I don’t think they could have done episode 8 of The Last of Us any better! I can’t heap enough praise on Bella Ramsey and Scott Shepherd in particular but also want to give a shoutout to the two Joels (). And I would be remiss if I didn’t (once again) commend the skill behind the scenes of knowing what to leave in, what to remove, and what to alter. All in all, what a fantastic hour of television.
I’ll get in on this too (and piggyback off yours); I think they’ll include a variation of that flashback sequence in Abby’s section where she and Owen find her dad shortly after Joel and Ellie get out, and maybe even mention Jerry’s name (again in the interest of a smooth and more natural transition/cliffhanger).
I haven’t seen The Last of Us, or played the games. I have only one question: does it have scenes of humans battling other humans while surrounded by zombies (or zombie-like monsters) trying to attack both sides? That’s all I’m looking for in such a story, and it’s what kept the Dead Rising games, The Walking Dead TV show, and the Resident Evil movies good entertainment for me despite the overall quality dropping as time went along. If this show doesn’t have that, no matter how good it may be, I’m afraid I have little interest in jumping onboard.
The show is much more about the humans and their relationships. The infected are hardly in the show at all and, off the top of my head, there’s only been one scene where humans are fighting humans with “zombies” attacking both sides.
Sure, if you want to be reductive about it. And I would argue that humans fighting humans while being overrun by zombies is the bit that has been done to death, but to each their own.
Yeah, but that has never been kept as the point, it’s always just a sideshow, or used to provide the action in the big finale. These stories always end up being a focus on the relationships between the human characters on one side, with the message hammered over and over that Humans Are The Real Threat on the other side.
The infected monsters that threaten everyone are always reduced to the background as mere obstacles for the heroes to get through in their effort to overcome the evil humans and show that a good and just society can be built again. Even when you don’t really have humans fighting other humans in a similar end of the world story, like A Quiet Place or Bird Box, it still becomes more of a study of how the characters interact, and shows that their real problems come from each other, whether intentionally or unintentionally, rather than having the monsters as the genuine threat.
For once I’d like these stories to actually be presented like the monsters never become just a background, existential crisis waiting for a moment to happen, like hunger or illness, and instead be a constant, active threat given just as much if not more attention than the opposing human faction, and when war scenes happen, have it be a legit three-way fight, rather than the monsters just being there for extra tension and obstacles. Just tired of the story always being really about how the humans interact in such a a world and it being treated like some novel idea. We get it already.
I haven’t seen the anime or read the manga, so I could be wrong, but at a glance, it seems like the series Attack On Titan actually tries going this route. If that’s correct, then that would be an example.
Comparing Night if the Living Dead is a bit of a stretch compared to TLOU. Living Dead’s themes revolve around fractured groups no matter the size falling apart because they fail to come together and succeed at whatever objective they might have which really isn’t in TLoU. Romero’s living dead series always had interlaced social commentary that was a reflection of the periods current issues as of creating it. Some of it was more on the nose like in Dawn of the Dead or Land of the Dead quite literally making parody of the Bush Administration alongside tackling class disparity, and capitalism.
The Last of Us is a little more complex with its themes, but as Joel said Endure and Survive is the best way to put it. Fractured Groups aren’t really a thing in the series. You don’t see groups fall apart in real time cause of disagreements like in Night of the Living Dead. The one major group only falls apart because of overwhelming odds which left no one unscathed emotionally or physically. The best way to put last of us is by asking are you living for the purpose of surviving or are you living for other people. Joel is a man devoid of and real purpose except surviving and that purpose changes when Ellie enters the picture. Ellie goes from being labeled as Cargo to her being a surrogate daughter and that bond that ties them together culminates in the final moments of the game where Joel has a moral decision which involves potentially saving the world and losing Ellie or saving Ellie and depriving her of what she feels is her only purpose all cause Joel doesn’t want to lose another daughter.
That’s the best way to put it, but again Night of the Living Dead and TLOU tackle completely separate things and comparing them to each other is a disservice to both properties who have two entirely different goals with their story telling.
But it’s still about the humans dealing with their human things, isn’t it? That’s the real focus and the real story being told; the human story, with the end of the world and dangerous creatures living in it just being the setting, right? Then while the themes may be different, the story is still about the same thing: the people’s personal stories are the real focus.
Kinda sucks he’s arrested and he’ll be in there most of the season it looks like – but this downward spiral has just gotta get worse, doesn’t it?
I wonder who he’s talking to on the phone at the end? I hope it’s not Cousineau!! Noooo don’t be mad at him!!
I just want him to murder Fuches so so bad like omg I hate that man.
TLOU Episode 8 was fantastic. Bella Ramsey freaking murdering it as Ellie in this one. (That “fucking finger!!” line was exceptionally well-done!)
Troy Baker had a sizeable part as James and he did it really well.
God DAMN that ending. Whoa. Neil and Craig wanted to “subvert expectations” of the big hero coming in to save the young girl, and they did both that with the usual trope, and with how it plays out in the game.
What was originally a satisfying rage-mode-murder turns into an uncomfortably long butchering of someone’s head. Jeez.
Very excited and interested in how next episode is gonna play out. Rumors are they only have a 40-45 min run time… I guess that might be enough, but… I don’t see any more Infected appearing or even the iconic giraffes.
Also Where are the pallets Craig?! I find the lack of them in this adaptation disturbing.
Speaking as someone who has no clue what the story of the game was (though I’m understanding it’s very similar to the show), episode 8 was the first one that I felt was actually Good, rather than OK. That guy was creepy in a very real way and I was glad to see that the kid was able to get away from him.
I can’t believe I’m saying this about episode 8 but I prefer the game’s version of David and overall this episode was just okay, this chapter in the game is probably my favorite for the amount of emotions displayed, David was much easier to hate in the game, I mean, it’s hard to explain but over here it feels like it’s his watered down version, dude’s energy in the game matched the energy of a serial killer in a horror movie, in the show he was just a shitty and creepy person, kinda blend, he was kinda forgettable, Bella killed it tho but I still prefer the game’s emotions, since Ellie’s character had way more anger in there too, even Joel’s interrogation scene wasn’t as badass, I’m quite underwhelmed, but what can I say? It’s my favorite chapter
Just finished watching You season 4, and wow, it’s like someone took all the missions from WoA about family wealth and privilege (Club 27, Ark Society, On Top of the World, Death in the Family) and set our favorite stalker/serial killer loose among them to make him look sane. It shakes up the series formula for most of the season, only returning to familiar territory toward the end, and I do hope it gets greenlit for a 5th season, and that they set it toward an endgame there, because it has the potential to end on a high note if they close it soon.
We’ve been watching a new nbc/peacock show called Poker Face, featuring the excellent Natasha Lyonne.
It’s a sort of murder-mystery, crime-solving series from Rian Johnson (of Knives Out fame) about a woman named Charlie Cale who has a very special knack for reading people: She can immediately tell if someone is telling her a lie.
The series is an on-the-run road trip (watch the first episode) where Charlie finds a new job or stumbles into a new place, and needs to figure out who caused a local murder.
It’s being dubbed a “HowCatch’Em” rather than a “WhoDunnit”, as the episodes usually show you how the murder takes place, before throwing Charlie into the mix and she has to untangle all the clues & lies.
There’s a certain suspension of belief you need to have while watching this show – as the episodes all follow the same format, and this one woman always seems to be crossing paths with murder… but they’re fun! Natasha Lyonne is super charismatic and fun to watch bounce off other people on screen.
Just seen the 6th episode about a murder on a theatre stage, and it was extremely fun.
There are plenty of A-list celebrities in this, often having surprisingly villainous or short roles (if they die). Seeing Lil Rel Howrey play one of the murderers was great, as I’ve only ever seen him play funny side-characters!
). And I would be remiss if I didn’t (once again) commend the skill behind the scenes of knowing what to leave in, what to remove, and what to alter. All in all, what a fantastic hour of television.
Like I always cry in the game 