Enlarge / He appears to be like good…HBO
HBO’s “The Final of Us” season one
View extra tales
New episodes of The Final of Us are premiering on HBO each Sunday night time, and Ars’ Kyle Orland (who’s performed the video games) and Andrew Cunningham (who hasn’t) will likely be speaking about them right here each Monday morning. Whereas these recaps do not delve into each single plot level of the episode, there are clearly heavy spoilers contained inside, so go watch the episode first if you wish to go in contemporary.
Kyle: Up till now, for essentially the most half, I believe the Final of Us TV present has accomplished a great job fleshing out the sport’s story with out actually ruining the important thing moments. That did not actually occur with this episode.
Within the video games, we get a fast minimize from the occasions of episode 6 to Ellie looking wild recreation within the snow. As we take direct management of Ellie for the primary time, we do not even know if the unseen Joel is alive or lifeless.
We additionally do not know something in regards to the mild-mannered stranger named David that Ellie stumbles upon whereas looking. He even looks like a believable Joel substitute at factors throughout the early, amenable elements of their in-game team-up.
Seeing all the pieces from Ellie’s perspective actually heightens the strain and thriller of David’s complete arc, and I really feel just like the present form of ruined that pacing right here.
Andrew: Even with no data of how this performs out within the recreation, I agree that this episode felt tremendous rushed and uneven in a means that makes me extra pissed off about final week’s flashback episode. Not that final week’s episode was dangerous in any respect! However this arc clearly wished one other episode to breathe, just like the Kansas Metropolis arc obtained. As an alternative we now have to cram all these things right into a single hour.
David suffers essentially the most. It’s just like the present wanted to stuff him filled with crimson flags to make it possible for viewers actually didn’t like him or really feel dangerous for him, nevertheless it additionally makes him right into a cartoon character in a present the place a lot of the antagonists have already been a bit flat.
Enlarge / We’re in want of a extra fascinating characterization…HBO
Kyle: The entire preacher subplot is totally new to the present, so far as I can inform, as is David’s baffling imaginative and prescient of a violent teenager as a companion in main the flock. I can see why they wished to provide his flip to cannibalism some grounding, however yeah, it is one other state of affairs the place the crimson flags are a bit too overt.
Andrew: Yeah, in a TV present, there are some locations the place I’m extra keen and capable of droop disbelief—like when Joel goes from laid-out-on-his-back-delirious-with-infection to full-on Rambo-killing-spree within the area of 45 minutes. A extra sensible restoration would take a very long time to indicate and to look at! Bo-ring!
However I didn’t imagine for even one fraction of 1 second that Ellie was in any hazard of becoming a member of up with this creepy fundamentalist/mushroom cultist/child-hitter/cannibal man, and it makes it weirder that the final sequence between them is framed as this massive emotional showdown.
And likewise… this group had lots of different folks in it? The place did they go? A extra natural and satisfying model may need had David’s personal group seeing what a creep he’s and turning on him, quite than a giant dramatic one-on-one confrontation between David and Ellie on the earth’s most flammable restaurant. It doesn’t sound like that’s the way it goes within the video games, nevertheless it additionally sounds just like the character is simply dealt with basically otherwise.
Enlarge / Simply hanging out…HBO
Kyle: Not getting any decision to what occurs to this group of folks that have now had their cult chief violently killed does seem to be a fairly large dangling plot thread.
Here is my fundamental query for somebody moving into contemporary: Did you ever really feel like David was probably only a good man and somebody that Ellie may justifiably belief and/or let down her guard in entrance of? I really feel like the sport went to nice pains to push the participant in that course for some time earlier than the heel flip, and it simply did not work for me right here. Then once more, I knew a few of David’s darkish secrets and techniques from the get-go…
Andrew: I don’t suppose the viewers is supposed to imagine that David could possibly be a great man at any level. The scene the place you meet him is simply too filled with significant appears to be like and ominous pauses, and apparent concern on the a part of the opposite folks locally.
The primary scene the place David and Ellie meet, alternatively—I may see it! David (performed by Scott Shepherd, a reasonably prolific character actor who has a type of “what have I seen him in?” faces) has a sure reassuring avuncular charisma to him. Sadly, we’ve already seen too many Dangerous Man markers from him, even earlier than you discover out that he’s been studying To Serve Man.
Enlarge / That gun appears to be like a bit heavy, Ellie…HBO
Kyle: The place this episode does comply with the video games fairly intently is in leaning extra towards the “torture porn” facet of the equation than any a part of the story thus far. Not that there hasn’t been loads of violence beforehand, however seeing Joel torture and kill two prisoners with none regret and Ellie’s personal almost-chopping-and-revenge actually takes it to a brand new degree. It additionally makes you have a look at each characters in a disturbing new gentle, I believe.
Andrew: Joel is clearly being pushed each by his dawning acceptance of Ellie-as-daughter determine (his “child lady” once they lastly meet again up is extraordinarily loaded) and his established trust-no-one views of life post-apocalypse. However that doesn’t make it any much less uncomfortable to look at. This can be a dated reference, however I used to be reminded of Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer, from the Warfare On Terror-era present 24. Certain, he tortures folks, and certain, he appears only a hair too captivated with it, however he will get outcomes!!
And also you’re proper that Ellie’s butchering of David on the finish of the episode goes on only a bit too lengthy for consolation. I’m simply undecided what to make of it. Certainly Ellie has been traumatized as a lot as she may presumably have to be for story functions. It’s not as if David was shut sufficient to her to essentially betray her. Between the 2 of them, Joel and Ellie do sufficient violence this episode to bitter their tearful reunion a bit. Which isn’t actually the place I wished to be heading into the season finale of a present I’ve in any other case largely favored.
Kyle: There’s undoubtedly a sure “Warfare on Terror” mindset that creeps into the narrative from a long time previous, for certain.
Enlarge / Who would not love a great stealth part?HBO
Andrew: That was the place society ended, one thing the present often references however doesn’t decide at an excessive amount of. We’ve had one 9/11 reference and one Pearl Jam album with lots of anti-Bush stuff on it, so presumably the US had invaded Iraq six months earlier than society fell aside.
Kyle: Now I am questioning if Osama bin Laden’s cave hideout was comparatively secure from the Contaminated. Relies upon how a lot cordyceps-infused flour they imported, I assume?
Andrew: It does form of make me wish to see extra about how the world outdoors the US is dealing with the apocalypse. Possibly we’d have, again within the outdated days of 22-episode seasons.
Kyle: Which will get into what I believe has grow to be a fairly large pacing drawback with the present. Within the video games, new characters would pop in and stick round for some time, and also you by no means knew exactly once they would come out once more (often with a violent dying). Right here, the construction means the sample of “this is a brand new character, they are going to be lifeless by the top of this episode (or perhaps the subsequent one)” has grow to be means too apparent…
All that dying has been constructing towards the large finale, although. With out getting too spoilery, I ponder if you happen to even bear in mind what Joel and Ellie are trekking for/towards at this level, and when you’ve got any massive predictions for the ultimate episode?
Enlarge / Oh yeah, Troy Baker is right here, too.HBO
Andrew: They nonetheless need to get her magic blood out to some Firefly-affiliated scientists! The one factor I’m assured sufficient to say is that they’re lastly going to get the place they’re going, and the scientists are going to finish up being weirdo creeps who aren’t completely on the extent.
I might like to be pleasantly shocked! Possibly the present has settled into this predictable rhythm to make it particularly mind-blowing subsequent week when all of the scientists find yourself being tremendous chill {and professional}.
Kyle: To not set your expectations too excessive, however the conclusion of The Final of Us Half One is what raises it to the extent of “All Time Nice” recreation for me, so I am trying ahead to seeing this staff of actors and producers sort out it.
Andrew: It’s too late, you’ve set my expectations too excessive! If I don’t just like the finale, it’ll be all of your fault.
