vetoatreides

The Last of Us videogame had a good story and great acting. It was already very cinematic so I was skeptical about the need to turn it into a TV show.

Unfortunately, they missed the mark. For a start, 9 episodes was not enough. Not only did they cut corners, but they also added content which wasn't in the game.

The premise of The Last of Us is Ellie being immune to the infection which has nearly destroyed all of humanity, but the show fails to show us how the infected have made adventuring outside quarantine zones so dangerous. They appear in only 3 episodes of out 9. Part of Joel an Ellie's journey is also surviving against the hordes of infected and not just humans. There is a middle ground between all out action and nothing at all.

The casting and characters are good, but I don't think Bella Ramsay was the best choice for Ellie. Nick Offerman as Bill was fantastic. It's a shame we never got to see him interact with Joel and Ellie. Too little time was spent with Henry and Sam while Kathleen, a completely new and useless character, was given a backstory and plenty of scenes over 2 episodes. David was shown as a villain right away while originally in the game, he seemed like a good guy and gained Ellie's trust. There was no need to make him a christian preacher either.

The most important part of The Last of Us is the relationship between the 2 main characters. Joel and Ellie are supposed to bond over time and all the key scenes are directly lifted from the game, but it's so rushed on the show that none of it seems earned. The relationship needed to breathe a little and feature more small moments where the 2 of them interact like a father and daughter.

The plot seems simple at first, but it's extremely layered an nuanced. There are no bad or flawless characters. Everybody has their own believable motivations and reasons for acting the way they do.

The actors are great all around, the pace is good and while the show uses many flashbacks, they are short and to the point.

Note to the other reviewer: The yellow car has a German license plate because cars in Quebec are only required to have a rear licence. So people will sometimes put imitation European or Japanese licenses on the front for aesthetic reasons only.

Valerie Lemercier may genuinely love Celine Dion, but casting herself as Celine from age 13 to adulthood was a huge mistake. She's obviously too old and her Québécois accent is completely off. They bafflingly decided to "deep fake" Lemercier's 57 years old face on a child actress for a few scenes ant the result is terrifying. Lemercier also makes Celine sound like a simpleton. It's a shame because she is surrounded by talented Québécois actors who do their best despite their characters having ridiculous made-up names and lines.