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

Cartman78 · 10-02-2023 6:43pm

**Disclaimer: I've never played the game and knew next to nothing about TLOU before watching Episode 1.

Big fan of zombie movies/shows in general so this is potentially right in my wheelhouse**

Really enjoyed the first couple of episodes - nice background, world-building, nice subtle mix of gore/horror.

Listened to a couple of deep dive podcasts to get a bit of context and it appears that the show has hit the happy medium of servicing fans of the game and actually being a proper standalone TV show for non-gamers.

Episode 3 was an unexpected joy...Offerman and Bartlett were fantastic.

And so to Episode 4 which for me was a bit of a damp squib considering what went before it.

Fairly standard apocalyptic/zombie stuff which was fine but my heart sank at the reveal of the colony/group being led by a violent psychopath.

Fair enough if that's exactly what's in the game but this trope has literally been done to death by TWD already....so I'm really hoping that this does something fresh and different rather than go down the Governor/Negan etc route.

CastorTroy · 10-02-2023 8:51pm

Reminder that the new episode airs in the States tonight.

So I would suggest maybe using spoiler tags for a day or 2 as some may not realise it aired early and wander in here to talk about previous episodes. Or some who watch on Sky Atlantic since seems they're sticking with their usual airing time.

nomoedoe · 10-02-2023 9:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120225866#Comment_120225866

I was just going to ask are Sky not showing it early?

10-02-2023 9:30pm

Nope

breezy1985 · 10-02-2023 9:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120226020#Comment_120226020

Apparently not which once again shows how behind the times many film/tv people are in the US.

CastorTroy · 10-02-2023 10:19pm

They're keeping with the usual HBO schedule it seems since it doesn't air until Sunday on HBO. It's on HBO Max tonight, which I guess is their way to try and lure more subscribers.

Penn · 10-02-2023 10:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120226250#Comment_120226250

Superbowl is on this Sunday night. Viewing figures will take a huge hit on Sunday, so they're releasing it on Friday on HBO and HBO Max. It'll be back to normal the week after.

F1ngers · 11-02-2023 9:12am

E5 is on NOW, now.

Am assuming it's on proper sky too.

Slydice · 11-02-2023 11:16am

5: OH! THAT! Now That was a good episode!

Real computer game set scenes and atmospheric sounds feeling.

Backstory. Learning more about the world. Big Action, Big WTF! 😲 and Bonding!

fuuuuuuuuuccccckkk!!!!!! after all that! ****!

I was like.. is .. is the blood gonna work?!!

but no

The big WTF... WTF was that big creature thing? Like super Mushroom man something?!?!

Slydice · 11-02-2023 11:18am

Ellie

stone cold at the end there with big FUCKed Off energy was the proper vibe for the end of the episode.

Evade · 11-02-2023 11:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120227775#Comment_120227775

Re spoilered question

It's a Bloater the fourth type of infected, heavily armoured and very strong. The wat the bearded rebel died was a very common game occurance

Evade · 11-02-2023 11:42am

The episode was fine but ultimately the scenes with the rebels won't go anywhere else because all of them that spoke are dead. The series seems to try not be as dark as the game a lot of the time. What's the policy on comparing to game events that have passed already?

Like the sewer safe area. The game had a murder suicide involving adults children who were completely trapped by infected but it was almost pristine in the series. Also Ish spinoff when?

I think skipping the hotel section was a mistake too. That's where Joel started to trust Ellie more as a partner because she saved him but they've kinda just jumped to that in the series without setting it up.

Edit: Spoilered the whole thing just in case. Contrasts game events that have already happened in the series.

fitz · 11-02-2023 11:46am

As someone who hasn't played the games, that was terrific. It's pretty remarkable how well they're introducing and developing characters that you get wholely invested in over the course of a single episode, and how those characters stories tie back to developing Joel/Ellie's story and relationship.

Those who've played the game may not be getting it from the show, given they know what's coming, but storytelling this tight is a really refreshing break from shows that try to drag stories out.

FrostyJack · 11-02-2023 10:44pm

It seems they are giving the episodes 50% for the gamers and 50% for people who are coming in fresh of the source materials. I think gamers have come off worse on this episode, though I still enjoyed it a lot. There were probably more nitpicks in this one than the others but the next one should be a better story.

Dohnjoe · 11-02-2023 11:18pm

Big fan of zombie/apocalypse stuff, but have never seen anything that really hit the mark for me. There was always something lacking that I couldn't put my finger on. The Last of Us has hit that mark for me, everything is great, but it's the attention to detail which is the part that really does it for me. The tiny details, the dirty fingernails, the thinning fuel for the cars, the worn weapons, every actor looking like they've just slept on a floor for a month, the self-aware dialogue. Yes, it does have it's "action" moments and unrealistic scenarios - but can see so much thought, real thought, has been put into every step of this. Can't believe this was a game (never played it), really blown away so far.

Homelander · 11-02-2023 11:35pm

If you like that vibe, Station Eleven is fairly good - completely different show to The Last of Us obviously, but it captures the grimness of the post-event world quite well. Was also on HBO Max.

gmisk · 11-02-2023 11:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120230523#Comment_120230523

I enjoyed station eleven overall but much preferred the stuff before the time jump...and boy does it take it's sweet time plot wise..

Zero-Cool · 11-02-2023 11:40pm

That was so **** good!

The blood offer wasn't in the game but it was such a great addition as it made you think is... Is this gonna work? Is this the cure we're working towards? And then bam!

EltonJohn69 · 11-02-2023 11:40pm

Pedro/Joel pre outbreak

Flaneur OBrien · 11-02-2023 11:40pm

Just finished episode 5.

That was really good telly.

I hope people stop saying Bella Ramsey isn't a good actor now. She was superb in that

De Bhál · 12-02-2023 12:40am

Great episode. Two brothers were excellent.

Very good tv

Sirsok · 12-02-2023 1:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120230351#Comment_120230351

Apologies I didn't have time to respond to your last post. I was very much enjoying the debate. I do just wanna say after just watching episode 5, that was a killer episode. The violence and action set pieces were real nice. Sam and Henry's story was told well. I liked episode 4 but felt it was lacking in the grit department. Episode 5 dialled it up a notch.

I know there are arguments to be made saying that episode was so good due to then dialling it back in earlier episodes,but I still stand by earlier comments on those and still feel episode 5 would of been a banger had we seen action and violence earlier on.

While leaving things to imagination does work, scarface chainsaw scene for example, I really felt the show needed it throughput and I feel like we got a bit of that back in episode 5.

Sam and Henry's hug before the face paint really hit me in the feels

MarkR · 12-02-2023 11:25am

That hug was tough alright! Poor Perry, lost the top of his head, just like the executions in the game. That little clicker was excellent, especially when it wailed on Katherine's face. Bloater and the horde was amazing. Poor Sam really got the **** end of the stick in life. Orphan. Leukemia. Deaf. Hunted, and finally bit?

Loved the Danny / Ish picture in the bunker, and the bunker was amazingly done.

Great episode. What do people think who didn't play the game? Was the end as shocking and crushing?

De Bhál · 12-02-2023 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231335#Comment_120231335

Never played the game so every twist and turn is a surprise. But yeah that scene where Sam was sitting with his back to us and we wondered is he or isn't he, did the blood work....nope God damnit. Yeah that was class.

Best part was that mega mushroom man coming out of the pit. That was great.

Zero-Cool · 12-02-2023 12:23pm

Ending of the ep compared to the game. In the game Ellie doesn't offer the blood and I think it actually worked better how they did it in the tv episode.

https://twitter.com/chrisdadeviant/status/1624238683619737600?t=eUUXFqADKSowsb9GHPKd6w&s=19

Also, they got an actual deaf actor to play Sam, he was awesome! This is a great clip.

https://twitter.com/LikeMeezy/status/1624431699508736001?t=vtTJ0q3e8ytsBIBpCEkjOw&s=19

facehugger99 · 12-02-2023 1:50pm

Really good episode but the giant mushroom dude looked really CGI and took me out of the moment. A shame as the rest of the show has looked so amazing.

Flaneur OBrien · 12-02-2023 1:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231675#Comment_120231675

It's just so hard to cast giant mushroom dudes these days.

12-02-2023 2:05pm

My only criticism is 9 episodes just isn’t enough - could easily have been 13-16.

I’m really enjoying it though, I don’t know if I’m just being biased on account of how much I loved the game but it genuinely seems like an excellent show to me.

I played the game probably around a dozen times (don’t judge me, that was over 10 years!) so I know the game plot inside out. So I appreciate how the tv adaptation isn’t just a direct lift of the game, there are key plot points that you know are coming (such as the imminent demise of certain characters) but there’s enough deviation and tangents from the game to make it feel fresh as well.

The show has only just finished the ‘Summer’ section of the game after 5 episodes. 4 episodes left and we still have Fall, Winter, Spring and Left Behind to cover. The remaining episodes m could be fairly hectic!

breezy1985 · 12-02-2023 2:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231736#Comment_120231736

Will the show cover Left Behind this season ?

12-02-2023 2:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231749#Comment_120231749

I think one of the episodes is named Left Behind and they had someone casted as Riley. So a B plot in an episode at the very least I’m guessing.

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

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