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One of the greatest tragedies of the fallout universe is that horses are extinct. And I think I would side with the institute if they made synthetic horses

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(Warning: Opinions + Spoilers) The Last of Us, the video game obviously, is one of the most impactful examples of storytelling I have ever consumed. I'm one of few that really love Part 2. It is one of the most unique, artistic, and impactful stories I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. However, the HBO adaptation falls flat. In an attempt to improve upon the original, the adaptation waters down a story that thrived off its complexity.

When I heard The Last of Us was getting a tv adaptation I was excited! The Last Of Us was the primary reason I bought a PlayStation. Season One, I felt, was a good adaptation to a different storytelling format. It expanded on the story, without taking away key pieces of character and story. The biggest and most effective change being the Bill's Town chapter to the "Long, Long Time" episode. The episode doesn't take away from Joel and Ellie's journey, nor does it fundamentally change Bill's character. Instead it's a new interpretation. "Long, Long Time" wouldn't work well as a chapter in the game, nor would Bill's Town be a great tv episode. Both serve the purpose of getting a working vehicle for Joel and Ellie. The show decides to take this chapter of the game and turn it into a beautiful story about love and hope, in world where these things are hard to find. Bill is still a gruff doomsday prepper with a working relationship to our main character. But now his story doesn't need to rely on gameplay. So it's no longer necessary to have the viewer navigate through a town filled with traps and infected. Instead "Long, Long Time" works to show our main characters that love, hope, and happiness IS possible in this dark world. The show also added moments between Joel and Ellie that worked to show the depth of their connection. These moments don't take anything away from the original story, they merely dig deeper into it. It adds to the overall story without detracting from what it is trying to say or what characters need to accomplish.

This is not to say I don't have some issues with the changes made in the first season. I don't understand the change in timeline, especially considering the usage of "Future Days" in Part 2. It just felt like an unnecessary change that ultimately didn't add anything. I also wasn't a fan of the removal of spores, especially since they're added in season 2, not to mention it's a huge part of a pivotal scene in Part 2. Again a story doesn't need to be a one to one retelling, nor should it be. But it also should only subtract what doesn't work for the medium, and add what deepens the story.

Season 2 was an incredible letdown, and Season 3 seems to be following that same track. I should preface here that none of this is a criticism of the actors who simply did their job. Personally I thought Bella Ramsey's performance, especially that of Season 1, was fantastic. And I think most of the criticism regarding their casting is due to shallow and childish reasons. The issue for me comes from choices made by writing, direction, and even in costume. (Please for the love of god no more slick back, give Ellie her game haircuts). Yes this does include choices made by casting directors. Though again, not the actors themselves.

I'll start with the concerns I saw amongst fans before the season even began, casting. Yes, Abby should be buff. In no way should Lev be played by a cis woman. Certain things are important, or even vital, to a character. Casting Pedro Pascal as Joel is fine because there's not a defining trait that makes Joel, Joel. He could be played by just about any older man. However, Abby's strength is a huge part of who she is. Not to mention she is meant to be physically intimidating. She is physically dominating. Her build reflects how consumed she was with getting revenge. Kaitlyn Dever's performance nonetheless was incredible. But I can't help but mourn what was once a titular part of Abby's character. It was also disappointing to see the show not include Dina's identity as a Jewish person, and as a (seemingly) open bisexual. And choose instead to have her be "just curious." Lev on the other hand, I cannot see past what feels like blatantly ignorant casting. Lev is a transgender boy. This is a key part of his character. He and his sister Yara are exiled because his identity goes against the beliefs of the Seraphites. While running for their lives they run into Abby. Lev's identity as a trans person causes further conflict in the story when he runs off to see his mother who screams and beats him, causing him to fight back and accidentally kill her. The tension created by his identity and culture is a core part of his character, as well as an important plot piece. So why is he being played by a woman? It feels very tone deaf. Not to mention it could be taking the job away from another underrepresented group. And I can't begin to imagine how this might feel to trans youth that might have identified with trans characters. It almost feels like the casting is disregarding his identity. As if by casting a cis woman the show is saying the character's gender assigned at birth is more important than his chosen identity. The representation seen in the game does not seem to be important to those working on the adaptation. Representation is so important, especially for those that feel underrepresented. I'm perhaps not the best voice for this issue, as a cis white woman, but I regardless have been disappointed by the lack of attention the show has put into the story's minority characters. (@Saltchippers on tiktok explains this much better, please check out his video).

Something that makes the storytelling in The Last of Us Part 2 unique is that it is non-linear. It relies on flashbacks and changes in perspective to unveil the story in a really interesting way. As we play the game we are given little puzzle pieces that we didn't even know were missing. And these pieces change how the story impacts us.

In the game information is often revealed through collectibles such as letters and artifacts. Something that doesn't translate easily to a tv format, so it makes sense for the way that information is conveyed to change. Like the character of Eugene, in the game we learn about him through items Ellie finds and information Dina is prompted to give upon our findings. So it makes sense to change this aspect of the story. The viewer doesn't want to watch Ellie read. So this information is transformed into plot points and characters. The character and added scene with Eugene works to create tension between Joel and Gail, and Joel and Ellie. The scene shows us a fundamental difference in Joel and Ellie's characters. We see that Joel would trade truth for comfort, he is willing to lie to someone if it means protecting someone else from pain. Whereas Ellie values honesty, and here she understands that Joel will lie to protect her, and that he will break promises to do so. It reinforces the theme of going to extremes for those you care about. It's also what ultimately cements the rift between the two. This is all to say that some changes work. Although I still wish they would have included the Salt Lake City flashback from the game. Because although the Eugene scene works, it’s only half as impactful as Ellie’s confrontation infront of the hospital. It lacks much of the complexity and inner turmoil from the game. It turns the story into just a revenge plot, when it’s supposed to be so much more (more on this later). In the game Ellie runs off (to another state mind you) to discover the truth about the Fireflies and what happened at the hospital. This doubt and tension has been building for years, and finally Ellie must know the truth. When Joel finds her she is outside the hospital listening to the tape recording, over and over. She is listening to the evidence of Joel’s lies and his brutality over and over again. Her confrontation is full of hurt. Not only is she upset with what Joel did, that he lied to her for so long, she’s upset that she was robbed of making a difference. Ellie says this best herself, “My life would have fucking mattered, but you took that from me.” Upon the confrontation she essentially ends their relationship. The two are divided for years, until the night before his death when Ellie decides she would like to try and forgive him. Let’s also look at the difference between The Porch Scenes. In HBO’s adaptation Ellie’s confrontation and attempt at reconciliation is combined. Which is a great injustice. There is no longer this loss that Ellie later feels for all the years she spent unable to forgive. I’d also like to examine what is said. In the show in response Joel says he’ll pay the price, and that he would do it all over again “because I love you. In a way you can’t understand.” Meanwhile in the game he simply states “If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again.” Now I know I’m really harping on this, but it’s just so much more effective for me in the original. Love is something unspoken, but understood. While it feels like the show has to hammer “the why” into us. The Porch Scene and the Salt Lake City flashback show why it is so important for Ellie to get revenge. It’s not purely for revenge, it’s because she was once again robbed of something that was important to her. She is not given the opportunity to forgive him, and now she has to mourn both what was and what can never be. I cannot properly explain the complexity (today’s buzzword evidently) behind Ellie’s mental state going into the story of Part 2. There is resentment, pain, and there is love and a desire to amend her relationship with Joel. She is not given space to explore these feelings and it is why she is so hellbent on getting revenge. Hopefully I was able to somewhat adequately explain why these differences are so stark, and why the adaptation is lacking so much of what made the original scene so complex, emotional, and impactful.

Now to the next, and perhaps greater, injustice of HBO’s Porch Scene. The order in which it is shown. In the game this is the final flashback we are given, and it is at the very end of the game. It sheds a whole new light on Ellie’s motivations. She had just gotten Joel back, she was going to try and forgive him. There wasn’t bad blood between them at the end, they were on a path of reconciliation. But it was too late, and this adds fuel to the fire in Ellie’s pursuits of revenge. When Ellie remembers this moment during her fight with Abby she is reminded what bitterness has taken from her. It reminds her of her capacity for forgiveness and her ability to move on. It was too late for her and Joel, but she still has time to let go of Abby. This scene also works to remind Ellie of what was good. Its placement at the very end shows how she has come to terms with what happened, as she is finally able to reflect on this moment. It’s very symbolic. Previous flashbacks were shrouded in growing tension, feelings of deceit and doubt. But this final one is of peace and acceptance. In this memory she can see how much he loves and accepts her unconditionally. The show gives us its Porch Scene in the same episode with all the other flashbacks. Which I get why they did this, but I’m still not a fan. The game places flashbacks strategically throughout. In addition to giving us background and more moments with Joel, it also gives the player insight into Ellie’s mental state. She is still feeling that bitterness. Until the end of the game. The show doesn’t sprinkle these flashbacks throughout, instead it throws them all at you at once. And Ellie’s motives are given to us before the journey is even over. The juxtaposition of the scene in the game with the final fight, the path to forgiveness vs the path of revenge, just works so well I have a hard time understanding why they bothered to change it.

Similarly Abby’s motivations are revealed early on and it changes things. Again we are given “the why” too soon. Part of what made Part 2 so impactful was what was unknown. We don’t know why Abby killed Joel, and it adds to the tragdey and horror of it. But when the show tells us why episode one, we can sort of sympathize and understand. This might be controversial, but I liked that the game initially makes it hard to play as Abby. In the game you are supposed to grow to like Abby despite what she did, and not knowing why. Slowly sympathizing with her due to the reveal of information and her relationship with Lev and Yara. A relationship that directly mirrors the one we’ve come to care so much about. Seeing the effects of Ellie’s actions as well as her own. Abby’s story serves as both a parallel and as a warning for Ellie. Abby loses everything because both her and Ellie sought revenge. Again flashbacks work to slowly feed us information, until it drops the bombshell that Abby’s father was killed by Joel.

By hand feeding us information and by not letting its character’s be hard to like, it strips away the story’s complex nature. It doesn’t allow us to sit in uncomfortable feelings. It doesn’t let us be in another character’s shoes. It doesn’t let the viewer come to these conclusions on their own. Instead we understand way too early what motivates these characters, rather than living in the mystery. Ellie (game) never learns why Abby did what she did. And yet she forgives her anyway. Showing us we don’t have to know why to let go and move on. I think the show really takes away from the poetic nature of this by giving both the characters and the audience all the information. Sometimes it’s better to not know.

The final point I would like to rant about is the characterization of Ellie in Season 2. I think it is frankly cowardice to dumb down the character and simplify her in an attempt to make her more likeable. In the games Ellie is intelligent, self-reliant, determined, and she is brutal. Whereas the show has dilebierately dumbed her down. She’s unbothered, childish, over-reliant on her friends. (Again I must state this is not a critique on Bella Ramsey, rather it is an issue with the writing). The “I’m going to be a dad” really sums this up. It is such a dramatic tonal shift. Compared to game Ellie’s “well you’re a burden now.” I personally believe it is due to the writer’s wanting to keep the sweet and childish character we saw in the first season. But it just doesn’t fit here. They are entering a warzone, surrounded by infected, and she just lost Joel. Yet HBO’s Ellie is relatively unbothered. She’s not consumed by a need for revenge, in fact it’s more of a backburner to her roadtrip with Dina. The scene with Nora is the closest we come to seeing Ellie’s characterization in the games. This is the only time she really seems to even care about this mission during their trip. One of the things I find so compelling about Ellie in part 2 is the lengths she will go to, nothing else matters besides finding Abby. This is simply not true for her show counterpart. In the game tragedy often comes as a side effect to the revenge plot, whereas here the danger is due to Ellie’s incompetence. It’s all just so disappointing. If our main character doesn’t care, why should we?

I could go on and on about the issues I see in HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us. But what it comes down to is a fundamental misunderstanding of the story and the characters. I feel it is a genuine tragedy to see such a beautifully compelling, heartbreaking, and poetic story boiled down to its bare bones and stripped of the complexities that made it so impactful. I don’t see a world in which season 3 can come back from this. It’s incredibly unfortunate because I think Season 1 was a wonderful adaptation, and The Last of Us is a game that is very near and dear to mine and many other’s hearts.

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