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Post by DeepArcher on Mar 13, 2023 5:07:23 GMT
Liked this show a lot, but am I alone in thinking that the game did EVERYTHING better? I duuno, it was hard for me to separate the two while watching. I haven't watched the finale yet, but this has been my experience as well. It's a strong adaptation that I've enjoyed watching every week, but it's not emotionally affecting me in nearly the same way as the game that I've played, re-played, and watched other people play time and time again over the last decade. And that's what I expected! So I can't say I'm disappointed.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Mar 13, 2023 5:41:23 GMT
And with Episode 9, “ Look for the Light,” we bring an end to the first season. The greatest video game adaptation ever made (my friend swears by Arcane, though, so I’ll give that a try). I don’t think it was all a perfect season, and in fact I did think this last episode was a little rushed towards the end, but as a capper to a season’s worth of story, it closes off the chapter in spectacular fashion. Full thoughts in spoilers. Seeing Ashley made my heart happy. Even with what little screentime she has, the depths of Anna’s love, her fighting spirit, and her acceptance of her fate so long as Ellie is safe, we’re left with what may be the best character the game never got to explore (Sorry, Ish), especially that friendship with Marlene that gave new dimension to the weight behind her extreme, but heartbroken decision to end Ellie’s pain.
Speaking of which, Ellie is clearly a changed girl by the events of the last episode, shockingly more reserved and silent in comparison to her usual snarky, talkative self. You can see all the loss, all the survivor’s guilt, and all the trauma eating away at her, with Bella Ramsay’s mastery of facial expression telling you so much in just a glance.
But then, even amidst all the horror, and all the trauma amidst this ravaged world, there is still beauty in it. The giraffe… no matter how many times I’ve seen it in game, it never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I’m happy they did it justice.
And it’s a credit to Pascal and Ramsay, and how perfect their bond is, that you would understand Joel’s ultimate resolve. His heart to heart revealing the origin of his scar, and his hearing loss, was a refreshing touch to add.
I did think the hospital shootout was a bit too rushed, and I wasn’t a fan of the montage edits, but it’s still an emotional capper. Also, I’m glad that they stayed true to one of the game’s killings, and didn’t try and force any weight onto it when we inevitably get to The Last of Us Part II.
But then we come to the ending… and it’s still as tough to dissect in the show as it was in the game.
It is incredibly divisive, because you’ll have so many saying that it was wrong of him to do, but many also saying that he did the right thing. This is a very morally grey area, and you’re not wrong to look at it any number of ways.
As far as my take goes, while I think it would be easy to condemn Joel’s actions from a distance, the sad fact is… I don’t blame him. In fact, I’m willing to say I would have done the same thing. My moral outrage is not that he did it, it’s the fact that he lied to her, rather than tell her like it was. Because the sad fact is, Marlene’s right. I believe Ellie would have rather died to save humanity, because she’s been through so much, and even before her birth she had things taken from her, that it would finally bring an end to her suffering.
That said, to condemn Joel’s actions would also mean condemning Marlene. Both of them took away her agency. Both of them deciding what was really best for her, rather than letting that decision be hers. Because they didn’t have faith in a child making a mature decision of that scale. And even if it was brutal, and eventually, rightfully, Joel will have to recompense for his choices, we still knew Joel’s heart was in the right place. He did it out of love, because he saw more value in Ellie alive than dead, even if that means prolonging her pain, even if only temporarily.
It’s an ambiguous, fascinating ending that the first time I experienced it, I spent hours pondering over my ultimate feelings on it. I think our own DeepArcher rightfully called it a fascinating litmus test, examining the morality of the person reading the scene, with no clear right or wrong answer. And I’m happy that the show kept it in that same pensive, hand-off moral contemplation, and allowing the viewer to come to their own conclusions. This is why the story still has staying power, and for the show to seamlessly translate those thoughts and feelings over, that proves just how well they’ve handled this adaptation. And so comes the end of season 1. In Ellie’s own words, the journey has had its ups and downs, but you can’t deny that view. As someone who’s adored this game for ten years, and used to only dream about seeing it adapted to film, this is the best possible outcome I could have ever hoped for. A faithful rendition of what was already there, but also free to exist as its own beast, not beholden to its roots, and free to make changes if it better suits the story. Episode 3 was already the embodiment of that ideal, and if there’s any one hope I have for future seasons, it’s that we get more bottle episodes like it, offering us glimpses to the world outside of Joel and Ellie, and maybe even before the outbreak took hold. Regardless, I cannot wait for more to come. The Last of Us Part II alone could justify several more seasons, and I think it would be wise to take advantage of the new medium, and expand on what was already present. Regardless of what comes next, we’re potentially in unexplored territory, and that excites me more than anything, to see Neil and Craig feel genuinely free of purism, and tell new stories in this world. Whatever they do, I am quivering with anticipation. To the edge of the universe and back, endure and survive!
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Mar 13, 2023 5:42:50 GMT
I love the show but I'm very conflicted about the ending. Not the execution but the choices the characters made. I imagine people who played the game felt the same way.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Mar 13, 2023 5:49:00 GMT
I love the show but I'm very conflicted about the ending. Not the execution but the choices the characters made. I imagine people who played the game felt the same way. You’re not alone. People have been arguing about the ethics of it for a decade. I have my own take on it, but I think there’s really no wrong way to look at it (except to view it as Joel doing something heroic, but I digress).
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Mar 13, 2023 5:54:01 GMT
RANKING THE EPISODES 1. Long, Long Time 2. Kin 3. When You’re Lost in the Darkness 4. Endure and Survive 5. When We Are in Need 6. Left Behind 7. Infected 8. Look for the Light 9. Please Hold to my Hand
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Mar 13, 2023 18:02:35 GMT
Sucky first half of the episode followed by a killer last half.
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VERITAS
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Post by VERITAS on Mar 14, 2023 0:14:13 GMT
Thank you Druckmann and co. for making the hospital sequence almost therapeutic (that score) with well lit corridors...hard cut to me fighting off multiple panic attacks like a little bitch (not really) during that part in the game...
The way things tied up wasn't everyone's cup of tea (sounds familiar) but storylines drenched in moral ambiguities that follow severely flawed/morally grey characters like Joel just do it for me; I'm relieved the showrunners closed this "introduction" of a season out the way the source material intended. Can't wait to see this internal conflict and the domino effect of Joel's actions bleed into season two...plus the sure-to-be messy discourse from certain audiences...because yeeeeesh...
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Pasquale
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Post by Pasquale on Mar 14, 2023 11:20:46 GMT
Pascal and Ramsey were brilliant. It's a great show but Mazin did it better in Chernobyl. Most likely trying to balance game fans and genre fans accumulated to that. There could be room for improvement for season 2.
I never thought I'd watch the show first before playing the game (PC), I am not sure why they correlate their releases that close, considering it's been a decade since it firstly came out.
Ps: I hesitated to read spoiler tagged thoughts here, because I didn't know whether people were spoiling the show or the game.
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dazed
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Post by dazed on Mar 14, 2023 20:44:34 GMT
Loved this season overall, but in regards to the finale, I was left a bit dissatisfied
I never played the games (would if they were on xbox ffs), but i’m familiar with the game and how it’s a shorter game. I just can’t help but feel that finale was rushed though. Especially the last half of it. I understand why Joel did what he did and I even like it, but everything leading up to it was just anti climactic and poorly directed. I feel like it could have been way more amped up and emotional.
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Post by stephen on Mar 14, 2023 22:08:27 GMT
Overall, I loved the first six episodes, I found the seventh good but a little bit wobbly (I wonder if my issues with it were the placement of the flashback episode, and whether it should've been something strung out a bit more over a few episodes, because they pretty much abandoned the flashback conceit after the first half of the season till the finale), I did not care much at all for the eighth, and the ninth was fine but felt really rushed, even though I know that it keeps with the pacing of the final part of the game.
I'd give the overall series an 8.5/10. The performances were stellar and the first 2/3 of the season were unimpeachably good, but it really did lose steam after they left Jackson, and I feel like they could've taken bigger swings with stuff like the Silver Lake storyline and just didn't.
That said, I do still believe "Long Long Time" to be the best non-Better Call Saul hour of television since The Leftovers wrapped.
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Post by Pavan on Mar 17, 2023 11:27:03 GMT
Has individual episodes and moments that are pretty good but overall, this was an okay watch for me. Pascal and Ramsay were really good and the production values are impressive.
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Post by PromNightCarrie on Mar 20, 2023 3:27:52 GMT
I loved the finale. I like that you can see the effects of everything that has transpired up to that point on them psychologically, in conversation, all the killing (done brutally and now with no hesitation), and the choices made.
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Post by Martin Stett on Mar 20, 2023 3:38:16 GMT
And with Episode 9, “ Look for the Light,” we bring an end to the first season. The greatest video game adaptation ever made ( my friend swears by Arcane, though, so I’ll give that a try). I don’t think it was all a perfect season, and in fact I did think this last episode was a little rushed towards the end, but as a capper to a season’s worth of story, it closes off the chapter in spectacular fashion. When you do, I want details. I haven't seen this show yet - does it adapt Last of Us 2? I haven't played that yet and I don't want to touch this until I have, if that is the case - but Arcane is my favorite non-anime show by a landslide.
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Mar 20, 2023 4:20:33 GMT
And with Episode 9, “ Look for the Light,” we bring an end to the first season. The greatest video game adaptation ever made ( my friend swears by Arcane, though, so I’ll give that a try). I don’t think it was all a perfect season, and in fact I did think this last episode was a little rushed towards the end, but as a capper to a season’s worth of story, it closes off the chapter in spectacular fashion. When you do, I want details. I haven't seen this show yet - does it adapt Last of Us 2? I haven't played that yet and I don't want to touch this until I have, if that is the case - but Arcane is my favorite non-anime show by a landslide. I have a lot that I’m spreading my time between, but I do plan on getting to Arcane. And no. It’s exclusively the first game they’re tackling. There’s some nods to Part II, but there are no major story beats carried over
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 28, 2023 14:27:23 GMT
don't know if you guys have heard, but this is a really great show
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jul 28, 2023 18:37:23 GMT
don't know if you guys have heard, but this is a really great show I’ll check it out sometime. I’ve heard good things. You should try the game, too.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Aug 5, 2023 0:47:33 GMT
got through this several days ago. Had to let it percolate a bit. Don't have a problem so much with the emotional/narrative logic of the finale but it was all really poorly handled and rushed, which is weird given how many of these eps really take their time. But all in all even with that weak finale I thought this was a remarkable season of TV and a callback to HBO's golden days of patiently-paced character-driven adult dramas. Especially with "Long, Long Time" which barely features the two leads but is nonetheless one of the most riveting and moving episodes of TV I've seen. The episodic structure allows for excellent worldbuilding while providing a series of escalating challenges for Joel and Ellie to bond over. Over the course of the series, they organically become closer and form a winning partnership that you really care and worry about, and you buy that Joel would do anything to keep this girl safe. Really fell in love with their dynamic and am anxiously waiting to see how it all falls apart in S2. episode ranking (all 8/10 or higher except the finale): 1. Infected - Perfect 10/10. I justify preferring this over ep 3 because of its emphasis on horror and an atmosphere of intensifying dread as Joel, Ellie and Tess navigating the treacherous infested remains of Boston. Whole ep is suffused with the horrible inevitability of cordyceps from that chilling Jakarta intro to the stomach-churning final scene in the Mass State House, and it contains the season's most exciting and frightening moments. And.... Anna Torv. Enough said! 2. Long, Long Time - Beautiful episode. I understand why people say it's the best. It's really great and every one of its purely character-driven 76 minutes feels earned. Nick Offerman's performance is one for the books. Bartlett's great too but Offerman's performance as the paranoid Bill who slowly has his defenses worn down over the years is the star attraction here. The only criticism I can make is that this relationship has enough material for like 3 or 4 episodes and it doesn't quite escape a tiny nagging sense that it's too cursory, especially towards the end. Twenty years is a long, long time for one episode of TV. 3. Kin - One of the slowest episodes of the season but also one of the most significant for Joel and Ellie's relationship which comes to a head towards the climax in a scene that might've been their end but instead it calcifies their relationship and sets the stage for the final few episodes and the doom to come next season. This was the emotional turning point of the season. 4. When You're Lost in the Darkness - the premier, spanning two timelines that showcase Day 1 of the cordyceps disaster (huge props to Nico Parker in the role of Joel's daughter) and introduce us to the bleak present where scavengers fight for scraps in a iron-grasped military state. Excellent first episode that sets up the world and characters and when it ends, you have to keep watching. 5. Endure and Survive - entertaining hour of TV to be sure but this was a bit too narratively simplistic for me. Lynskey's excellent performance aside, the massive chip on Kathleen's shoulder isn't interesting enough to spend two episodes on and it establishes the season's overreliance on revenge subplots. The acting and moment-to-moment tension (and that shocking ending) keeps the episode great relative to other shows but mid-tier relative to the other eps in TLOU S1. 6. When We Are in Need - possibly the season's darkest ep but again it's pretty simplistic. You have a cannibalistic rapey cult leader whose men are after Joel because of what happened at the end of "Kin", and it all proceeds as you expect. Excellent acting from Shepherd and Ramsay. This was a turning point for Ellie's character. 7. Please Hold My Hand - straightforward ep, mainly a preamble to "Endure and Survive". Ellie and Joel run into an ambush and have to survive in a hostile city filled with trigger-happy rebels. Solid 45 minutes of TV. 8. Left Behind - love the idea of this episode but it just takes way too long to get to the point and the tragic conclusion feels trivial (should've been more thorough about checking that mall before inviting her friend over for a hang ). 9. Look for the Light - again, I'm fine with the logic but some of the decisions characters make expose how ridiculously rushed it was. At 60 or 70 minutes, maybe. At a brisk 43 minutes, absolutely not. and for the hell of it, guest ranking too! Nick Offerman Anna Torv Scott Shepherd Melanie Lynskey Lamar Johnson Storm Reid Murray Bartlett Nico Parker Christine Hakim Gabriel Luna Keivonn Montreal Woodard Merle Dandridge
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Post by getclutch on Sept 5, 2023 15:17:19 GMT
Finally finished this on Thursday. I must admit, a very great job by this whole production team to make this VG come to life. My only negative, Pedro Pascal. Yeah, go ahead. Roll your eyes. Like I said in The Mandalorian post, he was not needed. The franchise itself is the “star”. I always considered Eric Close, Dylan McDermott or Eion Bailey to play the lead. I have a lot of respect for Pascal & he did a fine job. I just think lesser-known actors needed this “opportunity” to get work.
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dazed
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Post by dazed on Sept 8, 2023 17:04:13 GMT
the other rumour being shannon berry. either actress is going to be getting insurmountable amounts of hate, but i feel like pughs popularity will help stagnate it more than berrys. i like the idea of someone of a lower profile playing abby tho so even though pugh is one of the best actresses of her generation, i hope berry gets it if it’s down to those two.
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Post by stephen on Sept 8, 2023 17:16:10 GMT
I love Florence Pugh, and Abby is my favourite character from either game (yeah, I said it), but I don't really want her to play that role. It's a perfect star-making role for an unknown, and I want to see someone really benefit from what is going to be a very contentious role in the end. I don't know Shannon Berry but she has a striking look.
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Post by mhynson27 on Sept 8, 2023 22:13:10 GMT
I could be tricking myself, but I feel like I heard they wanted Pugh a few weeks ago. So there's probably a bit of truth to it at least.
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Archie
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Post by Archie on Jan 9, 2024 17:39:31 GMT
This picture seems to be going viral. What do you guys think? Welp... looks like Kaitlyn Dever is Abby.
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Post by stephen on Jan 9, 2024 18:33:28 GMT
It's not a bad choice. I was hoping for an unknown to really make this a proper "find," but Dever has the chops to do it.
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tylosaur
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Post by tylosaur on Jan 9, 2024 22:24:33 GMT
Funny with all these years of fan pestering over how similar Dever is to video game Ellie, has led her to ultimately playing Abby. I wonder if that constant chatter helped her stay in the Producers' minds when it came to finally casting this part. She needs to call Zac Efron ASAP. Have to reach that peek-Ronda Rousey build. SPOILERS (seriously if you haven't played the 2nd game, don't read this considering how closely the show is following the game): I wonder if they should film her final scene with Ellie now while she's still lean. Doubt it'll happen, especially if they're splitting Part II into two seasons. She'll likely Christian Bale herself down to Rescue Dawn levels I guess?
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Post by stephen on Feb 3, 2024 12:59:51 GMT
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