Author Topic: HBO Series:- The Last of Us [spoiler tags approach applies!] (Read 26272 times)

AndyMuller · « **Reply #480 on:** March 14, 2023, 03:36:54 pm »

Quote from: El Lobo on March 14, 2023, 09:15:26 am

It was, but its hard to see much that they missed out. We just wanted it to be longer because we enjoyed it (thats what she said)

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A feature length finale would have been cool but again, after the episode with David....its hard to see what they could have added really. Joel working his way through the hospital massacring people didn't need to be dragged out, they got all the important dialogue, the giraffes, the bit with Ellie getting knocked out and falling into the water wouldnt have really added much. I do think the infected didn't appear as much as they could have but that also links back to the game. If I'm being hyper critical I think they could have maybe got another episode out of Tess and another episode out of Henry and Sam.
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I was a bit gutted they missed out the tunnel section though as in the game you go through a lot of zombies and end up nearly drowning underwater in a bus which was pretty tense.

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FlashingBlade · « **Reply #481 on:** March 14, 2023, 06:37:31 pm »

Quote from: Jean Girard on March 14, 2023, 03:14:27 pm

Same - no interest in games.

Thought it had 4 absolutely knockout episodes of TV (Opener, F&B, shopping centre, Escape from Silver Lake), some funny zombie stuff - the big boss man Zombie made my laugh out loud - and then some kind of Lord Of The Rings walking endlessly through Mordor episodes. When it was good it was great, was a little uneven for some of the rest but ultimately a very good series. Will defo be back. 8/10

I'd turn the zombie content up just a tiny bit more, not loads but a small bit.

Yeah the big Zombie lad was funny....Recon it was Haaland...' A Magificent Zombie Meat Shield'

BER · « **Reply #482 on:** March 14, 2023, 06:58:37 pm »

There was me thinking how they'd change up the finale so it wasn't too video gamey...

meady1981 · « **Reply #483 on:** March 14, 2023, 07:00:16 pm »

Should have been two seasons per game.
They really could have explored this more. The talent and storytelling was a really good standard. Bit of a shame really.

GreatEx · « **Reply #484 on:** March 14, 2023, 10:22:37 pm »

That Devito gif gets me every time

End Product · « **Reply #485 on:** March 15, 2023, 11:21:34 am »

Quote from: Zlen on March 13, 2023, 11:57:14 am

It's strange really.
I mean, what's the fucking difference if the season is 9 or 10 episodes long? It's not like the cost will double.
Why would they do a rush job at the end when they've spend soooooo much time on episodes that effectively don't progress the story at all?
It seems to be a 'creative' decision, which is a shame.

Making a set covid safe is expensive, lots of big series lost one episode due to the extra cost of covid procedures draining the budget imagine that was the case here was the case on" hanna".

Brian Blessed · « **Reply #486 on:** March 16, 2023, 02:47:46 am »

As has been said, it was ten, but 1 and 2 were combined.

I like that they a couple of filler eisopes; one, because I found out the term started with manga adaptions regarding tv episodes that didn’t concern the manga comic.

Two, because it’s an overused term. Not every episode has to advance the plot, it’s a relative new concept.

I blame writers, or rather the evolution of television. All eps must forward the plot.

Can you imagine if DS9 came out today. You’d have three episodes of Dominion War, followed by an episode of O’Brian and Bashir going off to do something random, then main Ferengi going to 1950’s America and then an episode vaguely to do with the war.

The internet would lose its shit.

Buck Pete · « **Reply #487 on:** March 22, 2023, 10:29:40 am »

I played the game on release years back and quite enjoyed this adaptation. Was really well made I thought.

Last 2 episodes were great IMO.

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The scene with Ellie and David in the restaurant at the end of E8 was exactly how I remembered it. Joel and Ellie did what they needed to do to survive but they both turned into stone cold killers in the last 2 episodes.

Thought Joel was a bit harsh on Marlene to be honest. Was nothing personal, she was only trying to save the world like. And she did save Ellie when she was a new-born baby.

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S · « **Reply #488 on:** March 22, 2023, 04:33:35 pm »

Thought it was fairly good, nothing groundbreaking. The last episode seemed a little rushed to me.

The first couple of episodes were brilliant. The Bill and Frank story was a welcome addition. I found the shopping mall episode painfully boring.

naYoRHa2b · « **Reply #489 on:** March 22, 2023, 08:41:28 pm »

I've just finished this, completed the first game maybe half a dozen times.

The highlight of the show was episode 3 purely because it expands on the story of Bill so they had what felt like a bit more creative license and I thought they did that brilliantly, it was a nice change of pace as well.

I get they wanted to keep the series close to the game and it's definitely reflected in a lot of the dialogue but honestly the way the lines are delivered in the game is so much better than the show. It was great to see Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson given a part as well.

RedKenWah · « **Reply #490 on:** March 23, 2023, 06:53:47 am »

Best video game to TV adaption that has been done in my honest opinion.

There will always be a slight shortcoming of some kind though when you have a series like this try and stick closely to the roots of the game it’s based upon. Sometimes yes some stories are best told through the medium of games and some are better portrayed via TV, overall this I think strikes the balance right. I think the last episode and the bit most have taken exception to, I think that sequence is something which can only be appreciated via gameplay, story telling it in a TV show it’s always going to be hit and miss given that we know the main characters are going to survive. Other thing is in the games you can heal the characters but you can’t necessarily reflect that in TV format. Oh I’ve got a couple of bullet holes in me, no matter will wrap some bandage on my arm and it’ll be alright… doesn’t work in TV.

I’m very much interested in how they do part 2, and mainly because I got it cheap on PS recently and have been playing it and.. well yeah it’ll be interesting what they do.

sattapaartridge · « **Reply #491 on:** March 23, 2023, 11:13:44 am »

I want to buy a PS4, just so i can play the game now. The TV show doesn't really have many zombies really does it? Its more humans vs humans.

redk84 · « **Reply #492 on:** March 23, 2023, 12:19:02 pm »

I liked the show, never played the game....but the characters are strong.

Story was interesting for the most part, but dont think much happened really? Alot was introduced but I felt the season was a bit too short...could have fleshed out a few more storylines

didi shamone · « **Reply #493 on:** March 23, 2023, 02:19:46 pm »

Quote from: S on March 22, 2023, 04:33:35 pm

Thought it was fairly good, nothing groundbreaking. The last episode seemed a little rushed to me.

The first couple of episodes were brilliant. The Bill and Frank story was a welcome addition. I found the shopping mall episode painfully boring.

Fair summation. The shopping mall episode was like one of those awful Walking Dead episodes. Had some great moments and acting but Overall 7.5/10 for the series.

Nobby Reserve · « **Reply #494 on:** March 24, 2023, 12:36:52 am »

Interesting to see so many people underwhelmed, especially with the last episode.

I disagree to a large extent. Thought the finale episode was fine. Only real grumble was

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how thick they laid it on that Joel was mentally breaking down in terms of finally accepting his daughter's death after suppressing his grief for years. This psychological allowing his feelings to surface comes as he's mentally adopted Ellie as a surrogate daughter now

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Saying that, I'd give the finale episode 8/10, when some others I'd give 9 or 10 to.

I'll qualify this by saying that, having no idea the game even existed before the TV series let alone know the plot of it, I've nothing to reference/compare it to so just watched it from a TV story perspective.

I think e8 was my favourite

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Ellie killing that c*nt David was superb and me and my daughter literally cheered

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GreatEx · « **Reply #495 on:** March 24, 2023, 07:02:12 am »

Yeah, I agreed with the laying it on thick bit. I was like, "hang on, you just stopped for a chat 30 seconds again, don't stop again ya sap!". ...

Spoiler

That bit about the time Joel "missed" was an add-on for the series. I think Joel's chattiness and Ellie's quietness as they walked through Salt Lake City already spoke for itself, and maybe you felt it a bit more in the game because you play as Joel and find that suddenly you're the one initiating the conversation when you click the triangle button when chat prompts appear, but I still think the show gave a clear picture of their emotional state without being all "omg I was so depressed, then you came along and made my life worth living"

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The TV show doesn't really have many zombies really does it? Its more humans vs humans.

The game is about 50:50 in that respect. You go through infected stages and hostile human stages... as you can imagine, the two don't tend to cohabit. The TV show definitely downplayed the infected element to differentiate itself from all the other zombie shows. Strange then that when you watch the "making of" episode 10, all they seem to talk about is the mushroom-head makeup and SFX. All that effort for about 2 minutes of footage across the entire season!

Fitzy. · « **Reply #496 on:** March 24, 2023, 12:03:24 pm »

I’m not a gamer, I know nothing about that universe…but I have a question that might make me sound thick but please let me ask it anyway.

When people talk about the plot in the game it almost sounds like the whole thing just unfolds rather than any gameplay determining how the ‘story’ turns out. How is the plot so rich in the game if it’s just a guy with a gun killing zombies and malcontents?

mikey_LFC · « **Reply #497 on:** March 24, 2023, 05:22:36 pm »

Quote from: Fitzy. on March 24, 2023, 12:03:24 pm

I’m not a gamer, I know nothing about that universe…but I have a question that might make me sound thick but please let me ask it anyway.

When people talk about the plot in the game it almost sounds like the whole thing just unfolds rather than any gameplay determining how the ‘story’ turns out. How is the plot so rich in the game if it’s just a guy with a gun killing zombies and malcontents?

Cutscenes and the characters talking as you go between areas. There’s a lot more quiet, non action, playable moments in the game than most others where you’re just going between places or scavenging for materials and then spot something that sparks a discussion, normally through Ellie as she’s got loads of questions about the world especially about the pre-apocalypse world.

Fitzy. · « **Reply #498 on:** March 25, 2023, 10:50:31 am »

Quote from: mikey_LFC on March 24, 2023, 05:22:36 pm

Cutscenes and the characters talking as you go between areas. There’s a lot more quiet, non action, playable moments in the game than most others where you’re just going between places or scavenging for materials and then spot something that sparks a discussion, normally through Ellie as she’s got loads of questions about the world especially about the pre-apocalypse world.

Right thanks for that. That makes sense.

So it’s a bit different to Donkey Kong…

lobsterboy · « **Reply #499 on:** March 25, 2023, 11:59:08 am »

Zombie apocalypse fatigue took over and I simply stopped watching.
Wasnt really anything new.

ToneLa · « **Reply #500 on:** March 25, 2023, 12:55:51 pm »

Quote from: lobsterboy on March 25, 2023, 11:59:08 am

Zombie apocalypse fatigue took over and I simply stopped watching.
Wasnt really anything new.

Your loss. It is a tremendous show. Up there with some classics for sure.

The zombie stuff is a setting
It isn't the story.

ToneLa · « **Reply #501 on:** March 25, 2023, 01:00:44 pm »

Quote from: Fitzy. on March 24, 2023, 12:03:24 pm

I’m not a gamer, I know nothing about that universe…but I have a question that might make me sound thick but please let me ask it anyway.

When people talk about the plot in the game it almost sounds like the whole thing just unfolds rather than any gameplay determining how the ‘story’ turns out. How is the plot so rich in the game if it’s just a guy with a gun killing zombies and malcontents?

Dialogue between the characters, worldbuilding throughout as a form of non-verbal explanation, emergent and traditional ways of storytelling from collectibles to the design of the world and the very consistent internal logic of it all, and explicit cutscenes for story events

The games are rightly lauded for a reason. The world feels like it exists and that allows the threat level to flourish

The show does an amazing job of bringing the same, or better intensity

This show is lit yo

Fitzy. · « **Reply #502 on:** March 25, 2023, 01:26:12 pm »

Quote from: ToneLa on March 25, 2023, 01:00:44 pm

Dialogue between the characters, worldbuilding throughout as a form of non-verbal explanation, emergent and traditional ways of storytelling from collectibles to the design of the world and the very consistent internal logic of it all, and explicit cutscenes for story events

The games are rightly lauded for a reason. The world feels like it exists and that allows the threat level to flourish

The show does an amazing job of bringing the same, or better intensity

This show is lit yo

Cheers. I’ll never play it but appreciate how much joy folk get out of this stuff.

GreatEx · « **Reply #503 on:** March 25, 2023, 09:32:31 pm »

I've already spoken about the diminished threat level posed by the infected in the show so I won't keep beating that drum. The other thing less apparent in the show is the lack of resources. Our protagonists blasted wildly when under attack in the show, whereas in the game you often find yourself in a room full of clickers with only one round in the chamber, a two-by-four with scissor blade that you taped to the end, and an empty glass bottle to work with. A lot of the combat is consequently messy, desperate and visceral. This also meant that moments of peace, like the iconic giraffe scene, had a deep emotional resonance with the gamer. Naturally the TV show makers had to include the scene, and it was nice and all, but not as "earned". I reckon I spent about 10 minutes watching those majestic beasts stroll across the landscape, it took a real effort to pull myself away from the viewing platform!

Brian Blessed · « **Reply #504 on:** April 1, 2023, 04:14:29 am »

No one will read this, because my posts are worth reading, but…

I blame tV writers for dissatisfaction with television shows these days. There is such an expectation that each episode should build on the last, there is no time to breath.

So when there is a Bill episode, or a mall episode, people lose their shit because it’s not advancing the main plot. There is no appreciation for world building.

I’m rewatching Deep Space Nine at the moment. If you don’t know, there is a massive story arc across most of it. I’ve just finished watching a seven episode part of that arc. The next ep will be a couple of characters off on some self contained adventure, never to be referenced again.

If DS9 came out now, people would lose their shit at that.

GreatEx · « **Reply #505 on:** April 1, 2023, 05:15:13 am »

It was primarily culture warriors who reacted against Bill and Frank. Most viewers thought it was brilliant. The episode had an imdb rating over 9.5 before the warriors mobilised to drag it down. I don't think people insist on plot advancement to the extent you suggest. Many have argued the show should have taken more time to build the world rather than race through checkpoints the way it did in the last few episodes.

Red Beret · « **Reply #506 on:** April 1, 2023, 04:58:34 pm »

I've only just finished episode 6. Although I know how the game ends I don't know how much still needs to be squeezed into the last three episodes, so I have to reserve judgement.

Watching a "movie" of the game's cutscenes alongside the series, and I can see that the writing for the game was essentially perfect. It's made a lot of logical sense to see how some areas of the story have been beefed up a bit (like the Kansas revolution and Kathleen) to make for better television; and the slight gap in the game where Bill is an intermediary with hinted at backstory gave the writers an opportunity to cut loose a bit creatively, whilst still maintaining the tone of the game.

I would rather have seen a ten episode series then see these additions dropped for the sake of time. It's important that fans of the game get to see something new as well. So far it's an excellent reimagining.

lobsterboy · « **Reply #507 on:** April 6, 2023, 03:22:18 pm »

Quote from: ToneLa on March 25, 2023, 12:55:51 pm

Your loss. It is a tremendous show. Up there with some classics for sure.

The zombie stuff is a setting
It isn't the story.

I got up to where he finds his brother.
The stand out bit for me was John Hannah right at the start of the first episode. That was the best bit of the series.
I thought episode 3 was really strong as well but, just couldn't shake that the setting has been overused and become stale. For me personally anyway.

Fabulous_aurelio · « **Reply #508 on:** April 15, 2023, 07:23:19 pm »

Massively tempted to rewatch this. The more I think about it, the more I think how perfect it is. Episode 3 with Frank was an absolute highlight.

GreatEx · « **Reply #509 on:** April 16, 2023, 04:54:11 am »

I'm kind of tempted to re-watch episodes 1, 3 and 5 to remind myself of how good the show was at one stage, and could have been.

kellan · « **Reply #510 on:** January 15, 2024, 06:06:12 pm »

Some season two casting announcements have been trickling out this past week. I shall spoiler them. Please be mindful of those who haven't played the game when dissecting the implications of certain casting choices.

Spoiler

Abby: Kaitlyn Dever https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3239803/
Jesse: Young Mazino https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6180088/
Dina: Isabela Merced https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5097044/

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S2 production is planned to start mid-February, ending in September.

Tobelius · « **Reply #511 on:** January 15, 2024, 07:31:33 pm »

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In the second game the franchise lost it's magic for me for reasons i won't go into here.
Fully expect the series to do the same and propably won't watch it however much i liked the first season.

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GreatEx · « **Reply #512 on:** January 15, 2024, 07:59:34 pm »

Quote from: kellan on January 15, 2024, 06:06:12 pm

Some season two casting announcements have been trickling out this past week. I shall spoiler them. Please be mindful of those who haven't played the game when dissecting the implications of certain casting choices.

Spoiler
Abby: Kaitlyn Dever https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3239803/
Jesse: Young Mazino https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6180088/
Dina: Isabela Merced https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5097044/
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S2 production is planned to start mid-February, ending in September.

That Abby is an unusual choice... 5ft3 and petite. Abby was jacked!

RedDeadRejection · « **Reply #513 on:** January 16, 2024, 10:46:36 pm »

Quote from: GreatEx on January 15, 2024, 07:59:34 pm

That Abby is an unusual choice... 5ft3 and petite. Abby was jacked!

Plenty of time to get shredded. Which was a bit odd in a post apocalyptic world really.

Bread · « **Reply #514 on:** January 18, 2024, 08:50:06 am »

I don't mind Dever as Abby. I don't necessarily mind that the actress doesn't look like Abby, which I know is bothering a lot of people that were fan-casting Shannon Berry in the role. Bella looks absolutely nothing like Ellie, but she emulated Ellie's personality to near-perfection and I'd hope for the same from Dever.

I do hope Dever hits the weights though. Part of what made Abby such a memorable character in the game is how physically imposing and intimidating she was. Would be a shame to lose that.

NightDancer · « **Reply #515 on:** January 18, 2024, 09:20:02 am »

Quote from: Bread on January 18, 2024, 08:50:06 am

I don't mind Dever as Abby. I don't necessarily mind that the actress doesn't look like Abby, which I know is bothering a lot of people that were fan-casting Shannon Berry in the role. Bella looks absolutely nothing like Ellie, but she emulated Ellie's personality to near-perfection and I'd hope for the same from Dever.

I do hope Dever hits the weights though. Part of what made Abby such a memorable character in the game is how physically imposing and intimidating she was. Would be a shame to lose that.

I suspect Dever will be excellent in the role. She was very good in Justified and was able to bring a good range to her character in Last Man Syanding also despite it being a comedy show.

Damaged with Daddy issues ( Which is basically Abby) is very much in her wheel house. Maybe she will hit the gym to add a layer physically for the role but even if she does not I really think she has the acting chops to give the character a real mix of depth and menance.

Brian Blessed · « **Reply #516 on:** January 18, 2024, 09:25:39 pm »

I haven’t played the game, so I suppose I’ve got no skin in the game, but I’d rather they cast for someone that can act the part, rather than looks the part (assuming both aren’t available in one person, like Nathan Fillion for Unchartered. Who didn’t get cast anyway)

duvva 💅 · « **Reply #517 on:** January 19, 2024, 04:29:19 pm »

Quote from: NightDancer on January 18, 2024, 09:20:02 am

I suspect Dever will be excellent in the role. She was very good in Justified and was able to bring a good range to her character in Last Man Syanding also despite it being a comedy show.

Damaged with Daddy issues ( Which is basically Abby) is very much in her wheel house. Maybe she will hit the gym to add a layer physically for the role but even if she does not I really think she has the acting chops to give the character a real mix of depth and menance.

Not seen her in either of those shows but she was excellent in Dopesick and Unbelievable as well.