The Last of Us Season 1 (Mini-Review)

The Last of Us Season 1 is an adaptation of the Naughty Dog game The Last of Us Part 1. When the zombie apocalypse happened, Joel Miller had much more than the world taken from him. Years after the outbreak he is a broken man that is afraid of letting anyone get close to him. Marlene asks for him and Tess to take precious cargo across the country. The precious cargo is Ellie Williams who is immune from the virus and her existence means a cure is finally possible. The Last of Us Season 1 was released on HBO in 2023.

I haven't played the games myself due to not having good enough hand control. Basically my fingers don't always respond as I want them to. Even if I really focus there are some motions I'm just incapable of doing. But I have watched various playthroughs and videos breaking down the series. So I am familiar with the games even without playing them myself. I was nervous about the adaptation getting things wrong.

One change I don't like from the games is a lack of infected. I do like that the show does the characters justice, but I would have liked for a few more tense scenes with the infected. Or Joel having to use rafts to transport Ellie across watery areas since she can't swim. For the majority of time that didn't bother me, but closer to the end of the season it began to really bother me.

Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) really bring life to their characters. I remember seeing the first shot released from the series and suddenly feeling good about the adaptation. Pascal is able to be both a standoffish man but also a loving father. Ramsey is able to be tough as nails as well as a girl that's struggling to survive.

The thing that elevates The Last of Us above just another zombie show is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Joel is struggling against the loss of his daughter and slowly begins seeing Ellie as another chance. For him, she represents the light in the darkness. Ellie acts tough but at the end of the day she needs someone to look after her. She is just a girl, after all. Being the only immune person on the planet doesn't change that fact. For her, he represents the chance that someone in the world will never leave her.

The third episode in the season makes major changes from the source material. In the game Frank has grown sick and tired of Bill so leaves. Joel and Ellie team up with Bill for some time. Because their partnership doesn't involve learning Bill's backstory, many didn't realize the pair was gay. In the show Bill and Frank's story is greatly expanded with the episode mainly focusing on them. It is one of the best, if not the best, episode of the season.

I would recommend The Last of Us Season 1 to fans of the game. I would also recommend The Last of Us Season 1 to those that want more than an average zombie show.