prior, but upon going through it again last week this wasn't exactly a secret.

Sorry if this strays too much into the OG material.
 
Mockney said:
Yeah, the cold open to ep2 is possibly the best scene in the whole thing so far… (unsurprisingly the one that’s most reminiscent of Chenobyl too)
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My only issue with that ep was that they somehow managed to find the most joyless woman in Indonesia to play the scientist.
 
mu4c_20le said:
My only issue with that ep was that they somehow managed to find the most joyless woman in Indonesia to play the scientist.
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Thought she was great. She's hardly going to be full of joy in that scenario is she.
 
Solius said:
Thought she was great. She's hardly going to be full of joy in that scenario is she.
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But she was already brooding when she was enjoying her lunch! Maybe she woke up that day with a bad feeling
 
Well that wasn’t what I wanted or expected going in, but Jesus, episode 3 broke me. A wonderful episode in its own right.
 
Two episodes in. I honestly think this thing is bang average.

Like if you typed 'Zombie show' into a generic TV show generator this is exactly what you'd get isn't it?

Everyone is loving episode three so I'll give it a whirl.
 
GDaly95 said:
Two episodes in. I honestly think this thing is bang average.

Like if you typed 'Zombie show' into a generic TV show generator this is exactly what you'd get isn't it?

Everyone is loving episode three so I'll give it a whirl.
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Its not really a zombie show though, its a personal drama. I predict you will hate episode 3
 
I think this is good. I never played the games but I have seen large parts of them played and knew a fair amount prior.

I felt that episode one was slightly too long and drawn out, episode two felt more 'right' in terms of pacing. I've just finished episode three and it's definitely my favourite thus far. Very sad, but interesting. Probably a little bit too long again, but excellent nonetheless.

It's at least comparable to any other Zombie show or movie in terms of quality. I'm sure it will overshadow most of them when it's done.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
So her being insufficiently joyful in the fifteen seconds we saw her eating her lunch, on her own, before soldiers escorted her out of the restaurant somehow bothered you? That’s a fairly niche criticism!
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It felt like she knew what was coming.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
So her being insufficiently joyful in the fifteen seconds we saw her eating her lunch, on her own, before soldiers escorted her out of the restaurant somehow bothered you? That’s a fairly niche criticism!
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Some people fail to understand that she's a Doctor. They're all miserable, depressed, angry individuals. They look in the mirror every morning and think "feck it, what's the point? I've wasted my life when I could've done something cool like become a drug dealer or Avon catalogue seller." I'm surprised that she was even eating in the first place, to be honest. Would have been more realistic to see her manically chewing her plate and cursing George Clooney for inspiring her to become a doctor.
 
Stack said:
Oh come on mate his comment was funny. btw I was only joking with mine, no offence intended
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You were right about me though. I thought he really was disturbed by people enjoying their meal..
 
Not sure whats happened here but that episode was fecking amazing, was so worried that this show would suck but genuinely think it's actually going to be a classic.

Acting was incredible and was a beautiful story.
 
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Berbasbullet said:
Not sure whats happened here but that episode was fecking amazing, was so worried that this shown would suck but genuinely think it's actually going to be a classic.

Acting was incredible and was a beautiful story.
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Gamer bros not happy it's not a shot for shot recreation. I played the game and loved it, but I appreciate this as a different medium telling the same overarching story in a different way and it is fantastic.
 
GDaly95 said:
Two episodes in. I honestly think this thing is bang average.

Like if you typed 'Zombie show' into a generic TV show generator this is exactly what you'd get isn't it?

Everyone is loving episode three so I'll give it a whirl.
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Actually... Not really. You'd likely get something like Walking Dead.

What this one has done so far (very limited sample size) isn't generic at all.
 
Okay I was actually enjoying the episode today. I liked the characters of Bill and Frank. I thought that they would make good additions to the crew even if it was only popping by every now and again for supplies and the like.

I was enjoying it right up until the murder suicide pact, then I though what was the point of making an hour long episode that had little to no impact on the show. If they had woven their story into the show over 4/5 episodes the deaths would have had a far greater impact rather than introducing and killing 2 characters that we didn't have time to form a meaningful emotional bond with. I will admit to having a tear in my eye at the end of it but that was more over Joel's reaction when the letter mentioned Tess.
 
WI_Red said:
Gamer bros not happy it's not a shot for shot recreation. I played the game and loved it, but I appreciate this as a different medium telling the same overarching story in a different way and it is fantastic.
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I really was worried it'd stay too close to the game and I'd basically remember it and that'd be that. Loving that they're fleshing the world out.

Also someone calling it a generic zombie show? I mean what??
 
Fully Fledged said:
Okay I was actually enjoying the episode today. I liked the characters of Bill and Frank. I thought that they would make good additions to the crew even if it was only popping by every now and again for supplies and the like.

I was enjoying it right up until the murder suicide pact, then I though what was the point of making an hour long episode that had little to no impact on the show. If they had woven their story into the show over 4/5 episodes the deaths would have had a far greater impact rather than introducing and killing 2 characters that we didn't have time to form a meaningful emotional bond with. I will admit to having a tear in my eye at the end of it but that was more over Joel's reaction when the letter mentioned Tess.
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I wonder if Joels reaction bringing a tear to your eye was partly the result of Bill and Frank story emphasising the importance of love and relationships and helping bring more empathy for Joel?

Probably an awfully long winded way to do that if it was intended that way.
I enjoyed the episode but do feel we missed out on some important drama and action that the origin material showed. I would have preferred a shorter version of the Bill and Frank story and then maybe some frantic action as Joel and Ellie leave.
 
Fully Fledged said:
Okay I was actually enjoying the episode today. I liked the characters of Bill and Frank. I thought that they would make good additions to the crew even if it was only popping by every now and again for supplies and the like.

I was enjoying it right up until the murder suicide pact, then I though what was the point of making an hour long episode that had little to no impact on the show. If they had woven their story into the show over 4/5 episodes the deaths would have had a far greater impact rather than introducing and killing 2 characters that we didn't have time to form a meaningful emotional bond with. I will admit to having a tear in my eye at the end of it but that was more over Joel's reaction when the letter mentioned Tess.
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I just don’t get criticisms like this. Not every scene or episode needs to be all about moving the plot forward.
 
What a great episode of TV. It feels right they are fleshing out smaller characters from the game and I am sure we will see more of it, you cant just focus on two characters for the whole season. It also means we dont rush straight through the beats we know from the game.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
God I hate criticisms like this. Not every scene or episode needs to be all about moving the plot forward.
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It just seemed like a filler episode. We haven't got enough content to fill the series so lets make an episode about Bill and Frank.
 
Fully Fledged said:
Okay I was actually enjoying the episode today. I liked the characters of Bill and Frank. I thought that they would make good additions to the crew even if it was only popping by every now and again for supplies and the like.

I was enjoying it right up until the murder suicide pact, then I though what was the point of making an hour long episode that had little to no impact on the show. If they had woven their story into the show over 4/5 episodes the deaths would have had a far greater impact rather than introducing and killing 2 characters that we didn't have time to form a meaningful emotional bond with. I will admit to having a tear in my eye at the end of it but that was more over Joel's reaction when the letter mentioned Tess.
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Then I think you actually got the point of the episode. Without the backstory of Bill and Frank, and showing how they mirrored Joel/Tess, we would not see why the letter would hit Joel like a hammer. Joel has failed two people now and he has shown no interest in taking on a third person to fail. Bill acknowledges in the letter that he and Joel are united in that at their core is a drive to protect the ones they love. He then commands Joel to protect Tess and while Joel failed Tess the person, he can still honor her legacy by doing the last thing she begged him to do, protect Ellie.
 
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