The Last Of Us (TV Series)

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

 

Approved two years before the dark times... before the Zaslav... and having to be filmed during an actual plague, it's taken a couple of years to get right but it looks decent. The trailer seems to concentrate more on the human than the horror, which also seems promising.

 

• Pedro Pascal doing a similar job to Mando - ferry one special, mildly irritating kid out West.
• Bella Ramsey - who you might remember as the funny, fierce and fearless giant-slayer Lyanna Mormont in Thrones - bringing some slightly more irritating teen vibes to Ellie.
• Anna Torv (Fringe) swings in as smuggling partner Jess...
• Gabriel Luna (Agents of SHIELD, True Detective) as idealistic baby bro Tommy.
• There are also a few entirely new or expanded characters - and in a nice touch, quite a number of the games' voice actors will be present in quite chunky roles.
• There is one small glimpse of a trio of Big Bads at the end of the trailer, but hopefully they show this stuff sparingly.

[WanderingAries]

That bloater can GTFO. I found out the hard way just how close together you can drop nail bombs/mines because of them. 😛

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

So, Last Of Us is among us, and... it's apparently very good indeed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64261582

Admittedly the writers had a lot more to work with than (and live up to) than most game adaptations.

But well done. Well done indeed.

Now if we could just pitch a City Of Heroes adap to the same writers...

 

[Mr. Vee]

It was good, though I haven't played the game so I have nothing to compare it to (my console gaming days are done). First ep is 80 minutes but felt well shorter than any random 50 minute Doom Patrol or even a 30 minute Moon Knight.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Having watched through Ep1 myself... I know of LoU and have read much praise for it, but never played it, so I'm coming in fresh.

This is A Good Thing. But if LoU players do show up here, please let us know about any in-jokes etc they've used.

Now we go beyond the wall... SPOILER QUARANTINE ZONE AHOY!

Spoiler

• Gripping stuff right from the opening diatribe by John Hannah. Leisurely ratcheting of tension.
• Oh, and if you don't already know that Cordyceps is a real thing (though thankfully not infectious to humans... yet, but then again, these are the 2020s), DO NOT GOOGLE IT. That stuff will haunt your fnarking nightmares for days. It's also a much more logical choice for semi-intelligent zombies than a viral, bacterial or prion infection.
• I wish I hadn't known about the core plot points beforehand. The way that meticulous, beautifully ratcheted setup sequence with Sarah sets up a capsule relationship, the descent into hell, and consequent tragedy. It makes you fully invested in a character you lose at square one. As good as Carl and Ellie from Up, which is very, very high praise from me.
• Oh, and rule 24 of Movie Survival: ALWAYS trust the dog (or cat, in Jonesy's case).
• Joel / Pedro's setup as Boston's Ultimate Badass (slightly lampshaded by the Clint Eastwood gags) is done very nicely. Especially Tess's negotiation scene.
• BTW, what do LoU veterans think of the choice of Anna Torv here, and the rest of the supporting cast? As a huge Fringe fan I'm happy to see her back, and it seems to suit her style very well.
• Bits that feel taken from a game - again, not having played, I don't know - but worked in very effectively:
  • Open-world exploration / control familiarisation with Sarah.
  • The "on rails" sequence from Sarah's PoV in the back of the truck.
  • The jumpscare with the luckless final-stage Cordyceps victim.
  • Ooh, stealth-em-up practice before taking down a guard! With rain, lighting effects and pipes to crawl through!
  • "If you tell me to 'look for the light', I'm gonna break your face", coupled with the way that character's framed and introduced centre-screen, sounds very like an in-joke for players. Am I right?
• As with good comedy, set stuff up, pay it off:
  • Chekhov's fungus-detector gun.
  • The Sarah / Ellie parallel with the soldiers.
  • On a scale of Banarama to Rick Astley, what level of trouble is Depeche Mode?

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[WanderingAries]

I have played all of the above (expansions and all) multiple times to the point that I've bought it for PS5 (again), so you can say I'm somewhat familiar with it (as with Uncharted). I liked Uncharted as a film, but didn't really like the mismatch of actors for the characters. Again, I Did like the film overall. I fear the same for TLoU as I'm already kinda miffed about Joel being a bit of a mismatch. Now do I expect to Like the series? Oh hell yeah. Will that still bug me? Sure, but I doubt it'll take away from my experience.

 

The biggest issue I have is that I don't already have HBO and will have to pay for another service to watch it. 😞  Then again, I'm faced with the same issue for some of the Apple TV+ exclusives as well as something that's on Hulu, but I forget what it is RN.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Episode 2 spoilerage ahoy:

Spoiler

• Yes, we've had one, but what about second scientific exposition sequence?
• ...Not that I'm complaining. Christine Hakim/Ibu Ratna's quiet dignity shines through, from being abducted by the military to trying to process what she's just seen. And the depth of her horror is reflected in the calm, glassy way she orders the bombing of the city, including herself and her family.
• Also, Jakarta and its people kinda look and behave like themselves rather than an American moviemaker's version, which is always nice to see.
• Back to the present, and moodily beautiful shots of a slightly foxed Edmonton Boston...
• ...some open-world exploration and jokes about alternate zombie types (does Ellie get hold of the joke book in this one?)...
• ...a conversation while Tess solves a sliding-door puzzle...
• ...and our first distant look at a horde.
• Oh networked zombies now, is it? What next? Cloud zombies? Brrraaaaiiiins-As-A-Service? Sheesh. Can't be having with these modern trends.
• Our first up close and personal in a collapsing, haunted-house Bostonian with the echolocating "clickers". Showing off one of the signature monsters to good effect. (Though in a room full of weapons, you'd think a pikestaff would come in really handy for keeping the damn things off you.)
• Real shame to see Anna Torv get fridged this early, though it kinda-sorta-mirrors the plot of the game...
• ...and what a way to go. I mean, I think I've had worse dates, but still. Yeesh.

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[WanderingAries]

Yup, as expected. I had my game -> TV character miffs, but the actual production was good.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Just ahead of tonight's ep: the sad news that the OG Tess Annie Wersching (also ST:Picard's Borg Queen, Bosch, 24, Vampire Diaries and others) has died at the age of 45. Cancer sucks. May she rest in light.

 

Okay, here we go...

Spoiler

• One of the things about adapting a story is that while sometimes you have to kill your darlings...
• ...sometimes you can give them the love they deserved first. All 75 minutes if you're not running to an adman's schedule.
• Bill & Frank aren't just rewritten, they get more-or-less their own bottle episode, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett (White Lotus).
• And the way they are together... how it plays out... [schniff]...
• ...look, damnit, just give Offerman the damn Outstanding Guest Actor (Drama) Emmy already.
• Surprisingly he wasn't first choice, though this Bill also slightly plays off his previous Parks & Rec incarnation...
• ...and helps set up some absolutely outstanding jokes. ("...well they are NOW, but not THEN...")
• And an ending. Everything ends. It's not a thing you can avoid. But, as far as anyone does in this world or TLOU, those two got a happy one.
• You can almost hear the ghost of the infamous Offerman giggle as Bella reads their note.
• Per Wikipedia - which seems to have a truly devoted editor, or possibly a fairly gifted HBO intern writing on their behalf - the idea of this episode wasn't just telling Bill & Frank's story, and how relationships build over time. It's a tension breaker from the previous two episodes, and also shows how some people built a life, survived, thrived even outside the system. And that funny guys do soulful really well.
• Oh, and Joel and Ellie are in it a bit as well. We learn that FEDRA wiped out anyone not considered fit enough to work in the QZs...
• ...and courtesy of Bill, they're now fully tooled up and didn't have to kill a single Bloater to do it.

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Mr. Vee]

I almost dropped the series when i saw the runtime of ep 3. glad i didn't, as it was a strong ep.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

3 hours ago, Mr. Vee said:

I almost dropped the series when i saw the runtime of ep 3. glad i didn't, as it was a strong ep.

I read your other post.

So... you too, huh?

 

I think we need an emotional support thread or a helpline or something after that one.

And if they hit us with something like that this week, I have no idea what they're going to throw at these characters to put it back in the main thread next week, but it is going to be traumatic. I'm bringing popcorn.

[Mr. Vee]

If it helps, alternate reality you probably bit any of your old colleagues you didn't care for.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Ep4: back to the road...

Spoiler

• Backstory on Tommy and a bit of road-tripping.
• Ah, an OG gamer's-fake-dilemma: help a guy, get trapped. Ignore the guy, find out he got hit by the trap before you and was trying to warn you... and get trapped.
• Ellie's Chekhov's gun turns into first a division, then a bonding moment. After a little bit of brutal realism.
• Melanie Lynskey (Candy, 2.5 Men) shows up as new character Kathleen: anonymous wasteland hunters getting an upgrade and plotline.
• She's looking for Henry (who we haven't met in-show yet, and she thinks is responsible for her brother's death).
• The Infected have means of sneaking past defences...
• ...as do survivors. Hello, Henry, and Ellie's mirror-character Sam.
• Oh, and they DID throw in the joke book. Nice.

 

After the unexpected masterclass last week, hauling us back to the main tale was always going to be a bit of a let-down.

But feels like it's setting up for the next one or two, and has some finely judged moments between Pedro and Bella.

[Mr. Vee]

Yeah I'm teetering on the edge of tapping out. Glad I stuck around to see ep 3 but I have no interest in the main story really.

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Villainess goals...

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

So, Ep5… probably not a wise choice for St Val’s, but my partner did ask. 

Spoiler

• Strong scenes with Joel, Sam, Ellie and Henry The Rat. Who seems to be JUST holding it together.
• Ellie’s found a friend. This is gonna end badly, isn’t it?
• Psycho Soccer Mom isn’t very nice, or forgiving. But gets things done, and gets a very strong speech scene…vso it’s gonna end badly, isn’t it?
• One bit that didn’t: The Magic Castle playgroup scene is a weird, unexpected and lovely breather after endless preparation for a jumpscare that didn’t come.
• Very videogame type moment: Dodge The Sniper challenge!
• Things looking bleak for our heroes, when from under the hill comes the cavalry. The kind you DO NOT WANT to see.
• Did everyone else just go “ooooh sh****t” when the truck started moving?
• Our first look at a Bloater. I’m not sure if it’s a belief-breaker in a very human series, but nonetheless suitably unstoppable. (Damn, fresh outta pipe bombs…)
• You knew Ellie wasn’t going to make it better. Probably she did too, but she had to try. And dammit, that hurt, as did what happened next. Seeing her blank out was worse.

 

The most downbeat ep so far. Let’s see where they go next week, but even I'm beginning to find this rough road.

Edited February 14, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

For those of you still sticking with it, that other Pedro Pascal series is still going... just caught up.

Spoiler

Ep6: Kin

• Never ignore old Native American folks.
• The series plays with music and sound the same way as the game does - foreboding music might cue up something horrible, or it might be screwing with you.
• Evidently frontier post-apocalyptic towns have really good hairdressers, as Gabriel Luna's looking flawlessly coiffed.
• More to the point, it's a another look at another possible life, where things (and people) work together properly - no fascists, no raiders, no infected, just folks. Tommy found his redemption.
• Which Joel may not, at least before his heart condition gets him first.
• Bella Ramsey needs to nick at least one of the Emmys that Offerman doesn't take home, because the sense of abandonment and determination that comes through in both episodes.
• Frontiers are dangerous and Joel is clearly not your Immortal Hero. Tricky gut shot to come back from.
• Epic Sad Depeche Mode was unnecessary but effective.

Ep7: Left Behind (aka Secret Origins in some territories, because religion)

• Joel's had more than his share of flashbacks, so time to figure out where Ellie's come from.
• Evil High School is Evil. (Well, pretty average high school in terms of evilness IMHO, but YMMV.)
• ...but what could be happier than two kids getting the run of the (abandoned, slightly creepy, possibly Infected-infested) mall?
• FLAWLESS VICTORY! And a bit of a memory from me of college and regular MK1 tournaments in the bar. Yes, I'm old.
• No, I don't know who Vic's Secret is for either.
• The merry go round scene is lovely, and hides another great use of music. Just Like Heaven has been part of my DNA since I was a floaty-satin-babygoth, and holds many very happy memories. But also, being 80s music in this series, means trouble ahead.
• Which, naturally, there is. Ellie's anger, abandonment, joy, reuniting, and then ultimately tragedy.
• This all sets up the last moment in the house with Joel. She ain't losing anyone again, or at least, she's going to do everything she can.

So, if being put through an emotional wringer is what makes your Mondays, still worth sticking with it.

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

So, finished up series 1, with less emotional support drinking required for the last two episodes.

Spoiler

• Ep8 and Ep9 hew very close to the skeleton of the original game, while putting extra meat on its bones in some places and gnawing some off elsewhere...
• David the cannibal gets a stellar turn from Scott Shepherd in his two-handed scenes with Bella, with the quite warm, reasonable, sympathetic character gradually going full Lecter, then... even worse. 
• The giraffe bit is nearly a shot-for-shot recreation of the game, though Joel takes the lead in feeding it and helping Ellie open up again after her experiences. According to the wiki, that took over a month to plan and film, getting Calgary Zoo giraffes used to being hand-fed. Worth it. Every second of it.
• The shootout, Marlene's death and ending sequence also very similar - though per the wiki, HBO asked for a "softer" alt ending that didn't work. Given Ramsey's performance, you simply don't know if she knows Joel's lying and she is just going to deal with that.

So, a good end to a great series - but only good. Given everything else we've had thrown at us in this season, Ep9 felt oddly lightweight and the only place where emotional punches were pulled a bit, like the last return to station glide on a coaster.

 

So, a great series, so many candidates for standout performance, directing and editing. 

 

But where do we go from here? They've more or less 100%'d part 1 of the game plus the Left Behind DLC. Part II was greenlit on January 27th, even before normal humans got to see the Bill & Frank episode (but the critics had screeners by that point...), which is one hell of a vote of confidence. Thoughts:

 

Spoiler

Part II, if you've not played or spoilered yourself via Wiki, loses Joel in a rather brutal manner fairly early on. Which means Ramsey would have to carry the rest of the series without Pascal (or Luna for most of it). She'd be relying for her powerful interactions on whoever they cast to play girlfriend Dina and antagonist Abby, so they'd better be good enough to hold up to her.  You'd excuse the writers for making a few changes to keep the Big Star and that core relationship around a while longer, though it's a bold dramatic choice if they carry it through early.

 

Also, mindful of what happened with GoT and GRRM, Naughty Dog asked them to stage through Part II, potentially expanding and breaking it into two seasons, but keep storylines clean in anticipation of their possible Part III.

 

So I could see them stretching the material for S2 right up to Joel's death as a devastating cliffhanger moment, padding out with new material around Ellie's return to SLC and chronicling the breakdown of their relationship, then following a straighter course through the rest of the game for S3. Def looking forward to it.

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[battlewraith]

Wasting away here in PedroPascal-ville

Dragging this special girl Ellie about

People say that there's some fungi to blame

But I know, it's my own damn fault

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

On 1/30/2023 at 12:48 PM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

...look, damnit, just give Offerman the damn Outstanding Guest Actor (Drama) Emmy already.

 

Well, it's about damn time. Send a particularly fine scotch to Mr. Offerman's table, please... 

https://tvline.com/awards/nick-offerman-emmys-acceptance-speech-the-last-of-us-1235109514/

 

And I may be framing this on a wall somewhere:

"What we do to care for each other... is the whole damn point."