Reply to The Last of Us - HBO TV show (With game spoilers)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I understand why people are finding it boring. You just want more action in your television viewing. That's fine, but this show is doing something else.

The most recent episode was a good example, in my opinion. It's true, essentially nothing happened in the episode. Most of it was a flashback to something we already knew had occurred (Ellie went to a mall with a friend, encountered an infected, and killed someone) and there was basically no progress on the present storyline with Joel. Part of me felt frustrated by that, too, because Pedro Pascal is my favorite thing about the show and it was hard to go without his presence for an entire episode.

But I still enjoyed the episode and really appreciate what they are doing. First off, I think knowing what would happen in the mall with Riley was an interesting way to build suspense and anticipation. The entire time they are in the mall, you are waiting for an infected to appear. It's a pretty classic horror trope applied to a zombie story where it doesn't get used as much (much more frequently used in stories about serial killers, for instance). This kept my attention even as it also felt kind of like torture because, again, I knew something bad was going to happen.

I also found the unfolding of Ellie's and Riley's relationship to be interesting, and it offered more nuanced insight into Ellie's character that I think was valuable and will pay off in the future. This was the first time we got to see her interacting with a peer, as opposed to just adults. I think Bella Ramsey does a great job of portraying Ellie's adolescent discomfort with herself (which I feel as a viewer and it adds to that kind of tortured experience of watching the episode). I liked watching Ellie and Riley engage in a lot of posturing with each other, but still seeing bits of vulnerability peer through. I also found it interesting to contemplate their relationship with the culture represented by the mall -- what would it be like to be born into that world, but surrounded by evidence of more vibrant, safer, exciting culture (also, it should be noted, shallower and perhaps less meaningful). It was thought provoking and I like television that is thought provoking in that way.

If I have complaints about the episode, they are about the somewhat weak plotting/explanations of the Fireflies activities and Riley's participation with them. I didn't find the reveal that Fireflies had okayed Riley inviting Ellie to the mall as shocking because I didn't understand it, really. I still don't quite get what Riley's role in the Fireflies is,[b] or really what the Fireflies are doing [/b](in Boston or elsewhere) really. This felt like mushy writing to me and could have been better.

This show reminds me a lot of other sci-fi/fantasy shows that will bounce between action-packed episodes that drive the plot very quickly, and quieter, talk-heavy episodes that are mostly about character and relationship development, or allow the show to explore some of it's themes in new ways. Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, that kind of show. It also has some DNA in common with Chernobyl, which was Craig Mazin's last show, though TLoU has a broader scope (a global disaster instead of a site-specific one) and a narrower focus (two main characters instead of a more ensemble cast). I think some people watching are expecting something like Game of Thrones (super action-packed, gory, and sexy) and this show is not that. It's something else, which I think is worth watching.[/quote]

They are trying to liberate the QZ, refusing military oppression.  They are as old as FEDRA.  [/quote]

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