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

Exclamation Marc

I thought it was simply magnificent. The quality of acting was largely top drawer and it was a humdinger of an opener. I was impressed with the amount of story set-up they were able to get through in the first 80 minutes without it feeling laboured or too high-level. I don't think the episode was particularly slow at all but I suggest those who think it was slow have a bit of patience as the story needed that world-building to fully encapsulate the mindset of the major characters shown so far (and those to come).

The opening scene with John Hannah was a brilliant choice to provide some lore. Pascal is a brilliant Joel so far and his descent into brutality was well told (and assumedly will continue). Bella Ramsey was excellent too and is a worthy Ellie. I'm looking forward to seeing how the clickers and the more significantly affected are portrayed.

Sitting there with my other half who has zilch interest in video games, it was a joy to see the rollercoaster (albeit one with few 'highs') that it brought her on from her devastation at the incident with Sarah to her shock at some of the later brutality. She adored it too and had her gripped.

I think all but one of my friends absolutely loved it and the one that didn't has always had some condescension towards video games so it was to be expected.

It's such a treat to have some event television of such high quality. Roll on the next 8 weeks.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119173#Comment_120119173

As I said in a previous post (though I admit, it's not something I picked up on myself by watching and is instead something I've seen mentioned elsewhere), it likely spread through infected food, probably flour. That's where the initial infections came from, including the old neighbour (but there were a few references to Sarah, Joel, Tommy not eating anything with flour in it at least that day which is why they weren't infected). The infected are technically still alive as the infection is keeping their body alive as a host, but they're completely controlled by the infection/fungus. Infected people can infect others through bites (eg. the tendrils that came out from infected people's mouths), and once someone is infected they eventually turn within about 24 hours.

If someone infected dies, the fungus grows out of their decomposing body and there are tendrils from it that can still infect people if it touches you.

It's why Ellie is so important. At the end of the episode she tests positive as being infected, but shows the bitemark on her arm and says she was bitten three weeks ago. Hence why Marlene's group were keeping her chained up and testing that she still knew how to count etc. They were waiting for her to turn but she didn't, so she appears to be immune.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119237#Comment_120119237

Didn't the daughter wake up and make pancakes for herself & Joel ? They would surely be made from flour

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119173#Comment_120119173

We can assume that, being a fungi, eventually grows to completely replace and kill the host and grow out of it and produce spores that can spread the infection airborne, but in a limited area, and only from a dead host, like the one in the basement.

The initial jump might have been from a dead insect, something like this:

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119270#Comment_120119270

They were going to make pancakes but were out of pancake batter, so they had eggs instead. The neighbours in the morning offer Joel something but he claims to be on the Atkins diet (edit: just rewatched that scene and the male neighbour is feeding the disabled woman 'biscuits' (ie. American version of scones or whatever) and offers Joel some but he says no). Sarah leaves the neighbours' before eating the cookies the carer was making. Joel forgets to pick up a birthday cake.

There may be others, or it may be nonsense. I'm not sure. It's definitely not something I picked up on while watching. But looking back, there are definitely a few likely intentional references to Joel & Sarah not eating things with flour.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119270#Comment_120119270

No, they didnt have any pancake mix. they made a point of saying that. she made eggs instead i think.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119312#Comment_120119312

Spoiler Warning

There are no spores in the TV show. there were in the game and people wore gasmasks. They took out the spores as characters wearing gaskmasks all the time makes for bad TV. they were replaced with tendrils instead. when they came across the dead body stuck to the wall you could see the tendrils.

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119312#Comment_120119312

See it doesn't make sense because the zombies where literally eating people ,

If the Fiugi is in control & trying to spread surely they should just bite you an leave you be, but the zombie where on the ground eating people , if your dead the fungi can live in you can it ? like they don't get back up like TWD zombies,

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119317#Comment_120119317

i think your right , way to much of a coincided for all them other things to be mentioned ,

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119329#Comment_120119329

Well there are mind altering infections that 100% kill the host, e.g rabies. Or fungi parasites like this one in the show who again kill the host 100%. The parasite doesn't have a mind of its own, it doesn't think ahead, it's just an evolutionary thing.

pjohnson

That was fantastic opening. Definitely up there with Days Gone Bye (The Walking Dead), Pilot (LOST) and Chapter 1 (Legion) as brilliant premieres that hook you right in.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119329#Comment_120119329

I think that they get back up eventually as the hosts are just getting deep into their 'new' hosts. The poster on the wall made reference to how long it takes to be consumed depending on where you are bitten. The 'dead' on the streets will get back up again (now being consumed by the fungi) - that's why they burn corpses in the DZ.

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119328#Comment_120119328

Yes indeed but maybe this is an evolution change that only happened in the humans. Before that it's very possible that the infection was airborne and spreading silently, which will (kind of) explain why it all went to hell all at once.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119329#Comment_120119329

I agree, but again I think it comes down to lack of control and the biting to infect causing enough injury to the person that it kills them, rather than the infected trying to eat the person.

It would be hard for the infected to know exactly where to bite, for how long, how to miss arteries, when has the infection passed through etc. And especially if people only start to show signs of infection after a few hours, it's possible the infected people are trying to make sure the infection passes on by staying on top of them or continuing to bite them. It's just pure "bite hard and long enough to try pass the infection along" with no real control. The fungi is in control, but it's also not able to properly judge things like that. For every 10 it tries to infect it's likely it'd kill 9 and only 1 would pass it on.

head82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119057#Comment_120119057

Very well spotted Penn! The whole infected flour thing makes a lot of sense. In the episode intro.. the John Hannah TV debate.. there's a mention of 'ergot', a fungus that grows on cereal plants. There was a famous case in France circa late 19th century where a whole village were deemed to have gone 'mad' seemingly overnight. It turned out they had eaten ergot infected rye bread from the village baker. Ergot was once used as the main ingredient for the manufacturing of LSD.

This historical case would become known as 'St. Anthonys Fire'.

And this theory would go some way to explaining why the biscuit eating old dear was 'turning' without any interaction with an infected person. Also how Joel, Tommy and Sarah avoided infection by not eating pancakes, biscuits or cake.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119400#Comment_120119400

Yeah I rewatched the John Hannah scene again to see if he mentioned anything like that. He also mentioned that the fungi doesn't pass to humans because it can't survive in a host with temperatures above 94degrees, but that if the world's climate got warmer, it may evolve to be able to do so (and the scene with John Hannah was set in the late 60's, so 30-40 years before the start of the show).

Penn

I'd also just like to add to the discussion, those opening credits are tremendous. I adore the music from the game and they've kept the same composer and main theme from the game. Hearing the main theme as well as snippets from other tracks from the game is just a joy.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119548#Comment_120119548

Agreed. They have nailed the soundtrack and Gustavo Santaolalla's arrangements remain perfect.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119548#Comment_120119548

I remember E3 a few years ago and the Sony presentation started with him just sitting on stage with the guitar. Was fantastic. Was SO great to hear the music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDX3IAmIEro

head82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119548#Comment_120119548

And the fluttering of the window curtain at the start of the episode. A nice little nod to the main menu of the game.

Means nothing to non-gamers but nice to see they included it for those familiar with the game.

Zero-Cool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119631#Comment_120119631

There were so many great little easter eggs.

https://twitter.com/_JustCallMe_Al_/status/1614881007869779971?t=mny3RDRmUlrOKdaEFQT8tQ&s=19

Sleepy

Never played the game but have always intended to based on the rave reviews I've heard for it. The opener with John Hanna hooked me instantly. I love when sci-fi or fantasy stories have logical, well reasoned explanations for the extraordinary events of the story that are grounded in real-world world things (global warming affecting the carpenter ant parasite fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis).

The pilot progressed in a way that while you could tell it was almost directly lifted from a video game tutorial (the old lady neighbour being an obvious "easy mode" intro to battling the infected followed shortly, the chase through the restaurant being a tutorial to using the movement controls,. the jumps between different primary characters etc.) it was also a great introduction to the world the story is set in.

Hopefully this continues as well as it's started!

AMKC

I watched it last night and this morning on my phone. I have never played the game so no idea what it was about. It was OK but nothing special. It started of good but then gradually got more rubbish as all zombie movies and series do. The trailers were better.

I thought it was not very well editted. Like one minute it's 1968 then it's 2003 then 2023 and what happened to Jack or Tommy or whatever his name was the daughters father? I thought that could have been done a lot better. Did the bullet just miss him and go into her? How did he save her? Did he save her. Is Tess her?

Also who is this other girl that was chained up in the room? What's so special about her?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119707#Comment_120119707

i don't think you were paying attention. all of that is pretty clear.

Cordell

The bullet grazed him. Sarah died. Tess is about his age so she cannot be Sarah. Ellie is infected but the infection doesn't affect her so she is the key to a possible cure.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119707#Comment_120119707

You DO realise it's a series and not a movie, right?

• The 1968 timing was a bit odd but set up the premise of fungal mutation/infestation
• The jump from 2003 to 2023 was to show how much the world, and the people changed in such a situation
• Tommy's status may or may not be answered but is mentioned as a driving force for Joel to try to leave the "Safe Zone"
• There was more than one bullet fired
• Save her?
• The other girl is named, explained why she was chained up (To stop her leaving) and what is so special about her is explained.

I tried to keep my answers as vague as possible to be spoiler-free but each of your concerns has a purpose and were already addressed or may be addressed in future episodes.

Edit: Typos

head82

One other thing about that John Hannah TV debate intro.. now I may be reading more into this than was intended!.. but it instantly reminded me of the opening of George A Romeros 'Dawn of the Dead'. Very similar intro with scientists discussing the outbreak of the 'virus'.

Would love to find out if it was an intentional reference.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119798#Comment_120119798

That is actually a good call. Quite possibly as, not a spoiler, it was an addition for the series. Yeah, I think you were right. As was said above, was great to see "bighead" from Silicon Valley again and John Hannah. It was a bit of a necessary exposition dump but yeah, that would explain the style.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119700#Comment_120119700

Funny enough while much of the prologue section is straight out of the game, the tutorial bits you mentioned aren't actually tutorials in the game :) The encounter with the elderly woman is a new addition, and the interactivity in the game prologue is basically just moving your character forward - there are no mechanics to worry about. The first proper combat tutorial section IIRC doesn't take place until after the events we see in the pilot.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119707#Comment_120119707

The opening scene in 1968 was just to give background to how a fungal infection could potentially arise and what it would do. The scenes in 2003 was the outbreak of the infection and to show how quickly it spread and devastated the world, while also showing who Joel is as well as what happened his daughter. When the guard fired, Joel tried to shield her but she was still shot and killed, and a bullet grazed Joel on his side.

The rest of the episode (and show) is set 20 years after the outbreak. Joel works in a quarantine zone taking whatever work he can get, but also acts as a smuggler getting things in and out of the quarantine zone (along with his partner, Tess). He's lost contact with his brother Tommy and is trying to track him down (as per the scene with the radio control guy). The girl, Ellie, revealed at the end of the episode that she was bitten three weeks earlier but hasn't turned, so she appears to be immune. Hence why the other group were keeping her chained up, they were waiting to see if she'd turn. That group, led by Marlene, have now hired Joel and Tess to smuggle Ellie out of the quarantine zone to another of their groups.

No offence, but this was all pretty well explained in the episode. I can understand not knowing who Marlene's group is, what caused the infection or how the infected act, stuff like that. But in terms of time jumps, the 1968 scene was before the credits to give context to how an outbreak could happen one day, then we see from the time the outbreak happened, then we see 20 years later. If there were constant flashbacks back and forth between 2023 and 2003 then it might get confusing alright.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119707#Comment_120119707

It's ok to dislike the show but these are really weird complaints.

It was 1968 to give viewers background as to what causes the infection to spread - there was no point lingering in 1968 any longer. Removing this timeline and having a character explain it in the current day would have been awful and clunky (and to be honest, more like most zombie movies and series).

It was 2003 to give viewers background as to why Joel is hurting and so cynical and brutal - there was no point lingering in 2003 any longer. Removing this timeline and having a character explain it wouldn't have had a fraction of the effect - seeing Joel's relationship with his daughter and her death as he tried to protect her is what emphasizes his pain.

It was 2023 as that is when the story is set.

On the other questions, it really seems like you weren't paying any attention. It was very clear that they both got shot but Sarah took a fatal hit and died. It was also very clear at the end of the episode what was so special about Ellie. It's also very clear that we don't know what happened to Tommy yet - that's part of the story.

Sad Professor

Great start to the show. The casting is spot on. I like how they are expanding on the game's story without dramatically diverging from it, in many cases just filling in gaps in the story while eliminating the gamey stuff. Interesting to learn that it was originally two episodes which they merged into one. It ends at the perfect place.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119847#Comment_120119847

It really does. If it was due to end where its been noted that Joel tosses the child's body into the fire, it would have been a really weak ending and one that may have lost a lot of viewers from the following week as the whole 'living in a new colony in a dystopian' story has been done to death; I think it was really important to show that this story takes place primarily outside this area. Even the last shot with the skyscrapers toppled in between the bad weather was brilliantly edited.

Tony EH

Always been an iffy prospect turning a video game into a movie/TV show. It rarely works to an entirely successful level, if at all. But I was pleasantly surprised by this. Although the game is very influenced by film and TV media in the first place, so it's probably a more natural revolution for it to pivot to the TV screen than it is for most computer entertainment.

Anyway, this was an extremely solid opener and reminiscent of the game in numerous places. It does well setting up the premise and doesn't labour its narrative, just in case there's people watching who never played the game. Exposition is kept to a minimum thankfully and the producers weren't going to hold the audience's hand.

Everyone's part is handled very well - I know we're only one episode in - without any showboating going on and the crucial part of Ellie was realised better that I thought it was going to be by Bella Ramsey. The standout so far though was Anna Torv as Tess, who stole the episode for me.

And for people wondering if you need to have played the game before watching, you need not worry. In fact, you're probably in a better position than someone who has played the game as you'll be coming to the story completely fresh.

Looking forward to how it all turns out.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119812#Comment_120119812

I agree, it was done brilliantly. If they were in 2023 and they tried to shoehorn in an explanation as to what happened (despite it starting in 2003), it would be hugely clunky.

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119884#Comment_120119884

The Witcher was also quite successful until they decided to stop adapting and create their own story. Pretty much any story driven game can be turned into a series with minimal rewriting.

And yeah Anna Torv can steal any show :)

shrewdness

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119813#Comment_120119813

If I remember right, the first tutorials were when they were still in the quarantine zone - how to detect and sneak kill the basic infected, and then the introduction of the shooting and distractions (with bottle/brick) when you encounter Robert's men. Those parts were different in the pilot, which is good tbh as it wouldn't have added much to the tv show

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119173#Comment_120119173

The infected people in The Last of Us aren't dead. They're being taken over by a form of cordyceps, which controls their functions and slowly feeds off of them until the host dies. As far as I can recall, it's both airborne and transmitted directly. Although I think the airborne risk of infection is much lower.

However, they're not zombies, in the traditional George Romeo mould, pardon the pun. Just infected people driven to pass on the infection by the controlling fungus.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119914#Comment_120119914

I only ever played the original game for a very short period. It was far, far, too clumsy to control. I believe that it was revamped at a later stage and re-released. But by that stage I had absolutely no interest in it. I watched the first couple of episodes of the show and just noped out. Didn't grab me at all.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119966#Comment_120119966

They've all but gotten rid of the airborne element of infection, saying it would be too unwieldy for the show and in reality if it was airborne it would just be everywhere in the air and there'd be no one alive or outside without full quarantine masks/hazmat etc. It was a big thing in the game where the characters would have to mask up in certain areas, but for the show they've decided to just nix that part of it and go with infection passing from tendrils from the infected or fungal growths.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119836#Comment_120119836

On the other questions, it really seems like you weren't paying any attention. It was very clear that they both got shot but Sarah took a fatal hit and died. It was also very clear at the end of the episode what was so special about Ellie. It's also very clear that we don't know what happened to Tommy yet - that's part of the story.

Oh I was but you know how it lying in bed watching it on the phone. Its just that it never actually made it clear if she died or not. But obviously she did. A pity that as I thought she was a great character much smarter than the rest of them

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120014#Comment_120120014

Which is actually fair enough. Sometimes these things are put in place to vary gameplay elements/sections (Like every platformer having the dreaded Ice/water level that everyone hates 😀). These are accepted in game design but would not transfer well. Having said that, I'm sure there will be SOME nod eventually. Maybe they'll have them put on masks simply as physical protection. Some nod and wink to the players. Although I'm glad to see that the nods so far (As described above) are subtle enough to not be distracting to the people who have NOT played the game - No doubt the vast majority. We don't want to hear Ellie shout "NAUGHTY Dog!!!" to a dog and turn to the camera. Hah

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120014#Comment_120120014

I think the last time I played the game was a couple of years ago, but I don't remember it being a "big thing" in the game where people had to mask up. I do recall several areas where you had to avoid fungal spores though, which hung in the air. But you certainly play the vast majority of the game without a mask on.

I think it remains to be seen whether the show has a "spore" element to it. We see a dead guy who's body is a husk and I assume that the fungus had lost its infection potential, so Joel and Tess aren't that bothered walking by it. In the game, it's mentioned that the only people that are getting infected in the compound in Boston are the people who are sneaking out. But we don't know yet if the people in the show are only being infected by being bitten.

Sure, we'll see.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120111#Comment_120120111

There were some story things linked to having to wear masks, but fair enough maybe "big thing" was the wrong phrase as whatever there was would be easily re-written anyway.

yourdeadwright

As i said started well and after the jump was pretty borning ,

Doesn't have a patch on the opening episode of TWD "Days gone bye" , A shame that then become a rinse & repeat bore

MarkR

I was wondering about how the little old lady got infected, I didn't pick up the flour reference (I was a bit sleep deprived, so forgive me!).

I really enjoyed the first episode. Pedro Pascal is great as Joel, and Ellie is also great. Was wondering who the hell "Veronica" was, wondering why they had the name change. Or was that supposed to be Ellie trying to lay low?

No more spores was a surprise, but I don't think that will be a major change.

Spoiler Warning

Ellie being able to breathe spores was a plot point in the game at some stages. I wonder how she'll "out" herself as immune when she needs to? Look at this gross scar?

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120319#Comment_120120319

Ellie was telling them her name was Veronica, but Marlene then revealed she knew who she was and knew her name was Ellie.

Sleepy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120119798#Comment_120119798

Not sure if it was anything to do with Romero (I'd presume so tbh) but I thought it was a pretty elegant way of explaining the "why" of the infection.

Showing that piece in a time before global warming was widely known allowed the scientist to suggest that real world fungi could evolve into something that could attack humans if an environmental trigger such as the world becoming a bit warmer were to happen made it feel like conjecture rather than a simplistic exposition dump. And Jon Hanna was great casting for this, he has a fantastic voice.

Zero-Cool

Thinking about the Fedra officer taking to the kid at the start. When the scanner showed red, she didn't even give a millisecond of 'ah shyte', it was instant warm smile saying he'll be alright. I'm thinking of she's just so used to killing kids or if genuinely relieved they have one less mouth to feed, especially one who can't put in work.

Stark contrast to the worked who couldn't even remove the body from the truck where as Joel was cold, he definitely has an interesting 20 year gap story that's never been fully divulged in the game.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120120795#Comment_120120795

I'd say at this point, the Fedra officers know what'll happen if they don't kill anyone with an infection, so there's probably a bit of satisfaction that they were able to detect it and by killing the boy, they're keeping everyone safe. I'd say in a way they become numb to seeing them as people.

And I'm pretty sure Tess was the worker who couldn't carry the boy (though hard to tell as it was the first time we saw her, she had a mask on etc).