Summary: The zombie apocalypse happens and Joel’s daughter dies in the chaos. 20 years later, Joel is a smuggler working with Tess, his partner. They are given Ellie, a girl who is immune, and tasked with bringing her across the country by the Fireflies, a terrorist group fighting military control. Joel and Tess leave Boston with Ellie but Tess is bitten and dies soon after. Joel and Ellie slowly grow closer as they travel together. They meet Henry and Sam in Kansas and help them escape, but both of them die. Joel and Ellie go to Wyoming where Joel finds his brother Tommy in a new settlement. Joel and Ellie leave to a Firefly hideout but they have left and Joel gets injured. Ellie nurses him back to health through the winter and has a close call with another group of survivors. Joel and Ellie make it to the Fireflies and Joel learns they have to kill Ellie to make a cure. Not willing to let this happen, Joel kills everyone and takes Ellie out, lying to her about what happened.
The Good: Zombies have developed something of a bad reputation in the media in recent decades. Overexposure to formulaic zombie games, the longevity of “The Walking Dead” and its many spin-offs, and the release of dozens of zombie movies in the early 2000s has made the concept of zombies feel as unoriginal and overdone as your average teenage drama show. But contrary to the norm, “The Last of Us” shines because of its unique spin on a post-apocalyptic TV show. Zombies have been done before, but never like this. This show manages to make the outbreak feel so real and terrifying in a way that most other forms of media fail to. Most striking is the fact that we’re given a very plausible reasoning behind the outbreak, with fungus taking over the bodies of humans resulting in a fast-spreading disease that can’t be cured. So many excellent scenes early in the show make this feel absolutely terrifying. The first scene of the show establishes the concept in a creative and engaging way, and the first scene of the second episode shows how futile resistance is and how screwed humanity is in the face of this fungus. These scenes together also nicely show how humanity had the capacity to anticipate this problem, but it was ignored and now we pay the price for it. These two scenes captivate through showing how man is often at the mercy of powers beyond our control, and the way these ideas are communicated is reminiscent of “Chernobyl”, which is very high praise to give to a zombie show. As good as the premise might be, we need a strong emotional core and a compelling story to make it worth investing in this world. Thankfully, the show immediately understands this and focuses on giving us that emotional core from the very first episode. There is a terrific sequence in the first episode that shows the sheer chaos that comes about from the zombie apocalypse, but everything that we see is from the perspective of Joel and Sarah. The first few scenes in this time period are fixated on the bond these two have, while we subtly realize what’s going on in the background, and that is far more terrifying as we can do nothing but hope that these characters realize what’s happening and get out okay. The fantastic outbreak sequence works so well because we are invested in Joel, Sarah, and Tommy and seeing them gradually give in to fear and the primal need for survival in the face of such horrors is absolutely engaging. By the end of the sequence, Sarah is dead and Joel is in tears, and the show has successfully emotionally invested us into the narrative before the real story even begins. This is masterful storytelling and is a textbook example of how to hook an audience to get the most out of the story you are telling. The emotional core doesn’t end there either. The best thing about this show is that the premise of a zombie apocalypse never takes over the show, and it certainly never distracts from the emotional core. And that core is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. At its heart, this show is never about the zombies or about how the world ended. It’s about a man who rediscovers his humanity by connecting with a loveable young girl that reminds him of his deceased daughter. This is such a beautiful idea for a story, and there is loads of emotional impact within these 9 episodes. Joel and Ellie are well-written characters beautifully realized by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. These characters feel real in their mannerisms, behaviour, and their interactions with one another. Because of this, it’s easy to invest and care about them, elevating every single episode of the show because I’m so interested in seeing how they develop. Joel is a hardened survivor who does what’s necessary, which is always refreshing in a post-apocalyptic show. But he’s not static, and throughout the season he learns what it’s like to have somebody to care about again and to love someone again, a sweet human story to tell with a character who looked like he lost his humanity decades ago. Meanwhile Ellie is a really well-written teenager who is smart and sarcastic, while also still being unaware of the realities of the world around her in certain ways. She is able to ground Joel through her wacky interactions with him, while Joel is able to teach Ellie what she needs to know in order to survive. Their relationship is natural, develops beautifully throughout the seasons, and culminates with such a fascinating change following Joel’s decision to murder all of the Fireflies in the season finale. Every episode offers something new to this relationship, and I was thoroughly entertained following these two for all nine episodes. Another constant delight throughout this first season was the world-building. The visuals in this show look absolutely incredible, and they sell this post-apocalyptic world to me, making it feel more real than what would be possible in a lower budget show. Every episode offered some new visuals and locations, and I was consistently amused by Ellie’s reactions to sights that she has never seen before. But even more than the visuals, I looked forward to seeing the new people that Joel and Ellie would encounter in every episode. So much of the allure of this world came from seeing what kinds of different societies existed in this world and what kinds of people populate it. Nearly every episode showed us new groups of people and told us new stories that were engaging and intriguing to follow. Some stories were expanded on greatly, with Bill and Frank’s relationship being an enormous highlight, as was Henry and Sam’s story. But even other smaller characters were fun to meet, like the old couple in the cabin. Every new episode offered a fun new group and a fun new story. I mentioned Bill and Frank already, and I found their arc to be one of the most beautiful and compelling parts of the show. Kathleen’s settlement had issues (see: The Bad), but I was gripped by Henry and Sam’s story as these two poor kids try to evade a literal manhunt. Tommy’s successful communist settlement was unique, and it was nice to see a successful and peaceful group instead of sheer brutality for once. Lastly, I quite enjoyed the time we spent with David’s settlement, and the cannibalism twist was very affecting. The Bad: I praised the way this show handled the zombie apocalypse, and I stand by that. But I have to ask, where the hell are all of the infected? They have a presence in the first couple episodes, but as the show goes on they seem to be mysteriously absent. I get that the show may have wanted to reduce the needless action sequences from the game, but I find it hard to believe that the infected have such a limited presence in this world. It raises the question of why FEDRA can’t take back the world, because it seems like the infected are hardly even around anymore. Furthermore, this show has such great world-building, but I need to see the infected roaming the abandoned areas to buy into this world being uninhabitable and the show does not give us that. Zombies are good in small doses and can provide thrilling action sequences, but the show never lives up to the potential that a zombie apocalypse can provide, especially with zombies as ruthless, fast, and terrifying as the ones presented in this show. I really wish that this season had been longer, maybe 13 episodes or so. What makes TV stand out compared to movies is its longevity. We invest so much time with the characters in a TV show, and that longevity allows us to grow to care for these characters so much more than in a movie because we spend so much time with them and grow attached. This show had such compelling characters in Joel and Ellie, but I never felt like I cared about them as much as I should have because I didn’t get that sense of attachment through longevity with them. This hurt the show later in its run especially as some of the more emotional moments didn’t hit as hard as they otherwise could have. Additionally, several episodes in this show spent long periods of time away from Joel and Ellie (“Long, Long Time”, “Endure and Survive”, “Left Behind”), giving us an even smaller amount of time with them. Because of that, I wish the show had been longer so that we could spend more time growing attached to these characters and the bond that they have. There’s certainly potential to tell more stories in this world and to create more problems for Joel and Ellie to solve, so the show feeling stretched out surely would not be an issue. Budget may be a factor, but this show was always going to be a hit, so having some extra episodes would not have hurt. Perhaps I am being a bit greedy here, but this show could have gone from great to amazing if we had a little bit more time to grow attached with Joel and Ellie in between the huge story moments that we got in every episode. A few specific storylines didn’t work too well for me. Ellie’s flashback with Riley was executed well and told a nice story, but its lackadaisical pacing, predictable outcome, and lack of suspense hurt it badly. The Kansas City settlement was the weakest and least compelling group of people, and I couldn’t quite buy into the idea of it. Kathleen was miscast and poorly executed, and I never bought into her as a leader that inspires her followers to commit the volatile deeds that they did. Best Episodes: E01 When You’re Lost in the Darkness: An instantly engaging pilot episode that’s particularly helped by its exceptional 30 minute opening sequence that tells a compelling story surrounding the outbreak with Sarah’s death being an enormous gut punch to cap it off. E03 Long, Long Time: The best episode of the show. This episode is primarily focused on the story of Bill and Frank and develops their relationship with beautiful realism, before concluding it in a heartbreaking and powerful way. Add on some quality scenes with Joel and Ellie, and this episode is a huge winner. E05 Endure and Survive: This one wasn’t without its flaws, but the story of Henry and Sam was engaging and memorable, concluding with the devastating deaths of both characters. Worst Episodes: E07 Left Behind: There isn’t a bad episode in this show, but this one is the weakest and most flawed of the bunch. It tells a decent story with good acting and writing, but the episode drags on without any suspense, testing my patience at numerous points. Conclusion: “The Last of Us” had a great first season. Yes, I have my quibbles because I’m mean, but looking beyond those, the experience of this first season was nearly magical. This is a story that understands the value of immersion into a world, and emotional investment into its characters, two essential aspects of a great TV show that often get overlooked by many TV shows out there. This dedication to storytelling values ensures that every episode has me invested, every character beat is interesting to follow, and every suspenseful scene has me at the edge of my seat. This show works very well and will provide entertainment to everyone. I also have to address that this show is an adaptation of a video game. As an adaptation, this is absolutely as good as it gets. And for people who question the purpose of this adaptation, I have to bring up how the existence of this show has allowed people who have never picked up a video game to experience the beautiful story of “The Last of Us” while providing another version of this story for existing fans of the game. This first season is a great standalone season for everyone, and while it isn’t perfect, it’s a show that I can comfortably recommend to just about anyone. Now, the challenge will be to continue this story in a compelling way. "The Walking Dead" was another zombie show with an excellent first season that fell off almost immediately. Hopefully this show remains compelling as it continues.
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Summary: A flashback shows a pregnant Anna kill an infected but she gets bitten. She delivers the child anyways. Marlene finds her and takes the baby, Ellie, and kills Anna. In the present, Joel and Ellie arrive in Salt Lake City. They get knocked out and captured by the Fireflies. Marlene explains to Joel that Ellie is being taken for a surgery that can develop a cure but will kill her. Joel is escorted out but he turns on his captors and kills everyone, getting Ellie out of surgery. Marlene begs him to stop but he kills her too. Ellie wakes up later and Joel lies, saying the Fireflies stopped looking for a cure. They return to Tommy’s settlement.
The Good: The episode started on a good note with the flashback. It’s good to see Ellie’s birth under sad circumstances, and it also explains her immunity and how Marlene knew Ellie’s mother. In the present, this episode has an air of sadness to it. Not only because of Ellie’s sullenness following her experience with David, but also because their journey is nearing the end and there’s a sense of finality in the air. Joel opens his heart to Ellie in this episode more than he ever has before in an attempt to get her to stay with him, making it clear that Joel prioritizes his new “daughter” over any attempt to save the world. Joel tells her that she saved him, tells her about the time he nearly killed himself, and puts in plenty of effort to cheer her up. This is the most fatherly he has been, and it’s clear that he’s afraid of losing her. This makes his choice later in the episode the most obvious decision. The cure is being developed, but Joel isn’t willing to sacrifice Ellie for that. The show does a fantastic job of painting this as a grey decision. Joel is fighting for his family, but we get to see the mass murder in his wake as he saves Ellie, killing innocent after innocent, culminating in him gunning down Marlene after she disarmed herself to give him another chance. It’s dark and harrowing watching the main character kill innocents, and it leaves us with a fascinating question of if what Joel did is right. Pedro Pascal is superb in this episode, and even more interesting than what happens is how Joel lies to Ellie about it. Joel did what he had to in order to save her, knowing full well she would never have supported it, and now he has to live with that. And if Ellie figures it out, she’s going to have to live with that knowledge too. The Bad: It was disappointing not to see the infected play any role in this episode. I understand that the show focuses on humanity, but it’s quite shocking how small of a role the infected played in this season, and they barely existed past episode 5. This final episode could have given them a bigger role. I also feel that this episode was a bit too short for what it was doing. I would have liked to see some more time given to the conclusion of the season, giving the characters more time to stew with what happened. The Unknown: Will Ellie learn what actually happened from Joel? Does she already know deep down? Will Joel be able to live with what he’s done for Ellie? Best Moment: The final moment is a thing of beauty. Ellie asks for the truth, and Joel calmly lies to her face. Does she know he’s lying? Can she accept what happened? Does Joel know that she probably knows? Lots of fascinating depth. Character of the Episode: Joel. Conclusion: A powerful, thought-provoking, and sometimes fascinating finale that fits “The Last of Us” perfectly. I had my gripes, but this was lovely overall. Score: 70 Summary: Ellie goes hunting and encounters David and James. She holds David at gunpoint and David agrees to give her medicine. Ellie takes the medicine and leaves. David returns to his camp and decides to go after Ellie. The next day, David’s group comes after her and Ellie is captured. Joel wakes up and is found. He kills several of David’s men. Ellie is captured and learns David is a cannibal. She fights out and kills James and David. When leaving, Joel finds her and hugs her.
The Good: It’s a lot of fun seeing Ellie surviving on her own, showing us how far she has come. The way she handles David and James is amusing, especially with how she imitates Joel’s typical behaviour in these situations. David is a unique character for Ellie to contend with. He seems like a bit of a zealot, but he feels endearing enough where Ellie can let her guard down around him, and the reveal that he’s more sinister than it initially seemed was well handled. I enjoyed his conversations with Ellie as Ellie gradually realizes how depraved and horrific this man really is. The second half of the episode raises up the suspense in a great way. Everyone hunting for the injured Joel was gripping, and it was great to see Joel pulling out all the stops to get to Ellie. Meanwhile Ellie having to fight the sinister David is a terrifying situation, and it makes Ellie brutally murdering him feel really cathartic. No teenager should ever contend with a predator like that no matter what world you live in, and it’s easy to sympathize with the trauma Ellie just went through. The final moment as Joel reunites with Ellie and comforts her was sweet and emotional. The Bad: Unfortunately David became a bit of a cliche villain by the end. He started monologuing and taunting Ellie towards the end, becoming comically villainous for no real reason. Some little things did not make sense. Why was Joel able to kill so many men without anybody being alerted about what’s happening? What happened to the rest of David’s settlement? Where did David take Ellie? How was Joel able to find her if they were away from David’s settlement, and if they were in David’s settlement, where was everyone else? The Unknown: What’s left of David’s settlement? Will we see it again? Best Moment: A scarred and terrified Ellie being hugged by Joel after murdering David. Character of the Episode: Ellie. Conclusion: This episode focused on an interesting and engaging new group, putting Joel and Ellie in a high intensity situation. Some flaws crept up in the episode’s second half, but this was good overall. Score: 68 Summary: In the present Ellie treats Joel’s wound. Flashbacks reveal Ellie’s relationship with her friend Riley. Riley comes back from a long absence, having joined the Fireflies. She takes Ellie to an abandoned mall where they have a fun time and ultimately kiss. They are suddenly attacked by an infected and both get bit. They sit together until the end.
The Good: Ellie and Riley’s relationship is well done and they are fun to watch together. It’s very important that these two are likeable and have a sweet relationship for this episode to work at all, and thankfully the episode knocks this relationship out of the park. The acting and writing is great and makes this dumb decision to go into the mall for a night of fun feel human, real, and tragic. I also enjoyed the thematic discussions that further explored the differences between FEDRA and the Fireflies. I would have liked to see more of this in earlier episodes, but I’m glad that we’re at least getting it now. The Bad: This episode is painfully slow and long for what it accomplishes. We know what’s going to happen in this episode. We know Riley is doomed and we know that Ellie is going to be bit and captured by the Fireflies. Watching this all happen in slow-motion is not particularly exciting or interesting, regardless of how well written, acted, and produced the episode is. If the story isn’t engaging enough, then no amount of excellence from other aspects can make up for that. Unfortunately, there is not much tension in the episode at all, and I couldn’t connect much with Riley since I knew she was doomed, and that stopped me from feeling the dread and suspense that I was supposed to feel. I also have to question the necessity of this episode since we did not learn much of note considering how lengthy this episode is. I’m also disappointed that we did not get to see Ellie contending with Riley dying while she remains alive. Surely that’s a powerful idea that deserved to get some time at least. Lastly, I didn’t quite feel Ellie’s desperation when she was trying to save Joel, and I think that’s because we haven’t spent enough time with them together to make me feel the connection I am supposed to feel. I wish this season had been longer. The Unknown: What happened to Riley? Did Ellie kill her in the end? Will Joel recover properly from his injury? Best Moment: Ellie and Riley both realizing they were bit and that their lives are over was harrowing and sad. Character of the Episode: Ellie. Conclusion: This episode was well-made and told a nice story, but it had significant problems with suspense, pacing, and engagement, holding it back a lot. Score: 63 Summary: Joel and Ellie reach Wyoming, and with some guidance from an old couple, they find Tommy. Tommy has a wife, Maria, and a safe community. Joel is concerned for Ellie and wants Tommy to take her to the Fireflies. Ellie is upset and has a big argument with Joel. The next day, Joel ultimately goes with Ellie. They go to the Firefly headquarters at a university but find that they moved. Joel fights off some bandits but gets stabbed in the process. Later, he collapses.
The Good: The opening sequence in the cabin is really good stuff. I continue to be interested and entertained by the types of people living in this world, and this funny old couple living on their own in the woods is another fun encounter. It was nice to see Joel finally reunite with Tommy, and their interactions throughout the episode are good. It’s clear that they love each other and missed each other, but there are still tensions between them due to their past. This all builds up beautifully to Joel finally opening himself up to Tommy about his concerns regarding Ellie, which is a fantastic scene. Much of this episode is spent on Joel and Ellie’s conflict, and both characters are written well throughout. Their fight feels real, and I like that the both of them being able to unburden themselves leads to them having an even stronger bond after they leave Tommy’s settlement together. The episode’s final scenes at the university are solid with some mild tension and a big surprise when Joel is badly injured out of nowhere. The Bad: This is a slow episode with much less tension, suspense, and character exploration than previous episodes. Considering that the episode is structured around a melodramatic confrontation between Joel and Ellie, it doesn’t have the same level of storytelling as what has come before. Obviously Joel and Ellie won’t part ways, so I had very limited interest in their conflict. Despite being written well, their conflict is less interesting due to how overly dramatic and predictable it is. The Unknown: Will Tommy’s settlement survive? Will the story go back there? How badly is Joel injured? I presume he’s not dead. Why did the Fireflies leave? Why did they go to Salt Lake City? Best Moment: Joel finally opening up by talking to Tommy about his fears. Character of the Episode: Joel. Conclusion: This episode was solid enough, but a bit too melodramatic for my taste. Certainly the weakest so far. Score: 64 Summary: Henry and Sam are being hunted for collaborating with FEDRA and getting Kathleen’s brother killed. They are left alone without food and follow Joel and Ellie. The group makes a deal: Henry leads them out while Joel fights any infected on the way. Joel agrees, and while traveling together, Joel and Ellie grow close to Henry and Sam. On their way out, Kathleen finds them and tries to capture them, but a bunch of infected are released. Everyone in the resistance is killed but Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam escape. Sam has been bit and tells Ellie who tries to heal him. The next morning, Sam turns and Henry kills him before killing himself.
The Good: Henry and Sam are immediately compelling as characters. Even though they are being hunted, we are able to easily connect with them since Henry seems to be doing everything for his younger brother, a justifiable reason for him to rat out others. That this episode endears us to them before we catch up with Joel and Ellie is impressive. The opening scenes also do well to show us how FEDRA was defeated and the horrors that have happened in Kansas City since. The rest of the episode is mostly fantastic. The interactions between Joel, Henry, Ellie, and Sam are terrific and well written. The connections they make with one another feel real, and it’s sweet to see Ellie finding a companion to be a kid with, while Joel is able to begrudgingly respect Henry for all he has done. This makes the episode’s conclusion so much more tragic (see: Best Moment). The scenes in the underground daycare and between Ellie and Sam in the motel are well written and brutally affecting. I really like that the infected didn’t make an appearance until the end of the episode. It would have been easy to include a meaningless action scene in the sewers, but the writers showed restraint, understanding that things would be way more tense if there was only one big action scene at the end. The action was mostly well done, and it gave the episode a suitably cinematic climax. The Bad: There are some weakly written moments in the climax. When the cars arrived, I was very surprised at Ellie, Henry, and Sam all running away in plain sight instead of hiding in the woods. Even in a panic, what they did was massively dumb. Joel having such pinpoint accuracy in his aim was very unrealistic throughout that climax. I also found it a bit convenient how the infected all poured out when they did, and also how the truck happened to hit the single spot where they were all at. Kathleen did not work as a character for me. I just don’t buy her as a leader and I found it hard to believe that people would follow her to do all of this. Surely somebody out there would stand by her brother’s morality and refuse to treat the FEDRA men so barbarically. Sending everyone and everything to kill Henry is such a bizarre decision, there’s no way that nobody disagreed, yet that’s what the episode tries to make us believe. The Unknown: What’s next for Joel and Ellie? Are they going to successfully walk all the way to Wyoming? Best Moment: Henry killing Sam and killing himself was a real tearjerker with outstanding acting. We grew to care quite a bit for these characters throughout the episode so seeing such an awful fate befall both of them is absolutely devastating. Even though it is somewhat predictable that these two would die, the episode did a great job making this heartbreaking. Character of the Episode: Henry. Conclusion: A crushing episode with a devastating ending. This is an emotional high point in the show and you can’t help but feel awful for Henry and Sam. Unfortunately, the weak story surrounding Kathleen and some poor writing drags this down, but the emotional experience is excellent. Score: 74 Summary: Ellie and Joel continue to bond as they travel on the road together. They arrive in Kansas City where the road is blocked. They are ambushed looking for a way around and kill some soldiers. They become fugitives in a community where a resistance has destroyed FEDRA. Joel and Ellie hide out in buildings while the resistance, led by Kathleen hunts for them. They climb up a building but are awoken with two people holding guns to their heads.
The Good: I liked a lot about this episode. Joel and Ellie remain the heart of the show and their growing relationship in this episode is beautiful to watch. I went from laughing at their interactions to finding it genuinely sweet and beautiful that Ellie was able to make Joel smile and let his guard down a bit by the episode’s end, rediscovering the passion that was once in this man when he was a father. Joel is an excellent character. The reminder that he has killed innocents to survive was chilling, especially since he had to admit it to Ellie. I appreciate that this show isn’t focused on a character with a distinct moral compass. Joel isn’t a particularly good person, and that’s so much more interesting than a cookie-cutter protagonist which would be out of place in such a cruel world like this. The visuals in this episode continue to be phenomenal and I love the post-apocalyptic world. The Hank Williams sequence was magnificent to behold. I liked the scenes in Kansas City. The shootout was tense and climactic with a great moment in Ellie getting her “first” kill. There is good suspense in Joel and Ellie having to think on their feet and travel in buildings while being hunted. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: Who is Kathleen? How did she defeat FEDRA? Why is she in charge? What was that cracked and damaged ground? What happened there? Is it a type of zombie? Who is Henry? Why is Kathleen after him? How are Joel and Ellie going to escape the city? Who are the two people they encountered at the end? Best Moment: Joel and Ellie bonding a little bit before sleeping felt earned after all they have been through so far. A beautiful moment that sold me on these two developing a father/daughter relationship. Character of the Episode: Ellie. Conclusion: This is not as action-packed as the first two episodes, and not as emotional as the third. However, the world-building and relationship-building was excellent here, and this still ends up being a very enjoyable episode. Score: 68 Summary: A flashback tells the story of Bill and Frank. Bill is a survivalist and he avoided evacuation. He roped off a part of his neighborhood and lived alone. He lived in peace until Frank arrived. He let Frank in and they developed a relationship. After 20 years, they became friends with Joel and Tess but have grown old. Frank has mobility issues and decides that he wants to die. Bill decides to die with him. Joel and Ellie walk together and arrive at the neighborhood. They see what happened to Frank and Bill, take what they can, and leave in a pickup truck.
The Good: Bill and Frank’s story is the highlight here. Their story has no bearing on the main plot, but I’m still glad that we got this story because it was touching and powerful, while developing a significant core theme of the show. Bill was a survivalist that enjoyed a life of isolation, merely surviving and doing little else. But when he met Frank, he found purpose in his life greater than survival. This story highlights the importance of love and family in life, and seeing this sweet man Frank open up the tender side of Bill is heartwarming and beautiful. I love that the end of their story had nothing to do with zombies. Instead, the episode took a more human direction by having them simply grow old together and choose to die together once they felt fulfilled. Frank’s final day is heartbreaking and uplifting at once as Bill and Frank have one final great memory together and die together feeling fulfilled. What a beautiful story, one that I will not soon forget. Even though this had nothing to do with the main plot, the story was so compelling and powerful that it is a more than worthy addition to the show, and has a damn good chance of being the single best thing in this first season. Joel’s story ties brilliantly into this, as Bill learning to love and find purpose could very well be a mirror for Joel’s arc, where he may have to learn to love and find purpose through taking care of Ellie. Their relationship continues to be fun in this episode. Seeing Joel and Ellie go from new location to new location discussing various things and growing closer throughout the duration of the episode is surprisingly fun, and it’s every bit as enjoyable as any action sequence that could be thrown at us. I am enjoying these character-building scenes. The Bad: Bill shooting out in the street with no cover is silly. A survivalist like him should know better. The Unknown: How is Joel going to process Tess’s death? It seems like he is ignoring his grief. Will he grow closer with Ellie now that it’s just the two of them? Best Moment: Bill and Frank’s last day together portrayed wordlessly with a beautiful score in the background was masterful. Such an emotional conclusion to their story. Character of the Episode: Bill and Frank. I have to give it to them both. Conclusion: This was incredible stuff. We got a touching stand-alone side story about two easy to love, well-written characters while the relationship between Joel and Ellie continues to develop. What’s not to like? Score: 80 Summary: A flashback shows the outbreak of cordyceps in Jakarta. In the present, Ellie tells Joel and Tess that she is being transported to make a cure. Joel and Tess take her through Boston and cut through a museum when the main path is blocked. They get attacked by clickers but escape. Joel and Tess get to the meet but find that everyone has been killed. Joel wants to go back but learns that Tess has been bitten. Tess stays behind and dies, encouraging Joel to take Ellie ahead.
The Good: The opening sequence was really well made and it explored the fungal outbreak in a compelling way, perfectly capturing the despair of the situation. In the present, the story is strong. Ellie’s dynamic with Joel and Tess is a lot of fun, and I enjoy how she is realistically childish. She’s curious and she’s annoying, but she doesn’t behave stupidly; she behaves like an actual teenager. I enjoyed Ellie’s reactions to the outside world. The world is beautifully portrayed in this show, and the high budget is absolutely paying off. Visually, this episode is absolutely stunning, and seeing a proper rendition of this post-apocalyptic Boston makes the world feel much more immersive. The museum sequence with the clickers was great and filled with tension. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequence. Tess’ death was a moving moment and it’s sad to say goodbye to her so quickly. You feel for Joel when he realizes what’s happening, and Tess’s sacrifice has some power to it, even when we only knew the character for two episodes. The Bad: The zombie kissing Tess before she died was more weird than compelling, and it didn’t quite work for me. The Unknown: Who are Bill and Frank? What will Joel and Ellie find there? What’s their next step now that Tess is gone? Best Moment: The tense sequence in the museum with the clickers. Character of the Episode: Tess Conclusion: A solid and tense episode of story progression. There’s lots to enjoy here, and I continue to enjoy this show. Score: 69 Summary: A zombie outbreak happens in 2003, and in the chaos of escaping, Joel’s daughter Sarah is killed. 20 years later, Joel is a smuggler working with Tess. He’s trying to get a car to drive to Wyoming to help his brother Tommy. While trying to secure a battery, he encounters Marlene and the Fireflies, a group of terrorists fighting the military. They give Ellie to Joel and Tess, asking them to get her to Wyoming. While escaping, they discover that Ellie is seemingly immune to infection.
The Good: The opening 30 minutes is tremendous. The tension is palpable throughout because we know what to expect, and watching the world descend into chaos is masterfully executed. Joel, Tommy, and Sarah are fantastic, realistic characters to follow and watching them desperately attempt to survive is compelling. Sarah dying at the end is a shock and Joel’s grief in that moment was phenomenally acted. This would work well as a standalone movie, it is excellent. I enjoyed the look of the post-apocalyptic world, and it makes sense that the military would have such a tight lockdown on everyone and everything. The episode does well to establish resource scarcity and the struggles that everyone faces. Tess and Marlene are intriguing new characters as well. The Bad: The show was adequate in introducing the new world, but it was not particularly compelling and it did not capture my imagination like it should have. Things felt surprisingly flat, and the characters didn’t grab me after the timeskip like they did before. It’s a shame that the second half was a bit of a let down. The Unknown: What did Marlene tell Ellie? Why was she so important? Is it because she’s immune? Where is Tommy? Is he a Firefly? What happened to him after the world ended? Will Joel embrace Ellie as a daughter surrogate? That seems to be the direction that the show is going. Best Moment: Sarah’s death was devastating and tremendously well acted. Character of the Episode: Joel. Conclusion: The first half hour of this was superb television, and while things did slow down a bit after that, this is still an excellent pilot. Score: 72 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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