The Last of Us is a critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic video game that has officially been adapted into a TV show by HBO Max. The video game is split into two parts, The Last of Us and The Last of Us ll. The first season of the TV show follows the events of game one. HBO has already renewed season 2. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star as Ellie and Joel. The show was released on Jan. 15 of this year. The series premiere was an immediate hit as it had an audience of 4.7 million viewers and that number continues to rise as the episodes air. Right now, there are 8 episodes out and the series finale airs on March 12.
As someone who was a huge fan of the video game, I was extremely excited when HBO announced the adaptation. There was a lot of buzz on the internet about who was set to play the two most important characters in the series. Once they announced Pedro Pascal was to play Joel and Bella Ramsey was to play Ellie, there was a bit of a feud on the internet. Multiple people critiqued the actors saying they didn’t fit the characters. They also had concerns about the actors’ abilities to portray the emotions and perform the difficult scenes as they were in the game. I can certainly say that Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are perfect for Joel and Ellie. After watching just the first episode, I knew they were a perfect match. Pedro gives an incredible performance as Joel as he has the ideal amount of angst and edge that we see in the games. On the opposite side of the spectrum, in his performance in scenes that require more conflict and heavy emotions, he gave just the right amount. As for Bella, she is the definition of Ellie. The defiance and personality Ellie has in the game are almost better in the show because of how well Bella plays the role. Her emotional performance is heartbreakingly amazing. I find myself sobbing at every episode because of how well the characters bring the events to life.
Besides the cast being on point, the production itself has been just flat-out amazing. They managed to bring the events from the game to life in an even sadder way. Even though they’ve made a couple of changes that stray away from the game, they do a great job at it. I would even go as far as saying they maybe made certain things better. I enjoyed how they changed Bill and Frank’s story in the slightest way to add character depth to Bill that wasn’t exactly given in the game. I would also say the show’s version confirmed that they were lovers but that was only hinted at in the game. The producers have taken the action aspect of the game and made it only a small piece of the whole storyline. They chose to focus more on relationships and character-building, which I think is exactly what makes this show so well-done. I think they have also included many details in costumes, dialogue, etc. My favorite detail I’ve noticed is that in any scene where Ellie and Joel have gotten closer or he’s shown caring feelings for her, they make his watch noticeable in the actual scene. Whether it’s a subtle shot of his hand or he straight-up touches it, it’s there. I like this because it’s a reminder of Sarah. It gives this detail that Joel is still grieving what happened, but he’s allowing himself to open up and care for Ellie. I think it’s really beautiful. I love how they brought the game to life in this adaptation. 10/10. 100% nailed.