“The Last of Us” Review: A already beloved story shown beautifuly

Based on the game The Last of Us – Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann – TV-MA – 1 season

A show that had high expectations met the goal and gave a beautiful story.

Disclaimer: This show does use intense language and extreme violence.

‘The Last of Us,’ is one of the newest HBO Max releases. The show is based on the game which conveys a post-apocalyptic world. The show illustrates the change in the world compared to the world the audience knows. The main goal in this world is to survive the zombies, known in the show as the infected, that surround their environment.

A man named Joel (Pedro Pascal) has to find a way to live on after losing his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) at the beginning of the apocalypse. Twenty years after this occurs, all survivors are put in government sanctuaries and follow the new government named FEDRA. Joel is a smuggler in this world along with his partner Tess (Anna Torv) and has a mission to smuggle an extroverted fourteen year old girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Joel later finds out Ellie is no ordinary girl and that she is immune to being infected by the Cordyceps, a type of fungus that can essentially zombify its host. Joel and Ellie now have to go on a long journey to save humanity.

The filmmakers and directors wanted to retell the story of the game and show a realistic version of it. The show did an excellent job at making sure the storyline of the show followed the storyline in the game, but some changes were added to make it fit. For example a lot of the dialogue was the same for the really important and popular quotes in the game but they also added some new dialogue to important scenes to make it more dramatic. This gave a more lasting impression.

The adventures and action that occur are no disappointment. The infected have amazing makeup and it makes them look very realistic. The suspense in all the action scenes builds an amazing excitement in the audience. The filmmakers set the show up so viewers can cheer Joel and Ellie on and hope for their survival.

Throughout this fight for survival, Joel and Ellie will meet a brother pair named Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) in episode five. This is one of the most emotional episodes, as this pair who the audience gets love for does not make it out alive, and Joel and Ellie witness a tragic and traumatic incident. This was the first time viewers see Joel and Ellie create a connection and show how they truly care for each other. Both characters are hesitant to dare too much as they both have experienced loss. They get over this fear and accept their care for each other when Ellie and Joel get seperated. Once Joel and Ellie reunite they both now show each other that they need one another. This made the show that much more emotional and created a connection between the characters and the viewers.

Finally, in the last episode of the series it is clear that the bond between Ellie and Joel has grown to a type of father and daughter relationship. This being said, now Joel runs into a problem when he can choose to save all mankind but by doing this he has to lose Ellie who he sees as his daughter. The trauma of losing his biological daughter makes him realize he can’t let the same thing happen twice. This entire episode shows the theme of making the choice to save the one you care for most or the rest of humanity. All the episodes will show why Joel made the decisions he did and shows the strong bond he and Ellie had built.

This show has been under a lot of criticism since it is based on the beloved game which had great success and the show did not disappoint. There is amazing action, production, and a great story. It shows a heartfelt and beautiful relationship in a horrific world where beauty is hard to find.