The Last of Us: From Game to TV Show | TCG

The first episode of The Last of Us series gave a vivid glimpse of a prologue adapting the game. But how far will the series go?

Find out here

Naughty Dog’s live-action horror game reflects a post-apocalyptic scenario in the game, which is now portrayed through a game series. Fans were eagerly waiting for this series to come out as they wanted to see how well HBO has performed with portraying the actual gameplay on the reel. But did it live up to the expectations?

In this article, TCG brings you an overview of the first episode of The Last of Us series and what yet to expect from the upcoming episodes of the TV show.

So, if you have not watched the first episode or played the game yet, beware of the spoilers.

The Last of Us Storyline Overview

The Last of Us series is categorized as an action-horror drama featuring a post-apocalyptic scenario of chaos. The plot takes place 20 years later an infectious fungus virus destroys the human species. In simple words, I would call it a zombie apocalypse that seems more similar to the events that occur in Resident Evil.

Joel from The Last of Us Show and Game

The game and the TV show revolve around two main characters, Joel, a lone survivor in his 50s, and Ellie, a 14-year-old girl. Before playing the game, I felt both characters shared more of a father-daughter connection. However, it was a more emotional journey about the duo’s survival.

The TV show did a fairly good job of staying true to the storyline. Starting from the prologue, Joel and his partner Tess try to steal and smuggle to survive in the challenging times.

While the action seems to roll, the duo sets to smuggle Ellie to save her from the quarantine zone. For Joel, saving Ellie seemed more like a job. But as far as I have assessed, Joel and Ellie’s journey later on turns into an emotional journey while traveling across the country for their survival.

Ellie from The Last of Us Show and Game

The Last of Us HBO Cast

The following list shows the characters from the Last of Us HBO show and the actors who played them right next to it.

How the Last of Us TV Show Relates to The Original Game?

The Last of Us TV show is based on its first game title, originally released on the PlayStation 3 in 2013. Sharing my opinion on The Last of Us first episode, the show seems promising to keep the game’s original storyline relevant in the TV series.

Let me share what I have noticed so far.

Sarah’s Death

For starters, Sarah’s game-matched death from episode 1 gave me an emotional flashback to the original scene from the game. I remember this scene more vividly than any others from the original The Last of Us video game, and HBO portrayed the original game with 100% accuracy.

The death scene from the original game and the TV show portrays Joel and Tommy taking Sarah away in their vehicle while driving away from a chaotic town. The car face’s an accident, and Sarah’s leg breaks due to heavy impact.

The death scene follows as the soldier waits for the command to execute Sarah and Joel while they rush away from the infectious zombies. However, Tommy arrives and saves Joel from getting shot by the soldier, and Sarah dies in Joel’s arms.

The whole scene from the TV show reminded me of the game where I experienced the emotional death of Joel’s daughter Sarah. Fans reacted similarly to Sarah’s death in the TV show and burst out on social media, leaving emotional posts and reactions.

Such a response confirms that the shows’ creators have lived up to their promise of closely working with the HBO production team to bring the original adaption of the game to the reel. Fans discussed their feeling on The Last of Us Reddit, admitting that the TV show hits the same as events from the game. Right in the feels!

Well, the death scene was the first and most accurate presentation of the game’s adaption in the TV show. According to my assessment, there were other appearances of characters and sets of events that did not seem perfectly accurate. Let us take a look at them.

The Cordyceps Infection Concept

The virus concept was way off the line in the show compared to the game. According to the Naughty Dog developed game Cordyceps virus is spread from the bites of the infected ones. Moreover, it can pass from person to person via airborne spores.

Cordyceps Virus Host in The Last of Us

In the show, the concept seems a little different from the original game as the infected ones spread the virus through plant-like vines from their mouth to infect others, which seems more like a fungal infection.

The creators of the season have chosen to take care of every possible as to make the clickers sound, they invited Misty Lee and Philip Covats who did it originally for the TLOU game.

New Characters

The episode 1 of the Last of Us show, I also saw some new characters playing the same role but perhaps with different names. In the game, Joel and Sarah had a neighbor named Jimmy Cooper. On the other hand, I found two neighbors in the show named Connie and Danny.

New Characters in The Last of Us TV Show

I also discovered some additional characters from the Last of Us show who were nowhere to be found in the game’s storyline, such as Kim, a FEDRA guard, a radio communication guy in Boston, and Marlene’s right-hand woman. These characters have only made the Last of Us show more interesting compared to the game, which is quite an improvement from the entertainment aspect.

The Last of Us Creators on Show’s Plot

The promise of bringing the game’s original plot to the TV show was also confirmed by one of Naughty Dog’s co-president Neil Druckmann, in an interview with IGN. The creator mentioned that The Last of Us HBO TV series will be similar yet different in many aspects from the original game.

According to my assessment of the interview, the TV show is more focused on highlighting the characters’ storyline rather than the hardcore action that can be experienced in the game. The creators also mentioned that many events and dialogues in the TV show deviate far from the original ones but in a more enhanced and improved manner.

Will There Be a Season 2 of The Last of Us Show?

The Last of Us parts 1 and 2 are available for new-gen consoles like PlayStation 5, indicating that the storyline may lead to a 2nd season. Neil Druckmann did mention to the Hollywood producer that the show’s story will not expand beyond the original game’s storyline.

However, there is no confirmation from HBO on the release of the second season, so let us enjoy the series and see how it goes with the plot of the original game.

Final Words

Less action and more storytelling are expected since The Last of Us franchise are now focused on HBO Entertainment rather than Sony gaming Entertainment on PlayStation. Moreover, The Last of Us series has to compete with other TV shows or movies in the action-horror genre. Therefore, a thrilling plot deviating from the original storyline is expected, which could get better for first-timers.

Eiswan
Eiswan

Hi there! I’m a passionate content creator and gamer. Being devoted to making a difference through my publications, I chose to blog for a career to share my knowledge and expertise in gaming technology. Compiling my tech knowledge and gaming experience, I am here to bring you the latest updates and news from the gaming world. Follow me on Twitter .

Articles: 427

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *