The Last of Us (HBO Max)

[GrimCo]

I have cousins and friends who were teens during the siege of Sarajevo(1992-1996), few of them did join defenders. By their own words, circumstances forced them to grow up and mature real fast. It's not really post apocalyptic, just "regular" warzone. Sure, no zombie fungus, just regular human snipers taking shots at civilians. Does it count? If it does, i do know some.

I know, it's a show. It just irks me. Let's call it a pet pevee about characters making very stupid decisions

 

[payn]

Depends how much of source material they have. 4 seasons is maybe streching it, but if S3 also has 7 episodes (or even 6), there could be case made to justify making S4. S2 needed one more episode. If they are going for Abby as S3 lead, they needed to give her more screen time for audience to connect with her character, give us viewers time to start caring about her story. Jumping from one character to another in game is different, cause you control that character, you step into that characters shoes. In shows, you need that emotional build up.

Agreed.

Yep. Acting like regular 19yo today. Not like 19yo that grew up in post apocalyptic warzone fighting to survive and is part of town military force. I would argue that 14 yo Ellie was more mature and level headed than 19yo one. It's not only her though. Dina is in same boat.

The teens being teens in the post apocalypse is a little irksome but it doesn’t feel too out of line. They have been living in a settlement for years that’s fairly isolated.

One can do both. Have anthology and have every seson be strong character driven story.

you are noping out after a single season of Joel dying but think they can do this every season? I think this level of character driven storytelling isn’t easy and why we don’t have 10 last of us games. Eventually you become Walking Dead a franchise zombie.

 

[GrimCo]

The teens being teens in the post apocalypse is a little irksome but it doesn’t feel too out of line. They have been living in a settlement for years that’s fairly isolated.

Like i said, it's just something that irks me and kills suspension of disbelief a bit. That and blatant disregard for orders from higher ups in chain of command. I get it that Ellie is imune to infection. But like Tess told her in S1, she isn't immune to being ripped apart. Yet her and Dina treat it like some game.

you are noping out after a single season of Joel dying but think they can do this every season? I think this level of character driven storytelling isn’t easy and why we don’t have 10 last of us games. Eventually you become Walking Dead a franchise zombie.

I'm noping cause i don't find Ellie particularly interesting any more and Abby wasn't on screen enough for me to get interested in her story.

 

[Velderan]

I have cousins and friends who were teens during the siege of Sarajevo(1992-1996), few of them did join defenders. By their own words, circumstances forced them to grow up and mature real fast. It's not really post apocalyptic, just "regular" warzone. Sure, no zombie fungus, just regular human snipers taking shots at civilians. Does it count? If it does, i do know some.

I know, it's a show. It just irks me. Let's call it a pet pevee about characters making very stupid decisions

Counterpoint: Jesse seems to be a younger man that if I had to guess I would say he is in his early 20s and acts far more mature than the average 20 year old these days. Having served in the military myself and spent time in a warzone, you encounter both types because everyone reacts to things differently. I had younger soldiers who reported to me that I had to constantly remind we were somewhere that goofing around at the wrong time could cost them and the rest of us our lives while others couldn't seem to relax and unwind even when we were in theory safe. It wasn't 4 straight years like your example, but tough environments impact everyone differently and I don't see an issue with a show depicting people in hard situations handling them differently.

 

[TiQuinn]

Ellie really hasn’t had to kill people, only clickers, and her immunity plays a factor in her feeling of invulnerability, which is something that I think any parent or adult often sees in teenagers. She’s also dealing with her anger as well as not having the best role model for that with Joel as well. We’re seeing that change for her now, so I can give that a pass.

 

[payn]

Like i said, it's just something that irks me and kills suspension of disbelief a bit. That and blatant disregard for orders from higher ups in chain of command. I get it that Ellie is imune to infection. But like Tess told her in S1, she isn't immune to being ripped apart. Yet her and Dina treat it like some game.

While in this instance it didnt hurt mine, I can understand the sentiment.

I'm noping cause i don't find Ellie particularly interesting any more and Abby wasn't on screen enough for me to get interested in her story.

I think this just attests to the potential pitfalls of anthologies. I like them, dont get me wrong, but I think it would water down what is Last of Us into which seasons are good and which seasons are not; and there would be not seasons.

 

[GrimCo]

@Velderan

I get it and agree. Having spent few years in army (as 2nd and 1st leutenant in mechanized infantry) i see your point. And know the type. Ones born for scrubbing latrines with toothbrush until they start developing some common sense.

@payn

No matter the format, very few shows can keep up quality season after season. Most of them have ones that are better and ones that are worse.

Don't get me wrong. I think Last of us is solid show. It has potential. But i'm just questioning some choices they made. We'll see in S3 how audience accepts shift to completely new lead character.

 

[payn]

@Velderan

I get it and agree. Having spent few years in army (as 2nd and 1st leutenant in mechanized infantry) i see your point. And know the type. Ones born for scrubbing latrines with toothbrush until they start developing some common sense.

@payn

No matter the format, very few shows can keep up quality season after season. Most of them have ones that are better and ones that are worse.

Don't get me wrong. I think Last of us is solid show. It has potential. But i'm just questioning some choices they made. We'll see in S3 how audience accepts shift to completely new lead character.

Indeed, I think its a gamble and it could pay off, or it could be a lesson in how not to adapt a story.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Finally watched this second season. I found it refreshingly smarter than The Walking Dead, which got dumb probably halfway through its second season. Ellie is exasperating, but it feels to me that her behavior is due to her trauma, much as we learn that some of what Joel does is based on the trauma he and Tommy suffered at their father's hands.

These zombies are way scarier than the walkers, which helps, although I'm glad we're not going to have a show run so many seasons that we need to keep getting progressively scarier zombie scenarios. (And again, The Walking Dead broke down and made the virus airborne at the end of their very first season, which was super-unnecessary.)

A strong tour de force acting and directing wise all around. Isabela Merced, who I first saw as the live action Dora and who was wasted in Superman, is going to be a big star. Also great to see Kaitlyn Dever do something that's not just being a cute teenager; she definitely rose to the challenge of this role and I guess she's going to be carrying a lot of season three.

There were no highs this season that quite compared to "Long, Long Time" in the first season, which wrecked me and my wife, but the Ellie/Joel flashback was extremely strong and I like that it undercut what we thought we knew about their relationship.

Looking forward to season three and then the show wrapping it up, rather than grossly overstaying its welcome, like The Walking Dead did, which was apparently down to one-seventeenth of its peak ratings by the final season.

 

[payn]

Finally watched this second season. I found it refreshingly smarter than The Walking Dead, which got dumb probably halfway through its second season. Ellie is exasperating, but it feels to me that her behavior is due to her trauma, much as we learn that some of what Joel does is based on the trauma he and Tommy suffered at their father's hands.

These zombies are way scarier than the walkers, which helps, although I'm glad we're not going to have a show run so many seasons that we need to keep getting progressively scarier zombie scenarios. (And again, The Walking Dead broke down and made the virus airborne at the end of their very first season, which was super-unnecessary.)

A strong tour de force acting and directing wise all around. Isabela Merced, who I first saw as the live action Dora and who was wasted in Superman, is going to be a big star. Also great to see Kaitlyn Dever do something that's not just being a cute teenager; she definitely rose to the challenge of this role and I guess she's going to be carrying a lot of season three.

There were no highs this season that quite compared to "Long, Long Time" in the first season, which wrecked me and my wife, but the Ellie/Joel flashback was extremely strong and I like that it undercut what we thought we knew about their relationship.

Looking forward to season three and then the show wrapping it up, rather than grossly overstaying its welcome, like The Walking Dead did, which was apparently down to one-seventeenth of its peak ratings by the final season.

Somehow there is still walking dead spin-offs going. A literal zombie franchise.