Horror 'The Last of Us' HBO Series

[Deck Rickard]

Ohhhh I didn’t know that Laura Bailey voiced Abby in the games. Serana! The only character in Skyrim that anyone wants to marry (so of course you can’t).

 

[Kane52630]

I thought that ep delivered even though I had a couple of nitpicky issues with it. Kaitlyn Dever was great.

Can't wait for her arch next season

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Drizzle]

One thing that I was unsure of going into the episode was the possibility of Tommy being swapped out for Dina but I think it actually works fine. It now adds an extra layer to Dina's character while at the same time not taking anything away from Tommy since he could still have the guilt of not being there with Joel. Also in the game it felt like an amateur move of Tommy to reveal their real names to Abby and her group so the way that was rewritten for the show felt more natural and less of a f*** up. The only thing I ended up missing was Ellie and Dina together in Eugene's weed wonderland but there's plenty of time for them to have moments like that in the upcoming episodes.


Also I saw this on Reddit and it's something I definitely thought of too.

Spoiler

 

[DCDAVE]

Well HBO ripped the band aid off in episode 2. Great episode. Sad that unlike the video game Elle wasn’t able to forgive Joel. This show as it continues will be heartbreaking. I wonder how much more they changed about the supporting characters. Owen, Mel, and Nora are so likable. Jesse and Dina are better than their video game counterparts. Looking forward to Seattle.

 

[The Joker]

I really hope Kaitlyn Dever is not getting any crap from the moron fans who can't separate the actor from the character.

 

[obredaan]

Ohhhh I didn’t know that Laura Bailey voiced Abby in the games. Serana! The only character in Skyrim that anyone wants to marry (so of course you can’t).

Aela The Huntress will always have my heart and my bow.

 

[Stringer]

Well HBO ripped the band aid off in episode 2. Great episode. Sad that unlike the video game Elle wasn’t able to forgive Joel. This show as it continues will be heartbreaking. I wonder how much more they changed about the supporting characters. Owen, Mel, and Nora are so likable. Jesse and Dina are better than their video game counterparts. Looking forward to Seattle.

I'm rather happy they kept Manny the same it appears.

Spoiler

It's going to remain just as satisfying seeing his head get blowed clean off as it was in the game

 

[Kane52630]

I'm rather happy they kept Manny the same it appears.

Spoiler

It's going to remain just as satisfying seeing his head get blowed clean off as it was in the game

Funny enough Manny was likeable for me in the game, but it feels like they combined Manny with Jordan in the show in terms of personality.

 

[Drizzle]

I also totally didn't catch until this episode that Manny is Falcon Jr. in the MCU.

 

[Stringer]

Funny enough Manny was likeable for me in the game, but it feels like they combined Manny with Jordan in the show in terms of personality.

Spoiler

True, he does get better once we spend more time with him, but I can never look past spitting on Joel or kicking Ellie

 

[Kane52630]

Kaitlyn Dever’s Harrowing Turn in ‘The Last of Us’ Qualifies for Guest Acting and Supporting Categories (EXCLUSIVE)

"The Last of Us" star Kaitlyn Dever qualifies for both guest and main acting categories for "The Last of Us." Which will she choose for submission?

variety.com

 

[psylockolussus]

Not sure if I liked the changes in the new episode.

Watching the entire scene in the videogame, its same but still different. Now I totally expect a lot of these Fireflies to go out differently.

 

[Bobber]

I can't help the feeling that I'm watching a lesser version of something incredible, with several changes made to make the story more "accessible".

 

[Elayis]

I can't help the feeling that I'm watching a lesser version of something incredible, with several changes made to make the story more "accessible".

I know what you mean. It's not a complete reinvention, like the various Dune adaptations are, it's more like a translation, and in a lot of ways it's a very self-conscious recreation of the game. There's a lot in common with the live action version of The Lion King. The show might change a few minor details (like swapping out Tommy for Dina as Joel's companion), or embellish elements that are only hinted at in the game, but the important moments are essentially the exact same, including matching it shot-for-shot. It sets itself up for close scrutiny for anyone that played the game first, and ultimately does the narrative and the cast no favors. It's not like most adaptions, where you're moving the story to a different medium, the game is essentially a TV show with playable elements.

I sensed this during season one, as well, but it had been nearly a decade since my single playthrough, so there was enough distance for me to have forgotten many of the details, so it still felt relatively fresh. Part 2, on the other hand, I only got around to playing in the fall of 2023, and then I watched someone play the second half of the game not long after that, so I still remember it pretty vividly.

I can appreciate what the show does right, but it's almost like I'm watching it as an outsider. I'm not finding myself emotionally investing in anything that happens because I know the story beats so well. And because the show is so faithful, it does at times feel like I'm watching alternate, less satisfying outtakes from the game than a unique and standalone piece of fiction. Specifically, the performances of Pascal, Dever and Ramsey during Joel's final moments felt less raw and intense than in the game, but perhaps that's due to the ability of animators to really amp up facial expressions in digital models. Joel's death certainly felt less brutal and shocking, which might be because his death was so strongly foregrounded in the show, and the violence was less graphic.

I'm jealous of people that can rewatch stuff and still get something out of it. A big part of consuming narrative for me is novelty, so once I've experienced a particular story it takes a long time (at least five years, if not longer), for me to get something out of returning to it.

 

[DCDAVE]

Laura Bailey singing that song at the end of the episode did it for me. That was a great touch.

 

[Frodo]

Kaitlyn Dever did a good job .

She reminds of a younger Jodi Foster and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

 

[Drizzle]

Having had more time to dwell on it, personally I didn't feel as devastated while watching Joel's death on the show as I did when playing the game, but that's almost entirely because it was a variation of something I'd seen before. Comparing this to another internet-breaking scene from a popular HBO series, I also knew the Red Wedding was coming on Game of Thrones and that shook me to my core way more than this did. I guess the big difference there is that the Red Wedding was in a book and until that episode all you had to rely on was your imagination but with TLOU we've seen this very moment acted out in the game with Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey and Troy Baker (among others). They weren't just doing the voice work, they were actually performing it via mocap in a studio and the performances show. That said, Kaitlyn Dever, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey all did an incredible job interpreting that for the show.

 

[TheGDBatman]

Excellent episode. Damn. I knew it was coming, but I haven’t played TLOU2, so you know what still felt fresh for me.

Pulse pounding episode. My heart was racing the entire episode.

 

[Zantera]

I thought the episode was fantastic, don't really have any complaints at all. Actually think some of the changes they made from the game were for the better. I feel like this will play out better on the show than in the game but that's just a feeling. My biggest gripe with the game (which I still think is a great game) is that they introduce a new character that kills off one of the 2 beloved lead characters and then they also make the new character playable to rub extra salt in the wounds.

 

[Bobber]

I thought the episode was fantastic, don't really have any complaints at all. Actually think some of the changes they made from the game were for the better. I feel like this will play out better on the show than in the game but that's just a feeling. My biggest gripe with the game (which I still think is a great game) is that they introduce a new character that kills off one of the 2 beloved lead characters and then they also make the new character playable to rub extra salt in the wounds.

So your biggest gripe with the game is the point of the game?

 

[DCDAVE]

I am curious to know the reaction from people who truly did not know Joel was going to die. A coworker of mine who doesn’t play video games or is on social media is in shock. She emailed me Monday morning and said she was in shock.

I have a hard time believing anyone on Social Media, YouTube or on this board did not know what was going to happen. This YouTube guy said he only played a little bit of the game but heard about Joel’s demise because of the controversy when the game came out.

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

I am curious to know the reaction from people who truly did not know Joel was going to die. A coworker of mine who doesn’t play video games or is on social media is in shock. She emailed me Monday morning and said she was in shock.

I have a hard time believing anyone on Social Media, YouTube or on this board did not know what was going to happen. This YouTube guy said he only played a little bit of the game but heard about Joel’s demise because of the controversy when the game came out.

Yeah, there was enough talk and hinting that even if you hadn't played the games, you knew something bad was coming. I can't recall a time where I'd seen this many golf-related puns about a show that had nothing to do with golf, but I knew what it was for.

 

[DCDAVE]

I am looking forward to how HBO changes the narrative like the video game. I really love the supportive characters so far. Tommy, Jesse, Dina, Nora, Owen, and Mel are going to be so important going forward. Still lots of mystery involved with Abby’s crew. Only 5 episodes left.

 

[The Joker]

I am wondering at what point in the game this season is going to finish on. Will we even see Abby again this season because if it follows the game it will be all Ellie's story for quite a while.

Spoiler

We know from the trailers that the seraphites show up. Isaac is in there too talking to one they have hostage. I wonder will Lev be introduced or will they wait til the Abby portion of the story.