As a big fan of the original game, I dreaded the TV adaptation as much as I looked forward to it. Probably my biggest concern was that some changes might be made to the story that wouldn’t work as well, or even change its focus or point. I was also worried that the series might come across as a bit of “cheap TV” like Nilfgaard’s desperate armor in the first season of The Witcher television series. Last but not least, I somewhat heretically told myself that I might get bored with the show because I’ve played the game twenty times and know every scene and line almost by heart.
However, creators Neil Druckmann (behind both TLOU video games) and Craig Mazin (behind one of the best series I’ve ever seen – Chernobyl) left nothing to chance and I’m very happy that after watching the first episode of the series, I can put aside most of your fears. However, this does not mean that the series is perfect in every way. Let’s break it down:
Likes: Deepening history
The first minutes of the series were a very pleasant surprise as it was brand new material that wasn’t in the game template… but at the same time it was a prelude that fit the theme perfectly and created a wonderful atmosphere of authenticity. and horror from the start. I won’t go into the details of those first minutes if you haven’t seen the first episode. But I have to smile, because here, as in Chernobyl, Mazin found a very clever way to present a fairly complex scientific topic to the general public in a “fun” way, which is the key to further storytelling.
These “inserted scenes” can be found throughout the first episode, sometimes due to passages where we sneak somewhere or fight in the game (there are much fewer such scenes in the series than in the game). Thanks to this, the story has acquired a noticeable depth, helping not only to concretize individual characters and their relationships, but mainly to perfectly explain the nature and functioning of the world after the apocalypse, thanks to which it captivates even the thoughtful viewer. into this terrifying vision is even more effective than the game template. This is of course a matter of taste to some extent (like everything else), but I welcome all these added scenes for myself, and they will probably be the main feature for me and the rest of the series.
Likes: Setting and atmosphere
As I mentioned in the intro, I was very worried about “television cheapness” because despite reports of an extreme budget (allegedly more than Game of Thrones), the trailers released so far have not made a huge impression – credit to the footage collapsing skyscrapers and monsters, but other than that it was often very “civilian” footage. Luckily, in practice, the design is very mature, and most of the shots are framed and lit the way we would expect in a movie theater, not at home in front of a TV. It’s actually a little ironic that some character scenes with people talking in a static room feel more atmospheric and cinematic than potential epic CG shots of crashing planes or destroyed cities.
Of course, sound and music also play a big role in this. In the case of the mushroom, fans of the template can expect real goosebumps, as in many cases these are slightly modified motifs from the game template. The sound helps maintain a quasi-realistic and raw atmosphere, but it feels like someone got carried away and pushed the saw with some special effects that my speakers could barely handle (to the point of grunting or crackling), although I coincided with yesterday’s circumstances on the same equipment I watched the very aggressive-sounding film Tenet without any problems. However, in almost every technical aspect of the series, it is felt that nothing was spared and there was not enough money.
Dislikes: changing disease transmission
More or less, the only thing I really didn’t like about the first episode and wish I hadn’t seen it there at all was the change in transmission. If in the game model we are used to the fact that a dangerous infection spreads through the air with the help of visible spores (resembling dust), then in the series the creators pushed for physical transmission with the help of fungal / mold “runners”. Probably because they don’t have to hide the faces of expensive actors in gas masks? However, this in itself is not the main problem. But the catch is how overly massive and fast the slates are – when they “come out” of the mouth of one of the characters in one of the first scenes, it looks too implausible and in fact quite comical, which noticeably does not fit with the plot. the rest of the concept of the series.
And here the best horror is creeping, creeping. The deadly dust you just inhale is definitely more terrifying than the tentacles/tendons in your mouth, no matter how repulsive they may be on their own. At the same time, the creators perfectly hit the right note of subtle horror in the first half hour, when they very effectively show the unnatural movements of people in whose bodies the infection is already beginning to spread. That in itself was a million times worse than a string in your mouth. However, what works just as well as the game design is advanced mutated bodies built into the walls. As in the game, I waited for them to wake up from their imaginary dream.
Till Decided: Character Changes
This has certainly been a big topic for several months and it would be hypocritical of me to try to claim that it didn’t affect me in any way. In recent years, Hollywood and the American film industry as a whole have been trying to cope with their “duty to minorities” by playing for “a more diverse audience” and as a result, trying to cast as diverse an actor as possible. in many roles. That’s not bad in and of itself, but I think what helped this defining moment in the game’s prologue was that “playable” Sarah looked so fragile and vulnerable. Series Sarah, on the other hand, seems somewhat bolder and more mature in demeanor and appearance, which in my personal opinion somewhat detracts from the strength of the entire sequence.
I still have mixed feelings about Ellie. Bella Ramsay’s performance is excellent, but she’s just a different type of person than Ellie in the game model – there she was a rebellious freckled redhead, here a sassy pale brunette, who so far comes across as significantly more childish than the game model (ironically, the complete opposite of the cast Sarah). Because we’ve deliberately focused on Ellie’s personality and destiny for most of the game, this new concept is hard for me to get used to, even though the difference is only in the nuances, not the essence of who Ellie is. Or how she behaves. Luckily, Pedro Pascal works more or less exactly as a fan of the game would probably imagine. A very pleasant surprise was Anna Torv as Tess, who is so good that I almost want to dedicate my own spin-off to her – I was so convinced and entertained by her performance.
Ideal for beginners
So, judging by the first episode, the series seems well-done and successfully fits into the strong story of the highly acclaimed original. Because of this, it can be recommended without hesitation to people who have never played games and will not play them – although, in my opinion, the game is a stronger medium, and especially The Last of Us Part I (remake) is best received completely blind if it’s just not a player, this series is the second best choice to experience the story of Joel and Ellie. It’s much harder for fans like me, because they just can’t avoid being compared to what they’ve been used to for years and put a huge portion of their own emotions into. With a very successful deepening of the story, this should also be a major event for fans that they just can’t miss. If only because it kind of fits into the third part of the game series in a mosaic way.
Source :Indian TV
