HBO’s The Last of Us, based on the hit 2013 Naughty Dog game, has been burning up the awards season. Case in point, the show won eight awards during last night’s Creative Emmys Awards, beating immensely popular shows like Succession and The White Lotus in several categories.
Chief among those wins are two in acting: Outstanding Guest Actor and Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) won for his role as Bill in “Long, Long Time”, beating out his on-screen boyfriend Frank, played by Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus). Meanwhile, Storm Reid (A Wrinkle in Time) as Riley for “Left Behind”, overcoming Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) and Anna Torv (Fringe).
Other wins The Last of Us received were Outstanding Main Title Design, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup, and Outstanding Special Visual Effects, just to name a few. The show was nominated 24 times this year for the Emmys, which is extremely high for a new show.
Nick Offerman and Storm Reid win big for The Last of Us
Speaking on his win, four-time Emmy nominee Nick Offerman said: “We would not be doing anything but standing around with our thumbs up our asses if Craig Mazin (the showrunner) hadn’t written the most beautiful script I’ve ever been handed.”. Bill, in both versions, is a friend of Tess who survived, for the most part, by himself. That is until Frank, another survivor, shows up in his life and gives it meaning. The show does an excellent job with the portrayal and adds tons of layers to their relationship and character development. It’s one of, in my opinion, the best episodes of any show last year.
Storm Reid, a first-time Emmy nominee, was very humbled by her win, saying “This is proof you can do anything. I’m just a young girl from Atlanta, Georgia.” Reid’s character, Riley, is a friend of Ellie’s in the compound. The DLC for the original Last of Us, Left Behind (also the title of the episode), goes further with her and Ellie’s characters via a visit to an abandoned mall. Even more so, it revealed that the two had a relationship, though it didn’t end well. She gave an incredible performance that captured the nuances of Riley and her relationship with Bella Ramsey’s Ellie.
Keep Going, Baby Girl!
The Last Of Us shocked many fans in that it was just an extremely good video game adaptation. Not only did it take what Naughty Dog created and adapt it, but it went above and beyond to create some of the best TV this decade. A second season is currently in development with hopes to release next year.
The outlook for The Last of Us is extremely positive for the Primetime Emmys next week on January 15. The show is nominated for Outstanding Writing, Directing, Actor (Pedro Pascal/Joel), Actress (Bella Ramsey/Ellie), and Drama Series.
In the gaming world, The Last of Us Part II is releasing a Remastered version on January 19. Players can access new modes, such as Lost Levels and No Return. All in all, it’s a pretty good time to be a Last of Us fan. Well, unless you’re a multiplayer fan.
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