Breaking Down the Season Finale of HBO's The Last of Us - A Nerdthusiast Review (SPOILERS)

 Breaking Down the Season Finale of HBO's The Last of Us - A Nerdthusiast Review (SPOILERS)

HBO’s “The Last of Us'' had its season finale on Sunday, March 12th - it has now become the biggest hit on television over this winter. The show places a lot of faith in its source material’s writing. The TV adaptation doesn’t veer far from the script set by the video game. Craig Mazin, the man behind one of the most profound miniseries ever made “Chernobyl” helms the adaptation, alongside the founding father himself, Neil Druckmann. The series was widely anticipated and questioned. Not only because video game adaptations have a bad reputation, but because this game has such a ginormous fan base at its center - not only is it beloved by gamers, but from non-gamers alike for its cinematic approach. After the show's finale episode this past Sunday, any doubt about this show had gone out the games menu screen window. This series felt like a whole new experience while enriching the best elements of what made the game special in the first place. 

Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us" for the PlayStation 3 broke ground as a video game that looked more like a prestige TV show or film than just about any other game before it. Players took on the roles of Joel, a long-grieving father turned black market smuggler who suffered immeasurable tragedy at the start of a zombie outbreak, and 14-year-old Ellie, an orphan who has only ever known the post-apocalypse — a militarized and zombie-ridden America. After ten years of the game's initial release, it made its way onto streaming with the help of HBO and the outstanding performances from talents Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey bringing these two broken down people to life.

The zombies presented in The Last of Us aren’t the undead. Instead, they are humans infected by a souped-up version of the real-life Cordyceps fungus, which takes over the brain functions of creatures, mostly insects. In The Last of Us, humans are susceptible to this fungal infection and become manic, ravenous monsters. And unlike a viral pandemic, there is no vaccine. Like the game, Mazin and Druckmanns reworked TV version is not an ensemble story; this is no “The Walking Dead.” Instead, it is laser-focused on the budding relationship between two people who want nothing to do with each other. The Last of Us is more of a buddy road trip show than yet another show about a zombie apocalypse. The monsters are barely the focus. And like in the game, it portrays this all with earnestness and not an ounce of irony.

Because The Last of Us was already structured and written like a TV show, HBO’s rendition is primed to work and it does. It treats most of the key scenes well, with the utmost respect. In some ways the story is better for it, thanks to more granular insight into the lives of certain characters. For example, the brothers Sam and Henry — already pivotal characters from the game — are given a far more extensive story that explains their plight and their reasons for wanting to join Joel and Ellie. They feel less like characters in a “side quest” in a game, especially since their relationship now draws stronger, clearer parallels between everyone. As goes for the devastating, yet beautiful relationship with Bill and Frank in episode 3 “Long, Long Time”. 

This show offers exactly what fans have loudly demanded: an adaptation that feels faithful to the source material in look, sound and atmosphere. It works because The Last of Us series has already won over a wide audience of players, and even still even after ten years remains one of the most beloved games of all time. HBO’s take on the video game property finally answers the question: What if a big-budget TV or film adaptation stayed faithful to the source material, and that’s exactly what the show does. There are scenes throughout the first season that are direct line reads of key scenes from the game. The nine episodes follow the exact same story beats and almost the same locations as the original game too. People who know the game by heart will likely be able to recite some lines right as they’re being spoken in the show, all while still managing to flesh out certain key moments absent from the game. I’ve played the game dozens of times over the years and it felt like I was witnessing the story unfold for the very first time all over again.

The game’s true magic lay in allowing players to embody Joel and Ellie. This meant the perspective of the story could never leave their eyes, lest we lose control as the audience. But in the show, the camera and the writing are finally liberated from the two leads, allowing new side stories to flourish, enriching our understanding of the world and its characters. For those familiar with the game, “enchanting and romantic” are two words you might not associate with this story. But HBO’s revision manages to tell a loving story in a loveless, lifeless world.

Pascal and Ramsey also have a chemistry that works so much more than it should. As someone like myself who’s head over heels with the original game performances by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, I still saw the HBO portrayals as true to the characters of Joel and Ellie. The game focused on their journey’s most portentous scenes, but the show allows peeks into quieter, less busy moments. Again, there is more kindness here than the game could have allowed. Joel and Ellie, less hurried by the mandates of driving an action video game, are allowed to talk more, and on occasion, smile and laugh.

When the show lurches toward its most pivotal scenes, Pascal and Ramsey are at their best. The heartbreaking first 15 minutes of the game are depicted here, and Pascal’s performance underscores the blooming heartache that would fester into a shriveled, diminished soul. I knew what was going to happen, it happened, yet I still felt compelled to bring out the tissues. Ramsey’s “Game of Thrones” experience was great practice for portraying Ellie as a young girl born into a world that doesn’t nurture innocence. Ellie’s reluctant guardian is a broken man — and an ill portent for her future.

The entire season covers the plot of the first game. The show doesn’t feel hurried; each episode lasts about an hour long. Many of the episodic emotional cliffhangers from the first game are again echoed in the show. Now a new generation of TV watchers will engage with the debate that players of the game have litigated over and over for the past decade around character decisions and what it means to do the right thing in a shattered world.

HBO’s The Last of Us is a fascinating and enjoyable ride through an old familiar adventure tale, powered by actors who honor the original vision. When I compare the two stories, and the artistic choices made to differentiate the show from the game, I have to admit: The HBO version sometimes steals the show - and now it will be very interesting to see what they do with Season 2. Because as many know, The Last of Us Part 2 is definitely not as beloved as Part 1 is. Some of the choices made in that game really divided a lot of people and it'll be very intriguing to see where they decided to take that chapter now that there are discussions being had about dividing it up into multiple seasons. Whatever Mazin and Druckmann decide to whip us up, I know I’ll be watching. Now most importantly, what do you all think of the first season of The Last of Us? Let us know down below! 

 

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By Danny Manna Twitter: @Cinemanna24 - Nerdthusiast Content Creator