The long-awaited adaptation of the record-breaking video game has finally made its debut, and it seems like HBO has a new phenomenon to go down in the history of the TV series legends. Now the journey of survival begins with great expectations.
’’Mankind has been at war with the virus from the start. Sometimes, millions of people die, as in an actual war. But in the end, we always win,’’ says Dr. Neuman, a scientist who appears as a guest on a TV program. Then he goes on and warns audiences about another possible threat: "Fungi seem harmless enough. Many species know otherwise. Because some fungi seek not to kill, but to control.’’
In line with this, the opening of the first episode not only explains the scientific background of the series' script but also sets the tone of the show and foreshadows the tension for upcoming events. The decision to draw connections between COVID-19 and the fictional pandemics depicted in "The Last of Us" is both timely and thought-provoking. For that reason alone, it can be said that the premiere has the perfect timing. As we continue to navigate the aftermath of a global COVID-19 outbreak, the memories of our suffering and quarantine experiences are still fresh. This adds a new layer of resonance to the already horrifying concept of biopunk.
Biopunk has already been a horrifying concept, but of course, it hits differently when we have similar experiences. As the popularity of such themes as infectious diseases and zombie invasions increased over time and prominent production in this genre "The Walking Dead" made its final season, it was only a matter of time to bring out a brand new post-apocalyptic show. However, "The Last of Us" has more unique motives and conveys more intense feelings than an ordinary story about surviving fungus-infected zombies.
Ten years ago, when it first came out as a Play Station game, it made a hit with most players through the huge success of cinematic storytelling and world-building. It was suddenly referred to as a masterpiece among the other PS3 games and its brand value highly increased. Since then, there had been many speculations about adapting it into a motion picture, and even casting calls were confirmed, according to some sources. After a long term of disproved rumors and canceled projects, an official announcement was made stating that it will be a TV series distributed by HBO, an American cable television channel that is famous for shows like "The Wire," "The Sopranos" and "Game of Thrones."
The adaptation of the game into a television series has become a hotly debated topic among pop culture media and fans of the game. While many are eagerly jumping on the hype train, others are understandably apprehensive about the adaptation process.
The game has already set a high bar with its elaborately designed cutscenes, intricate settings and well-crafted characters. Adapting such a complex and beloved story to a new medium can be a challenging task. However, with the right approach and attention to detail, the series has the potential to be a worthy addition to the "The Last of Us" franchise.
Most of the fans were concerned that the show might be a poor imitation or a far cry from the source material. Furthermore, other video game adaptations mostly had bad reputations in this respect. Due to these reasons, it seemed barely possible to cover the expectations and satisfy everyone. On the bright side, there were some refreshing facts about the production team as Neil Druckmann, the creator and director of the game itself, had a big role in executive management and he shared the position of showrunner with Craig Mazin, the creator of "Chernobyl," an awarded miniseries premiered on HBO in 2019.
Besides, the series had a star-studded cast, including Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the main duo of the show, Anna Torv, Gabriel Luna and Merle Dandridge with Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman as guest stars. So, we held out hope and kept the hype alive with every new footage and teaser while we were waiting for it. Eventually, the series made its premiere in the first weeks of 2023 and got off to a flying start as a belated new year present for the fans.
To the extent of the first episodes, we can consider this a very loyal adaptation with well-arranged transferring of the storyline and emotive references to the game. Moreover, it can give original vibes through flashbacks, glimpses of the pre-crisis period and other extended cuts that we couldn’t witness from the game. These features make this more than a reiterative script and change the taste of it in glowing terms.
As it can be inferred, creating something different is not always a bad decision. Some elements may need to be portrayed distinctively in some cases, without overdoing it of course. For instance, casting actors who have different appearances from the original characters might be reasonable. But somehow, the choice of casting Pedro Pascal and especially Bella Ramsey seems to intrigue some minds.
Although Pascal didn't reflect the very image of Joel, he had a similar role of a cool father figure in "The Mandalorian," providing him the consent of the fans for being in accord with his character. On the contrary, Ramsey's situation was much more complicated. She is a young actress who has no experience with blockbusters except her minor roles in shows like "Game of Thrones" and "His Dark Materials," in addition she doesn't look like Elli's character. For that reason, her acting capabilities were in question until the premiere of the series. Yet, she gained sympathy from the viewers as Ellie and broke down the prejudices from the very beginning.
Developing a dynamic interaction of the father-daughter relationship between Joel and Ellie was one of the most important things the show must have done properly. Pascal and Ramsey have perfect chemistry, and they can convey the feeling of companionship with their dialogs and even through silent moments between them.
As we discussed post-apocalyptic concepts, deserted towns overtaken by nature and littered with remnants of a past civilization, evoking a sense of dystopia can be witnessed throughout the series. Such environments are common in dystopian fiction and can create a feeling of unease. "The Last of Us" successfully captures this atmosphere with detailed settings and stunning visuals.
Makeup and design of the infected individuals have a huge role as well as production on this subject, without a doubt. Those monsters were depicted inventively in the game, and it is pleasing to see that their iconic portrayals have been preserved in the show. The once-human creatures deformed by fungal infections couldn’t have been more realistic. The fact that there is a grain of truth in the probability of this scenario actually makes it more realistic than ever before. Cordyceps might be a regular type of mushroom to us, but it affects ants as a mind-controlling parasite and it can take over a whole colony of insects by spreading spores. Fortunately, it has no similar impacts on human beings, at least in current circumstances. Even still, there is a minute possibility of Cordyceps evolving in proper conditions and invading our minds one day. It seems quite obvious what would happen at this stage.
At the end of the day, that’s what dystopic fictions are for. They are reminders of potential disasters, never-ending crises and alternate pandemics without any treatments ahead. Some of them just aim to warn us, and some of them dare to give hope. "The Last of Us" has a plot of inspirational themes to spark a ray of hope in a post-apocalyptic world. Perhaps, humanity will be lost in the darkness many times more. But when it happens we will know what to do.
We will hold on to that ray of hope.
