SPOILER ALERT: This piece will reveal a key event from the start of the game (and the show).
Since its debut in 2013, The Last of Us has been remastered, remade, and now adapted for television by HBO, who – judging by episode 1 of the new series – have taken some creative liberties with the source material. While this is a pretty faithful adaptation (especially for a video game), the show differs from the game in several ways. While purists might take some issue with the changes, these moments seek to breathe new life into a story many of us have played, replayed, and seen remade.
For many adaptations, time is at a premium, which usually leads to content being cut rather than expanded upon. This is why it was surprising to see that HBO greatly expanded the opening of the story.
Instead of starting on the night of the outbreak as per the game, we begin in the morning. The audience is given more time with Joel, his daughter Sarah, and Joel’s brother Tommy before their world shatters. We hear about the outbreak before we see it, whereas the game threw players right into the thick of things. As we move from morning to night, the grim new reality slowly trickles in.
It’s a smart move on the part of HBO. Sarah gets a lot of screentime early on, and we quickly become comfortable following around this bright girl. If you didn’t know what was coming next, you might think Sarah will be the main focus of the show, which deepens the sense of loss when she’s taken from both us and Joel in a moment of senseless violence. Video game Sarah never got this much attention, for sure.
When the show adheres to the original script of the game, it’s almost hard not to smile. Full scenes are taken right from something many of us have played. For example, when Joel and Ellie are alone together for the first time, Joel takes a nap, and Ellie comments on his watch and how he talks in his sleep. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey manage to recreate these scenes while maintaining their performances as uniquely their own. The actors don’t feel shoehorned into recreating a performance that has already been done. Instead, the performances feel like a natural and new take on something familiar.
Unfortunately, some moments from the game are sacrificed for the sake of moving the plot along. The subplot with the game’s first antagonist Robert is largely cut short. Instead of making a deal over weapons, it involves a car battery. Instead of being killed by Joel and Tess, the fireflies take out Robert off-camera. These are all little changes that help us move the story along at a brisk pace. And while something may be lost, these cuts don’t feel forced within the show itself. Making such changes expedites the heart of the show, which is the meeting of Joel and Ellie. It felt essential that their paths cross in the first episode, and HBO delivered on that spectacularly.
This first episode is a triumph. While there are no guarantees until we see every episode, the show feels as if it’s on track to not only adapt the story of The Last of Us, but enhance the experience for viewers both familiar and unfamiliar with Joel and Ellie’s journey. While this episode was largely faithful to the source material, mostly expanding on it here and there, we’ll most likely see larger changes as the show continues. Given what we’ve seen so far, such changes might be a welcome breath of fresh air in a story that has remained in the spotlight since its debut 2013. Whatever comes next, you can be sure we’ll cover it right here at DualShockers.