The Last Of Us Episode 1 Review
Credit to: Naughty Dog, Sony, and HBOBest Live-Action Video Game Adaptation OF All TIme?
Welcome back, y’all! This time around, we’re taking a look at HBO’s brand new series, The Last of Us! Now, unlike how I usually do television show reviews, I’m going to shorten the review to minimize, if not, prevent spoilers altogether. I know it’s different, but, it’s my hope that after this review here, you’ll want to watch the series if you haven’t already. For The Bad Batch season 2, I’ll continue to summarize the episode that’s being reviewed, but when The Mandalorian season 3 comes out, I’ll review it the way I’m doing here, which is how I review movies and games. If you’re unfamiliar, that means I’ll just be doing a section for the pros, a section for the cons, then the final thoughts section. If you prefer the regular method, you can absolutely either email us, or send a DM on Instagram, feedback is always accepted and appreciated. Alright, without and further ado, let’s just jump right into it.
Pros
Honestly, I wasn’t really sure where to start when I finished the episode. I had so many feelings that I was paying attention to, so that way I can convey those feelings to you all as thoroughly as possible. I think that’s a good place to start, which is how I felt in the beginning, middle, and end. First of all, I’ll say this: this is a very long first episode, running at a good hour and twenty minutes. If you’re the kind of person who tends to get distracted by other things after a while, or you tend to get bored after like, thirty, forty five minutes, that may stop you dead in your tracks from watching this. Now, let me say this: Hold on. You would being doing yourselves a disservice if you forgo this episode, or even worse, this series as a whole. After I explain how I felt, it’ll of course be up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it. In the beginning, I immediately felt immersed. I enjoyed the video game very much, and I enjoyed those characters in that game very much. I feel the very same in this adaptation. Joel played by Pedro Pascal, was done to literal perfection. I feel like he truly was perfectly adapted, and the character is done justice here. He’s a little broody, maybe a bit standoffish, but he does have some lightheartedness to him and some humor to him. That’s great, and what makes him so great is the acting from Pedro Pascal. He really does put his all into this character, and if you follow his social media and have watched any interviews of his, you can tell that he really does care about this role, and that’s made very clear from just how powerful his acting is in this first episode alone. His daughter, Sarah, played by Nico Parker, was also done beautifully. For those who know, we don’t really see a lot of her in the video game, but here, we see her character given some real value. There’s depth there. There’s a beautiful dynamic between her and her father here, I would argue even more than the video game. She’s kind, witty, funny, and compelling. Then there’s Joel’s brother, Tommy, played by Gabriel Luna, who supports Joel and his daughter from beginning to end. The brothers joke, the brothers bicker with one another, talk smack the way siblings usually do, and all in all, they just work so well together. If you loved Tommy in the game, you’ll love him here. Then there’s Tess, played by Anna Torv, who’s strong, supportive, also funny in a dark, indirect way, and a pleasure to be with. Finally, we’re brought to good old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey. Let me keep this simple. I. Loved. Her. No, she’s not a brat the way television shows love to have young characters be written. Not at all the case with Ellie. There’s a clear, deep respect for this character, and that’s shown in the writing, and also Bella Ramsey’s acting. Seeing Ellie and Joel finally unite and begin their journey together put a big, and I mean BIG smile on my face. I already loved Joel, and I started to immediately love Ellie, so having these two great characters together was just great.
That’s how I feel about those characters, now let’s talk about the show overall so far. I genuinely feel like the atmosphere was nailed. It was literal perfection. It felt so real. The chaos of the outbreak, the uncertainty of those uninfected, the emotionless, brutal, and absolutely TERRIFYING depiction of the Infected, and so much more, made me fall for the show and want more, all within the first half hour. After finishing the 2003 sequence (I won’t spoil it for anyone who has no clue about Joel’s backstory), I literally needed a few minutes alone. I know what happens in the game, but the pain and suffering that was put on screen, being shown by a real person genuinely hurt me. I could never imagine anything so painful, and I hope I never do. All I could do was cry, and I mean that. I actually shed a tear, and my eyes welled up as I watched everything unfold in front of me, in such a realistic manner. The panic alone made me uneasy, but seeing the Infected for the first time, with the way they just don’t stop the hunt really made me uncomfortable, and in a good way. That’s the beginning, now here’s the middle. When we’re brought to the present day, you just can’t help but feel all alone. Sure, there’s survivors, but with such strict jurisdiction from the military, and the laws they have in place, it makes you feel for the people they’re supposed to be protecting. They feel more like cattle, being moved along by shepherds with guns, and it’s horrible. There’s rebellion, but it’s made clear that not much progress has been made, and we’re already forced to question whether or not any progress will be made at all. It’s the wild west, and the law is the cause. You feel the pain. You feel the confusion. You feel the fear. You feel everything the show wants you to, and it’s fantastic. That’s the middle, here’s the end. As tensions rise, you feel a genuine worry for Joel, Ellie, and Tess. You feel worry for the people of Boston, because if these three characters are trying to escape from safety to find safety, you have to wonder just how cruel this place is in its current state to everyone else. There’s nothing scarier than seeing an infected person chasing after you, throwing themselves through walls, doors, furniture, any of that, but people with power over you and guns that seem to be constantly trained at you come in at a very close second. The danger of man puts Joel through the wringer in one specific scene, where we see him go through an episode of PTSD, thinking back on a certain terrible memory, and it makes him snap. He goes from cold and monotone, to loud and ruthless when he’s reminded of that very event, and you feel for him. You understand why, but it also makes you worry for his mental health, too. Now, mix all of that up, and you have, quite literally, the perfect video game adaptation. No, maybe, quite literally, one of the most perfect premieres for a series in modern time.
Cons
Here it is, the section where I point out the bad. You want to know what I think is bad about this first episode? Here it comes: nothing. Literally. I’m not just saying that, I genuinely find this first episode to be perfect. I’d say I wish it went on for longer, but of course that’s just me wanting more, like many others who’ve seen this already. I love the characters, I love the tone, I love the writing, I love it all. This is beautiful, and I really hope they continue this path they’ve started on. I have no issues with this first episode whatsoever. Well done.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know how many times I’ve said this already, but ugh, I love this series already. I genuinely can’t wait for more of this masterpiece. You know, a few days before today, the 16th, I had worries. The common trope in the gaming community is that, whenever a video game or video game series is adapted into live action, it’s a disaster. I will say that there are quite a few terrible adaptations, but I assure you, this is not one of them. I’d go as far as to say that this is the greatest video game adaptation of all time, bar none. I mean that. The game it’s based on, The Last Of Us by Naughty Dog and Sony, is a fantastic game. I love it, but it’s not even top five on my personal list of favorite video game series. That’s not to knock it as a worse game, I just find my personal list of game series to be better for me personally. The point of me saying that, is to ensure you all that I genuinely have no biases. In fact, when it came to most anticipated projects of 2023, this show actually wasn’t up there for me. Why? Because of that trope. And guess what? It completely broke through it. It killed it in every way, shape, and form. It not only subverted my expectations, but it completely captured my attention, it tugged on my heart strings without fail, and it satisfied me to the fullest. This episode was absolutely amazing. But what did you all think? Let us know on Instagram, and make sure you’re following to stay up to date with the latest entertainment news and reviews. But that all from me, this has been The Wolf Den!
