I never got to play The Last of Us because I never had a PlayStation. I might play it when it comes out for Steam, but we will see how stable I am on March 3rd. I have heard great things about the game, and everyone I know who played it loved it, but I have also been lucky enough to not encounter any spoilers. I went into this series as blindly as possible and loved every minute. The Last of Us has gotten its strong start. It effectively introduces its world and problems and shows off how effective it can be with its storytelling. If you have been cautious about getting into the series, don’t be. At the very least, you will love the first episode.
The world has been thrown into chaos as a mysterious disease runs rampant across the world. People are turning into zombies, and the remaining survivors struggle to create a new life from the burning remains of the old one. Warring factions fight over resources, and every day seems to be more hopeless. The series focuses on Joel and his story of survival as he escorts a young girl into the unknown. Can they survive with the limited resources left behind after the fall, or will their end be tragic like so many before them?
There is only one episode of this series out at the moment, with a new one released every Sunday. Usually, I complain about a show going on a weekly schedule, but The Last of Us takes full advantage of it. By the end of the episode, I was left wanting more and saddened that I will have to wait another week to learn what happens next. Yes, I could easily look up what happens next, but I don’t want to. I want to enjoy the ride as it happens and remain hopeful that they don’t mess it up.
The acting is fantastic, the pacing is great, and the action is intense. I haven’t felt this much anxiety in a while, especially from a zombie series. If you haven’t played the game or know anything about it, this series does a fantastic job of existing on its own. You will be caught up by the end of the episode, but frustrated that there isn’t more. I hope the series can keep this momentum because I have been burned by shows before.
I will admit that I was afraid that they were going to mess this up because recent video game adaptations haven’t been great. I am relieved that The Last of Us got its strong start. It has a great cast and competent storytellers. I will continue tuning in, and I recommend you do the same. Check out the first episode on HBO max if you have a subscription.
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I did play the game, years ago. I think it was one of the last things I played before my PlayStation bit the dust and I never replaced it. Anyway, I liked the first episode ― good performances, creepy situations, very much a dystopian feel to what’s left of society. My wife was less impressed, referring to it as “The Walking Fungus” and speculating that the scenes were shot to make them look like the video game (which they totally were), but of course she is not the target audience here.
If we’re making video game adaptations, I would love to see one of the Fatal Frame series. Its “Crimson Butterfly” installment is easily the scariest video game I have ever played.
I was super impressed at how dystopian everything was. I can see the similarities with the walking dead, but I never really got into that show. I read the comic so I was a bit disappointed by the series. Maybe she’ll get into it with more episodes under her belt? My wife didn’t want to watch it, but she was super into it once it started doing its thing.
Oh those would be very cool adaptations. I can’t play through those because they are too scary for me, but I have watched playthroughs! I can’t do horror games, something about having the power in my hands freaks me out more than watching horror happen to someone else.
I’ve not watched it or played the game, yet. I feel pretty sure I will at some point. The Girl With All The Gifts reminded me of what I’d heard about Last of Us the video game, and from the sound of this review, the series will be on that side as well and that’s not a bad thing! Looking forward to watching it just a bit more now.
Beautiful
Thanks!