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HBO's The Last of Us has been trending among viewers ever since the release of its first episode on January 15 and is being considered one of the finest TV adaptations of a video game to have ever been made.
While fans are thoroughly impressed with how closely the series resembles the visuals of the game, audiences who are new to the premise have also been expressing love for the first two episodes.
HBO's The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, both of whose performances have been widely praised after the emotionally intense first two episodes aired. The cinematography, direction, and pacing of the show are all carefully designed to remain faithful to the video game, making the adaptiation interesting.
Disclaimer: The views reflected in this article are purely those of the author's, which may be subjective.
The Last of Us: 5 best moments from the HBO series so far
1) The Truck Scene (Episode 1)
Apart from the cinematic and technical brilliance that this scene boasts, it is also a solid proof for the fact that the TV series remains as faithful as possible to its video game source material. During the early stages of the outbreak, Sarah, Joel, and Tommy rush into a truck and try driving out of town.
As they drive, the audience, along with the characters, witness deadly infections and are exposed to the true risks and dangers that the infected pose. This scene is therefore crucial to establishing the stakes for the rest of the series and is almost a frame-to-frame adaptation of the video game.
The cinematography with the camera placed at the back of the truck is brilliant, as the horrific vibe that the game creates when played is successfully recreated through this scene.
2) The Quarantine Zone (Episode 1)
Another closely similar scene from the show is when Tess, Ellie, and Joel manage to escape the Quarantine Zone in episode 1. The repeated obstacles and a strong antagonistic force from the FEDRA soldiers, makes the scene one of the most tense moments in the whole game. The show uses the exact same cinematography techniques to make the scene as similar to the game as possible.
The way this scene uses lighting is very interesting as it is full of gun shots and darkness; the setting is very dark, hence the makers use a variety of lighting techniques to complement the tone of darkness. Like the truck scene, this also establishes the FEDRA soldiers as part of the resistance forces and introduces the high stakes that the characters are in for.
3) The action in the museum (Episode 2)
The production design at the Boston Museum, as shown in the second episode of The Last of Us, is some of the finest in television history. The series boasts how little it borrows from the post-apocalyptic narratives of the past and hence, the setting is rather unique and has a beauty of its own amidst the horrors that it holds, making it a tense, dual atmosphere.
The Boston Museum is at the center of the second episode of HBO's The Last of Us, its interiors strongly resemble the museum from the game and are proof of how much work went into the pre-production of the film. While the Clickers are the main source of horror in the museum, the setting itself is scary in itself.
Every shot inside the Boston Museum adds great value to the episode and the story it tells.
4) The scene on the rooftop (Episode 2)
While previous scenes in the museum and in the truck reveal the larger worldly stakes for the characters in The Last of Us, the scene with a dialog exchange between Joel and Ellie establishes the emotional and spiritual stakes for the two of them. It also features a shot of now ruined Boston, taken exactly from the game and devastating nevertheless.
While this scene of The Last of Us features Joel asking her how she felt after going into the museum, Ellie simply responds about how majestic the view from up there is, making the characters the most human in the two episodes and reinforcing the beautiful characteristics of the city amidst which the many horrors thrive.
This scene, too, is a bit-by-bit remake of the game.
5) Tess dies
This one is probably the most controversial moment from both episodes of The Last of Us. While most other scenes were passionately praised by fans of the game, the makers of the series did deviate slightly from the game by altering the visual that depicts Tess' death. At the end of episode 2 of The Last of Us, she is horrifyingly kissed by the infected.
While there is a lot of debate about whether or not the graphic scene and a deviation from the game was necessary, the kiss does inevitably make Tess' death all the more impactful as we are left in anticipation for the events that would follow.
In the game, however, Tess is encountered by FEDRA soldiers and not the infected.
The third episode of The Last of Us will premiere on HBO Max on January 29, 2023.
