The Last of Us: Is it worth the Watch..?

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A show that has taken the world by storm has been the televised version of the award-winning action-adventure video game, The Last of Us on HBOMax. The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama, where we meet Joel and Ellie, two very emotionally damaged characters who struggle to find their way to live through their zombie-infested world. 

Many die-hard fans of the popular game were nervous about the game becoming a television show due to the fear of many of the game elements being left out. While many episodes of the show were released and there was criticism on how the show was portraying the game, it did not matter as it still got great feedback from its audience, having a 96% rate on Rotten Tomatoes. 

“I have played the same and the show represented the game perfectly. Each scene felt just like when I was playing the game myself and I found myself even enjoying the small amount of times the show did something slightly different from the game. I loved the show, it kept me excited week to week and provided amazing visuals along with an amazing story and character arcs.” explains Senior Matthew Haros. 

Haros brings up a good point about the show making slightly different changes to the plot, many fans enjoyed these switches. A popular example within the show is the modification made in Bill and Frank’s story. In the game, there are no explicit statements stating whether or not Bill and Frank were in a relationship with each other. However, in the game, there are clear signs that the two of them were engaged in something much more than just companionship, showing in Bill’s reaction to Frank’s suicide in the game. 

The creators of the show decided to expand and explore this storyline of Bill and Frank’s relationship and were very successful in doing so. In the episode, the two men find each other and use each other as a sort of comfort within the poisoned world they are living in, and, in the end, passing away together peacefully. The episode is heart-breaking and bittersweet, getting lots of love from the fans. It represents the astonishing portrayal of the game, even when not following the game’s exact footsteps. 

The casting of the show was also very favored by the fans. The two mainly, Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, both being co-stars on another hit show, Game of Thrones, are a fascinating duo to witness playing these roles. The two display their characters from their game flawlessly as it was fans’ favorite part of the show. Their acting is tear-jerking, especially in many moments of the mellow-toned show. 

“I think the cast was perfect, Bella Ramsey embodied the energy of Ellie perfectly, even though she doesn’t exactly look like Ellie in the game, I still think this was perfect casting along with Pedro Pascal’s casting. Pedro is the embodiment of a character who has to take care of someone who is just an asset to them at first but eventually grows a fatherly bond with them as seen with The Mandalorian and now The Last of Us. I did not cry while watching but I did come close a couple of times, especially in episode 3 when it came to the resolution of two certain characters’ story.” continues Haros. 

Ramsey and Pascal’s groundbreaking acting makes the show much more believable and all the much sad to watch as well. It mirrors the game in a very efficient way as it breaks our hearts just as much as the game does. Therefore, it proves that the show has proven itself very worthy of watching. 

“I definitely believe the show is award-worthy. If not for the amazing choreography or storytelling, then at least for some best actor awards. I give it a 9.7/10, it is almost perfect.” concludes Haros. 

With season 2 of the show already being announced, The Last Of Us, has had immense success and is most certainly worth watching, especially if you have played the games in the past!