TV Review: The Last of Us
Years ago, I started playing "The Last of Us" on PS4. I got to a point and stopped. I enjoyed the story, but the gameplay was a slog, so I didn't return to finish it. I tried again later, but I felt the same way. I watched a playthrough on YouTube to find out how the story ended and was floored by the game's narrative. Now HBO is airing the live-action adaptation, and it has become a cultural talking point on the level of "Game of Thrones."
Twenty years after a fungal outbreak destroys civilization, Joel (Pedro Pascal) is tasked with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of the quarantine zone. Ellie is immune to the infection and might be humanity's last hope to survive.
The characters are the driving force behind this show. The infected (not zombies) are secondary obstacles for our characters to deal with along the way. The Joel-Ellie relationship starts as antagonistic. Joel only sees Ellie as cargo, something he is transporting from point A to point B. As the show continues, that has become more of a father-daughter relationship. Joel's daughter was killed in the early days of the infection, and Joel has closed himself off to others ever since. Pascal and Ramsey work well together and have some incredible scenes together. Both played fan-favorite secondary characters on "Game of Thrones" and are given a chance to shine in lead roles here.
Ramsey, in particular, is incredible. Ellie has lost everyone she cares about. Once it was discovered that she was immune to the infection, she was treated like a thing only valued because of her blood. Ellie is sarcastic and can be abrasive. She curses like a sailor and questions many of the decisions those around her make. She has shown some cracks in her hard exterior in the two most recent episodes. In one scene, she confronts Joel about his decision to let his bother take Ellie the rest of the way. She feels abandoned and lets Joel know. Ramsey is stunning in this scene as she shows the pain that Joel's decision is causing her. Ramsey deserves at least an Emmy nomination, if not a win for her incredible work on this show.
If "zombies" are not your thing, I understand. I would say that watching this for the Joel-Ellie relationship is worth the moments where the infected attack. Or I would say just watch episode 3. It is, without a doubt, one of the best television episodes. Ever.
The Last of Us airs on HBO Sundays at 9:00 PM.
