Hey duders,

I'm going to assume many people are watching this show at the moment. How are we finding it?

I think it's one of the best shows in the last ten years, hands down. Which is weird, as I thought the game was shite, but there's something about the prestige and quality of the show that really hit home.

Episode three featuring the gay relationship was incredible, and my partner and I both cried at the end of it.

What are we all making of it then?

I'm liking the show a lot and don't mind that it follows the game so closely because it's been such a long time since the first game came out. Hopefully they'll put out more side stories in the style of episode 3.

It's actually been interesting to have a thing to look forward to being released each week. Recently I've mostly been watching entire seasons of older shows and haven't been a part of that zeitgeisty weekly release schedule since Game of Thrones.

I think this show has had some real highs - i don't think those highs have had to do with how the show is directly adapting already highly polished cutscenes. Like that stuff is totally fine and competent, Pascal and Ramsay play their roles well, but this is fundamentally uninteresting as adaptation.

It's all the extra stuff with Sarah, it's the Indonesia opening, it's Episode 3 with Bill/Frank. That's what's making this an interesting watch.

I'm paraphrasing Ren from Waypoint, but gamers specifically thinking "THIS is the adaptation that's going to show people what games can do!" are kinda fooling themselves? Because this isn't doing a favor for the games - if anything, someone going from the show to the game might be a bit deflated at all the ways it's constantly throwing action scenes at you. Like holy shit, someone who fell in love with Bill/Frank's story going from the show to the game is going to be like "omg what the fuck..."

I don't hold TLOU in particularly high regard, and the sequel was just such shallow nihilistic bullshit that frustrated me. Like all the times it wanted to be like "man, isn't this dark and fucked up?" I just kinda went "Yeah... but not the reason you think it is." But I think the show is just a stronger work overall. We'll see how future seasons go...

I feel pretty similar to Shaanyboi - no real complaints about the main cast and I've always been a fan of Pascal but I'm surprised to find myself a tad disappointed when I see the scenes from the game playing out on the show - they almost fall flat by comparison - I've even gone back and re-watched the game cutscenes and they punch a lot harder in my opinion.

What's making this an excellent show is all of the new scenes. The first episode with extended Sarah, the Indonesia opening, Episode 3 - I'm hoping the show leans a lot more in that direction because I find I'm not really interested in seeing my favorite scenes from the game any more. The wider looks at the geopolitical horror of the setting has been a lot more unsettling and poignant.

Episode 3 was such a tight episode - it really incapsulated what I love about storytelling and fiction into a crisp package. Using the surreal and the fantastical to tell human stories. Arguably thats what the larger story of the Last of Us is doing too but damn these guys just parked a solid beginning, middle and end in one satisfying episode that many programs fail to deliver in their entire run.

Overall I'd say the show is above average, nothing amazing but its highs when it gets there are noteworthy.

I wish I held off until the run was completed because I feel like I'll be missing little nuances and momentum by watching it an episode at a time.

yeah, i think i'm largely in agreement. when the show is copying the game 1-for-1, i'm actually finding the show's drama to feel much more wooden and awkward in delivery. i'm not sure how some of the late game, dramatically climactic scenes are going to land if they try to copy and paste them into the show.

that said- all the supplemental or embellished, new material is pretty outstanding.

i am super curious to see what they try and do with the second game- it can sometimes feel like a minority opinion around here, but i really, really enjoyed it- often for reasons i don't think will translate to television effectively.

@sombre:Funny you mention not liking the game but liking the show. The show and game for the first 2 eps were nearly the same. It lets me make the point i always see people angry over.

Every time a live action adaptation from anime to games is made, people hit the why button. They also hit it over and over for last of us. Fans of last of us said i will not watch because the game is like a movie, watch that. They also state who is this for...the game is basic, and the story isn't blowing my mind with a complex narrative about the woes of man and philosophy 101. It's a character work and it works. Its for people like you and the millions of others who exist. Some people don't play games or wanna watch animated material off YouTube.

I think it's the same for one piece Netflix live action. Any changes from the character is wearing shoes not saddles gets thrown as a reason it fails. But you know what. Even if the live action is 2000 eps to finish, my family and friends would much rather watch that than jump in a show they see 1000 eps for and don't like the cartoony style for. Some things aren't for everyone, and that's ok. Last of us found a way to please fans (mostly i heard people hated episode 3 but not sure if it's minority or majority opinion), and that's commendable that they could please that many even game fans. Personally think adaptations are for the fans but also to get audiences interested. Even money grubby execs like sharing their series with others. It's an artistic medium film/tv and if these studios wanted just money they'd invest all of their money in something with greater returns and less risk with faster pay-outs. They don't because they also like the art of film for the most part. Some actors admit they just like money and never watch tv, akin to book writers who don't read books then get mad that people tell them their prose is poor.

@shaanyboi:This argument makes sense on paper but doesnt hold up to the way we know people consume adaptations. The internet flipped when halo deviated from the main plot. They flip if you change a character's ethnicity, gender, age, etc. They flip if you even have a different build to your face, see the boys memes about a woman playing starlight that are just...

Its not fair, but that's what people do. Last of us to get attention needed the first eps to be shot for shot to show they are hearing the fans and know not to mess up. Lord of the rings tv for example didnt go shot for shot what the people wanted and it had reviews swallowed by bad actors and some people who legitatly dislike the direction for reasons past casting and changing minor things.

Episode 3 shows they wanna use the story and change when necessary. 4 showed they will flesh out the gamey parts...of just random things to attack. The game in hindsight had a tight fast moving plot thou at the time i though it was slow, so i get why people dislike the longer last of us 2 length wise.

But as a show it seems to be doing its best to juggle all expectations and did the impossible, turned out good. Even at worst its a decent show. Could do way worst. I've watched Titans season 1-3 and the flash past season 3, could be alot worst.

It's so good it inspired me to cover Linda Ronstadt.

I'm waiting for all the episodes before I binge watch them all, but it seems like each episode starting with 3, they are changing more and more of what happens in the game, or so I read.

@shaanyboi:

I'm paraphrasing Ren from Waypoint, but gamers specifically thinking "THIS is the adaptation that's going to show people what games can do!" are kinda fooling themselves?

This is pretty much nonsense it's just each medium leaning into the things they can do better. Games are interactive and need the players actively doing something, having long action scenes in a tv show wouldn't convey the same point as it does in the game.

Joel fighting off two dozen guys in the game can be a desperate fight for survival as the player scavages on the spot, but that same scenario wouldn't have the same effect in a tv show or movie so it makes sense scale back in some areas to explore and add context in others where the game couldn't do, Bill being the perfect example the game didn't have time and couldn't tell that story anywhere near as well.

This is exaclty what an adaptation should do.

@tradee9691: This was quite a journey! We all get drunk and go online sometimes though, duder. By any measure what you said was tame, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

@sethmode: thank you. It was all removed so maybe it was that bad. Lol. I appreciate what you said.

@tradee9691: I’ve been in a bad place lately and drinking and posting is probably not a good way to get out of it. People online are rarely supportive or anything but crappy. Your post in response to my idiocy was refreshing. Big thanks.