I'll still watch the season, but I was also surprised by how sloooow this episode was, especially how it chooses to end itself. Good premiere, but kinda weak at times.
With Part 1/Part 2, the one game ending on a tense note, the other starting addressing that tense note (Joel/Tommy opening scene) and then giving us a final cutscene of "normalcy" between Joel and Ellie before the time skip where things feel more isolating and drastically changed, there's purpose to the unease it throws you, and fits the game's depressing tone very well. (You only hear vague details about the Dance night, off-screen plans with Joel to look forward to, a clear "rugged survivor" tone to Ellie to show her evolution in being independent and more mature)
The game's opening scene with Joel explaining his secret to Tommy, up until the Title Card for the game, is absolutely 10/10 peak, "Oh no consequences are gonna happen!" regarding Part 1. The TV show doesn't hold a candle especially since it offers too little characterization of Abby's group for it to have that same oomph before the time skip.
With the show, in terms of Joel and Ellie, the tone feels all over the place and way too casual or normal for most of the runtime, and only finally gets interesting by the end when it starts to reveal its cards regarding the pair's strained relationship. Then it just ends.
I like how it incorporates Joel's construction background in showing how he supports Jackson day-to-day (something the game barely touches), but it could have benefitted from showing him still stuck in his ruthless, dark survivor ways, either in a brief excursion, or conflict with a character.
Ellie's scenes are all over the place. Her behaving incredibly recklessly while on patrol with Tommy, then acting incredibly immature with Dina when tracking Infected later... even doing a whole 'charades' bit with a knife while sneaking/hiding from incredibly dangerous clickers around a corner...!! It feels hokey. The pair had a silly dynamic in the game for levity, but not to a life-threatening degree in a clearly dangerous situation.
Apart from that, Bella Ramsey is great at being more distant and angsty to Joel, clearly holding something back behind those eyes the show will reveal later.
I don't mind shifting some of the end-game scenes of Jackson to early on here... It makes sense chronologically, and establishes the new norms of character relationships, while still being vague as to the root of their issue.
Speaking of Root, the reveal of mushroom tendrils in the construction pipe was a freaky reveal, and I think is HBO setting up both a cool way to explain a massive herd of infected finding their way to Jackson, and a way for Joel and Ellie to be pushed out of Jackson, confronted with the Horde, and bump into Abby without it feeling like 3 coincidences happening at the same time on a random tuesday afternoon...
Honestly I found the premiere great at expanding on and featuring scenes that either the game didn't or couldn't show, because it's a stealth-action game and it could have disrupted the pacing. (I still believe we needed more Jackson scenes in-game before the Big Moment, really flesh out the world and "new normal")
And the show does that! It really remixes when certain Jackson scenes take place, putting a lot of the late-game flashbacks to That Fateful Day by the end of the episode, and takes its time with letting us soak in these beloved characters. (Also it has a TENSE AF Stalker infected scene, I didn't know they'd pull off their spookyness so well, and expands on characters like Eugene from the game with a new related character...)
Stalkers were a gimmick enemy added into the first game very late in development. The sequel fleshes out their AI and behaviour. But overall compared to Clickers and Bloaters, they don't serve much of a distinct threat on their own... But the Series having held back on them until now lets them function as a nice "infected are still evolving" subplot/tease
But Episode 1 could definitely have been 30 minutes longer. Give the audience a bit of a bigger cliffhanger. Reveal more about Abby's group showing up at the end for a darker impact. Or something more interesting as a hook than just "hey the guys from the opening scene showed up".
Season 1 had a packed 90 minute premiere, and took its time establishing the world, but also some character mysteries, the main inciting incident, and a neat bow tying together the depressing opening with Sarah to Joel's trauma coming back to haunt him with Ellie suddenly under his protection.
I'm not sure how else Episode 1 could have ended, other than Golf being a very clear hard-cut major moment, but I know why they might not want to play that hand in the very first episode -- especially with Pedro Pascal on the payroll...)
6 Episodes after this. Wow. Really.
From what I can gather from trailers, I bet we're getting one more Jackson episode, a full Flashback episode on the WLF/Seraphite conflict like the Bill Episode in S1, then the rest for Ellie's Seattle Quest and a sprinkle of Abby's Motivation Reveal somwhere in there..
For some reason I have a hard time believing it'll have enough time to get to The Theater Confrontation as the final scene, but Craig and Neil have mentioned they'll be playing around with and adapting parts of the Game script in entirely new ways if it serves the TV format better.
New episode of The Last of Us is out and hot damn I thought it was great lol. It felt more like a season finale than anything with all that goes on. Easily the most action packed and tense episode of series so far with a very emotional finale. Like the previous episode, they re-arranged and changed some things and for the most I do like them, such as mixing up the groups by having Joel partner up with Dina, while Ellie's with Jesse. Thank God they're giving Jesse more to do here. The biggest difference by far is the battle at Jackson and it's a fantastic addition. Incredibly tense and really had you rethinking who'd really make it out of the episode. This is the most terrifying the infected have been so far and has me really excited for how they'll handle a certain Rat King down the line.
I really like Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Yeah she doesn't have the same physique as her video game counterpart, but I think she does a good job carrying herself the same way while being a little more conflicted with what she's doing. Like she's putting on a bit of a facade and you can see it cracking during a very specific moment. I do find it funny how much she looks like Ellie from the game. I can see why she was one of the actresses in the running for Ellie during casting. And of course Bella Ramsay puts out an absolutely wonderful performance as per usual. She did a great job matching the emotion and intensity of Ashley Johnson. Gabriel Luna is also very good as Tommy, and he gets in on most of the action this episode, which feels like a tease of what's to come.
Great episode! Very excited for next week!
Spoilers
I really like how alive Jackson as a community feels. It really does seem like a small town where everybody knows everybody. Love the emergency talk Tommy gives everyone, and it was cool to see how prepped they were in case of an attack.
Interesting that they mixed up the character groups. Dina being with Joel, as well as their pre-established relationship definitely helps add context to why she'd want to help avenge Joel. Jesse having more to do by going with Ellie on lookout is also a fun addition.
The infected emerging out of the snow was horrifying. Really great scene!
Goddamn, Abby beat Joel so hard the golf club broke. Ngl I do prefer the game version a bit more cause I think the final swing to the head really emphasises the brutality of it all. Whereas, the stab feels more like Abby putting down an injured animal.
I like the scene overall, but I do wish the room it took place in wasn't so brightly lit, and in a basement as it was in the game. Like Ellie was descending into hell as she finds Joel being tortured.
Ellie crawling to hug Joel is absolutely devastating. Love that little addition.
Having Ashley Johnson's cover of Through the Valley is a GREAT touch. Love that they're continuing paying tribute to the games cast. I wonder if Laura Bailey's character from the previous season might pop up at the WLF base.
Episode 3 is out and it's a much needed breather episode for the audience following last weeks events. After an emotional opening and a slightly different title sequence, the episode mainly focuses on Ellie preparing for and hoping to convince the town of Jackson to form a hunting party to go after Abby and her gang. It very much deals with the fallout of Abby's PGA Tour and the attack on Jackson, while introducing the WLF and the Seraphites. A lot more time passes here than in the game and the episode does a good job of showing the effects of everything that's happened not only to Ellie, Dina, and Tommy, but the rest of the town as well.
We get to see more of Ellie and Dina's relationship which is always a good time, though interestingly enough they're not actually a couple yet, though it's only a matter of time. It seems like their relationship will build over the course of the season rather than having them immediately start out as a couple. The biggest surprise of the episode would be Seth, who gets to do way more here than in the game and is one of Ellie's most vocal supporters during the episode.
I really liked this episode, though I can imagine people some people calling this filler despite pushing things towards the real meat of the story. It's a big change, but an important one to really help pace things out.
The fourth episode of the season is out, and it's tense and gripping, though surprisingly hopeful. Isaac gets his introduction to the series, played by the wonderful Jeffrey Wright, who reprises his role from the game. He does a great job playing a tired, but imposing character and we already know more about him here than we do in the entirety of the original game. Isabela Merced delivers her strongest performance as Dina yet, especially towards the end as certain revelations come to light.
I also really want to highlight the incredible set design this week. The crew did an excellent job brining these locations to life. The subway in particular was my favourite parts of the episode. This season continues to excel in making the infected scary as hell, which once again has me especially excited about a certain king.
I do have some criticisms. For one thing everyone looks too clean, especially Ellie and Dina who after the events of the episode should have looked absolutely filthy, but end up looking flawless by the end. No ones clothes look weathered, which is a stark contrast from the immaculate set design. I can see Ellie's temperament being a little controversial here since she appears much more mellow than in the game. She doesn't feel like she's on the warpath as of yet, though I expect that to change once she confronts one of Abby's crew.
Overall great episode that follows similar beats to the original game, while expanding on one of the antagonists.
Spoilers
Josh Peck jumpscare
That's a penis
I like the choice to have Isaac be someone who fought against an oppressive regime, only to become the very thing he hated.
Nice touch to have him clearly be frustrated with the term Voter in the flashback, then later on having him calling the Seraphites, Scars.
The TV station with the hanging corpses was super gnarly. Apparently they're played by stunt people with the intestines prosthesis attached to them which is pretty cool.
Very much like the change of having Dina absolutely freaking out at Ellie being bit and watching over her for hours for any signs of infection. Incredibly acting by Isabela Merced here. Love the bit with the light from her torch cover her face, then when she turns it off she looks absolutely miserable.
The pregnancy test bit was very funny. Bella Ramsey's expressions here were great!
I guess Shimmer's just trapped forever in that music store lol. At least she didn't explode.
I enjoyed the episode but admittedly it’s one of the weaker episodes of the series overall. It has a strong start and an even stronger ending in my opinion, but the middle (outside of a couple moments) does leave a bit to be desired. Dina is an exposition machine this episode, explaining way too much about things Ellie should know by this point in time that it makes her seem completely clueless in comparison lmao. Especially when it comes to strategizing and the infected. Pacing’s also pretty wack unfortunately, especially towards the end in the hospital.
As for positives, spores are introduced into the series and they do it in a pretty cool way! Its inclusion does a good job of further hammering home the effects of Joel’s decision. Plus, the FX looked great and suitably creepy. The fact that they come out of still living infected made it absolutely horrifying to look at, and the set design really did a great job of making the environment seem fleshy and organic. Also, if you believe that Ellie’s been a little too chirpy this season, then the end of the episode should certainly quell those thoughts. Makes you almost feel bad for Nora lol.
Overall, not a bad episode by any means but not one of my favourites.
Episode 5
Simultaneously the happiest and saddest episode so far. The episode is made up of mostly flashbacks and delves into the growth and eventual dissolution of Joel and Ellie’s relationship, beginning just a couple months after the first season, and ending the night before the season’s catalyst.
This is in my opinion, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay’s best performances in the show. There’s a good fuckin’ reason Pedro’s in everything right now, and I can only hope and pray that Bella Ramsay ends up doing more in the future. An incredible showcase of their onscreen chemistry and the familial bond that grew between these characters over the course of the series.
Some things from the game are changed a bit or re-arranged. Joel and Ellie actually are on good terms for longer here than in the game, with their fallout being a more recent thing rather than the two years from the original game, if I’m remembering right. Ellie’s boiling point with Joel is very different and I actually prefer this over what happened in the game. It feels thematically more appropriate and feeds into Ellie’s survivor’s guilt.
Also, I’ve gotta praise the makeup department here, because they did a great job differentiating Joel and Ellie from the first season to the present. Not to say it wasn’t noticeable before, but with this you really get a direct comparison between the two. Of course Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay do a great job with how they carry themselves and modify their voices.
This is the Long, Long Time of season 2 and probably my favourite episode of the season. I absolutely loved it!
Only one episode left for the season and I'm a little worried about where it'll end. The theatre confrontation is the most obvious choice but it honestly doesn't feel like we're ready for that yet. It doesn't feel like enough time has past for us to reach that moment.
Haven't caught up on Episodes 6 and 7 yet but ohhh boy do I have thoughts about this season when I finish.
Overall I think it's kinda mid, especially due to low episode count, too much focus on Jackson near the start, severe mischaracterization of Ellie/and Dina's relationship, and heavy-handed exposition.
Most of season 1 was solo-written by Craig Mazin and that's also the case here, but it's jarring how different this feels to the game's very clear tone, themes, and story layers, because season one at least got all the main points it needed just right!
A lot of the added scenes that focus on world-building are my favourites this season and feel in-line with the game's themes, which is great, but then why is the adaptation of the already-written story so different-feeling
Haven't caught up on Episodes 6 and 7 yet but ohhh boy do I have thoughts about this season when I finish.
Overall I think it's kinda mid… more, especially due to low episode count, too much focus on Jackson near the start, severe mischaracterization of Ellie/and Dina's relationship, and heavy-handed exposition.
Most of season 1 was solo-written by Craig Mazin and that's also the case here, but it's jarring how different this feels to the game's very clear tone, themes, and story layers, because season one at least got all the main points it needed just right!
A lot of the added scenes that focus on world-building are my favourites this season and feel in-line with the game's themes, which is great, but then why is the adaptation of the already-written story so different-feeling
EDIT:
Abby's PGA Tour
oh my god lupin that's a genius joke oh MAN
I watched the season 2 finale, and while I was entertained for the most part, it’s hard to deny that the season ends with a whimper instead of a bang. I greatly enjoyed Jesse’s expanded role in the story, because I honestly don’t remember him doing all that much in the game and his conversation with Ellie about their future certainly helps make his death sting a little more. Although, I do think they were a little too on the nose about his untimely fate by the end. He might as well have been winking at the audience every time he said that he wasn’t dying there lmao.
My main issue with the episode, that does leak into the rest of the season is it feels like the writers were afraid of the audience portraying Ellie as villainous. Ellie’s kill count was expected to be reduced, which is fine but it’s been overly course corrected to the point that Ellie’s actions don’t have the same punch as in the original story, because she’s only killed people that “deserved it” along with one rando. The scene with Dina cleaning Ellie’s wounds doesn’t feel earned because she didn’t really go through anything that could have caused all that. Ellie’s confrontation with Owen and Mel also suffers because of this by making Mel's death an accident, though I do actually like the c-section moment.
My other issue would be the really weird scene with Ellie washing up onto the Seraphite island. I’m not really sure why they included that, it doesn’t really add anything and just messes with the pacing. We already know who the Seraphites are at this point and what they do. Just having Ellie see the island burn from a distance, would have been more than enough of a tease for Abby’s story down the line. It just felt like it was added in to pad time.
While entertaining I think it’s the weakest episode of the series so far and a disappointing ending to the season. It has some strong moments with Jesse, Owen, and Mel, but ultimately feels like a watered-down version of the original story. Also what was that ending, that felt like something out of The Walking Dead, instead of what should be prestige TV.
I’ve been fairly positive about the season so far, but overall, I do consider it to be a step down from the previous, which I felt did a damn near perfect job encapsulating the story of the first game outside of the lack of infected. It feels like they don’t trust the audience into following a story about a character they like doing terrible things. Which, I guess after Part 2’s mixed fan reception makes sense, but they’re heading towards a direction where they’re course correcting to the point where no one might be happy. The shorter seasons and two year gaps certainly isn't going to help things.
Comments
I'll still watch the season, but I was also surprised by how sloooow this episode was, especially how it chooses to end itself. Good premiere, but kinda weak at times.
With Part 1/Part 2, the one game ending on a tense note, the other starting addressing that tense note (Joel/Tommy opening scene) and then giving us a final cutscene of "normalcy" between Joel and Ellie before the time skip where things feel more isolating and drastically changed, there's purpose to the unease it throws you, and fits the game's depressing tone very well. (You only hear vague details about the Dance night, off-screen plans with Joel to look forward to, a clear "rugged survivor" tone to Ellie to show her evolution in being independent and more mature)
The game's opening scene with Joel explaining his secret to Tommy, up until the Title Card for the game, is absolutely 10/10 peak, "Oh no consequences are gonna happen!" regarding Part 1. The TV show doesn't hold a candle especially since it offers too little characterization of Abby's group for it to have that same oomph before the time skip.
With the show, in terms of Joel and Ellie, the tone feels all over the place and way too casual or normal for most of the runtime, and only finally gets interesting by the end when it starts to reveal its cards regarding the pair's strained relationship. Then it just ends.
Ellie's scenes are all over the place. Her behaving incredibly recklessly while on patrol with Tommy, then acting incredibly immature with Dina when tracking Infected later... even doing a whole 'charades' bit with a knife while sneaking/hiding from incredibly dangerous clickers around a corner...!! It feels hokey. The pair had a silly dynamic in the game for levity, but not to a life-threatening degree in a clearly dangerous situation.
Apart from that, Bella Ramsey is great at being more distant and angsty to Joel, clearly holding something back behind those eyes the show will reveal later.
I don't mind shifting some of the end-game scenes of Jackson to early on here... It makes sense chronologically, and establishes the new norms of character relationships, while still being vague as to the root of their issue.
Honestly I found the premiere great at expanding on and featuring scenes that either the game didn't or couldn't show, because it's a stealth-action game and it could have disrupted the pacing. (I still believe we needed more Jackson scenes in-game before the Big Moment, really flesh out the world and "new normal")
And the show does that! It really remixes when certain Jackson scenes take place, putting a lot of the late-game flashbacks to That Fateful Day by the end of the episode, and takes its time with letting us soak in these beloved characters. (Also it has a TENSE AF Stalker infected scene, I didn't know they'd pull off their spookyness so well, and expands on characters like Eugene from the game with a new related character...)
Stalkers were a gimmick enemy added into the first game very late in development. The sequel fleshes out their AI and behaviour. But overall compared to Clickers and Bloaters, they don't serve much of a distinct threat on their own... But the Series having held back on them until now lets them function as a nice "infected are still evolving" subplot/tease
But Episode 1 could definitely have been 30 minutes longer. Give the audience a bit of a bigger cliffhanger. Reveal more about Abby's group showing up at the end for a darker impact. Or something more interesting as a hook than just "hey the guys from the opening scene showed up".
Season 1 had a packed 90 minute premiere, and took its time establishing the world, but also some character mysteries, the main inciting incident, and a neat bow tying together the depressing opening with Sarah to Joel's trauma coming back to haunt him with Ellie suddenly under his protection.
I'm not sure how else Episode 1 could have ended, other than Golf being a very clear hard-cut major moment, but I know why they might not want to play that hand in the very first episode -- especially with Pedro Pascal on the payroll...)
6 Episodes after this. Wow. Really.
From what I can gather from trailers, I bet we're getting one more Jackson episode, a full Flashback episode on the WLF/Seraphite conflict like the Bill Episode in S1, then the rest for Ellie's Seattle Quest and a sprinkle of Abby's Motivation Reveal somwhere in there..
For some reason I have a hard time believing it'll have enough time to get to The Theater Confrontation as the final scene, but Craig and Neil have mentioned they'll be playing around with and adapting parts of the Game script in entirely new ways if it serves the TV format better.
New episode of The Last of Us is out and hot damn I thought it was great lol. It felt more like a season finale than anything with all that goes on. Easily the most action packed and tense episode of series so far with a very emotional finale. Like the previous episode, they re-arranged and changed some things and for the most I do like them, such as mixing up the groups by having Joel partner up with Dina, while Ellie's with Jesse. Thank God they're giving Jesse more to do here. The biggest difference by far is the battle at Jackson and it's a fantastic addition. Incredibly tense and really had you rethinking who'd really make it out of the episode. This is the most terrifying the infected have been so far and has me really excited for how they'll handle a certain Rat King down the line.
I really like Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Yeah she doesn't have the same physique as her video game counterpart, but I think she does a good job carrying herself the same way while being a little more conflicted with what she's doing. Like she's putting on a bit of a facade and you can see it cracking during a very specific moment. I do find it funny how much she looks like Ellie from the game. I can see why she was one of the actresses in the running for Ellie during casting. And of course Bella Ramsay puts out an absolutely wonderful performance as per usual. She did a great job matching the emotion and intensity of Ashley Johnson. Gabriel Luna is also very good as Tommy, and he gets in on most of the action this episode, which feels like a tease of what's to come.
Great episode! Very excited for next week!
Spoilers
Goddamn, Abby beat Joel so hard the golf club broke. Ngl I do prefer the game version a bit more cause I think the final swing to the head really emphasises the brutality of it all. Whereas, the stab feels more like Abby putting down an injured animal.
I like the scene overall, but I do wish the room it took place in wasn't so brightly lit, and in a basement as it was in the game. Like Ellie was descending into hell as she finds Joel being tortured.
Ellie crawling to hug Joel is absolutely devastating. Love that little addition.
Episode 3 is out and it's a much needed breather episode for the audience following last weeks events. After an emotional opening and a slightly different title sequence, the episode mainly focuses on Ellie preparing for and hoping to convince the town of Jackson to form a hunting party to go after Abby and her gang. It very much deals with the fallout of Abby's PGA Tour and the attack on Jackson, while introducing the WLF and the Seraphites. A lot more time passes here than in the game and the episode does a good job of showing the effects of everything that's happened not only to Ellie, Dina, and Tommy, but the rest of the town as well.
We get to see more of Ellie and Dina's relationship which is always a good time, though interestingly enough they're not actually a couple yet, though it's only a matter of time. It seems like their relationship will build over the course of the season rather than having them immediately start out as a couple. The biggest surprise of the episode would be Seth, who gets to do way more here than in the game and is one of Ellie's most vocal supporters during the episode.
I really liked this episode, though I can imagine people some people calling this filler despite pushing things towards the real meat of the story. It's a big change, but an important one to really help pace things out.
The fourth episode of the season is out, and it's tense and gripping, though surprisingly hopeful. Isaac gets his introduction to the series, played by the wonderful Jeffrey Wright, who reprises his role from the game. He does a great job playing a tired, but imposing character and we already know more about him here than we do in the entirety of the original game. Isabela Merced delivers her strongest performance as Dina yet, especially towards the end as certain revelations come to light.
I also really want to highlight the incredible set design this week. The crew did an excellent job brining these locations to life. The subway in particular was my favourite parts of the episode. This season continues to excel in making the infected scary as hell, which once again has me especially excited about a certain king.
I do have some criticisms. For one thing everyone looks too clean, especially Ellie and Dina who after the events of the episode should have looked absolutely filthy, but end up looking flawless by the end. No ones clothes look weathered, which is a stark contrast from the immaculate set design. I can see Ellie's temperament being a little controversial here since she appears much more mellow than in the game. She doesn't feel like she's on the warpath as of yet, though I expect that to change once she confronts one of Abby's crew.
Overall great episode that follows similar beats to the original game, while expanding on one of the antagonists.
Spoilers
"i'M gONnA bE a dAd"
Ha ha, fuck you too.
Episode 4
I enjoyed the episode but admittedly it’s one of the weaker episodes of the series overall. It has a strong start and an even stronger ending in my opinion, but the middle (outside of a couple moments) does leave a bit to be desired. Dina is an exposition machine this episode, explaining way too much about things Ellie should know by this point in time that it makes her seem completely clueless in comparison lmao. Especially when it comes to strategizing and the infected. Pacing’s also pretty wack unfortunately, especially towards the end in the hospital.
As for positives, spores are introduced into the series and they do it in a pretty cool way! Its inclusion does a good job of further hammering home the effects of Joel’s decision. Plus, the FX looked great and suitably creepy. The fact that they come out of still living infected made it absolutely horrifying to look at, and the set design really did a great job of making the environment seem fleshy and organic. Also, if you believe that Ellie’s been a little too chirpy this season, then the end of the episode should certainly quell those thoughts. Makes you almost feel bad for Nora lol.
Overall, not a bad episode by any means but not one of my favourites.
Episode 5
Simultaneously the happiest and saddest episode so far. The episode is made up of mostly flashbacks and delves into the growth and eventual dissolution of Joel and Ellie’s relationship, beginning just a couple months after the first season, and ending the night before the season’s catalyst.
This is in my opinion, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay’s best performances in the show. There’s a good fuckin’ reason Pedro’s in everything right now, and I can only hope and pray that Bella Ramsay ends up doing more in the future. An incredible showcase of their onscreen chemistry and the familial bond that grew between these characters over the course of the series.
Some things from the game are changed a bit or re-arranged. Joel and Ellie actually are on good terms for longer here than in the game, with their fallout being a more recent thing rather than the two years from the original game, if I’m remembering right. Ellie’s boiling point with Joel is very different and I actually prefer this over what happened in the game. It feels thematically more appropriate and feeds into Ellie’s survivor’s guilt.
Also, I’ve gotta praise the makeup department here, because they did a great job differentiating Joel and Ellie from the first season to the present. Not to say it wasn’t noticeable before, but with this you really get a direct comparison between the two. Of course Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay do a great job with how they carry themselves and modify their voices.
This is the Long, Long Time of season 2 and probably my favourite episode of the season. I absolutely loved it!
Only one episode left for the season and I'm a little worried about where it'll end. The theatre confrontation is the most obvious choice but it honestly doesn't feel like we're ready for that yet. It doesn't feel like enough time has past for us to reach that moment.
Haven't caught up on Episodes 6 and 7 yet but ohhh boy do I have thoughts about this season when I finish.
Overall I think it's kinda mid, especially due to low episode count, too much focus on Jackson near the start, severe mischaracterization of Ellie/and Dina's relationship, and heavy-handed exposition.
Most of season 1 was solo-written by Craig Mazin and that's also the case here, but it's jarring how different this feels to the game's very clear tone, themes, and story layers, because season one at least got all the main points it needed just right!
A lot of the added scenes that focus on world-building are my favourites this season and feel in-line with the game's themes, which is great, but then why is the adaptation of the already-written story so different-feeling
EDIT:
oh my god lupin that's a genius joke oh MAN
I watched the season 2 finale, and while I was entertained for the most part, it’s hard to deny that the season ends with a whimper instead of a bang. I greatly enjoyed Jesse’s expanded role in the story, because I honestly don’t remember him doing all that much in the game and his conversation with Ellie about their future certainly helps make his death sting a little more. Although, I do think they were a little too on the nose about his untimely fate by the end. He might as well have been winking at the audience every time he said that he wasn’t dying there lmao.
My main issue with the episode, that does leak into the rest of the season is it feels like the writers were afraid of the audience portraying Ellie as villainous. Ellie’s kill count was expected to be reduced, which is fine but it’s been overly course corrected to the point that Ellie’s actions don’t have the same punch as in the original story, because she’s only killed people that “deserved it” along with one rando. The scene with Dina cleaning Ellie’s wounds doesn’t feel earned because she didn’t really go through anything that could have caused all that. Ellie’s confrontation with Owen and Mel also suffers because of this by making Mel's death an accident, though I do actually like the c-section moment.
My other issue would be the really weird scene with Ellie washing up onto the Seraphite island. I’m not really sure why they included that, it doesn’t really add anything and just messes with the pacing. We already know who the Seraphites are at this point and what they do. Just having Ellie see the island burn from a distance, would have been more than enough of a tease for Abby’s story down the line. It just felt like it was added in to pad time.
While entertaining I think it’s the weakest episode of the series so far and a disappointing ending to the season. It has some strong moments with Jesse, Owen, and Mel, but ultimately feels like a watered-down version of the original story. Also what was that ending, that felt like something out of The Walking Dead, instead of what should be prestige TV.
I’ve been fairly positive about the season so far, but overall, I do consider it to be a step down from the previous, which I felt did a damn near perfect job encapsulating the story of the first game outside of the lack of infected. It feels like they don’t trust the audience into following a story about a character they like doing terrible things. Which, I guess after Part 2’s mixed fan reception makes sense, but they’re heading towards a direction where they’re course correcting to the point where no one might be happy. The shorter seasons and two year gaps certainly isn't going to help things.