Ever since its announcement all the way back in 2020, The Last of Us fans feared the release of the critically-acclaimed game’s television adaption. And for good reason. While there are great video game films and TV shows out there, many have been complete stinkers. Thankfully, it would surpass the expectations of even the most optimistic fans. Now, there’s no question about why the show needed to exist or if it would deliver – because The Last of Us is just SO good.
Of course, adapting a beloved property is always going to be attached with risk. Gamers are notoriously hard to please. And The Last of Us sits in the pantheon of the most beloved video games ever created.
A few months after the announcement of HBO’s The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part II was released on PS4. It was a masterpiece (in our opinion, at least). But many fans disagreed and vehemently decried Naughty Dog’s creative decisions.
Some considered it a blemish on the legacy of the first game. The direction of its story is still a topic of an intense debate almost three years since Part II‘s release. For this reason, there was a level of distrust among jaded fans that the TV show would do the first game justice.
Everything from its casting to its set design was heavily scrutinised in the years and months preceding the adaption’s debut. Some felt neither Pedro Pascal nor Bella Ramsey resembled Joel and Ellie. If HBO couldn’t even get that right, how could they be trusted with the plot? It was heading for disaster before it had even aired, apparently.
Cautious Optimism
But others had hope. With TLOU creator Neil Druckmann at the helm alongside Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin, could the TV show really be *that* bad?
By the time the first trailer dropped, it was clear optimism was growing amongst fans – albeit cautiously. If you cast your eyes over YouTube comments on that initial teaser, you’ll see viewers begging HBO to get it right.
“This has so much potential, this could be a masterpiece, I really hope they pull off the same feel as the video game.”
YouTube user Agent K
“Please HBO, don’t destroy this masterpiece.”
YouTube user Zax Lonewolf
“I am so ready for this. Please do it justice. This game was a cinematic masterpiece.”
YouTube user Yahoody
“Man, they have got some guts to be attempting this. IMO the game itself is so cinematic and incredible that I don’t think a live action show can ever do it justice. Pedro is top notch though, must-see regardless!”
YouTube user Dax_Xenos
“I have high hopes, but fear I will be disappointed.”
YouTube user comingviking
The reason the show’s success is so important to fans goes far deeper than simply wanting a cool TV show to watch. TV and film are the gateway to the mainstream. And while mainstream acceptance of video games has never been so prevalent, some still look down on the medium.
This TV show was a chance for gamers to share their love of The Last of Us with family and friends. Hell, maybe they’d even be encouraged to pick up a controller for the first time to experience the original telling of Joel and Ellie’s journey.
So, the last thing any fan would want is for The Last of Us to be an embarrassment. The Last of Us is the best of gaming, after all. And this television adaption had the potential to be a game-changer.
Why is The Last of Us SO GOOD?!
As soon as the first episode dropped, any fears fans had immediately dissipated. Criticism was virtually non-existent and the vast majority agreed the pilot – “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” – was, in fact, excellent.
Fans adored the reimagining of Joel’s outbreak day horror. That’s because it delivered on two fronts. It was both faithful to the game and expanded the prologue to aid it in suiting television. This allowed viewers to spend more time with Joel’s daughter, Sarah, and to learn more about her life before her tragic death.
The first episode mirrored the game in places. But it was also brave enough to try new things, which allowed the TV adaption to stand on its own two feet.
And this has been a constant theme in The Last of Us. We’re now three episodes in. And each episode has loyally recaptured the spirit of the decade-old game while ever-so slightly tweaking things for television and introducing fresh ideas and moments.
A Long, Long Time Coming
So far, this has been no more apparent than in episode three – “Long, Long Time”. It revolved around survivalist Bill – a fan-favourite character from the video game. But judging from references to Bill (and his partner Frank) in previous episodes, it seemed things wouldn’t be quite the same this time round.
We never met Frank in the game (at least while he was alive). He had committed suicide after abandoning the paranoid and distrustful Bill. Ultimately, Bill’s encounter with Joel and Ellie ends with a poignant bluntness.
His section also lends itself to the action expected of video games. Joel and Ellie must navigate Bill’s booby-trapped town and fight off numerous Infected along the way. But the show has little need for an extended stretch of puzzle-solving and zombie-slaying.
Divergence was required. And HBO’s The Last of Us capitalised on it spectacularly. The spirit of 2013’s iteration remained, but this section of Joel and Ellie’s journey was radically different.
Joel and Ellie still needed the car from Bill. And the episode concludes with them driving away. But viewers were treated to a 75-minute, exquisitely-told love story about two people making each other’s lives worth living at the end of the world.
As most fans of the game will recall, Bill’s sexuality was alluded to back then. But he was a lonely and angry character who ultimately played just a small role. So, rather than simply recreating what came before, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann opted to provide a level of depth to his character that few could’ve predicted.
In doing so, we received indisputable proof of the show’s long-term commitment to quality. And that’s why The Last of Us is so good. Because its creators care about it just as much as its dedicated fans do.
But that’s not all. They’re also determined to present us with new concepts and to defy our expectations when we least expect it. That’s what will make The Last of Us a television show for the ages. And one fans can watch with a smile on their faces, knowing they we there from the very beginning.
Are you enjoying HBO’s The Last of Us? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
