The Last of Us

I feel that this could be the beginning of a top series, on par with or even surpassing *The Walking Dead*, for example. But hold on-while I see many euphoric reviews, I believe the show has not yet reached a level of excellence.

The first season starts off slow but becomes more engaging as we delve deeper into this new post-apocalyptic world. I think Pedro Pascal's performance and role are excellent and are a major reason for the show's success. However, I don't feel the same about Ellie; she doesn't seem to fully capture the charisma or fit the character well.

I should mention that I know about the video game but have never played it, and I enjoy the series just the same. However, this means I can't comment on how well it was adapted.

First of all I'd like to say that if you haven't played the game before and have the ability to do so, I'd strongly recommend you to experience this story that way first. It's truly one of the greatest games of all time in my opinion and this adaptation does not capture it's magic.

First of all, let's talk about the acting: Pedro Pascal is solid as Joel. He looks the part and embodies the character pretty well but still come off as a bit stiff in comparison to Troy Bakers masterful portrayal.

Bella Ramsay on the other hand is completely miscast as Ellie. She neither looks nor plays the part. While she can't be faulted for the former, I don't think she has the acting range necessary to inhabit the character. Sure, I don't know what directions they gave her on set, but she seems to only possess a handful of facial expressions in total. Where Ellie in the game could come off as nervous, excited and childish, she mostly comes off as bored here. Bella simply fails to instill the character with the sense of life that she has in the game, which is ironic for a live action portrayal.

As for the other actors, they mostly do a good job. There are no standout performances but no really bad ones either, with the exception of Melanie Lynskey (but more on her later).

The major problems of this adaptation however are the pacing and deviations from the source material. All in all, we get a 9 hour long season to cover the event of the first game, which is already pretty tight. The matter isn't helped by dedicating an hour to Bill's gay romance story, which contributes nothing to the overall narrative while deviating completely from the game. The runtime is stretched thinner by adding additional side-characters that at best does little for the story. The worst offender in this category is Kathleen, awfully played by Lynskey in one of the most unconvincing roles I've witnessed. Not in a hundred years could I see her being a leader of a crew like that. I won't go through every little change but the end result is that the story feels very rushed. This, in turn, leads to the underdevelopment of the relationship between Joel and Ellie; the pillar of the story.

Another annoyance I had was the lack of brutality in the show. The violence in the game helped make the world feel bleak and gritty. Here, on the other hand, we get plenty of off-screen deaths and hardly any blood and gore, making the world feel way to sanitized.

Reading through my review, I realize my score may come off as rather generous. But I do think that it's still worth a watch, even if it fails to live up to it's excellent source material.

Season 1 was amazing! Like edge of your seat. I rated the show a 10.

Now season 2....how many times do I have to fast forward Elle playing the dang guitar. They are also trying so hard to make a love story but there is no spark and it's forced. Elles childish attitude as an adult is becoming annoying.

I never played the video game and I understand they had to go with the storyline of the game...but without Joel the series isn't the same. And why does there always have to be some weird cult? Like I don't want to watch this for the "human" drama, I want to see zombie mushroom men, dive into the smart zombies storyline, and be on the edge of my seat... ..

Good show. THE LAST OF US was indeed a great series. After hearing many raves and good things from people that I know, I finally decided to give it a chance. Like the game, it is definitely worth your time. Well made, compelling and great characters with real chemistry made this series a fun watch, a slower build to some pretty intense scenes. While it did have periods of time that it moved more slowly, it certainly never felt boring. Pedro Pascal as Joe Miller and Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams made this a great show, and the chemistry they develop feels natural and heart warming.

I give the entire series a solid 7.

I don't hate it. But its way over hyped. Its exactly what you'd expect without delivering anything you would have expected. OK, its not trying to be a gory show like The Walking Dead, and that is what I actually like about this show. But I'm not sold on the girl.

Now I've never played the games, so I don't know what really to compare it too, but she's not it. Too many cuss words. Dial that back a lot please. Otherwise, because its not a 'gore show', she has to talk tough to sell her character, and talk is cheap.

I could easily have not watched episode 3. It was the longest episode that added very little to the story. I don't have a problem with 'filler episodes', showing other peoples stories. I wish they did more of that with The Walking Dead. Their story is OK, I did not mind it. But they did not have to show us things I did not care to see. They could have cut the intimate scenes out and I'd be OK with their relationship. They could have trimmed that show to normal length and it would be better.

All in all, I will continue watching the series, but there is nothing here I find worth watching again.

One Time Watch.