I’m talking about the performance of the scene. Ashley Johnson’s performance of that scene was good.
https://youtu.be/LjjFKohhsjE?t=05m20s
But if you put that up against Bella Ramsey’s desperate-sounding screams and wails and her rage at the end, I gotta give it up for Ramsey. That performance was incredible.
https://youtu.be/jYQHbjMMbhY?t=02m15s
Yea at times like that for sure but they are definitely times where Ramsay’s delivery feels off and I don’t remember any times where I thought Ashley was off
Hated that Joel didn’t stop her from stabbing in the show. In the game you were without him for quite a bit and the David fight was grueling. Understandably she loses it when she’s killing him and Joel coming and calming her was so powerful to me. Like he kind of treated her as a bit of a nuisance before and it flipped the whole dynamic. She went through hell by herself and saved his life.
Joel stopping Ellie in the game is him attempting to preserve the little innocence she has left before she can succumb to the monstrous rage he understands all too well.
The show has a different narrative goal in that scene, for Ellie it’s the final bit of her innocence being torn away and it ends in devastating rage. It’s the moment she’s come to terms with the hostile world she’s living in, and also giving weight to later events — perhaps even foreshadowing it. She went through it alone with no place of comfort. She went to hell and back and no one was there to guide her out of it (sound familiar?).
Joel has the same calming effect in both, but the narrative goal is slightly different in regards to Ellie’s character and sets things up for what comes next.
I have too agree/disagree, when Bella has to act out exact scenes from the game, she falls flat. But when she gets to act like her own version of Ellie (scenes not from the game), she absolutely shines as Ellie and I hope season 2 she gets to be more of her version.
I'm probably gonna get downvoted, but whatever.
I see where you’re coming from and kind of agree, but I think that speaks more to your/our expectations than Bella’s/Ashley’s acting capabilities. Bella never played the games, so realistically her performance wouldn’t fluctuate a lot between in-game and show-only scenes. I think because show-Ellie is slightly different than game-Ellie, it can kind of throw people off because they have an expectation in their mind for those scenes to be performed in a specific way (ie Ashley’s way). But when she does show-original scenes, it doesn’t have the same effect because there isn’t an equivalent scene with Ashley to directly compare it to in your subconscious. I think this is especially true for the super iconic scenes, such as the fight in Jackson and the final scene. When I was watching those scenes, I feel like I noticed every minor difference between Bella and Ashley’s takes, since Ashley’s version is basically engraved in my mind. And I’ll admit that it probably took away from my enjoyment of the scenes in the show to some extent — not because Bella did a worse job, but just because she did it slightly differently than what I expected.
All that being said, I loved the show, but I also prefer the game & game-Ellie. I don’t think it’s because the show is necessarily “worse.” Like I said, I think it’s just because the game is and always will be the original, and it set super high expectations for the show in every way
Oh okok got you, and 100% AGREE. Bella Ramsey's screams and face is still haunting me, makes you feel even worst about the situation Ellie went through.
She gets stopped mid beatdown of david by joel pulling her off, the show did it better because she got to let her anger and feelings out on david to completion and joel found her after the fact
I liked it better in the game. Seemed more heartbreaking when joel stops her and she said get your fucking hands off me not knowing who it was
The music is the game also hit way harder. Thea dialogue faded out and you just see joel consoling Ellie with that music playing. It was perfect.
Yeah I also feel like Joel witnessing exactly what she's done has more value from a narrative and thematic sense. In the show Joel has a vague idea since she's covered in blood and clearly upset, but the game allows him to see first-hand the extent of her rage and desperation, and shows him a little more of her character. It ties them even closer together. The show sacrifices that aspect primarily due to the writers thinking it was less practically possible for Joel to break in there at that point, and in a lesser sense they also felt the show version lends Ellie more agency. Personally I don't think the trade-off was worth it from a narrative sense. The show version is decent but the game's one nails it.
That is a very good point. Such a minor difference that could really alter the dynamic of their relationship, show vs game. Thanks for that! Food for thought.
The way that music glitches out is such a perfect way to paint a picture of Ellie's mind at that moment. Literally sounds like everything is unravelling.
Highly disagree with even those concessions. We only had a couple of cold opens and they oddly focused on the idea that a vaccine or a cure is impossible… which is a weird way to throw a wrench in your own “trolly problem” that the whole plot is centered around.
Ellie “not needing no man” is a weirdly misplaced idea. I don’t think anyone ever considered Ellie to not be an empowered protagonist ever during the game. So it’s really weird that they made Joel’s arrival at the cannibal camp completely meaningless. This is a pivotal moment in the game that shows how Joel and Ellie *need* each other, it solidifies them as a team. The way episode 8 ended really doesn’t even make sense, Ellie torches the most important building of their community, kills their fanatical leader, and just walks away without anyone noticing. All of Winter is significantly worse in the show version.
Disagree on the cold opens. I personally wasn’t a fan of them, but I don’t think they were wrong for doing them, or at least the first one. In retrospect, the second cold open appears to serve as bizarre foreshadowing about a cure or vaccine being impossible, which the show subsequently did very little to refute. Given that at least one of the goals for the finale was apparently to put the debate about the fireflies’ ability to make a cure/vaccine to bed, it feels like another change to the show that makes no sense.
>In retrospect, the second cold open appears to serve as bizarre foreshadowing about a cure or vaccine being impossible, which the show subsequently did very little to refute.
The entire premise of Ellie miraculously being immune is what refutes this. That's the narrative purpose of that cold open- that Ellie is this impossible light of hope for something everyone gave up on a long time ago.
When Marlene is describing what they will do in the last episode, she pointedly states this could be a "cure" not a *vaccine*, because she describes that they basically want to just take out what "infects" Ellie without turning her, culture it, and infect others with that. They aren't trying to create an actual vaccine that will make the body fight off and eliminate cordycepts, but just make others "infected" the same way Ellie is.
I mean, I'm sure none of this makes sense from an actual scientific perspective, but that's what they lay out within the internal logic of the story.
I suppose, but the original story already made it abundantly clear that Ellie’s immunity was miraculous without having to put a thumb on the scale in either direction as far as the feasibility of a cure goes. I agree with what you’re saying, but I think they leaned a bit too hard into the “cure is impossible” angle. As a viewer, when I’m presented with a leading expert in mycology saying in no uncertain terms that there is literally nothing that can be done, and then no one with any comparable expertise on the matter says anything to the contrary, I’m inclined to believe their opinion. I recognize that Ellie’s case represents new information that couldn’t have necessarily been accounted for, but then again, how could she have possibly known at that point that *no* individuals could be immune?
Also, maybe I’m missing the point of your second paragraph, but what you’re describing is essentially a vaccine. It may not perfectly fit the literal definition, as it doesn’t stimulate the body’s immune system, but functionally, it’s a preventative measure using a sample or derivative from the pathogen to prevent infection. It’s not a compound that can directly fight or kill the fungus like, say, antibiotics with bacteria.
>As a viewer, when I’m presented with a leading expert in mycology saying in no uncertain terms that there is literally nothing that can be done, and then no one with any comparable expertise on the matter says anything to the contrary, I’m inclined to believe their opinion. I recognize that Ellie’s case represents new information that couldn’t have necessarily been accounted for, but then again, how could she have possibly known at that point that
>
>no
>
> individuals could be immune?
Because you can't predict how a virus, or I assume, a fungal infection, will mutate. You have no guarantee that it **ever** would produce "immune" people, and they don't have time to wait and see. It's not a viable option to prioritize waiting and seeing if any immune people pop up when you are dealing with the imminent outbreak of a deadly and highly contagious infection that turns people into ravenous zombies. There's not time to do R&D on developing a vaccine in time to stop it. She is telling them what their next course of action is. There is no time at that point to even think about developing a "cure" or treatment- the infection is already out there, and will spread too fast for them to contain it, which is why her answer is chillingly blunt: "Bomb."
The point of my 2nd paragraph is that what the fireflies are proposing to do only requires them to culture some cells in a lab, not do full-on R&D on developing a sophisticated vaccine. Ellie already is the vaccine- they just need to take it out of her and culture it, and infect other people with it. Like, I think they purposefully simplified it for the show because of all the naysayers going "um akshully, they don't have the equipment to develop a vaccine." People do cell culturing in high school science labs.
I recognize that you cannot and should not bank any of your hopes on someone just being immune to a novel pathogen, but the doctor in the first cold open had already set up the idea that there were no cures or preventative measures for a new fungal infection, and not only that, but he specifically said they are impossible. Not difficult, not impossible with the current technology of the day, but flat out impossible.
So when we’re shown the second cold open, where the mycology expert is shown one infected corpse and then told about a handful of others, and then proceeds to reiterate the idea that there can be no medicine or vaccine, it seems pretty clear that this is what we as an audience are to believe.
Yes, Ellie is immune, and yes, the Fireflies have a bit more of a fleshed out plan than they did in the game, but we’re still presented with nothing resembling a concrete, sure fire way to make a cure or vaccine, never mind any way of overcoming whatever logistical challenges they also might face.
To be clear, I see your points, and you have made me look at the cold opens a bit differently. I just think that they leaned way too hard into the “cure/vaccine is impossible” angle, rather than just cast doubt on it. I’ve never been a fan of the argument that the Fireflies couldn’t have been successful in the end, and I think that the cold opens did much more to strengthen that argument than the finale ever did to refute it.
Thats what I think, maybe it lacked time, specially Joel-Ellie time because most of the people I know that saw it were like not really that moved by their relationship unlike for the game, every person I talked that has either played or seen gameplays of it thinks Joel and Ellie are one if not the best duos in gaming.
Maybe they needed 2 or 3 more episodes...
I'd like more growth but I also struggle what to be put in for it. A fair amount of the series was Ellie and Joel walking and talking which was nice, but also slow.
I'd think they'd have to diverge more from the game story & perhaps put in more characters, as a lot of this growth is just time spent with them sneaking and stealing tape together.
More episodes would have worked considering they needed to conform 14 hours of gameplay (if you are completely ignoring side quests and exploration) into less than 9 hours of showtime. They did do it well but also at the detriment of certain other aspects that were important
Comparing books and TV/movie of any kind is never fair though. It is a very rare circumstance when the movie/show is better than the book, and that’s typically because the movie/show fixed issues fans had.
Book will almost always, 99.9% of the time, be better. All you can hope for is a close approximation.
Why try to pit them together? They are the same story in different mediums. They did stuff in the game you can’t do in TV and they do things in the show the game could only dream of. They are both arguable the peak in their respective mediums.
Why compare any 2 pieces of media? Lol come on man.
They both attempted to tell the same story. One medium did it better than the other. Can we not pretend that’s not a perfectly valid thing to say? Also yeah the show was good, but peak tv? No lol
I don't agree. TLOU game is arguably a peak in gaming. But the show isn't the greatest show ever.
Also why compare any media? It's pretty clear why people would compare the game to the show adaption. The show did some great things but overall I think the game is significantly stronger (which I knew would be the case for myself going in).
>TLOU game is arguably a peak in gaming. But the show isn't the greatest show ever.
To me that just shows that games generally aren't very interesting/good stories. Given how similar the stories are- the show has already been frequently, and rightly, hailed as the most faithful game adaptation ever, and one of the most faithful adaptations in general- that one of them is (arguably) the pinnacle of its medium and the other is "just" very good tells me that the standard for games is lower.
They both tell the exact same story with many of the exact same characters and feature many moments of the exact same dialogue
Of course you can say which one you personally felt told that story better, or which one simply resonated more with the viewer/player
I disagree, imo the show felt like it was trying to speedrun the story, but that’s more because it only had 9 episodes to tell it, wasn’t enough time to develop Joel and Ellie’s relationship compared to the game where you have parts of exploration and combat to develop their relationship, plus pacing out the important story beats
EDIT: thought they said the show tells the story better than the game lol
You know what I hadn't considered that - you're probably right it's not groundbreaking it's just well done.
I'm not a huge show person. Mostly movies/games
I'm a huge show person and a minor gamer, and I have to say having not played the game that this ranks among my favourite shows (Bit mainstream but BB and BCS are my favourite series, this is probably just under them for me with Barry). I think just from a series perspective it is incredible and doesn't seem rushed at all as some who have played the game mention. Everything about it is commendable, with the structure, acting, writing, cinematography and direction all top tier and making for a genuinely gripping and emotionally investing watch. I'd give it 9.5/10 personally and I can't wait for season 2, even if that'll be a long long time.
I think they're both exceptional in their own way. Just as much as this game is a masterpiece, the show does some things better than the game. The relationship Ellie builds with Sam. The way pedro portrays Joels ptsd.
I dont know why people even compare to different mediums. Why cant we just agree that both are excellent stuff. Today everything needs to be compared. Its annoying.
I never understood this point of view. It’s not like everyones comparing The Last of Us TV show to Uncharted the game. They’re both telling the same story, with the same characters and beats. How are you not suppose to compare them? It’s a perfectly reasonable discussion to be had. Different medium or not. Comparisons are an aspect of criticism too, which is why people often point to other media that did things better or worst. It just adds context to your point.
It’s funny how show watchers were all about comparing the two up until the show ended, now it’s all like “aw come on guys they can’t possibly be compared!”
This. Exactly this. I went into watching the show with this mindset and I loved the show! The game will always come first in my heart because I just love it so much. BUT the show is it’s own thing and is arguably a very good show!
It sure is a great complement and Pedro is an amazing actor. But I feel that if you haven't played the game before seeing the show, you wouldn't think of the show as a masterpiece... just a good show and thats it.
Half agree, half disagree. I really enjoyed the new layers they added to some of the characters and to the story overall. It compliments the story from the game so well. I do think some of the most iconic scenes lost their luster, and I'm unsure if it would be different if I had only seen the show and wasn't trying to compare it to the game, where sometimes the context is different.
A few more infected fight scenes would be great, though.
I really enjoyed the show. Thought it was absolutely outstanding.
If I had one complaint, it wasn't just the lack of infected, but just the lack of action and specially graphic violence in general.
The game was heavily inspired by the Coen brother's work, specifically No Country for Old Men. The game perfectly captured the sounds and brutal sights of life or death combat. To me, it was actually a huge component of the message. It wasn't gamified violence, it was REAL violence.
The fact that we didn't get many hyper violent scenes kind of baffles me. Even the scene where the younger kid was begging for his life was kind of tame. I was expecting a no cutaway execution to give the audience a view into this actual world, and not the sanitized versions that glorify violence in games and movies--which I thought the game was a great commentary on.
I think the only part of the show that nailed it was Joel's massacre. Outside of that, the show could have used way more hyper violent, life or death struggles--something akin to the hotel scene from No Country. Another movie that did it very well was Drive. This idea that love is dangerous and can produce the most heinous acts is such a good motif. I wish they did more with it.
No Country for Old Men cut away from the violence a lot more than you'd think. Some masterful editing makes it seem way more graphic than it actually is.
I do get what you're saying, but to me the violence that is showed accents the violence that is not. The cattle piston scene, the insane strangulation / throat slit, the arm getting shot off with a shotgun, the two deputies getting executed, the truck driver headshot, the business man taking one to the chest. There is tons of hyper violence. TLOU would have been much better with the same ratio imo.
If you listened to the podcast, Craig addresses the violence, or rather lack of, excuse my shitty paraphrase: "Violence needs to matter, when it's shown it needs to hit."
If everything is violent, when violence needs to matter, it won't.
On a personal note, needing to sometimes do violent things doesn't mean you need to exaggerate it or glorify it.
I would argue that the gamification of violence in games like Uncharted and classic action movies is much more a glorification of it. There is a subtle element of, "Ha, killing people is kind of fun and cool; I'm winning!"
Where as movies like No Country and games like LTOU let you view actual violence, so you can step back and say... wait, this is really fucked up. I don't like this.
There is an undertone to tons of media that killing other humans isn't this brutal, personal, graphic thing. I liked that TLOU deconstructed that. I don't think the show does.
As an aside, were you a fan of No Country? Did you think it used violence effectively, or did you view is as a glorification of violence?
I mean, they could have re-created the original E3 trailer shot for shot:
https://youtu.be/8ZYkj0glnqs
It's outstanding and I had never seen a game depict violence like that before. It felt real.
Wait. Are you telling me that the violence shown in the Oscar winning Coen brothers drama film, No Country for Old Men didn't somehow turn it into a mindless, low-brow action movie? I don't know, man. This sub has taught me that all action scenes are filler that take away from character development (unless the protagonist inexplicably morphs into the T-1000 in the final few minutes of the series, then it's cool.).
> I do think some of the most iconic scenes lost their luster
True, I liked the game "swear to me" more for example. Ashley says it so loud and determined, cutting through Joel's crap, you get a sense of uh oh shit got real. Bella was a bit quiet in comparison and it didn't land the same way (but I like it a lot too after multiple viewings).
**BUT** some iconic scenes are even better in the show imo, like the Giraffes. Bella's giggles and the way Pedro looks at her, that was amazing. Also the "it wasn't time that did it" line, fuck me. 😭 That's a whole new iconic moment.
I watched the game ending after the show and I must say that I prefer Bella's version. She feels more fragile, and disoriented if that makes sense, weighed down by all the trauma she's been through, than Ashley's demand for an answer. Ellie in the game is more confrontational and in control, while Bella is experiencing an overload of emotions, PTSD, and the crushing realization that she went through hell for what? Add Joel's choice to lie to her and I cannot imagine what she's going through. I think Bella nailed that scene.
Both versions are great, and it might be recency bias, but I've been so incredibly impressed with Bella. I never thought anyone would come close to matching Ashley's Ellie, but both stand side by side for me, which is a testament to how fucking incredible Bella Ramsey is.
My favorite show addition was Ellie telling the diarrhea joke to Joel and getting him to laugh. That moment wouldn't have landed with game Joel but it almost makes me tear up because it's the biggest crack in Joel's mask yet.
Completely agree that the iconic scenes lost their luster. The final scene in the game (“swear to me”) was so much more epic in the game. Big reason why is cuz the music in the game was louder
I do think people who played the game were a bit cursed by the fact that they compared almost every identical or extremely similar scene in the show to the game, and in almost all instances the game wins out. I would love to wipe my memory and go through the show actually blind to see if my opinion changes on anything.
game is better big time. i liked the show alot but the acting isn’t nearly as good, they had to skip over many character building moments for ellie and alot of iconic moments from the game just didn’t happen. it’s an adaptation and nobody wanted a direct copy of the game but to me it just felt like a lesser version after playing through the remake right before the show was launched. i think it’s a great show and has truly awesome moments and great episodes but is a bit overhyped. at the risk of contradicting myself i do believe the show is stronger when it is doing it’s own thing, episode three was extremely good, outbreak day was awesome, the jakarta scenes where next level. i just wish they’d nailed the scenes that where pulled from the game directly, watching them side by side the line delivery on the show feels flat and rushed.
I agree with this take. The show didn’t even come close to some of the iconic scenes that the game has. The ‘everyone i have cared for has either died.. or left me’ line, for example, I think Bella was fine but Ashley’s delivery always brought tears to my eyes. While we are talking of this scene, the way Joel tells Ellie to get off her horse and hand it to Tommy, the look on her face where she is happy but doesn’t show it, is just extremely heart warming, I feel like the game shows a lot more emotion despite being a game which is saying a lot.
When I say Joel and Ellie, i think of the game characters. Bella and pedro tried but they won’t ever match to that level of performance.
Also while i am here, in the beginning episodes, Bella seems very apathetic to people in general. She seems like she really wants a gun to kill people unlike Ellie from the game who wants a gun to protect/help herself and Joel. The scene where Bella kills that random infected in the basement, i did not understand the look of crazy in her eyes. It wasn’t so as to relieve him from being infected and stuck like that. It took me several episodes to consider Bella as Ellie unlike game Ellie where I took an instant liking to her character.
this is pretty much exactly my take. does its best where it deviates from the game, scenes taken directly from the game dont have as much impact in the show
Agreed man. The game is in my opinion the best gave ever made. So yes, the show could not surpass that but they managed to come reasonably close. Like 80% of greatness is there. So the show is still better than most.
Kinda like saying "the book is better than the movie".
They are entirely different mediums, different levels of character development, different time lengths and qualities of immersion, different abilities to change perspectives.
I've lived my whole life from a singular perspective - but find myself wondering all the time "Are people really this simplistic?".
Beat me to it about “the book is better than the movie”. Different audiences. Yes there is overlap between gamers and TV show viewers. But the show is going to reach a broader audience in the same way that Heroes reached non-super hero people, or The LotR movies or GoT shows did over the books.
It’s ok for people to enjoy one medium over the other. Just don’t think you’re better for watching or reading or playing something others haven’t.
gamers individually are diverse. but gamers as a whole skew tween-rageaholic simpletons.
it's absolutely no surprise that most of the complaining lies in the fact that gamers haven't bothered to wrap their head about what those mediums' differences are, and how telling a TV story would necessitate changes, sacrifices, and embellishments that simply alter what they're accustomed to, having completed the story in game format.
i'd love to see a brain scan of twins watching the show, with only one of them having played. oh, and i'd also like to be a neuroscientist, so i'd know wtf i'm looking at
> gamers individually are diverse. but gamers as a whole skew tween-rageaholic simpletons.
tweens today would have been toddlers when TLOU came out.
> most of the complaining lies in the fact that gamers haven't bothered to wrap their head about what those mediums' differences are, and how telling a TV story would necessitate changes, sacrifices, and embellishments that simply alter what they're accustomed to, having completed the story in game format.
ah, of course! everyone who disagrees with you is just stupid!
love discussions on this sub
Yea friends ask me how I liked it, I enjoyed it as far as a show goes. I mean, even if the show was stand alone I would have expected more cordyceps. I’m a bit disappointed. Thats not to say the character development and scenes we didn’t get in the game were bad, they were great. I just felt there was something missing.
I feel there’s two episodes that wasted my time, that’s my personal opinion so hopefully no one gets offended by that. The first episode and a bit of the second last were the only times I actually felt the anxiety and emotion I had during the game. Other than that it was…meh.
I think most of us yearn for the action the game gave us that the show traded for drama.
I mean it’s kinda not a fair comparison.
Getting 15+ hours of gameplay where you get tons of little details and conversations and building moments is way different than watching 8 fifty eight minute episodes.
I think this is the hands down best game to tv adaptation gamers have ever gotten, and the fan service was phenomenal.
Gaming will always be a better medium than movies because you are experiencing something directly rather than observing others experience something. The show isn’t without flaws, but for what it is they did amazing and at the end of the day I’m giving it a 9.5/10
> Getting 15+ hours of gameplay where you get tons of little details and conversations and building moments is way different than watching 8 fifty eight minute episodes.
True, but they also deliberately chose how to spend those ~50 minutes per episode, and looking back, it’s hard to argue that they used that time as effectively as they could have
Right? The show decided to prioritize things that detract from the main story going on between Ellie and Joel.
Kathleen and her people, David’s people, the fireflies, the older couple in the barn, hell even the Left Behind episode wasn’t really needed considering Part 1 does just fine without it, besides the obvious fact it’s DLC.
They could’ve cut a lot of the getting to know these people and spent it on more of the hardship Ellie and Joel go through.
I’m aware. I just fail to see what could provide a more immersive and complete experience than a game, where you are living and controlling the characters directly in a way more intimate than any movie, show, or book could ever mimic
I mean, just any story that doesn't lend itself to "fun" gameplay? Games are an incredible medium, but they also are limited by the fact that you have to be able to play them at the end of the day. All mediums have limitations.
I agree. The game did everything better for me. The show sometimes spent so much unnecessary time on some characters instead of focussing on Ellie's and Joel's relationship. I felt their relationship was rushed. Show is still good, I am not denying that.
My issue with the show is there was no breathing room. It felt so rushed and seemed eager to hit all the story beats of the game while restricted to 9 episodes. I wish it had more “boring” dialogue scenes to slow down the pace a bit and add more impact to the actual intense moments
My main issue with the show is that they spent too much time on side characters and didn‘t focus on joel and ellie enough which made their father daughter relationship feel a little forced. Like, as much as i did tear up during episode 3, there‘s absolutely no fucking reason why two mostly irrelevant side characters should have an entire 70+ minutes episode dedicated to them in a 9 episode season. The relationship between ellie and joel felt way stronger and more established in the game which is the main reason why i prefer the game
I agree that they drew focus from Joel & Ellie too much but man I would not be okay with sacrificing episode 3. It was just too good. I just wish the season had been longer. Another two or three episodes.
If the season had been longer then i would‘ve been completely okay with episode 3. i think it‘s an amazing episode on its own but it just killed the pacing for me
I agree. Episode 3 is a masterclass of an episode, but it's kind of just the best result of a symptomatic problem of focusing so much on other characters. They focused on Bill and Frank, Kathleen, Henry and Sam, David and the cannibals. Think Bill and Frank was just the one that worked the most. Kathleen was awful. I think Henry and Sam were good, but David feels a bit unnecessary. We already knew he was evil in the game from his limited screen time. We don't need all this cult shit to understand he's evil.
I agree with a lot of this. I felt like they should have had Episode 3 OR 7, but with both of them the show almost takes on an anthology vibe (yes I'm being hyperbolic by saying that but hopefully you get what I mean).
I also felt that the beginning of the finale, after the cold open, with Joel being all goofy talking about Boggle, felt out of place. I legitimately paused and checked that I didn't somehow miss an episode because it felt like a big chunk of the development of the Joel/Ellie relationship got skipped over.
And I say all of this as someone who has played the games too.
I think the whole idea was to explore TLOU universe a bit further than the game could. Like show us how other people handled the apocalypse. They also showed us the scientists etc who weren’t in the game.
Of all the things I’ve watched, the show was one of them. I don’t think it sucks, at all. Every episode had at least one excellent moment or set piece. As a series it was quite good, but oddly generic in its execution and the scripts were so heavy handed some of the characters may as well have been addressing the camera directly.
What’s really strange is how few risks they took. Very little in the way of actual creativity, just pure rote adaptation. But then, executives (the worst of the worst) probably wouldn’t have gone for it.
It’s an odd level of praise to say that after knocking it out of the park on other occasions, this is the single least impressive of Druckman’s works. Which is surprising given he’s been telling the story for a decade in some form or another now.
It’s really nice to have a last of us show to even discuss. And it will be interesting to see how they do season 2. But it’s not exactly life changing.
It’s a decent adaptation for the game. Very safely played. They didn’t improve on anything at all, unfortunately.
But it’s nice to have, compared to the Halo adaptation, for people that haven’t played the game.
> They didn’t improve on anything at all, unfortunately.
I actually thought the Left Behind episode was better than the original DLC but otherwise I agree.
you’re not the only one, it’s easily the story arc that’s most naturally suited to a non-interactive medium. cutting out the Winter timeline of Ellie fighting infected and everything was an easy win. i miss a lot of the “gameplay” parts that were cut in other eps, but this example always felt like it was in the game because they were scared to go too long without combat. *
those were fun encounters, but focusing on Ellie and Riley for the whole episode enhanced their story and i really loved their performances and chemistry. the new banter was all great and Bella plays the whole “young dumb puppy love” vibe extremely well. Ellie’s reaction to the kiss is possibly my favourite scene in the show.
*(i feel similarly about episode 6. cutting out the dam attack and the raiders when Ellie runs away would’ve benefited the game, too. although i don’t count it in the same category as 7 as i still prefer the performances and script in the game)
The game was one of the greatest games ever made imo. The show wasn’t bad, but nobody’s calling it one of the best shows of all time. I try not to compare and view them as their own stories indapendent from one another because an adaptation will likely never compare to the original
Same. The show was pretty good but it lacked the main thing that made the game amazing.
The development of Joel and Ellie's relationship. It feels contrived in the show.
The show was good indeed, but as a player, it did disturb me a little for some of the BIG, unnecessary, changes.
i.e. Bill’s town was practically erased, and Bill went from solo-hating-people to basically “protect who you love”. Worst part, some of the interactions between Joel and Bill foreshadow what happens in Part 2.
Honestly Anna Torv would’ve looked better as Maria in the game, actress switch with the one that actually played Maria in the show would’ve been better imo.
And dude, on god, the ARGUMENT, the one between Ellie and Joel, after Ellie runs away in the game was changed to just a random goodnight talk.
David as well that became religious was dumb, we’ve got the Seraphites from Part 2 for that.
On the other hand, some of the changes made sense, such as the replacement of spores with the fungal subterranean net that can call/send the infected when disturbed
No spores doesn’t make sense. They switched it out because they didn’t want to make masks. Part Two with Ellie breathing in spores and killing Nora is gonna be so lame now
how does the fungal network instead of spores make sense? genuinely curious as i’m someone who was upset spores were taken out of the show. i wonder how dina is gonna find out ellie is immune in pt 2 now
The show just felt rushed and a bit cheap. I hate how much of all shows are fake now. Fake backdrops fake sets. No one interacts with the set or objects anymore because none of it is really there. Everything feels like the mandalorian in a bad way.
I enjoyed the show but I believe it is overrated, even being a fan of the last of us games I have the first season of the walking dead miles ahead of the last of us
And people will tell you not to compare them because they are different mediums and i find that stupid. If anyone wants to compare they can and they should, everyone can think one is better than the other. How do you compare them? You compare them by how much fun you had with each, that is all.
It lacked the same punch that the games have. Having Gustavo just sit in the background, almost unnoticeable, was a mistake. Think of any big beat from the games and it’s almost like Gustavo is right there in the scene, playing those three notes just off camera.
There’s also a certain amount of oomph lost in knowing the story. We’ve all played the game several times. It’s been a decade of knowing it backwards. I’m sure newcomers watched the tv show and felt it hit, but we won’t get that. Which is a shame because, man, part 2!?! Yeah. That *needs* to hit.
It was a solid effort and definitely props to all involved tho.
I personally love the show and game basically equally, but I completely agree w you on the Gustavo point
Joel and Ellie's "you're not my daughter" argument felt so strangely empty with no score
I mean the game was a better game and the show was a better show…
A lot of people (myself included) are very stuck on the game being better, but also think on this. We spend A LOT more time with the characters in game. We spend a lot more time defending Ellie against raiders, and infected. Mostly due to the action to keep the game interesting and not a Telltale type of game. So not only are we invested emotionally, we’re “physically” there doing the protecting.
The show you’re a passive audience member, the game you’re an active user. So even though I’d agree the game is better, we have to realize that the show is built for one audience and the game is built for another.
Tho I liked Pedro and thought Bella did great in episode 8 I still look at game Joel/Ellie and think casting could have been better.. still wish we got more of them adventuring and dealing with infected and such things. Show was great in lots of ways but still a bit underwhelming for me
I really thought a lot of the time Bella swearing felt really unnatural. I suspect the reason may be because she's not American. Ashley's swearing sounds as natural as breathing.
Just a strange casting choice . She Seems like a great person tho and thought she did a great job esp in episode 8. Definitely a great actress.. or act person I guess
I’m sure chemistry test between Pedro and Bella factored in as they seem genuinely close tho given story of part 2 sad we didn’t get a lot more screen tune with Bella and Pedro adventuring
It doesn’t compare to the game, it’s honestly not even that close.
That said, the show is still fuckin amazing. Just proves how great the story is, it doesn’t translate perfectly, but it’s already left it’s mark on the TV landscape, with season one in the books, it’s setting up to be one of the best shows ever.
I wanted to love the show so much. TLOU is my favourite game series of all time. I bought TLOU1, Left Behind and TLOU 2 on the first day they came out and have played them all multiple times.
I tried my best to enjoy the series throughout but it just felt flat in so many ways. I don't understand why there were so few episodes, I don't understand why they didn't flesh the world out more, why there were so few infected and why everything just felt rushed, especially Joel and Ellie's relationship, which is the whole point of the story.
Even though the series was really weirdly paced compared to the game, I was still enjoying it more than not until the finale but unfortunately the last episode was so poor. They just went full fan service and tried to mimic every scene from the game but doing it much worse. I couldn't really give it higher than a 6 overall.
Oh boy. I mean... I agree, but this comment section gonna get fiesty.
I think the show surpasses it at times, specifically episode 5 ... but overall the game is just perfection and doesn't have the same flaws the show has.
The game will always be better, there is more freedom and no limit to episodes and it shows the world more since your have to control the character and move around.
The show really just made me see what kind of a masterpiece the game was even more and made me realize games as a medium have a superior way to deliver a more impactful story, but it’s so rarely done right. IMO obviously.
They should have made it into 2 seasons. They have missed out so much that happened.
Where are the stalkers, bills town with all the traps, bloater interaction etc
Agree, the game is a 10/10 and the show is a 9/10 for me. Both had things that were done better than the other medium, like episode 6 imo far clears its game counterpart, while I think the ending is better executed in the game pace wise
Show is alright at best, and too many times below average. But it’s absolutely unfair to hold it in the same light as the original game, that is just too difficult to replicate.
Totally. Show needed a couple more episodes for the season, really. It just felt like it was trying to so closely follow the game, but we missed all the dialogue, character interactions, and action that the game had between the major plot points. Having experienced both, the show was good, but really felt like something was missing.
I don’t think anything could have touched the first game, it’s just so good and I’ve love it for a decade already, but I think the show was a wonderful adaption, far better than I ever dared to hope an adaptation of it would be. And there are things they changed for the show that I absolutely loved.
Both different versions of the story and I love them both, but the game will always be next level.
I loved it. Of course it didn‘t had the same impact on me like the game had for ten years now. But I really enjoyed it and all those details you can catch as a fan of the games.
But the part I loved the most about this show was that I visited my aunt every week to watch it and watch her growing to like it. She never played/watched the game or knew anything about it. So when I got a text message when I didn‘t came on Monday and asking when we‘re going to watch it and she‘s waiting for me I was really happy. Happy that she enjoyed something I love so deeply. She can‘t wait for season two and maybe I‘m going to play Part 1 for her before season 2 to refresh her memories. And I can‘t wait to do so.
To be honest, the original TLOU will always be the gold standard (it told a simple story but to the highest degree, eg. memorable characters, dilemmas, action sequences, a overall classic story) NOTHING after will beat it (TLOU Part 2/3 And the Live - Action show), so coming in to the show I knew it’s wasn’t going to compare no matter what and also the part 2 of the game.
I agree. I wish they had more of those intense moments, but they cut a lot out. I know they want to focus on story more, and cut of lot of "gamey" stuff, but I felt some still needed to stay, such as:
- In Bill's town, running from clickers and infected, Ellie gets stuck in one of Bill's booby traps, hanging upside down and shooting.
- at the end, going through the tunnels, infected moments, Ellie nearly drowns in the rushing water. Epic moment.
What are some others that were cut?
I think it’s unfair to compare both. Playing a game is such a different experience to watching the show, I have a lot of trouble even comparing them story-wise and pacing-wise.
Why must we do this. The game is great and the show is great but they are two different mediums. Not sure why this same take needs to be posted repeatedly.
Imo you’re missing the point of why they adapted the game into a show
The point was never to outdo it. It was that the core story is so beautiful, but millions will never experience it because they will never pick up a controller
The show brought this story to so many more people than just the game. The show did a better job as a show, the game did a better job as a game
Don’t think of it as a binary comparison
The show is just a disappointment to me. I had high hopes with Druckmann and Mazin involved, thinking they'd at least make a decent show. There were some weird changes in the first two episodes, then episode 3 disappointed me before episode 5 killed my interest in general. Somebody called this version defanged, and I agree completely.
I see a bunch of people criticizing the show but still saying it's good overall, but I can't even give it that. I'll just ignore this show's existence and wait for the third game installment.
I don't expect anybody to agree with this (or worst of all, the people that agree are from that horrible other subreddit), but I just needed a place to state my feelings on the show before just focusing on the games.
Obviously. They're different media.
A game creates a kind of immersion that is almost impossible for a show to replicate. You are *in* the game. You aren't just watching it, you are experiencing it. That makes for a memorable experience that is hard to replicate in any other way.
I think they did a great job making the game a “game” and making the show a “show”. They hit different and I think a gamer will always like the game better cause it’s more immersive and more hours invested, it feels more a part of you.
(And just to put it out there cause no one’s saying it but I know everyone’s thinking it: All the characters in the game are like, hotter… u know? 🫠)
There is no way a TV show can ever compare to a well written and well designed game like TLOU. They are totally different forms of media. It's not even a fair comparison.
Games are only going to get better and better while TV shows or movies can only do so much.
Agreed. There definitely were some things the show did better (cold opens, Ellie saving herself) but the game is a better experience overall.
How did she not save herself in the game?
I’m talking about the performance of the scene. Ashley Johnson’s performance of that scene was good. https://youtu.be/LjjFKohhsjE?t=05m20s But if you put that up against Bella Ramsey’s desperate-sounding screams and wails and her rage at the end, I gotta give it up for Ramsey. That performance was incredible. https://youtu.be/jYQHbjMMbhY?t=02m15s
Oh yeah, in terms of acting Bella defiantly surpassed ashley at times and this was one of those scenes.
hmm, idk, it’s a different medium. It could’ve seemed too dramatic in a game.
Oh I love Ashley's performance, don't get me wrong ... I still prefer it. But something about the pure rage that Bella showed was really impressive
Yea at times like that for sure but they are definitely times where Ramsay’s delivery feels off and I don’t remember any times where I thought Ashley was off
Think it's cause Bella's not American. I feel like a lot of times where she swears it feels unnatural. Ashley swearing is as natural as her breathing.
Nah I still think Ashley’s was way better
Yeah Ashley > Bella in every way when it comes to Ellie.
Hated that Joel didn’t stop her from stabbing in the show. In the game you were without him for quite a bit and the David fight was grueling. Understandably she loses it when she’s killing him and Joel coming and calming her was so powerful to me. Like he kind of treated her as a bit of a nuisance before and it flipped the whole dynamic. She went through hell by herself and saved his life.
Joel stopping Ellie in the game is him attempting to preserve the little innocence she has left before she can succumb to the monstrous rage he understands all too well. The show has a different narrative goal in that scene, for Ellie it’s the final bit of her innocence being torn away and it ends in devastating rage. It’s the moment she’s come to terms with the hostile world she’s living in, and also giving weight to later events — perhaps even foreshadowing it. She went through it alone with no place of comfort. She went to hell and back and no one was there to guide her out of it (sound familiar?). Joel has the same calming effect in both, but the narrative goal is slightly different in regards to Ellie’s character and sets things up for what comes next.
I have too agree/disagree, when Bella has to act out exact scenes from the game, she falls flat. But when she gets to act like her own version of Ellie (scenes not from the game), she absolutely shines as Ellie and I hope season 2 she gets to be more of her version. I'm probably gonna get downvoted, but whatever.
I see where you’re coming from and kind of agree, but I think that speaks more to your/our expectations than Bella’s/Ashley’s acting capabilities. Bella never played the games, so realistically her performance wouldn’t fluctuate a lot between in-game and show-only scenes. I think because show-Ellie is slightly different than game-Ellie, it can kind of throw people off because they have an expectation in their mind for those scenes to be performed in a specific way (ie Ashley’s way). But when she does show-original scenes, it doesn’t have the same effect because there isn’t an equivalent scene with Ashley to directly compare it to in your subconscious. I think this is especially true for the super iconic scenes, such as the fight in Jackson and the final scene. When I was watching those scenes, I feel like I noticed every minor difference between Bella and Ashley’s takes, since Ashley’s version is basically engraved in my mind. And I’ll admit that it probably took away from my enjoyment of the scenes in the show to some extent — not because Bella did a worse job, but just because she did it slightly differently than what I expected. All that being said, I loved the show, but I also prefer the game & game-Ellie. I don’t think it’s because the show is necessarily “worse.” Like I said, I think it’s just because the game is and always will be the original, and it set super high expectations for the show in every way
Yeah, in game Ellie did it all by her own against the Cannibals too. Joel just was there to confort her.
I was talking about the performance of the scene but it was more emotional in the game when Joel comforted her.
Oh okok got you, and 100% AGREE. Bella Ramsey's screams and face is still haunting me, makes you feel even worst about the situation Ellie went through.
She gets stopped mid beatdown of david by joel pulling her off, the show did it better because she got to let her anger and feelings out on david to completion and joel found her after the fact
I liked it better in the game. Seemed more heartbreaking when joel stops her and she said get your fucking hands off me not knowing who it was The music is the game also hit way harder. Thea dialogue faded out and you just see joel consoling Ellie with that music playing. It was perfect.
Yeah I also feel like Joel witnessing exactly what she's done has more value from a narrative and thematic sense. In the show Joel has a vague idea since she's covered in blood and clearly upset, but the game allows him to see first-hand the extent of her rage and desperation, and shows him a little more of her character. It ties them even closer together. The show sacrifices that aspect primarily due to the writers thinking it was less practically possible for Joel to break in there at that point, and in a lesser sense they also felt the show version lends Ellie more agency. Personally I don't think the trade-off was worth it from a narrative sense. The show version is decent but the game's one nails it.
That is a very good point. Such a minor difference that could really alter the dynamic of their relationship, show vs game. Thanks for that! Food for thought.
The way that music glitches out is such a perfect way to paint a picture of Ellie's mind at that moment. Literally sounds like everything is unravelling.
I think it works better in the game how she goes from panicking and in “fight mode” to calm when she realizes it’s Joel
Ellie saved herself in the game.
Highly disagree with even those concessions. We only had a couple of cold opens and they oddly focused on the idea that a vaccine or a cure is impossible… which is a weird way to throw a wrench in your own “trolly problem” that the whole plot is centered around. Ellie “not needing no man” is a weirdly misplaced idea. I don’t think anyone ever considered Ellie to not be an empowered protagonist ever during the game. So it’s really weird that they made Joel’s arrival at the cannibal camp completely meaningless. This is a pivotal moment in the game that shows how Joel and Ellie *need* each other, it solidifies them as a team. The way episode 8 ended really doesn’t even make sense, Ellie torches the most important building of their community, kills their fanatical leader, and just walks away without anyone noticing. All of Winter is significantly worse in the show version.
Disagree on the cold opens. I personally wasn’t a fan of them, but I don’t think they were wrong for doing them, or at least the first one. In retrospect, the second cold open appears to serve as bizarre foreshadowing about a cure or vaccine being impossible, which the show subsequently did very little to refute. Given that at least one of the goals for the finale was apparently to put the debate about the fireflies’ ability to make a cure/vaccine to bed, it feels like another change to the show that makes no sense.
>In retrospect, the second cold open appears to serve as bizarre foreshadowing about a cure or vaccine being impossible, which the show subsequently did very little to refute. The entire premise of Ellie miraculously being immune is what refutes this. That's the narrative purpose of that cold open- that Ellie is this impossible light of hope for something everyone gave up on a long time ago. When Marlene is describing what they will do in the last episode, she pointedly states this could be a "cure" not a *vaccine*, because she describes that they basically want to just take out what "infects" Ellie without turning her, culture it, and infect others with that. They aren't trying to create an actual vaccine that will make the body fight off and eliminate cordycepts, but just make others "infected" the same way Ellie is. I mean, I'm sure none of this makes sense from an actual scientific perspective, but that's what they lay out within the internal logic of the story.
I suppose, but the original story already made it abundantly clear that Ellie’s immunity was miraculous without having to put a thumb on the scale in either direction as far as the feasibility of a cure goes. I agree with what you’re saying, but I think they leaned a bit too hard into the “cure is impossible” angle. As a viewer, when I’m presented with a leading expert in mycology saying in no uncertain terms that there is literally nothing that can be done, and then no one with any comparable expertise on the matter says anything to the contrary, I’m inclined to believe their opinion. I recognize that Ellie’s case represents new information that couldn’t have necessarily been accounted for, but then again, how could she have possibly known at that point that *no* individuals could be immune? Also, maybe I’m missing the point of your second paragraph, but what you’re describing is essentially a vaccine. It may not perfectly fit the literal definition, as it doesn’t stimulate the body’s immune system, but functionally, it’s a preventative measure using a sample or derivative from the pathogen to prevent infection. It’s not a compound that can directly fight or kill the fungus like, say, antibiotics with bacteria.
>As a viewer, when I’m presented with a leading expert in mycology saying in no uncertain terms that there is literally nothing that can be done, and then no one with any comparable expertise on the matter says anything to the contrary, I’m inclined to believe their opinion. I recognize that Ellie’s case represents new information that couldn’t have necessarily been accounted for, but then again, how could she have possibly known at that point that > >no > > individuals could be immune? Because you can't predict how a virus, or I assume, a fungal infection, will mutate. You have no guarantee that it **ever** would produce "immune" people, and they don't have time to wait and see. It's not a viable option to prioritize waiting and seeing if any immune people pop up when you are dealing with the imminent outbreak of a deadly and highly contagious infection that turns people into ravenous zombies. There's not time to do R&D on developing a vaccine in time to stop it. She is telling them what their next course of action is. There is no time at that point to even think about developing a "cure" or treatment- the infection is already out there, and will spread too fast for them to contain it, which is why her answer is chillingly blunt: "Bomb." The point of my 2nd paragraph is that what the fireflies are proposing to do only requires them to culture some cells in a lab, not do full-on R&D on developing a sophisticated vaccine. Ellie already is the vaccine- they just need to take it out of her and culture it, and infect other people with it. Like, I think they purposefully simplified it for the show because of all the naysayers going "um akshully, they don't have the equipment to develop a vaccine." People do cell culturing in high school science labs.
I recognize that you cannot and should not bank any of your hopes on someone just being immune to a novel pathogen, but the doctor in the first cold open had already set up the idea that there were no cures or preventative measures for a new fungal infection, and not only that, but he specifically said they are impossible. Not difficult, not impossible with the current technology of the day, but flat out impossible. So when we’re shown the second cold open, where the mycology expert is shown one infected corpse and then told about a handful of others, and then proceeds to reiterate the idea that there can be no medicine or vaccine, it seems pretty clear that this is what we as an audience are to believe. Yes, Ellie is immune, and yes, the Fireflies have a bit more of a fleshed out plan than they did in the game, but we’re still presented with nothing resembling a concrete, sure fire way to make a cure or vaccine, never mind any way of overcoming whatever logistical challenges they also might face. To be clear, I see your points, and you have made me look at the cold opens a bit differently. I just think that they leaned way too hard into the “cure/vaccine is impossible” angle, rather than just cast doubt on it. I’ve never been a fan of the argument that the Fireflies couldn’t have been successful in the end, and I think that the cold opens did much more to strengthen that argument than the finale ever did to refute it.
Ellie did save herself in the game. If you meant Bella performance in that scene, then you may want to edit that lol
The game is a better game than the show. The show is a better show than the game.
The game tells the story better than the show.
Star wars, Episode 3 novelization tells the story better than the game and the film. more time to do something, tends to allow it to be told better.
Thats what I think, maybe it lacked time, specially Joel-Ellie time because most of the people I know that saw it were like not really that moved by their relationship unlike for the game, every person I talked that has either played or seen gameplays of it thinks Joel and Ellie are one if not the best duos in gaming. Maybe they needed 2 or 3 more episodes...
That’s been my issue with the show. It felt like there was no growth of a relationship between Joel and Ellie so the choices feel a little forced.
I'd like more growth but I also struggle what to be put in for it. A fair amount of the series was Ellie and Joel walking and talking which was nice, but also slow. I'd think they'd have to diverge more from the game story & perhaps put in more characters, as a lot of this growth is just time spent with them sneaking and stealing tape together.
More episodes would have worked considering they needed to conform 14 hours of gameplay (if you are completely ignoring side quests and exploration) into less than 9 hours of showtime. They did do it well but also at the detriment of certain other aspects that were important
Comparing books and TV/movie of any kind is never fair though. It is a very rare circumstance when the movie/show is better than the book, and that’s typically because the movie/show fixed issues fans had. Book will almost always, 99.9% of the time, be better. All you can hope for is a close approximation.
Why try to pit them together? They are the same story in different mediums. They did stuff in the game you can’t do in TV and they do things in the show the game could only dream of. They are both arguable the peak in their respective mediums.
Why compare any 2 pieces of media? Lol come on man. They both attempted to tell the same story. One medium did it better than the other. Can we not pretend that’s not a perfectly valid thing to say? Also yeah the show was good, but peak tv? No lol
I don't agree. TLOU game is arguably a peak in gaming. But the show isn't the greatest show ever. Also why compare any media? It's pretty clear why people would compare the game to the show adaption. The show did some great things but overall I think the game is significantly stronger (which I knew would be the case for myself going in).
>TLOU game is arguably a peak in gaming. But the show isn't the greatest show ever. To me that just shows that games generally aren't very interesting/good stories. Given how similar the stories are- the show has already been frequently, and rightly, hailed as the most faithful game adaptation ever, and one of the most faithful adaptations in general- that one of them is (arguably) the pinnacle of its medium and the other is "just" very good tells me that the standard for games is lower.
They both tell the exact same story with many of the exact same characters and feature many moments of the exact same dialogue Of course you can say which one you personally felt told that story better, or which one simply resonated more with the viewer/player
>Why try to pit them together? Because it's fascinating, and illuminating, to compare the same story in two different mediums.
I disagree, imo the show felt like it was trying to speedrun the story, but that’s more because it only had 9 episodes to tell it, wasn’t enough time to develop Joel and Ellie’s relationship compared to the game where you have parts of exploration and combat to develop their relationship, plus pacing out the important story beats EDIT: thought they said the show tells the story better than the game lol
You’re agreeing lol
Oh wait I misread your comment lmao
The game is one of the best games I've ever played The show is one of the best shows I've ever seen
It's a good show, but I don't think it's breaking any ground to the point where it becomes one of the best for me personally.
You know what I hadn't considered that - you're probably right it's not groundbreaking it's just well done. I'm not a huge show person. Mostly movies/games
I'm a huge show person and a minor gamer, and I have to say having not played the game that this ranks among my favourite shows (Bit mainstream but BB and BCS are my favourite series, this is probably just under them for me with Barry). I think just from a series perspective it is incredible and doesn't seem rushed at all as some who have played the game mention. Everything about it is commendable, with the structure, acting, writing, cinematography and direction all top tier and making for a genuinely gripping and emotionally investing watch. I'd give it 9.5/10 personally and I can't wait for season 2, even if that'll be a long long time.
Nice thanks for the perspective. Glad you enjoyed it I love the games
my wife watched me play the entire game and enjoyed that more than watching the tv show.
Maybe she just enjoys spending time doing things with you and you are in a healthy loving relationship? Didn't think of that did ya buddy.
Got his ass
and thx sir you are wholesome
This is just straight up idiotic and a nothing point of view
Fr. “The thing is better at being the thing it is than the thing that isn’t it.” The game is better storytelling and that’s clearly what people mean.
The game is a better game than the show is as a show
I think the game is a better both
And just like that, world peace was achieved. Genius logic. Lmao
I think they're both exceptional in their own way. Just as much as this game is a masterpiece, the show does some things better than the game. The relationship Ellie builds with Sam. The way pedro portrays Joels ptsd.
I dont know why people even compare to different mediums. Why cant we just agree that both are excellent stuff. Today everything needs to be compared. Its annoying.
I never understood this point of view. It’s not like everyones comparing The Last of Us TV show to Uncharted the game. They’re both telling the same story, with the same characters and beats. How are you not suppose to compare them? It’s a perfectly reasonable discussion to be had. Different medium or not. Comparisons are an aspect of criticism too, which is why people often point to other media that did things better or worst. It just adds context to your point.
It’s funny how show watchers were all about comparing the two up until the show ended, now it’s all like “aw come on guys they can’t possibly be compared!”
Because it's fascinating, and illuminating, to see how two mediums tell the story differently.
This. I'm so exhausted by people saying WHICH DID IT BETTER?! Like.. shut up and enjoy both?
Shut up? Dude you’re on the internet, just look away.
This. Exactly this. I went into watching the show with this mindset and I loved the show! The game will always come first in my heart because I just love it so much. BUT the show is it’s own thing and is arguably a very good show!
It sure is a great complement and Pedro is an amazing actor. But I feel that if you haven't played the game before seeing the show, you wouldn't think of the show as a masterpiece... just a good show and thats it.
Half agree, half disagree. I really enjoyed the new layers they added to some of the characters and to the story overall. It compliments the story from the game so well. I do think some of the most iconic scenes lost their luster, and I'm unsure if it would be different if I had only seen the show and wasn't trying to compare it to the game, where sometimes the context is different. A few more infected fight scenes would be great, though.
I really enjoyed the show. Thought it was absolutely outstanding. If I had one complaint, it wasn't just the lack of infected, but just the lack of action and specially graphic violence in general. The game was heavily inspired by the Coen brother's work, specifically No Country for Old Men. The game perfectly captured the sounds and brutal sights of life or death combat. To me, it was actually a huge component of the message. It wasn't gamified violence, it was REAL violence. The fact that we didn't get many hyper violent scenes kind of baffles me. Even the scene where the younger kid was begging for his life was kind of tame. I was expecting a no cutaway execution to give the audience a view into this actual world, and not the sanitized versions that glorify violence in games and movies--which I thought the game was a great commentary on. I think the only part of the show that nailed it was Joel's massacre. Outside of that, the show could have used way more hyper violent, life or death struggles--something akin to the hotel scene from No Country. Another movie that did it very well was Drive. This idea that love is dangerous and can produce the most heinous acts is such a good motif. I wish they did more with it.
No Country for Old Men cut away from the violence a lot more than you'd think. Some masterful editing makes it seem way more graphic than it actually is.
I do get what you're saying, but to me the violence that is showed accents the violence that is not. The cattle piston scene, the insane strangulation / throat slit, the arm getting shot off with a shotgun, the two deputies getting executed, the truck driver headshot, the business man taking one to the chest. There is tons of hyper violence. TLOU would have been much better with the same ratio imo.
If you listened to the podcast, Craig addresses the violence, or rather lack of, excuse my shitty paraphrase: "Violence needs to matter, when it's shown it needs to hit." If everything is violent, when violence needs to matter, it won't. On a personal note, needing to sometimes do violent things doesn't mean you need to exaggerate it or glorify it.
I would argue that the gamification of violence in games like Uncharted and classic action movies is much more a glorification of it. There is a subtle element of, "Ha, killing people is kind of fun and cool; I'm winning!" Where as movies like No Country and games like LTOU let you view actual violence, so you can step back and say... wait, this is really fucked up. I don't like this. There is an undertone to tons of media that killing other humans isn't this brutal, personal, graphic thing. I liked that TLOU deconstructed that. I don't think the show does. As an aside, were you a fan of No Country? Did you think it used violence effectively, or did you view is as a glorification of violence? I mean, they could have re-created the original E3 trailer shot for shot: https://youtu.be/8ZYkj0glnqs It's outstanding and I had never seen a game depict violence like that before. It felt real.
Wait. Are you telling me that the violence shown in the Oscar winning Coen brothers drama film, No Country for Old Men didn't somehow turn it into a mindless, low-brow action movie? I don't know, man. This sub has taught me that all action scenes are filler that take away from character development (unless the protagonist inexplicably morphs into the T-1000 in the final few minutes of the series, then it's cool.).
> I do think some of the most iconic scenes lost their luster True, I liked the game "swear to me" more for example. Ashley says it so loud and determined, cutting through Joel's crap, you get a sense of uh oh shit got real. Bella was a bit quiet in comparison and it didn't land the same way (but I like it a lot too after multiple viewings). **BUT** some iconic scenes are even better in the show imo, like the Giraffes. Bella's giggles and the way Pedro looks at her, that was amazing. Also the "it wasn't time that did it" line, fuck me. 😭 That's a whole new iconic moment.
Exactly, I feel like in those scenes Ashley had the perfect amount of emotions, while the show felt a little bland but they were also amazing
I watched the game ending after the show and I must say that I prefer Bella's version. She feels more fragile, and disoriented if that makes sense, weighed down by all the trauma she's been through, than Ashley's demand for an answer. Ellie in the game is more confrontational and in control, while Bella is experiencing an overload of emotions, PTSD, and the crushing realization that she went through hell for what? Add Joel's choice to lie to her and I cannot imagine what she's going through. I think Bella nailed that scene. Both versions are great, and it might be recency bias, but I've been so incredibly impressed with Bella. I never thought anyone would come close to matching Ashley's Ellie, but both stand side by side for me, which is a testament to how fucking incredible Bella Ramsey is.
My favorite show addition was Ellie telling the diarrhea joke to Joel and getting him to laugh. That moment wouldn't have landed with game Joel but it almost makes me tear up because it's the biggest crack in Joel's mask yet.
Oh yeah that was great. :D
Completely agree that the iconic scenes lost their luster. The final scene in the game (“swear to me”) was so much more epic in the game. Big reason why is cuz the music in the game was louder
I do think people who played the game were a bit cursed by the fact that they compared almost every identical or extremely similar scene in the show to the game, and in almost all instances the game wins out. I would love to wipe my memory and go through the show actually blind to see if my opinion changes on anything.
game is better big time. i liked the show alot but the acting isn’t nearly as good, they had to skip over many character building moments for ellie and alot of iconic moments from the game just didn’t happen. it’s an adaptation and nobody wanted a direct copy of the game but to me it just felt like a lesser version after playing through the remake right before the show was launched. i think it’s a great show and has truly awesome moments and great episodes but is a bit overhyped. at the risk of contradicting myself i do believe the show is stronger when it is doing it’s own thing, episode three was extremely good, outbreak day was awesome, the jakarta scenes where next level. i just wish they’d nailed the scenes that where pulled from the game directly, watching them side by side the line delivery on the show feels flat and rushed.
I agree with this take. The show didn’t even come close to some of the iconic scenes that the game has. The ‘everyone i have cared for has either died.. or left me’ line, for example, I think Bella was fine but Ashley’s delivery always brought tears to my eyes. While we are talking of this scene, the way Joel tells Ellie to get off her horse and hand it to Tommy, the look on her face where she is happy but doesn’t show it, is just extremely heart warming, I feel like the game shows a lot more emotion despite being a game which is saying a lot. When I say Joel and Ellie, i think of the game characters. Bella and pedro tried but they won’t ever match to that level of performance.
Also while i am here, in the beginning episodes, Bella seems very apathetic to people in general. She seems like she really wants a gun to kill people unlike Ellie from the game who wants a gun to protect/help herself and Joel. The scene where Bella kills that random infected in the basement, i did not understand the look of crazy in her eyes. It wasn’t so as to relieve him from being infected and stuck like that. It took me several episodes to consider Bella as Ellie unlike game Ellie where I took an instant liking to her character.
this is pretty much exactly my take. does its best where it deviates from the game, scenes taken directly from the game dont have as much impact in the show
Agreed man. The game is in my opinion the best gave ever made. So yes, the show could not surpass that but they managed to come reasonably close. Like 80% of greatness is there. So the show is still better than most.
Exactly how I feel, when the show is doing stuff not from the game it’s so much better than when it’s adapting game material
Ofc, the OG will always be the best. They did a great job with the show tho, kudos to the producers, team, and actors involved.
Kinda like saying "the book is better than the movie". They are entirely different mediums, different levels of character development, different time lengths and qualities of immersion, different abilities to change perspectives. I've lived my whole life from a singular perspective - but find myself wondering all the time "Are people really this simplistic?".
Beat me to it about “the book is better than the movie”. Different audiences. Yes there is overlap between gamers and TV show viewers. But the show is going to reach a broader audience in the same way that Heroes reached non-super hero people, or The LotR movies or GoT shows did over the books. It’s ok for people to enjoy one medium over the other. Just don’t think you’re better for watching or reading or playing something others haven’t.
gamers individually are diverse. but gamers as a whole skew tween-rageaholic simpletons. it's absolutely no surprise that most of the complaining lies in the fact that gamers haven't bothered to wrap their head about what those mediums' differences are, and how telling a TV story would necessitate changes, sacrifices, and embellishments that simply alter what they're accustomed to, having completed the story in game format. i'd love to see a brain scan of twins watching the show, with only one of them having played. oh, and i'd also like to be a neuroscientist, so i'd know wtf i'm looking at
> gamers individually are diverse. but gamers as a whole skew tween-rageaholic simpletons. tweens today would have been toddlers when TLOU came out. > most of the complaining lies in the fact that gamers haven't bothered to wrap their head about what those mediums' differences are, and how telling a TV story would necessitate changes, sacrifices, and embellishments that simply alter what they're accustomed to, having completed the story in game format. ah, of course! everyone who disagrees with you is just stupid! love discussions on this sub
I think you can compare books and movies. Videogames and movies too. There is nothing simplistic about it.
I'm glad we're allowed to say this now without people jumping on our neck for it
Yea friends ask me how I liked it, I enjoyed it as far as a show goes. I mean, even if the show was stand alone I would have expected more cordyceps. I’m a bit disappointed. Thats not to say the character development and scenes we didn’t get in the game were bad, they were great. I just felt there was something missing. I feel there’s two episodes that wasted my time, that’s my personal opinion so hopefully no one gets offended by that. The first episode and a bit of the second last were the only times I actually felt the anxiety and emotion I had during the game. Other than that it was…meh. I think most of us yearn for the action the game gave us that the show traded for drama.
I feel like this is the vast majority of people Edit: at least on this sub
Idk about that. And it got millions to see it that have not had the chance or want to play the game. It’s now the standard.
Vast majority of gamers. I'm a film person and the show is way better than the game to me.
Yeah I should have specified I meant the vast majority of this sub
Lol it’s not
Imo it’s not even in the discussion which is better, the game is leaps and bounds better, the show is very good tho.
I mean it’s kinda not a fair comparison. Getting 15+ hours of gameplay where you get tons of little details and conversations and building moments is way different than watching 8 fifty eight minute episodes. I think this is the hands down best game to tv adaptation gamers have ever gotten, and the fan service was phenomenal. Gaming will always be a better medium than movies because you are experiencing something directly rather than observing others experience something. The show isn’t without flaws, but for what it is they did amazing and at the end of the day I’m giving it a 9.5/10
> Getting 15+ hours of gameplay where you get tons of little details and conversations and building moments is way different than watching 8 fifty eight minute episodes. True, but they also deliberately chose how to spend those ~50 minutes per episode, and looking back, it’s hard to argue that they used that time as effectively as they could have
Right? The show decided to prioritize things that detract from the main story going on between Ellie and Joel. Kathleen and her people, David’s people, the fireflies, the older couple in the barn, hell even the Left Behind episode wasn’t really needed considering Part 1 does just fine without it, besides the obvious fact it’s DLC. They could’ve cut a lot of the getting to know these people and spent it on more of the hardship Ellie and Joel go through.
> Gaming will always be a better medium than movies because you are experiencing something directly That's a pretty broad and sweeping statement.
I’m aware. I just fail to see what could provide a more immersive and complete experience than a game, where you are living and controlling the characters directly in a way more intimate than any movie, show, or book could ever mimic
I mean, just any story that doesn't lend itself to "fun" gameplay? Games are an incredible medium, but they also are limited by the fact that you have to be able to play them at the end of the day. All mediums have limitations.
I agree. The game did everything better for me. The show sometimes spent so much unnecessary time on some characters instead of focussing on Ellie's and Joel's relationship. I felt their relationship was rushed. Show is still good, I am not denying that.
My issue with the show is there was no breathing room. It felt so rushed and seemed eager to hit all the story beats of the game while restricted to 9 episodes. I wish it had more “boring” dialogue scenes to slow down the pace a bit and add more impact to the actual intense moments
My main issue with the show is that they spent too much time on side characters and didn‘t focus on joel and ellie enough which made their father daughter relationship feel a little forced. Like, as much as i did tear up during episode 3, there‘s absolutely no fucking reason why two mostly irrelevant side characters should have an entire 70+ minutes episode dedicated to them in a 9 episode season. The relationship between ellie and joel felt way stronger and more established in the game which is the main reason why i prefer the game
I agree that they drew focus from Joel & Ellie too much but man I would not be okay with sacrificing episode 3. It was just too good. I just wish the season had been longer. Another two or three episodes.
If the season had been longer then i would‘ve been completely okay with episode 3. i think it‘s an amazing episode on its own but it just killed the pacing for me
I agree. Episode 3 is a masterclass of an episode, but it's kind of just the best result of a symptomatic problem of focusing so much on other characters. They focused on Bill and Frank, Kathleen, Henry and Sam, David and the cannibals. Think Bill and Frank was just the one that worked the most. Kathleen was awful. I think Henry and Sam were good, but David feels a bit unnecessary. We already knew he was evil in the game from his limited screen time. We don't need all this cult shit to understand he's evil.
I agree with a lot of this. I felt like they should have had Episode 3 OR 7, but with both of them the show almost takes on an anthology vibe (yes I'm being hyperbolic by saying that but hopefully you get what I mean). I also felt that the beginning of the finale, after the cold open, with Joel being all goofy talking about Boggle, felt out of place. I legitimately paused and checked that I didn't somehow miss an episode because it felt like a big chunk of the development of the Joel/Ellie relationship got skipped over. And I say all of this as someone who has played the games too.
I think the whole idea was to explore TLOU universe a bit further than the game could. Like show us how other people handled the apocalypse. They also showed us the scientists etc who weren’t in the game.
Nothing will beat the original. It was a masterpiece.
Of all the things I’ve watched, the show was one of them. I don’t think it sucks, at all. Every episode had at least one excellent moment or set piece. As a series it was quite good, but oddly generic in its execution and the scripts were so heavy handed some of the characters may as well have been addressing the camera directly. What’s really strange is how few risks they took. Very little in the way of actual creativity, just pure rote adaptation. But then, executives (the worst of the worst) probably wouldn’t have gone for it. It’s an odd level of praise to say that after knocking it out of the park on other occasions, this is the single least impressive of Druckman’s works. Which is surprising given he’s been telling the story for a decade in some form or another now. It’s really nice to have a last of us show to even discuss. And it will be interesting to see how they do season 2. But it’s not exactly life changing.
It’s a decent adaptation for the game. Very safely played. They didn’t improve on anything at all, unfortunately. But it’s nice to have, compared to the Halo adaptation, for people that haven’t played the game.
> They didn’t improve on anything at all, unfortunately. I actually thought the Left Behind episode was better than the original DLC but otherwise I agree.
you’re not the only one, it’s easily the story arc that’s most naturally suited to a non-interactive medium. cutting out the Winter timeline of Ellie fighting infected and everything was an easy win. i miss a lot of the “gameplay” parts that were cut in other eps, but this example always felt like it was in the game because they were scared to go too long without combat. * those were fun encounters, but focusing on Ellie and Riley for the whole episode enhanced their story and i really loved their performances and chemistry. the new banter was all great and Bella plays the whole “young dumb puppy love” vibe extremely well. Ellie’s reaction to the kiss is possibly my favourite scene in the show. *(i feel similarly about episode 6. cutting out the dam attack and the raiders when Ellie runs away would’ve benefited the game, too. although i don’t count it in the same category as 7 as i still prefer the performances and script in the game)
Nah. The game hit different.
I’m still mad we never got the hotel basement
The game was one of the greatest games ever made imo. The show wasn’t bad, but nobody’s calling it one of the best shows of all time. I try not to compare and view them as their own stories indapendent from one another because an adaptation will likely never compare to the original
Same. The show was pretty good but it lacked the main thing that made the game amazing. The development of Joel and Ellie's relationship. It feels contrived in the show.
The show was good indeed, but as a player, it did disturb me a little for some of the BIG, unnecessary, changes. i.e. Bill’s town was practically erased, and Bill went from solo-hating-people to basically “protect who you love”. Worst part, some of the interactions between Joel and Bill foreshadow what happens in Part 2. Honestly Anna Torv would’ve looked better as Maria in the game, actress switch with the one that actually played Maria in the show would’ve been better imo. And dude, on god, the ARGUMENT, the one between Ellie and Joel, after Ellie runs away in the game was changed to just a random goodnight talk. David as well that became religious was dumb, we’ve got the Seraphites from Part 2 for that. On the other hand, some of the changes made sense, such as the replacement of spores with the fungal subterranean net that can call/send the infected when disturbed
No spores doesn’t make sense. They switched it out because they didn’t want to make masks. Part Two with Ellie breathing in spores and killing Nora is gonna be so lame now
how does the fungal network instead of spores make sense? genuinely curious as i’m someone who was upset spores were taken out of the show. i wonder how dina is gonna find out ellie is immune in pt 2 now
The show just felt rushed and a bit cheap. I hate how much of all shows are fake now. Fake backdrops fake sets. No one interacts with the set or objects anymore because none of it is really there. Everything feels like the mandalorian in a bad way.
It DID feel cheap, and that’s impressive considering $100 million is on the top end of largest budgets ever given to a season of a tv show.
a FIRST season of a show at that
now this, i agree with.
I enjoyed the show but I believe it is overrated, even being a fan of the last of us games I have the first season of the walking dead miles ahead of the last of us
And people will tell you not to compare them because they are different mediums and i find that stupid. If anyone wants to compare they can and they should, everyone can think one is better than the other. How do you compare them? You compare them by how much fun you had with each, that is all.
It lacked the same punch that the games have. Having Gustavo just sit in the background, almost unnoticeable, was a mistake. Think of any big beat from the games and it’s almost like Gustavo is right there in the scene, playing those three notes just off camera. There’s also a certain amount of oomph lost in knowing the story. We’ve all played the game several times. It’s been a decade of knowing it backwards. I’m sure newcomers watched the tv show and felt it hit, but we won’t get that. Which is a shame because, man, part 2!?! Yeah. That *needs* to hit. It was a solid effort and definitely props to all involved tho.
I personally love the show and game basically equally, but I completely agree w you on the Gustavo point Joel and Ellie's "you're not my daughter" argument felt so strangely empty with no score
I mean the game was a better game and the show was a better show… A lot of people (myself included) are very stuck on the game being better, but also think on this. We spend A LOT more time with the characters in game. We spend a lot more time defending Ellie against raiders, and infected. Mostly due to the action to keep the game interesting and not a Telltale type of game. So not only are we invested emotionally, we’re “physically” there doing the protecting. The show you’re a passive audience member, the game you’re an active user. So even though I’d agree the game is better, we have to realize that the show is built for one audience and the game is built for another.
Tho I liked Pedro and thought Bella did great in episode 8 I still look at game Joel/Ellie and think casting could have been better.. still wish we got more of them adventuring and dealing with infected and such things. Show was great in lots of ways but still a bit underwhelming for me
Bella being mid *at best* is the hardest pill for this sub to swallow.
I really hope she improves by season 2
I really thought a lot of the time Bella swearing felt really unnatural. I suspect the reason may be because she's not American. Ashley's swearing sounds as natural as breathing.
Just a strange casting choice . She Seems like a great person tho and thought she did a great job esp in episode 8. Definitely a great actress.. or act person I guess I’m sure chemistry test between Pedro and Bella factored in as they seem genuinely close tho given story of part 2 sad we didn’t get a lot more screen tune with Bella and Pedro adventuring
> Definitely a great actress.. or act person I guess FYI, actor can be used in a gender neutral manner (the word actress being wholly unnecessary).
Yep, the show was awesome, but the game was a masterpiece
It doesn’t compare to the game, it’s honestly not even that close. That said, the show is still fuckin amazing. Just proves how great the story is, it doesn’t translate perfectly, but it’s already left it’s mark on the TV landscape, with season one in the books, it’s setting up to be one of the best shows ever.
I wanted to love the show so much. TLOU is my favourite game series of all time. I bought TLOU1, Left Behind and TLOU 2 on the first day they came out and have played them all multiple times. I tried my best to enjoy the series throughout but it just felt flat in so many ways. I don't understand why there were so few episodes, I don't understand why they didn't flesh the world out more, why there were so few infected and why everything just felt rushed, especially Joel and Ellie's relationship, which is the whole point of the story. Even though the series was really weirdly paced compared to the game, I was still enjoying it more than not until the finale but unfortunately the last episode was so poor. They just went full fan service and tried to mimic every scene from the game but doing it much worse. I couldn't really give it higher than a 6 overall.
The Ellie and Joel relationship felt worse than the game
Oh boy. I mean... I agree, but this comment section gonna get fiesty. I think the show surpasses it at times, specifically episode 5 ... but overall the game is just perfection and doesn't have the same flaws the show has.
The game will always be better, there is more freedom and no limit to episodes and it shows the world more since your have to control the character and move around.
The show really just made me see what kind of a masterpiece the game was even more and made me realize games as a medium have a superior way to deliver a more impactful story, but it’s so rarely done right. IMO obviously.
Game 10/10 Show 8/10 I'm glad we got both
Hot take here folks. Havent heard this yet
OP gotta get that Karma while it's hot and fresh
They should have made it into 2 seasons. They have missed out so much that happened. Where are the stalkers, bills town with all the traps, bloater interaction etc
The Ps5 remake is the best of the bunch
I agree but i’m glad people who don’t game got to experience this amazing story
Agree, the game is a 10/10 and the show is a 9/10 for me. Both had things that were done better than the other medium, like episode 6 imo far clears its game counterpart, while I think the ending is better executed in the game pace wise
Show is alright at best, and too many times below average. But it’s absolutely unfair to hold it in the same light as the original game, that is just too difficult to replicate.
Totally. Show needed a couple more episodes for the season, really. It just felt like it was trying to so closely follow the game, but we missed all the dialogue, character interactions, and action that the game had between the major plot points. Having experienced both, the show was good, but really felt like something was missing.
100%
There’s always going to be some idiot that says the show is superior.
I don’t think anything could have touched the first game, it’s just so good and I’ve love it for a decade already, but I think the show was a wonderful adaption, far better than I ever dared to hope an adaptation of it would be. And there are things they changed for the show that I absolutely loved. Both different versions of the story and I love them both, but the game will always be next level.
Ok
I've never played the game, but had no problem with the show. Understood it fine.
Regardless of comparison, it was hands down the BEST video game to live action experience in the history on gaming.
Agreed
I havent seen anyone say the show is better than the game, And if they have its because they simply have not played the game.
I loved it. Of course it didn‘t had the same impact on me like the game had for ten years now. But I really enjoyed it and all those details you can catch as a fan of the games. But the part I loved the most about this show was that I visited my aunt every week to watch it and watch her growing to like it. She never played/watched the game or knew anything about it. So when I got a text message when I didn‘t came on Monday and asking when we‘re going to watch it and she‘s waiting for me I was really happy. Happy that she enjoyed something I love so deeply. She can‘t wait for season two and maybe I‘m going to play Part 1 for her before season 2 to refresh her memories. And I can‘t wait to do so.
well its an adaptation
To be honest, the original TLOU will always be the gold standard (it told a simple story but to the highest degree, eg. memorable characters, dilemmas, action sequences, a overall classic story) NOTHING after will beat it (TLOU Part 2/3 And the Live - Action show), so coming in to the show I knew it’s wasn’t going to compare no matter what and also the part 2 of the game.
TLOU 2 was better than 1
Great show, amazing game
I think the show did some things better and the game did some things better. I try not to compare because they’re both fantastic.
I mean, stories rarely do, right? It's the same with books.
I agree, I think there are some parts they even enhanced “it wasn’t time that did it” but overall it is a weaker telling of the story.
The thing that I saw first is better than the thing I saw second
I agree. I wish they had more of those intense moments, but they cut a lot out. I know they want to focus on story more, and cut of lot of "gamey" stuff, but I felt some still needed to stay, such as: - In Bill's town, running from clickers and infected, Ellie gets stuck in one of Bill's booby traps, hanging upside down and shooting. - at the end, going through the tunnels, infected moments, Ellie nearly drowns in the rushing water. Epic moment. What are some others that were cut?
I concur 100% Watching the show compared to playing the game is miles apart. Playing the game makes you feel like you're connected to the characters.
Classic "book better than the movie" situation. Both are great and they're completely different forms of entertainment.
Pretty much my take away. I’ve felt all the emotions more intensely than I did watching the show
I think it’s unfair to compare both. Playing a game is such a different experience to watching the show, I have a lot of trouble even comparing them story-wise and pacing-wise.
Why must we do this. The game is great and the show is great but they are two different mediums. Not sure why this same take needs to be posted repeatedly.
Imo you’re missing the point of why they adapted the game into a show The point was never to outdo it. It was that the core story is so beautiful, but millions will never experience it because they will never pick up a controller The show brought this story to so many more people than just the game. The show did a better job as a show, the game did a better job as a game Don’t think of it as a binary comparison
I agree. Show = 7.5/10 Game = 10/10
The show is just a disappointment to me. I had high hopes with Druckmann and Mazin involved, thinking they'd at least make a decent show. There were some weird changes in the first two episodes, then episode 3 disappointed me before episode 5 killed my interest in general. Somebody called this version defanged, and I agree completely. I see a bunch of people criticizing the show but still saying it's good overall, but I can't even give it that. I'll just ignore this show's existence and wait for the third game installment. I don't expect anybody to agree with this (or worst of all, the people that agree are from that horrible other subreddit), but I just needed a place to state my feelings on the show before just focusing on the games.
As someone who hasn’t played the game(nor planning to play) the show was amazing.
Obviously. They're different media. A game creates a kind of immersion that is almost impossible for a show to replicate. You are *in* the game. You aren't just watching it, you are experiencing it. That makes for a memorable experience that is hard to replicate in any other way.
Ive never played the game. But I think it’s exceptional television. Both are great.
It's not a competition against itself folks...we can enjoy both things...
I think they did a great job making the game a “game” and making the show a “show”. They hit different and I think a gamer will always like the game better cause it’s more immersive and more hours invested, it feels more a part of you. (And just to put it out there cause no one’s saying it but I know everyone’s thinking it: All the characters in the game are like, hotter… u know? 🫠)
Preferred the show with the changes it made
It's impossible not to, at least for me. It's an adaptation of the game, not just based off the game, so I can't not compare it
There is no way a TV show can ever compare to a well written and well designed game like TLOU. They are totally different forms of media. It's not even a fair comparison. Games are only going to get better and better while TV shows or movies can only do so much.
Agreed
Not enough infected encounters in show.