The Last of Us: Breaking the video game adaptation curse

When I finally sat down to watch HBO's The Last of Us, I didn't expect to be sobbing less than halfway through the first episode. What a naive fool I was! The Last of Us is the latest addition to the pool of video game adaptations, however, it seems to stand out from its peers such as The Witcher: Blood Origins and Netflix's Resident Evil. 

It avails the advantages of the TV show format to create a unique experience for new viewers as well as for those who are familiar with the video game. 

The Last of Us franchise has one of the best openings that any video game has to offer. When the show was first announced, this was one of the things that I thought the show wouldn't be able to get right. How would the show recreate such an iconic opening? 

As I watched the episode, I was over the moon to see that the show had not only recreated the scene but even improved it. 

The show's expansion does not mean it strays away from the source material. This is especially noticeable in the scene where Joel and Ellie are trying to escape in the truck. The show puts the camera in the vehicle, emulating the game, which means that we get to see all the chaos that is unfolding, from the perspective of the passengers in the truck. 

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For those familiar with the game, it is also clear from early on that the show deviates a bit from the original plot. This can be seen as the show seems to be diving much deeper into the origins of the virus. It will be interesting to see how the show further explores this concept as the show progresses. 

Pedro Pascal, Nico Parker and Bella Ramsey all put in fantastic performances in the first episode. The on-screen chemistry between Pedro Pascal's Joel and Nico Parker's Sarah is completely natural and makes them feel like a real-life father-daughter duo. 

It can be argued that Bella Ramsey's portrayal of Ellie is a bit more aggressive than her character in the original game. However, in my opinion, her hostile behaviour is more a result of having to survive in the brutal world of The Last of Us for 14 years. 

This theme of needing to do morally questionable things to survive can also be seen in Joel's character ever since the outbreak of the virus. It seems the show is trying to tell its audience that this gritty nature is necessary to survive in such an unforgiving world. 

The first episode of HBO's The Last of Us is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions that will leave the audience wanting more. It manages to perfectly introduce one of the best-written stories of all time. Even though I have already gone through the story countless times, I am excited to see what the writers have in store for my favourite impromptu father-daughter duo.

Juhayer Khan is probably watching YouTube compilations of Paul Pogba. Send help at zuhayerkhan24@gmail.com