The Last of Us: The Show!

[SpagMasterSwift]

Best things about that first episode was no adverts and the dog acting!

[FishyFish]

6 hours ago, Nicky said:

can we have a NO GAME TALK for this thread please? not everyone's played the game, and theres shit being banded about already.

 

Agreed. I have played the first game and the DLC, but it was years ago and I've not commited the entire thing to memory. I'd rather it unfold as though I know nothing about it.

[Jamie John]

I thought this was excellent. The bit at

Spoiler

the end of the prologue nearly moved me to tears, and I knew it was coming! The girl who played Sarah was very good.

 

It's interesting how closely they're sticking to the game, too. I imagine later episodes will elaborate and diverge, and although this wasn't quite beat-for-beat, it was still pretty close, which I found surprising. I guess it's testament to the quality of the source material that they feel like they can copy a lot of it.

 

I also think they've ret-conned Joel slightly to make him seem a bit more heartless and less fatherly:

 

Spoiler

There's the bit in the prologue where he stops Tommy from picking up the family with the child. I know this happens in the game, but he seemed more vociferous about not picking them up in the show. And I can't remember what happens in the game when the FEDRA soldiers discover that Ellie is infected, but I certainly don't remember Joel beating a man to death with his bare hands. He seems to emanate bad vibes a lot more than PlayStation Joel did. I'm assuming this is being done to make what he does 

Spoiler

at the very end more believable, and to further highlight that, no, he's actually a selfish bastard consumed by grief that hasn't healed.

 

 

As others have said, Pascal is perfectly cast. I think Ramsey's Ellie is more feisty and savvy than she is at the start of the game version, though, where there's a bit more vulnerability to her. Again, I imagine we'll see more of that later.

 

I can't wait for episode two! I'm assuming the next one won't be 120 minutes, though. I've read that episode 1 is actually the first two episodes banged together and there will be nine in total. I'm glad that this appears to have picked up so much positive press, too, and that Druckmann is so heavily involved in it.

 

Very good

[Jamie John]

Also, for anyone who enjoys Filthy Casuals, a videogame podcast hosted by three Australian comedians which I always find pretty funny, they're hosting a free companion pod, too. I haven't listed to it yet but I plan to. I imagine it'll be good and be a bit lighter than the official podcast hosted by Troy Baker, although I'm planning on listening to that one as well.

 

 

[Pob]

14 minutes ago, FishyFish said:

 

Agreed. I have played the first game and the DLC, but it was years ago and I've not commited the entire thing to memory. I'd rather it unfold as though I know nothing about it.

 

Hmm, even if the standard spoiler rules apply to this thread (as they should, by default) I fear that the game is so well known on here that you will get people accidentally spoiling things. Perhaps you could start a 'no game chat' thread to accompany this one?

[Uncle Nasty]

6 hours ago, Mystacon said:

My wife (who has never played a video game in her life) thought it was great. At least she did after I stopped constantly saying “That was just like the game” or “Ooo, that was different from the game”.

 

Aunty Nasty loved this too despite not being a gamer.

 

I've forgotten most of the story from the game and really enjoyed this for what it was. You just know the production values are going to be through the roof from that reveal at the end of the episode. Great soundtrack, actors all seem to be fine so far. Looking forward to more.

[Rorschach]

It would make sense to do the same thing as with GoT, have a "the source material doesn't exist" thread. With the difference being, the thread where you can discuss the source material is likely to be the popular one this time around.

[Dapple]

As someone that hasn't played the game, I don't mind game spoilers per-se (even if they don't end up in the show) - watching the show will do that. But it would be a shame to have spoilers for events in episodes that haven't aired yet, based on knowledge of what happens in the game.

 

The principle of keeping discussion to what's happened in the show itself seems reasonable, for any adaptation. But I appreciate I may well be in a minority here given the high proportion of people that know the game.

[p1nseeker]

Listened to the official podcast (which is great btw) and it's already got me wanting to rewatch ep.1 as apparently there were lots of easter eggs sprinkled throughout. 

[Popo]

39 minutes ago, Rorschach said:

It would make sense to do the same thing as with GoT, have a "the source material doesn't exist" thread. With the difference being, the thread where you can discuss the source material is likely to be the popular one this time around.

We had this with another show recently, and all it meant was that the discourse happened in the book-spoilers thread, and those of us who hadn’t read the book couldn’t take part in the conversation. 
 

As someone who has played the game I am much more in favour of showing respect and restraint and allowing for a thriving, harmonious* conversation by keeping unaired, spoilerific game chat out of it. 
 

* lol

[Pob]

The first episode was fascinating - I don't think we've ever had a situation where a game with top-tier cinematic storytelling has been adapted into top-tier live action. The Last of Us series, I would say, has easily the best cinematic storytelling of any game ever (in contrast to storytelling tailored to the gaming medium, like Portal) and it has been clearly done justice in this adaptation.

 

For me, it highlighted how far ahead live-action is in most respects. Ep 1 spoiler:

Spoiler

Sarah's death is one of the most emotionally-charged scenes in any game yet seeing it done with actors shorn of CGI and in a real location took it to the next level. The pre-outbreak segment was tenser and more horrific. There's nothing as inventive or creepy in the game as seeing the out-of-focus elderly lady succumbing to cordyceps behind Sarah.

 

I preferred the show when it was interpreting the game rather than directly aping it, probably because it was showing me things I've not seen before. The cold open was absolutely superb and really set the scene for how chilling the concept is. The first few minutes after the '20 years later' card again brought home just how dark this world is - again, new for the show. Consistent with the game, the hour spent in the Boston QZ was relatively not as interesting. Bit of a shame they couldn't get Jerome Flynn to play Robert.

[Hawklord]

I literally just finished playing Part1 + Left Behind last week. Thought this was excellent. 

 

Not enough rummaging through drawers and cupboards for tape, cloth and scrap through 😛 

[LaveDisco]

8 hours ago, Number 28 said:

Enjoyed that. The alterations are interesting. If I remember right, in the game 

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Joel and Tommy were estranged after falling out years ago over the Fireflies and their differing priorities. They only meet up again because Joel is desperate and wants to offload Ellie. In this, Joel starts off trying to get a car battery to reach his brother who he wants to save? He begins as a smuggler of guns in the game but he's more of a drug dealer here, maybe meant to be more sympathetic? Joel already beating people to death, mind. 

 

Also, as beautiful as that fungi person glued to the wall was, shouldn't there be spores and gas masks? I guess they're saving those for later. 

 

A 130yo John Hannah attached to life support will appear in season eight, when they've long exhausted the source material, and turn out to be the main villain. "A genocidal maniac? I just gave nature a little helping hand..."

 

Part 1 and 2 Game Spoilers

Spoiler

The game could play it hard with Joel, and scream at you that he's an awful, awful, terrible person, and the player still loves him because a) he's the main character and b) an incorrect  presumption of video game logic applying. I mean, In the game he starts off straight up murdering 20 odd people that he lives with because of a dispute over the ownership of guns, here it's once and clearly framed as PTSD

 

(In a reaction to Uncharted) so much of both game's plot is playing with ludo-narrative dissonance, and I'm really interested in how they'll translate that. I suspect they've got to walk a finer line in the show with showing what he's really like. What he's willing to do.How he changes.

 

[Petrousgyre]

3 hours ago, Jamie John said:

I can't wait for episode two! I'm assuming the next one won't be 120 minutes, though.

 

First episode was 80 minutes.

 

Spoiler

I read episode three has Murray Bartlett in it (he of White Lotus fame), has hardly any Joel and Ellie and is feature film length - so I doesn't sound like the subsequent episodes are going to be shorter, maybe longer if anything.

 

Overall though, what a great first epsiode. Pascal and Ramsey are both so well cast. After finishing The Last Of Us years ago I remember thinking that it would make a great HBO series - it's feels quite strange watching it now given how true that is and how close to the game they've made it. 

[Jamie John]

4 minutes ago, petrolgirls said:

First episode was 80 minutes.

 

Yes, of course - that's what I meant.

[pledge]

2 hours ago, Pob said:

 

Hmm, even if the standard spoiler rules apply to this thread (as they should, by default) I fear that the game is so well known on here that you will get people accidentally spoiling things. Perhaps you could start a 'no game chat' thread to accompany this one?

 

1 hour ago, Pob said:

For me, it highlighted how far ahead live-action is in most respects. <significant event>

 

Didn't take long! 🤭 I guess this is open spoiler thread then and there needs to be another.

[Pob]

3 minutes ago, pledge said:

 

 

Didn't take long! 🤭 I guess this is open spoiler thread then and there needs to be another.

Sorry! That honestly wasn’t to make a point. Even I forgot what is and isn’t a spoiler going by the rules. 

[Fry Crayola]

I liked but didn't love this, and I think that's largely because having played the games, I'm anticipating the beats. It's not something I can really judge on a solitary opener, though. Delightfully cast and I can't wait for the rest of it.

[makkuwata]

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from skimming YouTube reactions it’s that the writers have grossly overestimated the cultural impact of Depeche Mode.

[Dapple]

15 minutes ago, makkuwata said:

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from skimming YouTube reactions it’s that the writers have grossly overestimated the cultural impact of Depeche Mode.

Or they've grossly underestimated the cultural ignorance of their audience...

 

Don't @ me, non-DM fans, it's just a joke.

[mexos]

19 hours ago, Mystacon said:

Can’t believe they’ve now released this third remake less than 6 months after the last one came out. Definitely something up with the graphics as well, the clothes don’t look as good as they did in the original.

 

BETTER GRAPHICS, BETTER SCROLLING.

[Majora]

32 minutes ago, makkuwata said:

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from skimming YouTube reactions it’s that the writers have grossly overestimated the cultural impact of Depeche Mode.

 

Ha, it took me a minute to figure out what the final song was trying to convey, I have to admit.

 

Spoiler

I didn't know the song or even the artist, not sure if it's because I was only born in 85 or because I was never exposed to Depeche Mode growing up. So I knew it was relating to the code but wasn't initially sure what it was trying to say.

 

I quickly figured it must have been a song from the 80s because it would just make sense for a cliffhanger as the code means 80s song = danger. But it wasn't an instinctive reaction.

 

They probably needed to pick a song everyone and their mother knows is from the 80s even if they're a young 'un.

 

[Dapple]

28 minutes ago, Majora said:

 

Ha, it took me a minute to figure out what the final song was trying to convey, I have to admit.

 

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I didn't know the song or even the artist, not sure if it's because I was only born in 85 or because I was never exposed to Depeche Mode growing up. So I knew it was relating to the code but wasn't initially sure what it was trying to say.

 

I quickly figured it must have been a song from the 80s because it would just make sense for a cliffhanger as the code means 80s song = danger. But it wasn't an instinctive reaction.

 

They probably needed to pick a song everyone and their mother knows is from the 80s even if they're a young 'un.

 

I don't agree with your final paragraph. It's not just the fact that it was a song from the 80s. The opening lyrics are:

Spoiler

I'm taking a ride with my best friend

I hope he never lets me down again

He knows where he's taking me

Taking me where I want to be

I'm taking a ride with my best friend

 

Edit - and it's called Never Let Me Down Again

Lots of shows use different music over the end credits. The Sopranos is a good example, and not everyone would have known what each song was, or why it was being used. And that's OK.

[Stig]

I think anyone who complained about Bella Ramseys casting before we even saw anything can get fucked after that first episode. She nailed Ellie imo.

[BitterToad]

18 minutes ago, Stigweard said:

I think anyone who complained about Bella Ramseys casting before we even saw anything can get fucked after that first episode. She nailed Ellie imo.

Yeah she's totally, eerily perfect. The biggest success of the first ep for me (which was great).

[wullie]

I enjoyed what I've seen of the first episode so far but I got up to the point where it's all kicking off and the three of them get in the truck to get out of there. I know what's coming and I wasn't ready to watch that bit yet

[Silent Runner]

I played the game when it came out but have forgotten almost all of it except the main characters names. So I went into this pretty much blind and I thought it was decent enough. Fairly standard end of the world stuff with a HBO budget and production values - not a massive step-up from The Walking Dead and the like.

I'm sure I'll stick with it but I expected a little more from a Sunday night HBO drama. 

[scoobysi]

20 minutes ago, Stigweard said:

I think anyone who complained about Bella Ramseys casting before we even saw anything can get fucked after that first episode. She nailed Ellie imo.

I’m not sure I agree with that, yet, can’t quite put my finger on it though, general mannerisms and expressions perhaps. Early days though and it’s probably just a case of getting used to her portrayal vs game character. 

[makkuwata]

She held off playing the games til the season was wrapped, which worried me. But she pretty much landed on the same portrayal.

[Pob]

The most uncanny thing was the locations, which felt exactly like the games in some cases. The starkest example for me was that crowded street they end up in in the pickup truck when it all kicks off. But there were loads of example - Joel's house, all of the QZ, the bombed out road at night just outside the wall etc, plus of course the very final shot.