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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 20, 2023 21:18:11 GMT -5
I think it is fine way they did it since it happened in the game as well Just not much you can do that wouldn't be filler. The emotions hit hard because this is the first time we have seen Joel emotional. He is meeting with is brother for first time in years and he has never properly grieved anyone not even Tess. He feels his limitations is starting to hit considering his age and he didn't want to be reason she died cause he is slipping up I'm not the biggest fan of the word 'filler' because it has no coherent, agreed-upon definition. Some people think talking and characterization is filler when they want something that gives them action. Other people think action is filler when they want something that gives them talking and characterization. And even then, it's not so black-and-white, either/or. What I would argue is that what may be filler in the context of a TV show like The Last of Us is what we might call gameplay and interactivity in the context of a video game like The Last of Us. The gameplay stuff is obvious: pushing buttons and moving sticks to get the avatars to do things. In the video game, Joel often shoots, stabs, clubs, and chokes his way out of many problems. The player may not have to do all of these things all of the time, but these actions do make up the core gameplay loop of The Last of Us. But experiencing the time of the gameplay also allows for a different kind of interactivity that TV shows and movies can't do. Some things in the game go faster or slower depending on if the player chooses the silent or loud approach. Or the kill or no-kill approach. Or the collectable-finding or speed-running approach. Whichever approach the player chooses feeds into the many action sequences that make up as much of the time the player spends with Joel and as Joel with Ellie. And vice versa, the action sequences also inform which approach a player may take at any one point in the game. All this is just a long way to say a video game is a video game, and a TV show is a TV show, and one can't be the other. But because of this fact, in the showrunners' efforts to adapt the video game, little things, that were gameplay that leads to cutscenes or cutscenes that lead to gameplay, fall by the wayside, and we, as an audience of the TV show, lose some of that context. Last week's episode cut an action sequence from that part of the video game that I felt was important to how the player relates to the characters. And this week's episode cut 2 (actually 3) action sequences of the game that punctuate the emotion of the story at that point in the game. {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}From last week's episode, we lose the part from the game where, in the sewer tunnels just outside Pittsburgh, the game swaps Ellie for Sam, which was preceded by the tense moment when Henry and Sam leaving Joel and Ellie to run from the armoured gun truck. While the NPC switch doesn't change anything about the gameplay, I think the player feels on edge because Sam is an unknown quantity as an NPC when we've played with Ellie for a few hours now. In kind, we should be thinking about getting back to Ellie ASAP because she's the NPC we know the most and the NPC we care about the most. We, as the player, should be feeling protective of the NPC as much as we, the player acting through Joel's avatar, is feeling protective of Ellie. This part of the game should also get us to connect more emotionally than Henry and Sam over the course of their appearance in the game. More time + more dangers = possible deeper connection, presumably.
From this week's episode, first we lose the fight at the dam. I don't think the gameplay here is remarkable, but it does show that even this great place has to fight to survive, and in the cutscene just before the fight, Tommy's line to Joel about how Joel probably still knows how to kill, and Joel's world-weary acknowledgement that he does still know how to kill, should illustrate, or at least suggest, just how much shit Joel has done for Tommy to want to get away from his big brother.
We also lose the fight at the ranch (and a fight in the forest on the way to the ranch) that comes after Joel and Ellie have their first real heart-to-heart conversation. I think Troy Baker's performance of this scene was better than Pascal's, and the cut line, "Ellie, you are treading on some mighty thin ice here," shows how much Ellie means to Joel at this point in the game, which is why he's trying to push her away in the first place! So the fight at the ranch also allows for some catharsis after this big emotional moment between Joel and Ellie. It also literalizes one of the themes of the game: do what you can to protect the people you love and care about, and we see Joel kill a bunch of people to prove exactly that. All this stuff I think ties into my earlier murder-dad vs. dad-dad point, and especially if the first season ends at the end of the story of the first game. If that happens, I can predict most people's responses will be in agreement with the characters. But I like that the game ending can be taken much more ambiguously depending on how one plays as Joel, and whether they agree with or identity with his actions (and quite literally, the gameplay that makes Joel's actions happen). Having more time to watch the characters be together and to spend time with one another would go a long way in helping the ending land the way it does, whether one agrees or disagrees with the characters and their choices. And just for the here-and-now stuff to see Joel and Ellie become a surrogate father-daughter pair. The show works well enough, it sticks the landing of what it needs to do, but when adapting these smaller emotional beats that the game and the gameplay capture so well, this just means that the show could be better yet. In regards to what you are saying {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}I really don't think all of that is needed. Joel has still killed a bunch of people to keep Ellie safe
Joel just showed his first bit of emotions the whole series this episode. He does not have to be a vicious murderer 24/7 (which is what he has been) to really get that point across
Also Joel decision at the end of the game was one of selfishness that they did not try to hide behind.
This episode made something clear that could look bigger in the end. He gave Ellie a choice to stay with him which she did. Sans one episode, we have spent almost every moment with Joel and Ellie. The silly little banter in between their rides as we just saw this episode is more than enough to show us they do this every ride and have been doing it for months. Her disobeying him is more seen as a cute annoyance than outright insubordination. Pascal as Joel has done a lot of good things just with his facial expressions that they couldn't do in game first time around. An example of last of the panic in his eyes when the child clicker jumped in the car with Ellie and the relief that she got out safely. There is a lot of little things that are being missed and looked over The dynamic is the same but different from the game which I am fine with |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 20, 2023 21:20:34 GMT -5
I will say the show has done the impossible
It has made me want to play The Last of Us Part II again
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Post by Killah Ray on Feb 20, 2023 21:29:54 GMT -5
This week is gonna be rough…I’ll be coming home from Disney so I may have to wait a day or two before I make myself feel like shit while watching it.
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Renslayer
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
every time i come around your city...
Posts: 17,473
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Post by Renslayer on Feb 21, 2023 0:00:07 GMT -5
I will say the show has done the impossible It has made me want to play The Last of Us Part II again Was the game mid? I've watched some videos on youtube of the game and it looked pretty good |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 21, 2023 0:02:15 GMT -5
I will say the show has done the impossible It has made me want to play The Last of Us Part II again Was the game mid? I've watched some videos on youtube of the game and it looked pretty good No. The game was really damn good Problem is, the game is just stressful and does not let you breath. Think of last episode with the bloater, clickers and runners except that is 75% of the game |
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ayumidah
Patti Mayonnaise
DOOM TIME!!!!!
Posts: 31,581
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Post by ayumidah on Feb 21, 2023 2:06:11 GMT -5
Yeah, game 2 was very, very intense.
As for the differences between the game and the show, well, it's a lengthy video game getting made into a nine episode season. They can't do everything, but I think the things they have done, they've done very well and I'm eager to see how the last three episodes (nooooooo!!) go.
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agent817
Fry's dog Seymour
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Post by agent817 on Feb 21, 2023 16:23:24 GMT -5
Like other posts, I have to go in depth. This won't be without spoilers, either. {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}So it didn't just go into the autumn season. Maybe the previous episodes were in autumn and not summer like in the game. Fine with that, but when I saw that it was already winter, I figured that it was going to mix seasons.
So it showed when Joel and Ellie finally got to Jackson that it was snowy and stuff. I liked how the community area was done to look like how it did in the second game.
The scenes with Ellie and Maria, and also the ones with Joel and Tommy, they worked better here. It didn't have to break into a shootout with cannibals or hunters like it did in the game. However, I am not sure if I missed something (please correct me if I am wrong), but I would have liked a small callback to the photo of Joel and Sarah. I noticed the flashback bit, which got me a little choked up.
Then came the part at the university, which was really just the ending to the episode. Much shorter than I expected, but there really wasn't much to that part to really adapt except deal with bloaters and clickers, as well as the cannibals towards the end. Works better in a game, but in the show, I was fine that it was shortened.
I have read that the next episode will be based on "Left Behind." I can only sense that it will touch on Ellie and Riley's friendship and their adventure in the mall. But with how the episode ended, I wonder if it will also adapt the other portion of "Left Behind" with Ellie in that other mall trying to find first aid for Joel while also dealing with the cannibals. I suspect the eighth episode will have David. Oh, how I wonder how that will go.
Also, in that scene when Ellie and Joel talked to Maria and Tommy, did anyone suspect the girl who stared at Ellie was Dina? A lot of fans, including myself, believe so! |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 21, 2023 18:50:56 GMT -5
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Post by Killah Ray on Feb 21, 2023 19:08:22 GMT -5
Like the Starbucks cup in Game of Thrones, how aren’t these things caught in post? |
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Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Feb 21, 2023 20:03:47 GMT -5
So, the only thought I've had watching this show is that, while I get why it's done, the more time Pedro Pascal spends under a helmet in the Mandalorian, the more potential they're squandering for some good shit.
He is fantastic. One of the best micro expression actors I've ever seen.
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Post by The Captain on Feb 21, 2023 20:09:46 GMT -5
Was the game mid? I've watched some videos on youtube of the game and it looked pretty good No. The game was really damn good Problem is, the game is just stressful and does not let you breath. Think of last episode with the bloater, clickers and runners except that is 75% of the game I've seen people call TLOU2 the best game they never want to play again. It sounds really accurate.
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 21, 2023 20:16:10 GMT -5
No. The game was really damn good Problem is, the game is just stressful and does not let you breath. Think of last episode with the bloater, clickers and runners except that is 75% of the game I've seen people call TLOU2 the best game they never want to play again. It sounds really accurate.
Pretty much Like, it is a game everyone should play thru. Combat, story everything about the game grips you in. But it takes a lot out of you. After an hour i'd put the controller down |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 21, 2023 20:20:21 GMT -5
Like other posts, I have to go in depth. This won't be without spoilers, either. {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}So it didn't just go into the autumn season. Maybe the previous episodes were in autumn and not summer like in the game. Fine with that, but when I saw that it was already winter, I figured that it was going to mix seasons.
So it showed when Joel and Ellie finally got to Jackson that it was snowy and stuff. I liked how the community area was done to look like how it did in the second game.
The scenes with Ellie and Maria, and also the ones with Joel and Tommy, they worked better here. It didn't have to break into a shootout with cannibals or hunters like it did in the game. However, I am not sure if I missed something (please correct me if I am wrong), but I would have liked a small callback to the photo of Joel and Sarah. I noticed the flashback bit, which got me a little choked up.
Then came the part at the university, which was really just the ending to the episode. Much shorter than I expected, but there really wasn't much to that part to really adapt except deal with bloaters and clickers, as well as the cannibals towards the end. Works better in a game, but in the show, I was fine that it was shortened.
I have read that the next episode will be based on "Left Behind." I can only sense that it will touch on Ellie and Riley's friendship and their adventure in the mall. But with how the episode ended, I wonder if it will also adapt the other portion of "Left Behind" with Ellie in that other mall trying to find first aid for Joel while also dealing with the cannibals. I suspect the eighth episode will have David. Oh, how I wonder how that will go.
Also, in that scene when Ellie and Joel talked to Maria and Tommy, did anyone suspect the girl who stared at Ellie was Dina? A lot of fans, including myself, believe so! {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}
Yeah, there was no picture of Sarah. Only callback was Tommy and Maria having her name on the board with her own son name there as well as a memorial
Fits into the context since Joel can't even really see her face in his dreams and memories besides that one glance we got |
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ayumidah
Patti Mayonnaise
DOOM TIME!!!!!
Posts: 31,581
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Post by ayumidah on Feb 26, 2023 23:29:09 GMT -5
Joel lacing his fingers with Ellie's about did me in there  What an episode. |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 26, 2023 23:55:50 GMT -5
Another really good episode Really like how the slowed down episodes have really had impact {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}
The episode I been looking forward to most is next |
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lionheart21
Patti Mayonnaise
Once did a thing...
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Post by lionheart21 on Feb 27, 2023 0:02:26 GMT -5
Another really good episode Really like how the slowed down episodes have really had impact {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}
The episode I been looking forward to most is next {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}Same, this next part was arguably the most significant part of the game.
And with how on-point their casting has been, I can expect that David is gonna be every bit as creepy as he was in the game. |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 27, 2023 0:07:36 GMT -5
Another really good episode Really like how the slowed down episodes have really had impact {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}
The episode I been looking forward to most is next {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}Same, this next part was arguably the most significant part of the game.
And with how on-point their casting has been, I can expect that David is gonna be every bit as creepy as he was in the game. {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}
You can tell in his eyes how creepy he is
For how slowed down this episode and in general the series has been so far, next week will pick up (tho I actually liked the slowed down nature and the "Zombies" actually scaring the shit out of people
I feel like they really nailed this Ellie episode and will most likely do the same as this was a big part of her character growth |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 27, 2023 0:08:58 GMT -5
Joel lacing his fingers with Ellie's about did me in there What an episode. His worst fears came true that he would leave her in a f***ed up position and when she came back you could see the love in his eyes. They need each other but also care for each other Joel was willing to die for Ellie cause no way she would got help in time to save him |
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Chiral
Salacious Crumb
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Post by Chiral on Feb 27, 2023 0:13:41 GMT -5
I knew this one would be brutal, it's been forever since I played the Left Behind DLC but I remembered all the beats here. Amazing performances all around. Spoiler from the Ep 8 preview {Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}Next week is gonna be nuts with the David arc. Troy Baker next week too! I also was having the inkling to play Part II again but man that game made me depressed, the gameplay loop just put me in a bad headspace so IDK if I will ever actually replay it. |
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Feb 27, 2023 0:16:57 GMT -5
I knew this one would be brutal, it's been forever since I played the Left Behind DLC but I remembered all the beats here. Amazing performances all around. Spoiler from the Ep 8 preview {Spoiler}{Spoiler}{SPOILER: CLICK TO SHOW}Next week is gonna be nuts with the David arc. Troy Baker next week too! I also was having the inkling to play Part II again but man that game made me depressed, the gameplay loop just put me in a bad headspace so IDK if I will ever actually replay it. Yeah, I said that last week about how the show is making me want to play Part II again Once my PS5 comes back from repair I might actually play it but I also got a lot on my plate so knowing me I won't probably touch it until the Summer. Me considering it is a lot tho since I always said I didn't want to play it again |
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What an episode.
