HBO: The Last of Us

[chrisstbh]

Well I'm caught up with the show now but I don't think I'll make it to the end of the season.
I keep reading from people who played the game how a great bit is coming up or Ellie and Joel's relationship is going to be amazing but I'm still waiting for the show to get good.
Where are these great scenes and moments?
When Ellie was talking about the doctors wanting her blood and how her blood is medicine, it made me think (not played the game, don't know how this ends so I could be totally wrong) that her and Joel think they'll find these Firefly doctors, they'll just take a bit of blood and they'll be on their way again.
I think it's not going to be that simple, that actually they're going to need to completely dissect Ellie because a bit of her blood isn't enough.
Joel will need to choose between saving Ellie but dooming the world, or letting her die so the doctors can make a vaccine.
And then I realised I don't care what he does or what happens to the characters in this show.
I gave this show a very fair chance but I'm not just getting invested in it.
It's decent enough, not a bad show, just run its course with me I think.
I give it points for going for interesting mushroom men zombies over the done to death viral based undead zombies and its a nice looking show, but to me it's just a less violent and less gory TWD.

Just watch a playthrough of the game.

 

[Ramman81]

, the show just doesn't capture the lighting in the bottle like the game did all those years ago.

Yep. The show is an overrated borefest

 

[chrisstbh]

Yep. The show is an overrated borefest

Wouldn’t go that far. It’s a pretty good show, but it was never going to compare to the original source material.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

Just watch a playthrough of the game.

Yeah I might find one on YouTube. Bet there's a huge amount of them on there.

 

[chrisstbh]

Yeah I might find one on YouTube. Bet there's a huge amount of them on there.

This channel is usually the best for no commentary.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

This channel is usually the best for no commentary.

Cheers, much appreciated.
Maybe I'll appreciate the show more after watching a playthrough of the game.

 

[R_R_X]

Cheers, much appreciated.
Maybe I'll appreciate the show more after watching a playthrough of the game.

I would try to find one from a channel that doesn't remove the game's soundtrack from some important moments like MKIceAndFire tends to do, because the soundtrack from Gustavo Santaolalla really is a masterpiece.

 

[Mandible]

This is so offensiv!!!1!!

That moment was in the latest episode but since you haven't played the game you had no idea it was supposed to be that moment because the scene falls flat in the show, like I predicted for the people who only watch the show that scene is forgettable but in the game it's the tipping point of their relationship and where the whole game comes to a halt so Joel, Ellie and the player can sit there in silence and process what happened before a decision gets made.


No way you haven't at least checked some synopsis or something lol

People said this would be a TWD killer, I always found it funny since TWD killed itself but still, at this point it's become painfully obvious the show is not a fan of violence or displaying the ugly brutality of the world the characters are meant to be living in, we have people living out there completely unbothered by the dangers that lurk outside and it just completely breaks the immersion of how dangerous the world in The Last of Us is supposed to be, hell even the bandits, raiders or rebels are completely incompetent morons, if I don't feel the world is absolutely ****** beyond belief to the point people would rather starve in QZs than go outside then I should I care about the moral dilemma the story will present to me? If an elderly couple can live peacefully out in the wild then is the world really that doomed?

To me the show has failed in all the major aspects of what made the simple story of the game work so well, it failed in selling the danger of the world, it failed with the pacing, it failed in the characterization of the lead characters and most importantly it failed in building the relationship between Joel and Ellie in a fully realized arc because they were too busy with side characters and stories that don't matter.

It's a real shame too because the pilot was so good but after that it's just been downhill for me, I know that for most it hasn't but episode 6 really set it in stone for me that The Last of Us is an overall better, deeper and more rewarding experience if you play/watch the game, the show just doesn't capture the lighting in the bottle like the game did all those years ago.

That video just shows how dialed-in the show is.

The stillness, silences, subtext, undercurrent, nuances, perfect music score moments, cinematic composition of the shots - everything - just makes it all far more dramatic and intense. There's real threats. There's palpable struggles and fears. There's pain. And finally, realization and acceptance.

The moment where Ellie pushed Joel is the show was so forced, whereas here, it's perfect and feels natural. She pauses before doing it, then it's like her emotions are unleashed. In the show it was all one action.

And for the naysayers - it's actual (brilliant) actors in mocap suits giving those performances.

None of the level of sublime story telling is coming through in the show.

 

[Lejuan]

I must be one of the few people on this board who stops watching something when I don’t enjoy it.

 

[ArtDamage]

I must be one of the few people on this board who stops watching something when I don’t enjoy it.

That's the funny thing, a lot of us enjoy Last of Us quite a bit which enables us to acknowledge where the show comes up short. Many of us want to see the show to its conclusion in the hopes it sticks the landing where it counts.

If you don't really care about the source material though I can understand how it'd be a lot easier to just write off something entirely if it doesn't nail it within the first couple eps or something.

Personally, I don't think its a horrible show. Certainly, not as bad as some video game adaptations out there, but it definitely lacks a lot of the magic and narrative delivery that makes the game great.

 

[Lejuan]

...it definitely lacks a lot of the magic and narrative delivery that makes the game great.

There's some good critique in this thread, interwoven with a good amount of boring whining.

 

[ScoutingForToys]

There's some good critique in this thread, interwoven with a good amount of boring whining.

Whining about whining...

 

[BladeS]

I really like the show. I think it misses the mark in a few places and some things feel rushed, but otherwise I get really excited for a new episode each week.

Considering the absolute bastardization that 95% of game adaptions have gotten in the last 40 years, this is a fantastic feat.

I've played both games multiple times and love those too.

I think both are great.

 

[abake]

Never played the game and so far I'm loving the show.

 

[glitch1044]

There's some good critique in this thread, interwoven with a good amount of boring whining.

We're collectors. It's the same with figures too, we complain about everything...and then go and buy it anyways.

 

[Mr.E]

So far, It's all right. Not game-changing as of yet, if you'll forgive the pun. I've been watching playthrus of the original as the series plays out to see how it compares. Comparing them is like books to movies. They're different mediums. I can recognize and appreciate the merits of both.

I will say though, game Joel has the better beard. HBO Joel needs to get a little darker and violent I think.

At the end of the day, it's a television show. I look forward to each new episode as an escape from reality. Bring on the apocalypse.

 

[chrisstbh]

HBO Joel needs to get a little darker and violent I think.

Fingers crossed they don't change the finale.

 

[Mr.E]

Time will tell.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Fingers crossed they don't change the finale.

They won’t change it….much. But what they don’t change will be watered down beyond recognition.

 

[R_R_X]

So far, It's all right. Not game-changing as of yet, if you'll forgive the pun. I've been watching playthrus of the original as the series plays out to see how it compares. Comparing them is like books to movies. They're different mediums. I can recognize and appreciate the merits of both.

I will say though, game Joel has the better beard. HBO Joel needs to get a little darker and violent I think.

At the end of the day, it's a television show. I look forward to each new episode as an escape from reality. Bring on the apocalypse.

Fingers crossed they don't change the finale.

I'm not sure they'll stick to landing, I love Joel and completely stand by his decision but even I thought "Oh man this is wrong, this won't end well" the first time I played it and that's mainly because of how brutal and violent it was, needless to say it'll be disappointing if the show keeps it's watered down approach to violence in the finale.

And yeah Joel has a mean beard lol, I have a beard and even I'm jelly of how well he rocks that thing, well game Joel anyway.