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HBO Original | The Last of Us | Part 1 OT | Endure & Survive

Nankatsu

Gold Member
Clickers scene was good, damn good.

I legit like the awesomeness they gave to Tess. Actress choice was on spot and she did a phenomenal work. Insane improvement over the Tess from the game. Hope they bring her back throw flashbacks or something.

However I still can't fully envision Bella as Ellie. There's something missing there.
 
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taizuke

Member
To be fair, TLOU2 discredits it too with the human on human violence overall being the bigger threat there than the infected.

It's not about the 2nd game driving the point home that humans are the real threat. Is about whether you accept the 1st game's ending as the right choice. As Hugare pointed out, there's a duality to that ending. Maybe you side with Joel or you think he made the wrong choice.

If Joel believed humanity was already doomed, then he wouldn't risk his life to bring Ellie to the Fireflies. That would be a plothole. Joel's decision always came down to protecting Ellie, and he knew she would go back if he told her the truth.

It has nothing to do with Joel's motivations but everything to do with what we take from what the showrunners are telling us and what we ultimately take from this adaptation's ending.

So far two episodes have started with experts declaring there's no hope should this infection happen. This is for us the audience not for the characters. This tells the new audience that Joel's decision in the end will be the correct one. Not exactly leaving room for a dual perspective.

As someone pointed out as well maybe I'm thinking too far ahead so I'll give Craig and Neil the benefit of the doubt for now and look forward to seeing what they have in store for us.
 
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Ulysses 31

Member
It's not about the 2nd game driving the point home that humans are the real threat. Is about whether you accept the 1st game's ending as the right choice. As Hugare pointed out, there's a duality to that ending. Maybe you side with Joel or you think he made the wrong choice.
I was responding to those who say "Joel doomed the world" since TLOU2 shows us a world where vaccines would make little difference in the big conflicts there. I agree that the show already seems to be leaning in one direction compared to the game.
 
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Maverick074

Banned
Man, adapting the last of us to a tv show must have been the easiest paycheck in the world

The game's already half cutscenes and the camerawork shows that it desperately wants to be a movie
 

Dorohedoro

Member
Craig Mazin really knows how to write those "scientists are scared shitless" scenes. And hopefully they have something similar to the hotel basement in a later episode because it seems as if they skipped it. Maybe they'll merge it with the university? The sets and the look of the clickers are amazing, the same guy from Chernobyl was the only option for the latter. Interesting how they casted some fans of the games to be the clickers.


Bella Ramsey. who even knows if the story will be the same as the game. it might go a different route.

Make up, effects, CG can do wonders. it will be fine
Unlikely because I'm pretty sure they said they aren't gonna make up storylines and only take stuff from the games.

Watched episode 2. Better than the 1st one. Pretty decent.

So far I think the acting is still not that good, or the story. But its fine. I was kind of let down with the fight scenes for the clickers, the actual choreography of it looked strange. Joel wrestling them and running away, none of it really felt brutal or impactful. When they're sneaking around none of them looked that scared or stressed. Just kind of bland acting.

The star of the show for me is the set designers and the backgrounds in all the shots. Thats where this show shined. All the large city shots looked great. The fungus growing on the door in the museum looked great. Much more effort put into the scenery than TWD and I think so far this is really the only thing carrying the show.

The rest is fine but not doing a lot for me. I agree with the above that the kiss scene and the vines are a little odd. Still overall by far the best gaming related TV show. I think the best acting of the episode was the prequel section in India.
Yeah it was more of a desperate scramble, kind of looked like it was their first time fighting clickers and weren't really sure what to do. Hopefully in later episodes they'll give them the shotgun treatment, ha.
 

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
It has nothing to do with Joel's motivations but everything to do with what we take from what the showrunners are telling us and what we ultimately take from this adaptation's ending.
It has everything to do with his motivation.

Why would Joel continue the journey if he didn't believe in the possibility of a cure early in Episode 2? Joel wouldn't risk his life or his brother's life to deliver Ellie to the Fireflies UNLESS he believed it was true. The humanity is doomed narrative doesn't work because there's nothing in the game that even suggests that's why Joel saved Ellie.

So far two episodes have started with experts declaring there's no hope should this infection happen. This is for us the audience not for the characters. This tells the new audience that Joel's decision in the end will be the correct one. Not exactly leaving room for a dual perspective.

The flashbacks are for the audience to understand that they didn't have a cure to stop the outbreak. It was no hope for them.

Ellie and the importance of her immunity is telling the audience that there is hope for mankind. This is what makes her an important character.

This will have the audience believe that they'll make a cure until they're thrown a curve ball when it's revealed that Ellie needs to die.

As someone pointed out as well maybe I'm thinking too far ahead so I'll give Craig and Neil the benefit of the doubt for now and look forward to seeing what they have in store for us.
 

Neolombax

Member
I liked that so far for every episode, they would include a flashback scene to flesh out the world state prior to the outbreak. Ep 2 was okay, just like ep 1. My wife seems to like it more than I do, but she does admit that the game told the story better (she watched while I was playing years ago). I'm warming up to Bella Ramsey as Ellie
 

Sub_Level

wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Who will they cast as older Ellie?

The current person isn't going to look 5 years older for part 2 story both the Seattle part and the santa Barbara part where Ellie looks much older.

I think its more logical to have Season 2 set in between games. Especially when TLOU2 has hella flashback levels. A ton of the material is already there. TV audiences are not yet ready for Abby. Abby smash.
 
Seems more like an issue of you being overdefensive over what is so far mild criticism. I didn't call TV Joel a beta and I don't think he is one in case I that wasn't clear enough for you.

I'll have to watch game footage of that section but again, it's not a huge deal to me so far.

How can it be criticism if you dont even have the facts right? You say TV Joel is more passive compared to video game Joel but you dont even know what happened in the game.
 

Tchu-Espresso

likes mayo on everthing and can't dance
Who will they cast as older Ellie?

The current person isn't going to look 5 years older for part 2 story both the Seattle part and the santa Barbara part where Ellie looks much older.
Big brain talk. The “current person” being a 19 year old who is already 5 years older than Ellie isn’t going to look 5 years older than Ellie in 2 years.

No Hollywood makeup could bridge that gap.
 
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FunkMiller

Member
Episode Two continuing the high quality set by the opener. The clickers are so absolutely perfect, its unreal.

The only thing I'm not all that keen on is the change from spores to tendrils, but I kind of understand why they did it, I suppose.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Who will they cast as older Ellie?

The current person isn't going to look 5 years older for part 2 story both the Seattle part and the santa Barbara part where Ellie looks much older.

Bella Ramsey is already nearly 20 years old. By the time season two kicks off she'll be actually older than Ellie is in game 2.
 
Big brain talk. The “current person” being a 19 year old who is already 5 years older than Ellie isn’t going to look 5 years older than Ellie in 2 years.

No Hollywood makeup could bridge that gap.
Yeah, this is definitely one of the toughest hurdles. Bella Ramsey is already playing Ellie as more bitter and pessimistic character than VG Ellie tho. I think that is purposeful change, so its less of dramatic change where Ellie is darker in part 2. And clothes and makeup can go a pretty long way making her older. Maybe she'll surprise everyone and get ripped like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2. That be dope
 

Hugare

Member
Bella Ramsey is already nearly 20 years old. By the time season two kicks off she'll be actually older than Ellie is in game 2.
She is 20 years old but looks like 14

Maybe at 22 she will look like 16?

Age wont matter if she still look young for the part. Will be jarring.

I have some bias because I'm not feeling her Ellie so far, so I wouldnt mind another actress after the time skip
 

Ulysses 31

Member
How can it be criticism if you dont even have the facts right? You say TV Joel is more passive compared to video game Joel but you dont even know what happened in the game.
Played the remastered years ago and someone linked a part 1 playthrough earlier. I described earlier why I think TV Joel is a little more passive compared to the game.
 

Vick

Member
It's not about the 2nd game driving the point home that humans are the real threat. Is about whether you accept the 1st game's ending as the right choice. As Hugare pointed out, there's a duality to that ending. You side with Joel, or you think he made the wrong choice if you're a weird ass psychopath.
Agree.

It has nothing to do with Joel's motivations but everything to do with what we take from what the showrunners are telling us and what we ultimately take from this adaptation's ending.

So far two episodes have started with experts declaring there's no hope should this infection happen. This is for us the audience not for the characters. This tells the new audience that Joel's decision in the end will be the correct one. Not exactly leaving room for a dual perspective.

As someone pointed out as well maybe I'm thinking too far ahead so I'll give Craig and Neil the benefit of the doubt for now and look forward to seeing what they have in store for us.
There was no duality at all in the original game.

Score, camera angles, audio-visual narrative as a whole, everything, everything suggested that what happened is exactly what should have happened.
They would have never made the Firefly guy escorting Joel the most antagonist-like person ever otherwise, they would have never made "Where is the operating room?" the most badass and adrenaline inducing thing on the planet, they would have never let the whole Marlene scene play out as it did, they would have painted the Fireflies as more empathetic towards him by letting him say goodbye to Ellie first, instead of acting like borderline child kidnappers menacing to kill him if "he tries anything".
Game would never have the most tear inducing, cathartic score when he picks up Ellie and go for the elevator (10/10 scene). Nor would have let the player know the Fireflies were planning to kill Joel once he delivered Ellie regardless.

There was no duality whatsoever. You were supposed to feel the bittersweetness only during the Epilogue, when the game puts you into Ellie shoes again, or shortly before during the "You'd just come after her" scene.

Afterall, straight from the creators themselves..

l92gGEs.jpg


But maybe things are going to change with the TV series. Maybe the fact they are stating all the time a vaccine is impossible to make will only make what happened to Ellie more miraculous in nature, therefore making Joel decision appear worse.
 
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John Bilbo

Member
But maybe things are going to change with the TV series. Maybe the fact they are stating all the time a vaccine is impossible to make will only make what happened to Ellie more miraculous in nature, therefore making Joel decision appear worse.
I think the further along the story they go, the more will be changed. The tendril stuff alone will have a ripple effect on several scenes along the way.
 

TonyK

Member
At the TV show pacing, judging from these two episodes, I think first season will only cover Summer, not all the first game.
 

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
At the TV show pacing, judging from these two episodes, I think first season will only cover Summer, not all the first game.
It's been reported that the first season will cover the entire game.


The HBO trailer shows scenes from the final part of the game.

 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
At the TV show pacing, judging from these two episodes, I think first season will only cover Summer, not all the first game.
Winter is in the game. we have seen it in trailers.

THey are skipping pittsburgh. It is replaced by kasas city. im guessing after boston in episode 3, we go straight to kansas for 2 episodes where we meet sam and his brother. Then Tommy's Dam in Episode 6 plus university. Winter in episode 7 and 8, and finally the hospital in episode 9.
 

TonyK

Member
Winter is in the game. we have seen it in trailers.

THey are skipping pittsburgh. It is replaced by kasas city. im guessing after boston in episode 3, we go straight to kansas for 2 episodes where we meet sam and his brother. Then Tommy's Dam in Episode 6 plus university. Winter in episode 7 and 8, and finally the hospital in episode 9.
Ok, a bit rushed, but we will see. It's weird for me to spent two episodes for the first couple of hours of the game, and the condensate all the game in the rest of episodes.
 
Winter is in the game. we have seen it in trailers.

THey are skipping pittsburgh. It is replaced by kasas city. im guessing after boston in episode 3, we go straight to kansas for 2 episodes where we meet sam and his brother. Then Tommy's Dam in Episode 6 plus university. Winter in episode 7 and 8, and finally the hospital in episode 9.
You skipped episode 5.

Big set pieces in Pittsburgh, not sure you can skip them.

Hotel elevator scene
Introduction to hunters and the vehicle ambush

All of this can happen in Kansas City just as easily but I think you need the set pieces
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Ok, a bit rushed, but we will see. It's weird for me to spent two episodes for the first couple of hours of the game, and the condensate all the game in the rest of episodes.
it was actually the first three episodes. there were originally 10 episodes but HBO thought the first episode was boring so they merged the first and second episodes into one, and pushed Tess' death episode up by one.

I think if they introduce and kill Tess in episode 1, you lose that impact. She becomes a Bill like character. Met and forgotten in an hour.
 
I can see us moving on from the Summer months by the end of episode 4 or 5. Relatively half of the first game. I don't see how that's rushing things.
 
He thinks the next episode is the best one.


Mannnnnn, I don't like this type of hyping. I find my attitude always follows Regression of the Mean when people frame the quality beforehand: Tell me it's the worst episode, and I'll think it's better than they say. Tell me it's the best episode, and I'll think it's not as good as they say.

Let me go in without preconceptions. Hard not to push back against what people expect me to think.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I was responding to those who say "Joel doomed the world" since TLOU2 shows us a world where vaccines would make little difference in the big conflicts there. I agree that the show already seems to be leaning in one direction compared to the game.

Well the point is that by taking the action he does he explicitly makes a choice to prioritize the needs of the one over the needs of the many! Its basically an inverted Wrath Of Khan ending. So its more of a "fuck the world", than doom the world decision on his part. BUT, by the same token it does set up the second game perfectly because its definitely plausible for other people -those more believing and/or invested in finding a cure- to think that's actually what he did.

Sidenote: Not super keen on the way they are making the cordyceps in the show such an "active" organism, I actually think it makes the scenario less scary and certainly a whole lot less grounded in reality. Fungus doesn't move/grow fast, so even if you look at mycological super-organisms as having some form of sapience having them react by growing tendrils and actively hunting in a coordinated fashion isn't convincing.

Especially as the whole behaviour of parasitic fungus evolved purely because the organism itself cannot physically move under its own volition - it needs a host animal to infect in order to spread beyond its immediate location.
 

Ulysses 31

Member
Well the point is that by taking the action he does he explicitly makes a choice to prioritize the needs of the one over the needs of the many! Its basically an inverted Wrath Of Khan ending. So its more of a "fuck the world", than doom the world decision on his part. BUT, by the same token it does set up the second game perfectly because its definitely plausible for other people
I don't think it was a calculated choice in Joel's head that he was thinking "screw the millions the vaccine will save, I'm not losing Ellie!" but rather a very emotional one along the lines of "I'm not losing another daughter!". A strong emotion triggered and exacerbated by the way the Fireflies handled the situation. Not until he talks with Marlene after the elevator does he seem to consider the upsides of the vaccines.
-those more believing and/or invested in finding a cure- to think that's actually what he did.
Which IMO continue from a flaw from TLOU1, we've not seen any indication that the Fireflies (or anyone else) could've undertaken the huge enterprise of developing a vaccine and distributing it to millions. This could've sort of been fixed if TLOU(2) characters said something along the lines of "A: How will we cure all the infection if we get a vaccine? B: Let's just get a vaccine first. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.". At least in that case there's some acknowledgement that even with a vaccine developed, with the state the world is in, it's by no means a given millions will be saved by it.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Well the point is that by taking the action he does he explicitly makes a choice to prioritize the needs of the one over the needs of the many! Its basically an inverted Wrath Of Khan ending. So its more of a "fuck the world", than doom the world decision on his part. BUT, by the same token it does set up the second game perfectly because its definitely plausible for other people -those more believing and/or invested in finding a cure- to think that's actually what he did.

Sidenote: Not super keen on the way they are making the cordyceps in the show such an "active" organism, I actually think it makes the scenario less scary and certainly a whole lot less grounded in reality. Fungus doesn't move/grow fast, so even if you look at mycological super-organisms as having some form of sapience having them react by growing tendrils and actively hunting in a coordinated fashion isn't convincing.

Especially as the whole behaviour of parasitic fungus evolved purely because the organism itself cannot physically move under its own volition - it needs a host animal to infect in order to spread beyond its immediate location.
It's seemingly based off of this,
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I don't think it was a calculated choice in Joel's head that he was thinking "screw the millions the vaccine will save, I'm not losing Ellie!" but rather a very emotional one along the lines of "I'm not losing another daughter!". A strong emotion triggered and exacerbated by the way the Fireflies handled the situation. Not until he talks with Marlene after the elevator does he seem to consider the upsides of the vaccines.

Agreed. And its totally the right reaction for the character as written.

Which IMO continue from a flaw from TLOU1, we've not seen any indication that the Fireflies (or anyone else) could've undertaken the huge enterprise of developing a vaccine and distributing it to millions. This could've sort of been fixed if TLOU(2) characters said something along the lines of "A: How will we cure all the infection if we get a vaccine? B: Let's just get a vaccine first. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.". At least in that case there's some acknowledgement that even with a vaccine developed, with the state the world is in, it's by no means a given millions will be saved by it.

That's not really a flaw in my opinion. You're absolutely correct that its right to question the Fireflies' ability and ethics from an audience perspective, but all the story has to do is present a plausible scenario where at least some people in the fictional world of TLOU would believe in them. Which given how desperate the situation is, I can imagine many people would clutch at that particular straw.

The sequel shows us a world where different groups are hanging on to various reasons to live. The militia, the cult, the survivors, the remnants of the Fireflies all have distinct world-views and act accordingly. So its pretty obvious that there's a whole lot there that could be mined dramatically even if an actual working vaccine existed, because the writer(s) could setup all types of conflict scenarios between such groups.

Which means, at least in my estimation, its kind of a whole other story. A much bigger, more (small p) "political" take outside of the narrow character-focus the games end up taking.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
When watching episode 2, there was a certain part of the episode that I couldn't help but hear a track from the movie Full Metal Jacket, so I overlayed the track over the scene and I think it fits

 

taizuke

Member
There was no duality whatsoever.

When I talk about duality I'm talking about the people who think Joel made the wrong choice. I like you believe he made the right choice. Even if that wasn't their intention people will interpret it differently.

But maybe things are going to change with the TV series. Maybe the fact they are stating all the time a vaccine is impossible to make will only make what happened to Ellie more miraculous in nature, therefore making Joel decision appear worse.

See I disagree. To me this will make his decision easier to accept because if the show is implying that the vaccine is impossible to make then
sacrificing Ellie makes no sense
for the viewer. Thus the right choice/easier to accept.

DForce DForce I still think the show is kind of leaning one way whereas the game didn't. We'll see.
 

Vick

Member
See I disagree. To me this will make his decision easier to accept because if the show is implying that the vaccine is impossible to make then
sacrificing Ellie makes no sense
for the viewer. Thus the right choice/easier to accept.

DForce DForce I still think the show is kind of leaning one way whereas the game didn't. We'll see.
What I meant is Ellie being the key, more than ever before, the missing link between an impossible vaccine and a possible one.
 

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
Season 1 flashbacks and Season 2.

I can see them killing Joel early in Season 2. I think they're going to go in a similar route with Season 1 and start off every episode with a flashback, but most of them will have Joel. What they can also add is a flashback with Tommy and Joel shortly after the outbreak.

The thing about HBO is that want to maintain their viewers and they're likely going to lose some after Joel's death, so they're probably going to cast a well known actress to play Abby that fans will love. They'll probably change his death, too to make it less brutal.
 
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FunkMiller

Member
I actually think there’s a chance season 2 goes off in a different direction.

The success of season one means a lot more people will either play the games, or find out what happens in them… and what happens to Joel will be common knowledge pretty soon.

Genuinely think we could see things play out very differently in season 2 from how the game goes.
 

Fools idol

Banned
I actually think there’s a chance season 2 goes off in a different direction.

The success of season one means a lot more people will either play the games, or find out what happens in them… and what happens to Joel will be common knowledge pretty soon.

Genuinely think we could see things play out very differently in season 2 from how the game goes.

My thinking is that HBO will want to drag this out to GOT level of duration, so, to get 5+ seasons out of this, they will have to do their own scripts for a few seasons that eventually lead up until the events that happen in TLOU2.

There is no way the popularity and views this is getting that they go right in to season 2 and thats the end of it. No way.

Pedro as Joel will be leading a few seasons on the road no doubt.
 
My thinking is that HBO will want to drag this out to GOT level of duration, so, to get 5+ seasons out of this, they will have to do their own scripts for a few seasons that eventually lead up until the events that happen in TLOU2.

There is no way the popularity and views this is getting that they go right in to season 2 and thats the end of it. No way.

Pedro as Joel will be leading a few seasons on the road no doubt.
That’s not how it works. The showrunner already said he’s not a fan of filler.
HBO won’t be able to get more than 3 seasons at best imo. That would mean this show lasts until 2027. Probably around the time tlou3 reieases. Sounds pretty damn good in my opinion.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
That’s not how it works. The showrunner already said he’s not a fan of filler.
HBO won’t be able to get more than 3 seasons at best imo. That would mean this show lasts until 2027. Probably around the time tlou3 reieases. Sounds pretty damn good in my opinion.
Telling original stories/adventures in context to the overall lore from the 5 year gap between the end of Part 1 and the events of Part 2, is not really filler I would think.

They already added original stuff such as the Indonesian scenes, and Sarah’s daily activities, and we will get more with Bill and Frank.
 
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