The Last of Us - HBO Spoilers See warning in post #1

MarkR · 27-05-2025 09:52AM

I recognise the back washing scene from the game, but don't remember Ellie going through much in the preceding episode. Seemed weird to me. Ellie is all set to put everything on the line to save a random scar. Or for vengeance. Or for Jesse. But not Tommy, he's good.

The aquarium scene felt so quick, especially after the side quest to the Scar island. At least no animals were harmed in the filming. :-)

The shootout and death of Mel was grim. Elle's freezing up was annoying, I was willing for her to at least try, but I suppose a dead pregnant lady is easier to stomach than a dead pregnant lady and a still born.

I'm trying to remember if in the game we knew more about the wolves, right now they all feel pretty faceless.

Isaac worrying about his third in command, as that's his intended successor. I dunno, maybe send Abbie into battle, and leave number 2 back at base?

Poor Jesse. Every time I played he died, and here was no different. Suppose he was due to die once he said he was going to be a father. At least Ellie didn't start going on about co-parenting. :-)

Last gunshot at the end. Jesse was dead, Tommy was down, Ellie unarmed, so I guess it was Dina in the balcony.

Side question, no zombies in Seattle? Thinking back to the game and trying to remember, I know we had the bank scene, which was kind of done with their subway journey. Pretty quiet otherwise though!

It's going to be a very long wait to season 3, they've only just finished writing it I believe.

boccy23 · 27-05-2025 09:54AM

As a non-gamer, I loved Season 1 and thought Season 2 started really well. As with everyone, when Joel was killed, the pacing and indeed the character development was just completely off. Episode 6 was good, but I couldn't wait for last night's episode to end. The whole writing of the Ellie character was disappointing to say the least. The scene with the boat was far fetched and so full of plot holes to be laughable.

I am unsure if I will watch Season 3 at this stage, but I certainly won't be waiting each week like Season 1 anyway that's for sure.

MfMan · 27-05-2025 10:16AM

Yes, they again wasted a good chunk of the last episode on characters having meaningful conversations with each other and spells of exposition where they tell each other what they're feeling. As I said last week, this whole series has become draggy and bogged down because of these type scenes, like a bad Aussie soap. It's a pity because the action scenes involving the WLF and Scars are quite compelling and add tension and drama to the series. I guess these will be developed much more in series 3 and why things have come to be. Also as I said last week, it has in the main moved genres from being a zombie-apocalypse to an action-drama which is a big no-no in TV and movie making.

Wonder what they're going to introduce in series 4?

Sudden Valley · 27-05-2025 10:17AM

Last episode was a bit of a mess. Felt a lot like the last season of game of thrones where too much story was being squashed into too little screen time. Is the second game as much as a mess as this? The scars are uninteresting and look like they should be in a Walking Dead storyline , Abbie doesnt act or look like she would be anywhere near a leadership position and none of the groups seem to recognize the value of having a guard on duty. Season 2 has been of middling quality, at best.

Penn · 27-05-2025 10:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489385#Comment_123489385

"Side question, no zombies in Seattle? Thinking back to the game and trying to remember, I know we had the bank scene, which was kind of done with their subway journey. Pretty quiet otherwise though!"

I think given how long the WLF and Scars have been in Seattle, most areas have been fairly well cleared or closed up of infected. Probably a few more encounters in the game (given that you have to have a lot more action gameplay), but they're used more sparingly in the show in general.

And yeah, you don't get a lot of info about the WLF or Scars in the game as Ellie, it's more saved for Abby's side of things (given she's been with the WLF for a few years). So we'll learn more about them next season.

J Mysterio · 27-05-2025 10:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489385#Comment_123489385

I also noted that there didn't appear to be any infected in the episode at all, and don't think any in the previous episode either.

Rocket_GD · 27-05-2025 11:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489469#Comment_123489469

It isn't a zombie action movie like World War Z though.

As I believe was said to you last week when you were making the same complaints, it has always been a drama series with the infected as the backdrop for the way of the world.

I don't think this series is for you, maybe stick to Michael Bay Transformers movies if all you're after is action.

meat eating green · 27-05-2025 11:23AM

My life is too packed to find time to watch this but since it’s a cultural phenomenon I’m going to look for YouTube spoilers so I can at least nod knowingly when everyone is talking about it in the pub

Nigzcurran · 27-05-2025 11:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489773#Comment_123489773

Think you might need to re-evaluate your life choices if you can't find a spare 45 minutes for some TV

MfMan · 27-05-2025 11:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489713#Comment_123489713

I'd certainly like more action than what seems like endlessly-repetitive scenes between Dina and Bella making out with each other, which seems to have swallowed up a good half of this series' running time. Again in last night's episode the way of the world might just as easily have been caused by nuclear fallout instead of fungus infection. Probably the main thrust of S1 was that Bella for some reason was immune to infection and the necessity of keeping her safe and possibly using her immunity to develop a cure that would save the rest of mankind. That storyline wasn't followed in S2.

J Mysterio · 27-05-2025 11:55AM

The whole of series 2 is based on the terrible killing of Joel and thereafter basically just explores themes of love/ hate, revenge, forgiveness, redemption etc.

People's capacity to change.

Rocket_GD · 27-05-2025 12:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489929#Comment_123489929

Ellie and Dina kissed twice maybe 3 times in the entire season, so not sure where you got the "endlessly-repetitive scenes between Dina and Bella making out with each other, which seems to have swallowed up a good half of this series' running time" from?

That storyline wasn't followed in S2.

That storyline ended in season 1 when Joel killed the majority of the Fireflies who knew that Ellie was immune. Now it's just a rumour that there may have been an immune girl but no one knows for sure apart from Tommy, Dina and Ellie as far as we are aware.

EagererBeaver · 27-05-2025 12:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489940#Comment_123489940

**** that, more action sequences with zombies, running and gunfire please. Actual narrative with character depth? No thanks!

Also, no humour should be allowed in the show as it causes difficulties for the neanderthals who think everything is "woke".

MfMan · 27-05-2025 12:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123489966#Comment_123489966

Yes, but it seemed to be the main raison d'etre of the series. Not developing it further would be a bit like Dallas continuing on without anyone being bothered about who shot JR :-)

Rocket_GD · 27-05-2025 12:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490098#Comment_123490098

No it wouldn't be at all similar at all. Season 1's story line ended with the death of Joel which in turn kicked off the season 2 story, Ellie's need for revenge.

As I have already said I don't think this is the show for you if you want out and out action and think 2/3 kisses equates to half a season of 2 characters making out.

Penn · 27-05-2025 12:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490098#Comment_123490098

But that part of the story ended in the finale of Season 1. Joel killed the group who could make a cure, thereby preventing a cure from ever being made, in order to save Ellie's life, and then he lied to Ellie about it.

The impact that decision had, has now been the driver of the story of Season 2; the consequences of Joel's actions. Joel gets killed because of those people he killed, one of them was Abby's father, and so her group kills Joel in revenge. It also impacts Joel & Ellie's relationship which furthers Ellie's need for revenge against Abby.

The "cure" was never the raison d'etre of the series. It was always a McGuffin. The show is not about the infection or the apocalypse, it's about the characters and their relationships.

It comes down to story vs plot. The infection/apocalypse/cure is the plot, it's the framing around the story. The characters and their relationships is the actual story and what the show is about. Changes in the plot affect the story. Changes in the story affects how characters deal with the plot. Both are intertwined and important, but without the primary focus being on the story/characters, all you have is mindless, pointless action and things happening because they look cool.

"Who shot JR" is absolutely pointless without the buildup, context and story about why they shot JR.

Sudden Valley · 27-05-2025 12:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490133#Comment_123490133

It's odd that it seems season 2, 3 and possibly onwards will the same plot line, Ellie seeking revenge. It's a long time to stretch a revenge plot.

Rocket_GD · 27-05-2025 12:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490167#Comment_123490167

I'm going to assume that you haven't played the game so I don't want to spoil too much for you but season 3 won't be all about Ellie and her revenge, it's going to focus around Abbie, the WLF's and the Scars. Season 2 was essentially half of the second game.

The producers aren't planning on a season 4 as it stands.

MfMan · 27-05-2025 12:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490199#Comment_123490199

I think they are…

Sudden Valley · 27-05-2025 01:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490199#Comment_123490199

I am playing the second game so thanks but I have to say Abbie, WLF and the scars are the least interesting part of the show to me. They just seem a more generic apocalypse storyline. I cant see form the show or the parts of the game I have played, why the second games storyline is so highly rated. The First Game and First TV season had a much tighter and interesting storyline.

Rocket_GD · 27-05-2025 02:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490236#Comment_123490236

My mistake, there's another 2 seasons for you to complain about not having enough action.

MfMan · 27-05-2025 02:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490523#Comment_123490523

Most assuredly I (and others here also) will.

castletownman · 27-05-2025 02:43PM

The lad who played Jessie is a bad actor. Couldn't take him seriously at all. Ellie's boat adventure was terrible, and I found the general darkness of the scenes hard to follow compared to usual.

Why was Isaac assuming he wasn't going to make it through the night? Can't figure that out at all, but I assume all the speed boats arriving under the cover of night suggests an escalation in the conflict.

J Mysterio · 27-05-2025 03:01PM

I thought the actor for Jesse did a stand up job.

EagererBeaver · 27-05-2025 03:14PM

Yeah, Jessie's actor has been getting pretty much universal praise. I thought he was great with not a lot of screen time.

The Isaac thing is a consequence of how they've decided to split the seasons. The WLF's escalating action will be explained through Abby's story, but if you're just sitting there watching the finale without knowing the story you could be very easily excused for going "Huh, wtf was that about?", especially as we've seen so little of Isaac since his introduction. Given Ellie ending up on Seraphite island really added nothing, I'm not sure why they'd bother having the whole WLF assault in this episode at all.

Tony EH · 27-05-2025 03:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123490754#Comment_123490754

Unfortunately, like S01, the structure of S02 has been a problem.

I can completely understand how someone who's never played the games would be leaving the show wondering what the hell was going on, why certain things were happening and why someone was saying a certain thing at a certain time.

It's been an issue with the show overall, in that they do detours and then have to rush to a conclusion elsewhere leaving many people underwhelmed.

Potatoeman · 27-05-2025 04:56PM

The problem with the show is the writing, it’s all over the place. Ellie’s is leaving Joel’s brother to get to the island for revenge when her pregnant girlfriend with the leg injury is alone and she shouldn’t have even come as she’s pregnant. Then after that they are saying she’d do anything to help someone. She doesn’t seem to care about anyone until the religious nutter is about to be killed and she already saw what those people are like. The story is wildly inconsistent. All her actions pretty much make her a terrible person at every turn.

The show needs someone more compelling. I was hoping for more of the swat guy, his character seemed far more interesting.

J Mysterio · 27-05-2025 05:06PM

I must say that I do find the representation of Ellie and her actions in the show to be less consistent then the game.

In the episode where Joel was comforting Gail, Ellie's contradiction of Joel was wild (and infuriating). This could have been said to Joel in private. I also don't understand her sudden compassion for the SCAR when she would have witnessed similar situations countless and times, and risked Jesses life with her sudden recklessness. Then in the final episode when she abandoned Tommy/ Jesse to hunt Abby, after which Jesse said 'you'd protect me at all costs' kind of thing, which she confirmed...

It is inconsistent and, as a result, Ellie in the show is just not likeable in the way that Ellie in the game was.

appledrop · 27-05-2025 06:24PM

Anyone could have watched the first season and loved it and it seemed that is exactly what happened.

However what's very clear is that season 2 has divided people into those who played the game and those who haven't and it's a massive big fail for most of us who don't know anything about the game.

appledrop · 27-05-2025 08:30PM

https://m.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-reviews/the-last-of-us-season-2-finale-cliffhanger-ending-is-a-half-baked-and-frustrating-let-down/a445898109.html

Very good review here, sums up what a lot of us non gamers feel.

The Last of Us - HBO *Spoilers* See warning in post #1

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The Last of Us - HBO Spoilers See warning in post #1