Post written by contributor Natalie Mundy
This article will contain spoilers for the first episode of HBO’s The Last of Us TV show
The Last of Us has been one of the most hotly anticipated live-action video adaptations for a long time, so the first episode had a lot to live up to given its reputation!
The first episode kicks off in a manner different to the game, starting in the year 1968 with a talk show debate between two scientists and the host talking about fungi and pandemics. This feels timely given the world we live in currently, but it also serves as a way of setting up the virus which kickstarts the apocalypse. This is one of many changes the show has made to its source material, but they all fit the world of the game and then assists those who haven’t played the game to understand the world.
The title sequence for the show is set to the same main theme as the opening sequence in the game and Gustavo Santaolalla’s score is still as effective as the first time you hear it in the game. The sequence also pays homage to the game with the visuals looking similar, but also different at the same time in comparison to the game.
The story then picks up in 2003 Austin, Texas, which sets it a decade earlier than the game, and we also get a glimpse of Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) relationship with his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), something we only briefly see in the game. Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel’s brother, is also introduced whilst trying to steal some pancakes from Joel and Sarah’s breakfast. Sarah is shown to be taking Joel’s broken watch without him knowing before school, which gives us the audience time to connect with Sarah, something players of the game don’t get much of chance to do and only makes everything all the more devastating.
It eventually appears that something is not right in Texas whilst Sarah is getting Joel’s watch repaired as she’s abruptly shoved out of the shop when the repairman’s wife panics over the news and closes the store early. Sarah then visits her elderly neighbour and her daughter where the elderly lady behind her starts to twitch whilst Sarah is picking out a DVD—making for a creep moment! Whilst it is blurred out and the cameras focus is on Sarah, it’s still terrifying to watch as with minimal sound in this scene, it certainly amps up the sense of dread.
In a scene ripped straight from the opening of the game, Sarah gives Joel back his watch. This gave fans such a sense of satisfaction as it shows how much the people behind this show care about the source material and how they’re willing to stick to it whilst making changes along the way. She also gives Joel the DVD she took from the neighbours house, which sees the title reference a line of dialogue in The Last of Us Part 2. Sarah then falls asleep and we’re shown a phone call between Joel and Tommy, which sets us up for Joel not being in the house when Sarah wakes up.
Sarah wakes up a few moments later to loud thuds and flashing lights in her window. She goes downstairs to be greeted by the neighbours dog at the front door. Sarah tries to take it back to its owners, but the dog breaks free and she proceeds to enter the house and almost slips in a puddle of blood. We see one of her neighbours propped up against the wall with a huge bite mark on his neck and the camera and Sarah turns to the side, which gives us our first view of the infected. The old lady shown twitching earlier has turned and tries to go for Sarah, but she escapes and is rescued by Joel and Tommy.
The trio then quickly pile into Joel’s pickup truck and desperately try to make an escape out of Austin through a series of fields. The truck eventually crashes in a manner different from the game as here it’s hit by a flying piece of debris. This crash also causes Joel, Sarah, and Tommy to be split up earlier than the game, however here Joel desperately tries to escape with Sarah, but they are stopped by a member of the US army before they can reunite with Tommy. This leads to one of the most devastating moments in the game and the show as Joel and Sarah are shot at with a bullet hitting Sarah in the stomach. Joel desperately trying to save Sarah, but it ultimately becomes clear she is beyond saving. This moment is still as devastating as it was in the game with Pascal and Parker really nailing their performances.
In the second half of the episode, the story then picks up 20 years later in the Boston Quarantine Zone, just like the game. Joel is shown to be burning bodies that FEDRA, the people in charge, have deemed infected, including that of a young child. This shows us just how much Joel has changed and also how life in the QZ is. We also see our first hints of the Fireflies through graffiti on the wall and mutterings between soldiers about them blowing parts of the QZ up. Tess (Anna Torv) is next to be introduced with her tied to a chair and a swollen eye, whilst also bargaining with a man named Robert over a car battery he was meant to sell to Tess and Joel, but was sold to someone else. An army truck proceeds to blow up right outside where Tess is located and gets caught up in the middle of a firefight between the Fireflies and FEDRA before getting arrested by FEDRA.
Ellie (Bella Ramsey) appears with a chain to her leg and the people who have done this are soon revealed to be the Fireflies. Their leader Marlene (Merle Dandridge) is shown to know Ellie and is the one who ordered her people to chain Ellie up for her safety.
Meanwhile, Joel is trying to get in touch with Tommy over the radio and is told by the operator that Tommy’s last known location is Wyoming. It’s also shown that Joel and Tommy don’t have the same relationship we were shown at the start of the episode anymore. Tess then meets back up with Joel and they decide to get revenge on Robert, something that they do in the game. Joel and Tess head off and end up in a building, which is revealed to be where the Fireflies are located. We see an injured Marlene, bleeding from a gunshot wound thanks to a fight with Robert and his men. Ellie then jumps out of a room and tries to stab Joel, but he overpowers her and makes Ellie drop the knife. Marlene convinces Ellie to calm down and makes Joel and Tess an offer they can’t refuse—deliver Ellie to the Fireflies in a different location and she’ll give them what they need.
The story picks up again later in the night when Joel, Tess, and Ellie are moving in an attempt to get out of the QZ. They eventually get stopped by a FEDRA person due to the fact there’s a curfew and they shouldn’t be out. He tests them for infection, and this is where we get one of the big reveals from the game, Ellie is immune to virus. As Joel, Ellie, and Tess head towards some abandoned and collapsing buildings and we are treated to the sounds of Clickers—an enemy fans of the game would know all too well…
Final Thoughts?
As a fan of the original game, I was pleasantly surprised by this episode since it was both highly faithful to the game, but also deviated in ways that were able to flesh out the world and characters in a way the game couldn’t. It gave us new context to Joel’s actions and gave us a glimpse of how this world is run. Praise should definitely be given to Pascal and Ramsey for their performances since they were both able to make the characters their own, but also kept their performances similar to those of the game. The soundtrack for the episode also deserves praise for being as fantastic as the original game. Whilst some changes did appear confusing at first, the changes were eventually easy to understand and worked well. The trailer at the end of the episode for the weeks ahead gives us a glimpse of what is about to go down, as well as our first look at a bloater!
