The Last of Us

By Joshua Xiang

Genre: Post-apocalyptic Drama Thriller

Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is binge-worthy TV that ranks among the all-time most remarkable video game adaptations. (Rotten Tomatoes, Critic consensus)

"In the doomsday, there aren't just keep killing monsters to upgrade, but also a few but touching fetters." This is the first time that I have taken time to savor a post-apocalyptic drama thriller, and this show is fantastic. This show is based on a PC game also called, The Last of Us which provides more than a stylistic blueprint for the TV show. The plot of the game is harrowing, emotional, and profound, as well as action-packed. Those familiar with the franchise will spot recognizable scenes, locations, and even dialogue.

The Last of Us is violent and sentimental. It depicts a world in which people are doing everything they can to survive, with varying degrees of horror. However sometimes, encountering a fast-moving, fungus-shaking infected doesn't seem like the worst thing that can happen. Later in the series, men's greed and vengeful hearts prove themselves capable of inflicting acts of brutality that go far beyond the harrowing attacks of zombie attacks.

There's more to it than Joel and Ellie, though, and it's confident enough to leave them behind for most of some episodes. In the third episode, almost a movie length, we barely see both leads. Instead, it focuses on a survivalist named Bill and his new relationship with an artist named Frank. It's an excellent detour into the wider world; as many critics have already said, it's probably one of the best TV episodes you'll see this year. No matter the narration, plot, or acting skills it has gone beyond most of the TV shows that could ever compete.

Episode 5 is my favorite episode, and it is equal parts thrilling and distressing. Fugitive brothers Henry and Sam add a welcome layer of warmth to Joel and Ellie's relationship, helping our protagonists progress on both their physical and emotional journeys, as well as leading them to one of the action high points in the series. It's an unforgettable and explosive end to a powder keg of a chapter whose fuse steadily burned throughout this and the previous episode. The foreshadowing of the story, the theme of love, and the complete filling of the worldview for the TV show are so compelling.

In episode seven, I was a bit disappointed with the way Liza Johnson (director of episode 7) plotted. If this episode is meant to introduce Ellie's background and her growth, she is supposed to add how Ellie acts and behaves when she and her best friend got beaten by the infections. It would be the most significant opportunity to present the inside feelings and thoughts of Ellie when she kills her best friend with her bare hand to the audience. However, it might be because Johnson didn't want to make a similar ending as episode five, so it is acceptable.

After the climax of episode five, I started to feel a bit of aesthetic fatigue, and I found myself not appreciating the relationship development and inner growth. I conclude that even though a lot of things happen in this TV show, it is still all used to make the two protagonists more realistic and resonate their growth with the audience.

Later in the story (episodes 6 & 9), the director might give the audience a sense of feeling that he is trying too hard to develop the relationship between Joel and Ellie, which did set up the ending pretty well, but makes me feel odd when I see Joel's emotional change towards Ellie. More importantly, in episode nine we are supposed to get a pretty colossal climax to draw an end to this season, but the killing and interaction in the end only build up repression, which is a lack of tension and excitement. This did foreshadow the second season, but for me, I believe this could've done better compared to the top quality in the previous episodes.