HBO’s new hit series “The Last of Us” debuted on January 15th with 4.7 million viewers and immediately gained tremendous traction as well as five-star reviews. The post-apocalyptic series is based on the critically acclaimed PlayStation video game of the same name. Original game creator Neil Druckmann and screenwriter/longtime fan of the franchise Craig Mazin worked together to bring the sorrowful story of the game to life. Since the first game was released in 2013, fans have pondered over the idea of an adaptation. This is due to the fact that the storyline of the game means so much to players and can be argued to have more prominence than actual gameplay. Ten years later with the release of the television series, fans are praising Druckmann and Mazin’s work.

To briefly summarize the series, it picks up 20 years after the outbreak of the cordyceps fungus infection. The infection consists of a fungus that grows through the host’s body and takes control, even though the brain may be still conscious. With a post-apocalyptic background, the focal point of the plot is the bond between the main characters Joel and Ellie. Joel is tasked with smuggling the young girl, Ellie, across America. The fireflies, an anti-government rebellion group, discover that Ellie is immune to the infection and believe that they can use the cordyceps in her body to make a cure. Although reluctant and irritated at first with the job at hand, Joel begins to warm up to Ellie as they take turns saving each other’s lives on the road. As the plot progresses we meet characters who are meant to symbolize and mirror Joel and Ellie’s relationship. After following the pair on their year-long journey, Joel is faced with the toughest decision thus far; to save Ellie or humanity.

What makes the series so special is the father-and-daughter relationship that is formed between Joel and Ellie. Druckmann condenses the importance of the meaning of their relationship presented in the series on HBO’s Official Last of Us Podcast, “A recurring theme in the game was about what a parent would do for their child.” This is demonstrated twice with Joel in the series because of his daughter Sarah and Ellie. The game and show open with Joel taking care of Sarah and ending up losing her in a violent way. It gives the audience insight into Joel’s cold personality and initial reluctance to Ellie. With both being such complex characters, the audience watches them navigate through their relationship and how that bond is affecting them on the road. They understand the consequences of relying on someone else and having love for one another. In the harsh times of the apocalypse, survival is not guaranteed, even for the immune Ellie. The audience is constantly reminded of this as well, because of the fact that Sam, Henry, Bill, and Frank are supposed to be direct comparisons of how Joel and Ellie’s story could come to an end. Regardless, spending one year with each other made it impossible for them to lack that strong emotional connection and Joel is able to accept that he is meant to be a father again.

With a new episode airing every Sunday at 9 pm, new fans were introduced to the heartbreak, endearment, and despair of the story every week. Each episode averaging between 45 minutes to an hour perfectly encapsulated the cut scenes and storyline. New fans who have been introduced to “The Last of Us’ ‘ were left speechless as the credits rolled and were left to listen to Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” while processing the episode. An anonymous reviewer posted their thoughts on Google along with over 3,000 others stating, “The show is just fantastic from the beginning like the emotional grip that this show has is unimaginable.” Countless reviews similar to this have proven that you don’t have to have played the game to enjoy the story. Brandon Concannon, a new fan and enjoyer of the series says, “I love shows that involve zombies or the apocalypse and I think that this one is very easy to follow but also has a deep storyline I wasn’t expecting.” While it’s surprising, the shock factor is no different for those who have previously played the game. Although the show is packed with easter eggs and lines taken directly from the game, players are introduced to even more in the adaptation that wasn’t able to fit in before. As someone who has played the game prior to the release of the series, Pennridge High School student, Maddie Hummel, explains how she knew the plot but was still on the edge of her seat during every episode, “With the adaptation, the creators were able to focus more on the emotional and personal side of the game rather than worry about gameplay so they added so much more that I never would have expected.” Druckmann and Mazin managed to create the ideal scenario for the plethora of viewers. Those who were fans of the game were still in wonderment of what was to come next, and new fans found it easy to follow and connect with it.

The most talked about episode by far over the whole series is the season finale titled “Look For the Light”. The last half of this episode ties the whole series together simultaneously. The year-long journey is coming to a close after Joel and Ellie find the hospital that they were in search of all along. After being ambushed, Joel wakes up to Marlene explaining that Ellie is being taken into surgery to retrieve the developed cordyceps in her brain which would kill her. Joel is met with the toughest decision he has to make thus far, yet he doesn’t have to think about it at all. The theme of what a parent would do for their child comes back as Joel murders every hospital employee in his way. Joel is willing to risk creating a cure to save humanity in order to save Ellie. Troy Baker, voice actor for Joel in the videogame explains the actions of Joel, “People ask why Joel saved Ellie when he could have saved the world, but he did, that girl was his world.” The ending of the series has been under debate since 2013 and now there are even more people discussing their thoughts on the controversial ending.

The series is now HBO’s second biggest show to date, with a total of 8.3 million viewers tuning into the finale when it aired. This also caused an increase in sales for the video game, both part one and part two. Viewers are continuing to watch the show past its conclusion on March 12th and the fandom continues to grow. The series has been renewed for a second season that will closely follow the plot of the second game and will bring in and divide even more fans. Finally, take the time to watch the series or play the game, it is definitely worth the time.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/search?q=last+of+us+casst&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1021US1021&oq=last+of+us+casst&aqs=chrome..69i57.7932j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&clie=1
https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hbos-the-last-of-us-podcast/id1660320068
https://www.tvinsider.com/1078518/the-last-of-us-episode-2-ratings-viewers-hbo/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_last_of_us
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