The Last of Us episode 1 review: Recap, Easter Eggs, questions

Record-breaking Rotten Tomatoes review scores, the curse of a broken computer game adaptation, and an epic rival HBO series House of the Dragon For brutal and shocking moments.It’s easy to see why Last of Us Even in January, it’s already being talked about as a potential TV show of the year.

Episode 1, When You’re Lost in the Darkness, will be very familiar to players of the classic PlayStation game, but author Craig Mazin (Chernobyl).

Here are the five major topics, Easter eggs, and burning questions we have after The Last of Us Episode 1…

It took them one episode to shatter all the toxic criticisms of the choice of Bella RamseyPedro Pascal and the rest of the TLOU cast cast for reasons such as having the wrong hair, the wrong eyes, etc.

What sets TLOU apart from many other computer game adaptations in the past is that when fans talk about the game, they mention the characters, relationships, and emotional impact of the storyline above all else.

Yes, a horrific fungal infection is causing apocalyptic events. So the main character is surviving in a world plagued by flesh-eating, skin-crawling zombies. But it’s secondary to the bond between Joel and Ellie.

Pascal, 47, captures every side of Joel, the man whose heart was torn apart by the death of his daughter Sarah on the first day of the pandemic. Silent pain, anguish, heartbreak. Brutal strength, burning soul, intensity spilling over into violence.

TLOU’s success depends on Joel and Ellie’s relationship, the nature of love, and how love controls our actions. And it can only truly succeed if actors like Pascal and Ramsey have the chemistry to match the most intense kind of love.

Show writer Craig Mazin’s lines sum up Joel and Ellie and the series as a whole. “This is a love story, and it’s not good.

Speaking on HBO’s official podcast, The Last of Us, he added:

The Last of Us: Surprising trivia about the TV show

The part of Episode 1 that wasn’t included in the game was the series’ opening sequence, with John Hannah playing an epidemiologist. A 1963 talk show warns that the greatest pandemic threat to humanity is fungi, not bacteria. .

Not only is it impressive that the show manages to give Hannah a five-minute cameo appearance, but this additional detail on the origin and outbreak of the disease adds a few layers of terror to the series.

His vivid (and accurate) description of Cordyceps invading living things not only leaves us shivering, but taps into the post-corona sense of dread we all have.10 years ago The feeling that was only seen in movies now feels all too real.

Craig Mazin fought to get the show featured on the talk show scene. It’s a theme he successfully performed at Chernobyl and is seen playing again at the premiere of TLOU. The concept of people ignoring dangerous threats to civilization and turning a blind eye. Connect the dots to real-world events in 2023.

Episode 1 was all about post-pandemic scare, but also included some great jump scares.

Nico Parker is our guide to the pre-apocalyptic world as Joel’s daughter Sarah.

We see the slow beginning of apocalyptic events unravel around Sarah’s ordinary day. Until everything fell apart in a horrific way.

And it starts with Mercy, the Adler family’s sheep dog who lives next door.

The frightened dog learned that something was going on at Adler’s house in Sarah’s presence, and his barking and scratching had us hooked on what would happen next – that dog. Please give an Emmy Award to

The scene where Sarah discovers the Adler family being munched on by an elderly relative (in the background of the previous scene, an old lady can be seen ticking and flexing her jaw) is unforgettable. A proper TV show.

Refusing to be drawn into an emotional attachment to a girl the same age as his late daughter, Joel does his best to keep his distance from Ellie during their early meetings.

But in the show’s shocking final sequence, where Joel, Tess (Anna Torv), and Ellie face soldiers, the PTSD from what happened with Sara kicks in and he unleashes a pounding of fists and bloody knuckles. .

The similarities between the two scenes, Joel’s fiery intensity, Ellie’s reactions, all come together in a powerful, bloody moment. It gives us a glimpse into what’s going on inside these characters, and also provides a grim warning of what’s to come.

If you’ve never played TLOU, then watching Episode 1 doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re missing something. However, it did provide some cheeky Easter eggs for fans who were sneaked throughout the episode.

Here are some examples:

• Firefly pattern on Sarah’s pillow
• The Curtis and the Viper 2 DVD that Sarah and Joel Watch – A fictional film referenced in the game’s emotional moments
• The Hurricane Drops band t-shirt Sarah is wearing is the same as in-game.

Another significant nod to the game is the use of Depeche Mode’s classic Never Let Me Down Again in the closing sequence.

speak in HBO Official Podcast, Craig Mazin explains: Take something bright, cheery and optimistic to get this dark undertone.

Regarding song choices, he added: What he was singing was drugs. It’s a song about addiction. Ellie is about to get in the car with his best friend, but he’s dangerous. Joel is about to get in the car with his best friend. He still doesn’t know she’s his best friend. they are again Then they are not.

The writer also teased that we’ll be hearing the song again in a different way later in the series.

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