The Last of Us was released in 2013 on PS3 and was another instant hit for Naughty Dog. It pushed storytelling forward for video games. Now, ten years later, it is being adapted into a live-action HBO show to bring that dramatic story into a new medium. Everything from the trailers leading up to the premiere looked good. The actors looked authentic as did the world but trailers can be misleading.
So, was the pilot of The Last of Us everything fans wanted and more mire? Reviews sure have been high with the Metacritic being around the 80s but numbers can only say so much. Is this the best video game adaptation so far? So, in a spoiler-filled discussion, let’s go over the positives of episode one.
Warning, spoilers ahead!
6 Sarah And Joel’s Relationship
The show gives Joel and Sarah more time to bond since the 2003 flashback lasts longer than in the game. It begins at the breakfast table, Sarah gets to go to school, and she even hangs out with the next-door neighbor after school. The show builds a foundation for viewers to understand how good and kind of a person Sarah is before she is ripped away from Joel.
When that death scene happens, it is just as traumatic as in the game. No one wants to see their daughter or son die before them especially not in a painful way like by getting shot. So, the show gets the dark moments right to tug at the heartstrings. There are cute tender moments when they are together as well like when Sarah gives Joel the watch and then they proceed to watch a cheesy action movie.
5 The Outbreak
A good horror show or horror movie will build tension by showcasing normal things without a problem. Again, that’s why the slower bits with Sarah work so well as it lulls viewers into a false state of mind. When Sarah goes next door to see the neighborly grandma eating her daughter, that’s when all hell breaks loose.
Joel and Tommy arrive just in time to shoot this zombie granny and then take Sarah for a tense drive toward the nearest town. The music is low, emulating what it really would be like in the event of a chaotic outbreak. The music picks back up again once they reach the town and there are people and infected running everywhere. It’s one of the most memorable set pieces in a horror game and it works just as well in The Last of Us show.
4 Joel’s Coldness
After twenty years of living in an apocalypse, Joel has had it. He lost his only daughter in the worst way possible and who knows how he feels. Does he blame himself? Does he blame the government? Does he blame Tommy for not showing up sooner? The game doesn’t dive that deep into his trauma with Sarah which may change in the show. The show may even fill in fans within these twenty lost years like what he and Tommy did with the Fireflies.
For now, Joel seems to be focused on his tasks for survival. Leading up to Sarah’s death, Joel was acting coldly as well like with the people on the road with the abandoned car. He could have helped them but he was too concerned with saving Sarah instead which is an understandable fatherly instinct. Pedro Pascal also looks the part and he brings the brooding brutal nature of Joel to life.
3 The Set Design
Everything about the show’s design works. Boston looks almost identical to the one in the game or at least some of the wide shots and smaller alleyways do. The signage is one of the most important things a show needs to get right with a video game adaptation. Every warning sign helps build the world, giving viewers context without explicitly hitting them over the head with exposition.
Joel and Tess do not fight any of the fungal infections in the pilot, but they do see one clinging to a wall. How that spored man looks is spot on with how the Cordyceps look in the game. Even the opening is great, which uses The Last of Us theme song along with a quick animation that is reminiscent of Game of Thrones. And again, Pedro looks great as Joel and all of the main cast look close to their video game counterparts which also helps capture the vibe.
2 Ellie’s Language
Ellie, in the first game, is a firebrand. She has a loose tongue and swears like a sailor in front of everyone she meets with some great quotes in the games. The show is not shy about letting Ellie use colorful language which makes sense since HBO shows don’t have to censor anything for Cable.
Ellie is not afraid to get her hands dirty too like when she stabs the guard. She’s also a trickster line when she baits Joel into telling her how the radio codes work. Songs from the 80s mean something bad is going to go down. The show will presumably use licensed music like this throughout the first season.
1 Joel’s Indifference Toward Ellie
Joel and Ellie don’t meet until toward the end of the pilot but even their brief encounter signals a lot to the audience. Joel does not care for kids anymore. He has no problem throwing the body of that child into the fire earlier in the episode even though his work partner does. He points a gun at Ellie without hesitation and doesn’t allow himself to be thrown off guard by her knife. Even when they become allies, he kicks her knife away.
The Last of Us, as a game, was a journey across the United States but it was also a journey mentally for Joel. He had to get over the trauma with Sarah and open up to children again. Ellie’s journey was allowing herself to get close to someone again as well. Together, they become close, but for now, the show rightfully points out their indifferences toward one another.