Source
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3581920/
- Platform: Prime Video
Rottentomatoes Rating
Season 1 ending was not a quite one since a lot went down and been what the series is, all those actions going to hunt back Joel and Ellie at some point, it also shows the moment Ellie asks Joel if he was telling her all the truth about Fireflies and hhmm we know he is lying, but under that kind of circumstances who is going to judge Joel? he loves Ellie as his own daughter and this deception is most likely their relationship has almost gone down the drain, at least that's how Joel feel like. The episode then shows a new character, Abby, role played by Kaitlyn Dever, who is mourning the loss of her father and friends at the hands of Joel, all Fireflies and the Doctor who Joel head shot when taking Ellie with him. She then promise to find Joel and kill him "slowly" is for sure the biggest threat for them aside from the infected. The time jump to five years later shows us a thriving Jackson community, where Joel works as a construction foreman and Ellie has grown, she is both an exceptional fighter and shooter, she has also cover up her bite marks with a tattoo.
The series keeps doing a great job at balancing most aspects of drama and action, showing how each episode despite how slow or boring might be, turns into a gem without a doubt. You just show Joel and Ellie ignoring themself an entire episode and its already interesting to be honest, there is just something to the characters that make them special, its like they are constantly trying to be hurting someone. Pedro Pascal has shown he can deliver great acting even with a helmet on the hole time and his role as Joel is no difference, a man who is constantly hunted by his past actions and is desperate to protect the person he loves the most, even if she cant stand to be around him. The scene where Joel sits on the porch with Ellie's repaired guitar, only for her to walk past him without a word is a perfect example.
Bella Ramsey brings a perfect mix of teenage rebellion, rage and hurting to Ellie, showing how she's grown harder and more capable in the five years since the series last show her character. The training sequence where she takes down a much bigger and her confident putting down infected during patrol demonstrate her evolution as a survivor and a fighter. Season two also brings in the complex relationship between Dina and Ellie, this is for sure going to bring some awesome drama out of it, evidence of this is how Ellie write on her journal about "fucking up" their relationship.
Besides the infected there is a new threat, its Abby who swore to kill Joel, he killed 18 Fireflies and specifically killed her father cold blooded, she is coming from a long way and out of luck is on Jackson door steps without knowing her target is inside. People often say "don't fear the death, fear the living ones", well that is 100% true for Joel, now been in danger from two sides, the infected ones and Abby. This hole situation creates such a doom scenario feeling at moments where there is a lot of growth within Jason, community is growing together and even celebrating special occasions in what seem to be a time of peace like New Year, part of this happiness is also felt through Ellie and Dina who had a moment and kissed at the party. During this sequence they were also criticize by a man who tells them its a family event, to what Joel didn't like how he speak to Ellie and push him just a bit too hard, creating a scene and putting Ellie on the spot light. There is also a small talk between Ellie and Dina where she says the town should be "terrified" of her, I'm sure her comment must be a reference of what would happen if everyone figures out she is immune.
The story telling of the series remains great as always, where empathy is a crucial storytelling device and it's harder to get viewers emotionally attached to characters whose motivations remain a mystery for the most part, just as an example of this is Abby between grief and desire for revenge showing that kind of moral complex conflict where I'm sure most people can understand her motives.
Overall the first episode is such a strong start for the season, I'm sure there is a part of the audience that might found it boring since there was no real action in it but the drama in my opinion was all over the place, the way the episode puts such emphasis into the new dangers both from humans and infected plays a big role on making it such a good episode, its been a long time without this type of AAA series where every single episode feels like a hit.
I can't say much about the game story adaptation since I'm not a gamer, I'm sure part of it has been adapted to TV, although on the acting department is just exception across the board with Pascal and Ramsey continue to bring depth to their characters how they just cant be happy or at least live without worries, same goes for the new characters who are immediately also falling into this world of danger, I'm so happy The Last of Us is back, with the same intensity and danger just around the corner.
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