The Last Of Us

Craig Mazin & Neil Druckmann

8 episodes

The HBO Max series The Last of Us is an adaptation of the popular video game series of the same name that follows Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) during their journey across the remains of America after a fungal infection has caused a global wide pandemic killing millions and collapsing society. The series was adapted by Craig Mazin of Chernobyl fame and Neil Druckmann a writer of the original video game. Combining Mazin’s showrunning brilliance and Druckmann’s knowledge of the original game The Last of Us pulled off what may be one of the best game-to-television adaptations in recent memory. The show became an overnight success amassing viewership numbers that rivaled HBO’s latest hit The House of Dragon and recently the series was greenlit for a second season.

The Last of Us had a nine-episode season an example of HBO’s recent interest in straying from their ten-episode season standard. This was a bold choice considering the show had almost two full episodes dedicated to the back stories of characters that were dead by the end of their respective episodes. The series may have benefited from one more episode as the last two episodes certainly could have used more time, displaying a flaw in HBO’s strategy. Despite the tight pacing, the show’s earlier character-focused episodes display what led to the show becoming a cultural touchstone of 2023. Episode three may be considered one of the better episodes of television to air in 2023 and is sure to become a longstanding part of LGBTQ+ television history. The episode focuses on the character of Bill (played by Nick Offerman) and his unlikely relationship with idealist Frank (played by Murray Bartlett). Offerman’s portrayal of Bill is particularly riveting. Throughout the episode, Bill goes from a survivalist walled off from the world both physically and emotionally to a man so in love he is willing to die for the man he loves. Despite the sad ending, it was ultimately one of the most hopeful episodes of the season capturing the human need for love and companionship.

The season was packed with breakout performances managing to give both well-known stars and fresh faces a moment to shine. For example, Nico Parker’s stint as Sarah was just as impactful as the performance by veteran actress Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen.

Another standout performance was Lamar Johnson as Henry a man on the run with his brother Sam played by the young talent Keivonn Montreal Woodard. Additionally, Storm Reid’s Riley was a particularly poignant performance sure to be remembered by audiences for years to come. While the guest performances were certainly a highlight of the series, they of course were eclipsed by the brilliance of Pascal and Ramsey’s gripping portrayals of Joel and Ellie.

Despite being a post-apocalyptic show The Last of Us is much more focused on the humanity of the characters than action or horror. While HBO certainly spared no expense when creating the fungi-infected creatures that caused many to question their love for mushrooms, the series’ best episodes see the horrifying creatures as mere background pieces. Despite the horrific creatures and action-pack sequences the most gripping aspects of the show lie in Joel and Ellie’s respective struggles to let the other in. Pascal delivers one of his strongest performances to date as the grief-stricken and rage-filled Joel who begrudgingly takes on the job to transport Ellie for a rebel group. As the series goes on, Pascal brilliantly captures Joel’s struggle with his growing paternal affection for Ellie. Ramsey meets Pascal with a career-making performance as Ellie an orphan tasked with carrying the burden of being a possible savior for all humanity. Ramsey captures all of the rage, humor, and fear that made Ellie such a compelling character in the video game. While both Pascal and Ramsey are phenomenal, the magic of the show lies in watching them on screen together. By the final episode, the tension does not lie in Joel’s gunfight or the rug-pulling twist instead, the relationship between Joel and Ellie is the main point of concern.

With two stars as leads, a plethora of guest stars, and an HBO-sized budget behind it The Last of Us is certain to continue to be a powerhouse. Undoubtedly, the series will be on HBO’s rotation following in the footsteps of groundbreaking shows such as Game of Thrones and Succession. While it may be a while before the next season of The Last of Us airs it is clear that the show will remain a cultural mainstay for years to come.

Autumn Andersen

California State University, Stanislaus