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RTS Series Review: Is The Last of Us the best Video Game Adaptation Series on HBO Max?

Updated: Jun 3, 2023


HBO Max Originals Series The Last of Us was a really good series to watch if you play the 2013 Video Game you will really like this series. Episode 1 was really good I like how they started the series off with a talk show host and 2 Doctors in 1968 having a conversation about if a fungus outbreak happens how would it affect the world and how they explain it was really interesting. I do like the how they use the Time Jumps in this series and I also like how they told us the backstory's of Joel, Sarah and Tommy in this first episode. Watching the characters having a normal day throughout the episode was good but things pick up as we see everything starts to fall apart around all of them. I like how they made the infected people look in this series and I also really like how they told Joel and Sarah story watching Joel trying to keep Sarah safe was good but seeing him holding Sarah in his arms crying when she died was really sad. I like how they show us what happened to him after Sarah death and how they introduce Tess and other side characters in this series was done really good and the CGI and Visual Effects they use to make Boston look the way it did was so good. I did like how they introduce FEDRA, The Fireflies, Marlene and Ellie in this first episode and the interaction between Joel, Tess and Ellie was good and I also like how we find out that Ellie is immune I thought that was good.


Episode 2 started with the professor in Jakarta, Indonesia telling one of the military soldiers to bomb the city after examining a dead female body that is infected I like how they started this episode and I thought the backstory was good. I said this before but I'm going to say it again I really like how they made all of Boston, Massachusetts look with the CGI and visual effects and we got a little more backstory of Ellie. Watching the 3 of them going to the State House was good I love how they introduce The Clickers in this episode the design of them looks like the ones from the game and the museum scene was really good it will make you say to yourself what would I do in that situation. The state house scene was also good I like what Tess said to Joel after she shows him and Ellie that she got bit and I do like how they change some things up from the game about how the infected people communicate with each other. I did like the way Tess help Joel and Ellie escape and the ending was good but having that one infected kiss Tess was weird.


Episode 3 we good and interesting I like that this episode was about Bill and Frank but we did see Joel and Ellie traveling to go see the guys and they started to get to know each other more. We go a couple of years back and we see Bill in a empty town getting stuff from different stores so he can make a generator, a electric fence and traps to keep infected people and raiders out. I did like how Bill and Frank met each other also I like how they gave us more backstory about Bill and Frank because their story is different in the show from the game but it was done really well. The backstory about how Bill and Frank meeting Tess and Joel was good and the shootout scene that Bill and the raiders had was good. We go back to the present time and we see a older Bill and Frank who is now sick and he tells Bill that he wants to die but he wants to enjoy his last day with Bill. This scene was really sad and I like that they got married and they had their last dinner together before the both of them took some of Frank's pills and they went upstairs and lay in their bed. Joel and Ellie are at Bill and Frank home and they find Bill letter and he tells Joel don't go upstairs and he can have his truck. Joel and Ellie took Bill truck and other things and they go to find Tommy and I have to say this episode was really good and really sad.


Episode 4 was good I did like the conversation that Joel and Ellie had in the truck about what him and Tommy did during the outbreak and how they end up meeting Tess and Marlene and I also like some of the Easter Eggs in this episode too. The detour into Kansas City was good the shootout scene between Joel and some of the people was crazy and I did like how Ellie save Joel when she shot the one guy in the back with Frank gun that she took. Now I didn't like the character Kathleen that they introduce in this series this character was not in the game and I really didn't like her story or this Perry guy that was also introduce in this episode. I like how Joel show Ellie how to hold her gun to keep herself safe and we do get some backstory about Kathleen and her brother and it was okay but I like how Ellie got Joel to laugh at one of her jokes and the way they introduce Henry and Sam at the end of this episode was really good.


Episode 5 we get to see how Kathleen and most of the people took over Kansas City and we also see Henry and Sam trying to survive because Kathleen thinks that Henry killed her brother and I thought this was good but like I said I didn't connect with Kathleen. The interaction between Henry, Sam, Joel and Ellie was really good I like the one scene when they go into the tunnels and they find this bunker and the conversation that Joel and Henry had was interesting because we find out that Henry did kill Kathleen brother but he only did it to save Sam. The empty neighborhood scene was crazy I love every minute of it from the old man shooting at the 4 of them to Henry about to give himself up to Kathleen and seeing a bunch of Clickers and a Bloater come out of this big hole that's been there in the city. I like how Joel was able to save Ellie from being attack by shooting most of the clickers and I did like how Ellie save Henry and Sam. We see Perry get rip apart by the Bloater and Kathleen goes to stop Joel and the rest of then from leaving but she was attack by a clicker and we see Joel get Henry, Sam and Ellie out of there. At this motel Joel and Henry having a conversation about him and Sam going to Wyoming with Joel and Ellie and in the next room Sam and Ellie are also talking and Sam shows Ellie that he got bit. So Ellie tells him that her blood is medicine and she cut her hand and run some of her blood on Sam's bite mark and he asks her if she can stay up with him. The next morning Ellie goes to check on Sam but he is now infected and he attacks her but Ellie is fighting to Sam off of her and Henry ends up shooting his brother and then Henry shot himself. Joel and Ellie bury the brothers and Ellie leaves a note saying I'm Sorry and they left to go to Wyoming and I have to say both scenes was really good and really sad.


Episode 6 We see Joel and Ellie make it to Jackson, Wyoming and they ask this couple where to go next so Joel can find Tommy and the couple show him where to go on his map but they told him to be careful about the river of death. I like how this episode started but I thought having Joel dealing with panic attacks is interesting because now we have to see him not only try to keep Ellie safe but also try to keep himself together mentally. The conversation that Joel and Ellie had was good when Ellie said that she was trying to save Sam by rubbing her blood on his bite mark you can see on Joel face that he understands why she did that. I also like when Joel said he was going to stay up to keep watch but he went to sleep and Ellie made sure that the both of them was safe I thought that was nice. The both of them make it to the river of death and a group of people show up and started to ask them questions and they bring out a dog to sniff Joel and Ellie to make sure that they are not infected. Both of them pass the test and Joel tells the people that they are just looking for his brother and Maria takes them to this town and Joel is reunited with Tommy and I thought this scene was good and I like how they introduce Maria. The interaction between Joel, Ellie, Tommy and Maria was really good and when Tommy told Joel that he and Maria was married the look on Joel face and his response was so funny, I like this conversation that Joel and Tommy had the brothers get into a argument and Tommy tells Joel that Maria is pregnant and I thought this was a good scene because you can tell that Tommy is in a different place and he is a changed man. After the argument Joel has another panic attack and he looks at a young girl and he thought she was Sarah and this part of the episode was really good and I thought the conversation that Maria and Ellie had about Joel and Sarah was also good.


We see Tommy and Joel have another conversation and Joel tells his brother about Ellie being immune and he wants Tommy to take her because he feels like he can't do it anymore and when Joel goes to see Ellie she tells him that she heard the brothers conversation. Joel and Ellie get into an argument and Joel tells Ellie that Tommy is taking her to Colorado to meet up with some fireflies and I like both scenes I thought the conversation between Joel and Tommy was really so was the conversation that Joel and Ellie had. Tommy and Ellie get ready to leave but Joel is there and he said that it's up to Ellie to make a choice and she decided to have Joel take her and this scene was good. The both of them go to this college in Colorado and the group of fireflies are not there but Joel knows where they are but this group of raiders shows up at the college, Ellie and Joel try to leave quietly but one of the raiders attack them and Joel was able to kill him but Joel was stabbed by the guy but he was able to get Ellie out of there. The both of them are away from the college and Joel passed out and Ellie has no idea what to do next and I really like this episode and I also like the ending.


Episode 7 was all about the Left Behind DLC from the game and I was so happy about this the episode starts with Ellie getting Joel into this house and he tells her to leave him to die and just when she is about to go we jump back a couple of months and we get to see the backstory of Ellie. I like how they introduce some of the characters in this episode and the conversation that Ellie had with Captain Kwong, later in the night Ellie best friend Riley come to see her and she tells Ellie that she has join the fireflies and she wants to take Ellie out for the night. We see the both of them go to this empty mall and Riley shows Ellie around because Ellie has never experience anything like that before, Riley takes her to this Carousel and the both of them ride it and I thought this was a good moment seeing the 2 of them having fun and spending time together. I like the conversation the both of them had and when Riley tells Ellie about the job she was going to have if she would have stay at the boarding school it makes you understand why she left. Riley and Ellie go to the photo booth and the arcade to have some more fun and then Riley takes Ellie to this food court and give her a No Pun Intended joke book and that's when Ellie finds Riley bombs she made. They get into an argument and Riley tells her that she is going to Atlanta and Ellie walks away upset but she goes back to talk to Riley and they listen to some music and the both of them kiss and I thought both scenes was really good and I also like this moment too. After they kiss an infected guy comes out of nowhere and attacks the both of them Ellie and Riley was able to fights off the infected guy and Ellie kills him but she and Riley are bitten. Riley and Ellie talk about what to do and Riley said that the both of them should just sit and wait to turn and we see them hold each other, we go back to the present time and Ellie finds some needle and thread and she sew up Joel wound and this was one of my favorite episode the ending was so good.


Episode 8 we are introduce to David and his people and David is a preacher so we see him talk to some of his people about revelation and he had a conversation with James who is play by Troy Baker and both of them talk for a little bit and David tells James to get some guys ready because they are going hunting. We see Ellie go out to hunt for some food and we get the rabbit/deer scene from the game and it was a good scene, we see Ellie go after the rabbit but can't get it so she goes after the deer and she shoot it but the deer runs away. Ellie goes after the deer and that's when we see David and James standing over the dead deer and Ellie walks up to the both of them and makes a deal with David to get some medicine for Joel. David has a conversation with Ellie about his group and he tells her that some of his people went to the college in Colorado and he is looking for the ones that killed the one guys. James comes back with the medicine but David had to stop him from shooting Ellie and they make the trade and let her go and this was a interesting scene and the interaction between Ellie and David was good but you can tell that David is just a weird creepy guy. Ellie goes to give Joel the medicine and in the next scene we see some of David people in the kitchen and this one guy brings in some meat and the one women ask him what is it and the guy stands there and said venison but the way he was looking and how long it took him to say something was very suspicious. We then see David come back with the deer and he tells his people that he will find Joel and Ellie and get justice for the guy that Joel kill and this scene was good and creepy because when David slap the young daughter of the guy that was killed David told her that he will always be her dad I thought this guy has lost his mind.


So David and his crew go to look for Ellie and Joel and she tries to get them away from the house that Joel is in but she gets captured by them and David takes her back to his place. Some of David guys go look for Joel and he is still hurt but Joel was able to kill one of them and captured the other 2 guys and when Joel finds out where Ellie is that's when he kills the other 2 guys and I thought both scenes was really good. We see Ellie in this cage and David was trying to give her some food but she kicks it because she saw somebody ear on the floor and David was talking to her and he tells Ellie that she is just like him. I like this conversation the both of them had and I also like how Ellie finds out that David been feeding his group other people and this scene was very weird and creepy, even when David started to rub Ellie hand but when Ellie breaks one of David fingers I thought that was good. So David and James is about to kill her but Ellie tells them that she is infected and David saw that his hand was bitten by her and Ellie was able to kill James and get away. Ellie set the place on fire and David is looking for her just like how it was in the game and Ellie stabs him but he stop her and was about to do some things to her but Ellie grabs a cleaver and she kills David. After the fight Ellie walks outside and Joel comes to get her and he tells Ellie it's okay baby girl and that's the same nickname he use to say to Sarah and the both of them walk away and I thought this episode was so good and the ending was done really well.


Episode 9 We get some backstory about Ellie Mother Anna and it was really nice to see Ashley Johnson play Ellie mom so we see Anna running from a infected woman in the woods back to this house that she was staying in and she is pregnant and is about to have her baby. Anna goes upstairs to hid but the infected woman attack Anna but she was able to kill the woman and she gives birth to Ellie but Anna has been bit and this was a crazy scene and Ashley Johnson was really good in this episode. Marlene and some guy shows up to the house and they find Anna and baby Ellie and Anna tells Marlene to kill her and take Ellie to Boston and that's when we see Marlene kills her best friend and this was a really good and sad scene. In the present day we see Joel and Ellie in Salt Lake City and Ellie is still thinking about what she went through with David and Joel is trying to make her smile and laugh but they go to find the fireflies. So we see the both of them in this building and Ellie sees a giraffe and is happy and the look on Joel face was really nice you can tell that he cares about Ellie and the conversation they had was also good. Joel and Ellie are walking through this military camp and Joel tells Ellie about how he was trying to kill himself after Sarah death and this moment was so good.


The both of them get blindsided by a couple of fireflies soldiers and Joel wakes up is in this room with Marlene and she tells him that they are going to do a procedure on Ellie but it might kill her and Joel doesn't want them to do the procedure but Marlene told him that it's going to happen and she tells 2 of her soldiers to take Joel out of the hospital. So Joel kills the 2 soldiers and goes after everyone in the hospital now I did like the scene between Joel and Marlene I thought that was good but this rampage scene that Joel had did not look good I think they was trying to do this scene just like how it was done in the game but it just didn't look right to me. Joel finds Ellie and he kills the surgeon and takes Ellie but just when he was about to get her out of there Marlene stops Joel but he shot Marlene and she tells him not to kill her but Joel tells Marlene she will just come looking for them and that's when he kills her. After that Ellie wakes up and she ask Joel what happened and he lie to her about the fireflies finding other people who are just like her and how raiders attack the hospital so he had to get her out of there. The both of them travel back to Jackson, Wyoming to be with Tommy and Maria and Ellie starts telling Joel about Riley and how she feels about Tess, Henry and Sam but Joel tells her that's not her fault. Ellie ask Joel was his story about what happened to the fireflies was true and Joel said it was true and Ellie said okay to him and that's how the show ends.


This was a really good series I really like the CGI and Visual Effects and the story was so good they did make some changes for the show because I thought we was going to see the High School Escape scene from the game but I understand why they didn't do that scene. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey was great playing Joel and Ellie and the rest of the cast also did a great job but there was some characters that I didn't care for but this was a really good cast. My favorite episodes are When You're Lost in the Darkness, Infected, Long, Long Time, Endure and Survive and Left Behind.


I am really happy that this series is getting a Season 2 and would definitely recommend to watch this and I will give it a 9/10














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