Review of HBO show “The Last of Us”

Last January HBO brought the cult classic video game The Last Of Us to homes around the world in a new TV adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the main protagonists Joel and Ellie.  Before the release of the series many fans feared the show would ruin the already excellent game and tarnish its reputation.  Streaming services like HBO and Netflix have a record of taking good books or games and creating a sub-par television adaption. But by the third episode the whole entertainment world was hooked on the show, which is both visually stunning and accurate to the game.

A new episode of The Last of Us premiered every Sunday night from January 15th to March 9th with nine episodes released in total, with each one being just under an hour. Prior to the release of the show some fans were skeptical of Pascal and Ramsey and what their interpretation of the characters would be. However, after the end of season one the overall fan reception of the show has been nothing but positive. Neil Druckmann, the creator and director of the show stayed true to the game and didn’t stray far from the plot of the well received game. Some episodes focused on building up the backstory and life of side characters that were in the show without much of  a life story. Guest actors (like Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett who star as Bill and Frank) often work as a pivotal minor character for one episode and then aren’t seen again. The performances of actors like Offerman and Bartlett do a wonderful job, giving beautiful depth and emotion to the previously animated characters.

Overall the show was excellent. The first episode was the least captivating due to the need to establish backstory and laying the foundation for the rest of the show.  The second and third episodes really start to pick up the pace and embrace both the story and the beautiful cinematography. The Last of Us alternated between episodes following the main storyline and episodes that were little vignettes and character studies of minor characters who play an important role to the overall story even though their screen time isn’t large. The side episodes were gripping and beautiful, adding, not distracting from the main storyline of Joel and Ellie’s journey through post apocalyptic America. You definitely don’t have to play the show in order to understand and enjoy the show, and Pascal and Ramsey’s incredible acting will make you want to play the game if you haven’t already.

The Last of Us has already been renewed for two more seasons, which will follow the game’s sequel The Last of Us Part II.  The sequel will be split between the next two seasons, so fans of season one can expect to see Pascal and Ramsey as Joel and Ellie for years to come.

After this successful video game adaption, many people are speculating about the adaption of other popular video games such as Mass Effect and Red Dead Redemption.  A well executed show with an exciting future ahead of it, The Last of Us is a must watch show that both fans of the game and newcomers alike will enjoy and appreciate.