The Last of Us - HBO *Spoilers* See warning in post #1

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125239#Comment_120125239

Even then, Ellie originally looked even more like Ellen Page at the time, but because they were starring in another game (Beyond Two Souls), Naughty Dog changed Ellie's features a bit to make her more of a cross between Ellen Page and Ashley Johnson.

So for casting for the show, you're never going to get an actress who can give the best performance while also looking close enough like a cross between a young Elliot Page (at the time, Ellen Page) and Ashley Johnson. So they went with just the best actress for the role instead.

johnny_ultimate

TBH even if you could reverse time and look to try to cast a young Elliot Page, the actor's past comments weren't exactly positive about Naughty Dog and the whole physical resemblance thing...

https://www.theverge.com/2013/6/24/4458368/ellen-page-says-the-last-of-us-ripped-off-her-license

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120125213#Comment_120125213

Yeah, here it's been very civil. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Some liked it, some didn't but hey, that's how it goes.

FortuneChip

Have to say, I think they nailed that opening episode.

TV chat show was nicely done; we've seen it in the past where a TV in the background is giving context to what's ahead etc, and it's kinda one-note or throwaway stuff. But spending watever, two minutes directly watching getting to know a bit about these people just shows a little more care than purely expositional stuff (which it is a little anyway). Dropping "Global Warming" and "Pandemic" a clever way to catch people's attention and lure them in early too.

Loved the first half of the episode. I think allowing us to spend a bit more time with Sarah was a great decision. The game was gutwrenching because you were put behind the controls of this character for a little bit, so the best way to keep those who knew what was coming was to give us more of her; like going to the pawn shop, or visiting the neighbours, and I felt the actress really nailed us, while giving those who went into the show blind a very hefty shock, I imagine (and hope). Personally think the actress was great here.

Second half of the episode does slow things down a bit, but to be fair, they've a lot to set-up. And I think they do it to a decent level of depth. They introduce the main characters, they share just enough about roles, responsibilities and motivations while obviously keeping some cards close to their chest too.

Can't really say much about Pedro Pascal. It's funny, I wouldn't have thought of him initially, but once cast I'd no doubts about his ability to portray the role, and he's doing it every bit as well as I'd have imagined.

I didn't have much opinion on Ellie's casting one way or other. While there was a slight resemblance to a young Ellen Page, the person I always thought would fit the bill perfectly was Kaitlyn Dever, off the back of her Justified days, but she's obviously aged out. In that regard, I think they've found a solid performer in Bella Ramsay, and looking forward to seeing more over the course of the season.

It's not necessarily earth-shattering stuff, a lot of the story beats are familiar to the sort of genre, but so far it's very competently delivered and that makes a world of difference. Tone, and character relationships were always going to be important factors to drive it's success - they've nailed the former, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the latter develops.

JP Liz V1

Joel is hot

Pedro Pascal

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120123500#Comment_120123500

I'm the opposite. I never played the game so the looks don't matter (I do know what the kinda Pagey game character looks like though)

My problem with Ramsey is it will take me time to move past her being that really annoying character I hated in GoT.

Pascal on the other hand is such an easy actor to like. Reminds me of Liam Neeson where no matter what type of movie or character he is playing you just like the guy.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133783#Comment_120133783

You should be OK so. Her character bears little resemblance to her character in Thrones. Yes, she has a mouth on her but she's not the OTT bad-ass Mortmont was in Thrones. Obviously the physical aspect will be more difficult to move on from but a couple of episodes in should change that.

In Thrones, her character was a crazy OTT bad-ass (But fun). Here she's much more grounded. A foul-mouthed normal teenager in a sh*t world.

Zero-Cool

For anyone interested, the below is the scene where Joel meets Ellie in the game. It doesn't show anything that wasn't shown or hinted at in the 1st episode of the show, just if anyone wants to see the original characters and similarities/differences.

https://youtu.be/ZrBkmlOWhIY

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120133860#Comment_120133860

Ya I'm not worried about the characters being similar it will just take a few episodes of Ramsey playing a different character before I stop seeing Mormont as you say.

Episode 1 took a little long to get exactly where we knew it was going but it done a good job of explaining everything you need to know and definitely good enough to be excited for more.

CastorTroy

Spoiler Warning

"Don't touch the Cordyceps as it's all connected"

Joel proceeds to touch first piece they see with his bare hand.

I guess things likes those opening scenes they could only really do in the game by articles and stuff so the series allows for some expansion in that way.

Vicxas

First 2 episodes have been very good. I was expecting it to be a disaster having played both games and been burned by video game adaptations. but so far my fears have been unfounded.

Also I usually hate children in these type of shows but I find the back and forth between Ellie and Joel good.

Penn

Another great episode. Once again, the performances are damn near perfect (Pedro is playing it a bit more reserved and subdued than Joel in the game which is interesting, but still feels exactly like it needs to), they've managed to balance the integration of what would be gameplay into action scenes, and the Clickers looked and acted great. They do come across as a real threat while also showing how tense it is while sneaking around them due to their lack of sight.

The show is hitting all the notes it needs to. No complaints so far.

coltmaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120122652#Comment_120122652

I watched all "From" at your recommendation, although I kind of enjoyed it, it was no where near as polished as TLOU. The acting is pretty bad especially in the first episode and every character is so annoying. The mystery was what kept me going and it seems to be perpetual.

Episode 2 of TLOU was great. Loved the start of it. Think all the exposition needed for the future is now out of the way. The action was good and finally a show that portraits shooting realistically. I no longer fear this will be anything but a great show and adaptation.

naughto

I loved the ducks swimming around

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146046#Comment_120146046

Yeah agree excellent episode though...

Spoiler Warning

I feel the Clickers didn't really come across as "scary" as they could have. The tension was great when they were sneaking around, but when they actually had Joel on the floor, I didn't feel they were about to start ripping him apart. Instead they were just biting aimlessly at air. They could have had the Clicker start grabbing at him and about to rip him apart when it gets shot. I'm thinking like the imminent danger you felt when watching 28 Weeks Later and people were trapped in a room with a zombie ... also maybe a bit more dripping ooze on the Clicker's head would have added something and made it appear less like a prop

Maybe no need for spoiler section in this thread though, considering the title

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146386#Comment_120146386

I think it comes down to the difference between 'infected' and zombies. Zombies typically just want to feed and eat; people tend to become infected by surviving a zombie attack but being bitten, so the infection and becoming a zombie is accidental. The infected in TLOU want to spread the infection as much as possible, so deaths are more due to the trauma and injuries sustained from infected and are accidental. The Clicker would have been trying to infect Joel rather than kill, though there's still the risk of death from being caught by one.

shrewdness

Another top quality episode. Loved the deviation to the game at the start of the episode, where they show Jakarta. I'd always been curious of the global impact and origin of the infection, and it makes more sense to show that bit here rather than shoehorning it into a game. Those additional segments which are brand new really help to keep this show a bit fresher even for people very familiar with the game, and fleshes out the world more. Also seems like the flour theory was bang on.

Thought the whole build up and reveal of the Clickers was really well done. They nailed the look and sound of them, and the fear they invoked in Joel and Tess - even at the thought of them being there - really shows the threat.

tony1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146740#Comment_120146740

That scene was brilliantly done, the tension was gripping, I felt like I was there with them!

Shane St.

great episode. loving this

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146441#Comment_120146441

Just read something from an interview with Craig Mazin regarding infection. I'll put in spoilers below just in case.

Spoiler Warning

"We were already talking about tendrils coming out [of the infected's mouths] and we were asking these philosophical questions: 'Why are infected people violent? If the point is to spread the fungus, why do they need to be violent?,'" he said. "We landed on that they don’t. They’re violent because we resist, but what if you don’t? What does it look like if you just stand perfectly still and let them do this to you?"

tony1980

I guess we do see that with Tess and the kiss of death

mrcheez

Yeah I guess I was basing it on the game in that the Clickers were always trying to bite into you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHDP8sksFM

johnny_ultimate

While I’m still a little removed from the main story given how extremely similar it is to the game (while acknowledging everyone’s doing a good job), I do at least appreciate that the opening sequences so far have been committed to offering something a bit newer and more expansive in a way only a TV show really can. This week’s episode was a nice little self-contained bit of backstory that added depth while being a solid bit of dramatic storytelling on its own terms.

Credit to the production designers as well - while drawing heavily from the game’s aesthetics, that overgrown hotel really did feel seriously overgrown 😅

Slydice

2: Well crap.

Spoiler Warning

Damn that felt bad. Not Anna Torv! 😦

I'll say this much... I like how a whole bunch of those scenes felt like how some games have the characters moving from place to place and then some set pieces / dialogue / problem solving.

That creepy one

Spoiler Warning

scene where Joel was reloading and all went quiet and then in one side of my headset, they had it make the click noise!

That was well done!

Tony EH

They've certainly stuck a few bob into the production of this thing. Post apocalypse downtown Boston looked excellent.

noodler

Excellent again.

Tess handled better than in the game.

mrcheez

Thought Anna Torv looked hotter in this episode somehow too ;)

Less bruised I guess :D

BruteStock

Mashing square came to mind when Joel moved that cabinet out of the way to progress forward. I love how the exterior scenes look like old school special effects. Lots of practical sets were built and that's why most of it looks so real. That can sometimes make the cgi parts stand out like a sore thumb. But that's not the case here , the world blends together beautifully. Imo , its more impressive to look at than the Billion dollar Rings Of Power.

Zero-Cool

Just class, atmospheric, tense, beautiful and ugly. Excellent episode and is moving things along nicely. That kiss at the end was horrific, even more so with how slow and controlled it was instead of lashing out. Like they said, that's what it looks like when you don't resist.

Roll on next week for the episode reviewers calling the best of the season and the best episode of tv in years. Things like that though will never live up to the hype but I'm sure it will be a good un.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146127#Comment_120146127

I watched all "From" at your recommendation, although I kind of enjoyed it, it was no where near as polished as TLOU. The acting is pretty bad especially in the first episode and every character is so annoying. The mystery was what kept me going and it seems to be perpetual.

My only complaint is there was too many unnecessary filler conversations that seem to go on forever. And yes your're right, the mystery is what keeps it going which is why I likened it to Lost. The mysterious 'zombies' are really scary though and i don't scare easily, best I've seen lol.

Anyway enough of "From" and I've been convinced to watch the next episode of TLOS since ye all are gushing about it :)