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[LavitzSlambert]

It was good but nowhere near the hype levels. I think people are just thankful for a good video game show/movie adaptation.


What’s interesting is why they decided to waste time on Sarah’s day when it didn’t do anything for the character. Her few minutes of character development in the game was way better than all the stuff they added in the show. Did we really need to see her going to the watch repair shop and neighbor’s house? Why bother redoing all of that if it’s just going to be worse than the material from the game?

 

[Hoppa]

It was great! They hit the main beats and the new stuff with Sarah was good I thought. The introduction to Ellie was a bit weak though.. I wish they kept the link to Ellie’s mom or had Marlene’s relationship with Ellie developed more but it’s whatever. Strong start, looking forward to the rest!

Also the characters say fuck a lot and it detracts from it a bit like they just added them for shock value?? Idk seemed a bit awkward most of the time

 

[RickSanchez]

 

[Nitty_Grimes]

This starts tonight in UK on Sky.

Think I might just wait a few weeks and watch 3 or 4 episodes in one go.

 

[BaneIsPain]

It was good but still the casting is jarring. Looking forward for next episode.

 

[RickSanchez]

What i had to put up with and hear for 10 years: "This game's story is nothing special. if this was a TV show or movie no one would care...this story has been told millions of times and better. People only talk about this cause of its presentation as a videogame."

The real world NOW with a TV show out there:


Haters just can't win with this IP and it's amazing to witness, lmao.

Sorry but i waited a LONG time to make a post like this and it's here!

i don't even understand the concept of actively hating a piece of media, as opposed to simply ignoring it and moving on with your life which would be far more easier to do

Just watched the first episode. Was great. No complaints. As someone who played the first game recently i spotted the changes but they didnt affect my experience negatively, and people who are watching this without having seen the games should find it seamless. Production value is high. Nothing seemed fake or cheap. Pedro and Bella seem great in their roles.

Also, i love Anna Torv.

 

[SlimySnake]

It was good but nowhere near the hype levels. I think people are just thankful for a good video game show/movie adaptation.


What’s interesting is why they decided to waste time on Sarah’s day when it didn’t do anything for the character. Her few minutes of character development in the game was way better than all the stuff they added in the show. Did we really need to see her going to the watch repair shop and neighbor’s house? Why bother redoing all of that if it’s just going to be worse than the material from the game?

lol this is exactly what i just typed in a WhatsApp chat word to word.

Spending so much time on a character who dies in the first ten minutes of the game makes no sense because here she dies in the first 40. I guess they wanted the audience to think she would be the main chatter and have her death come as a shock but the game already showed that you can do it better in ten minutes.

Overall, its not a bad adaptation but comparing this to chernobyl’s first amazing episode just shows how it doesn’t quite land despite the insane production values. Hell even the cg was really good.

Maybe the second episode is better directed. I hear neil helmed either the second of third episode. Say what you will about Neil but this episode shows just how much better he’s as a director especially when working with the limitations of video game cutscenes. Aside from the plane crash, the game did everything better.

 

[3liteDragon]

One of the best pilot episodes I’ve watched in a long time, solid 9/10. One issue with it is the pacing towards the end, could’ve been a little tighter. Pedro & Bella are pretty much Joel & Ellie, Nico does a wonderful job as Sarah. Everything else is. The production values are insane man, they definitely spent more than Game of Thrones in it’s first few seasons.

Really happy with how this turned out, can’t wait for the rest of the season. I hope Craig Mazin stays on as showrunner until it’s fully finished. You guys gotta check out Chernobyl if you haven’t.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Just as good as the game, imho.

Really faithful and the things they changed I liked

 

[SlimySnake]

For reference, go check the Console Screenshot Thread, I'm literally just after where this episode ends in TLOUPT1 so it's very fresh in my mind
Anyway so after the first episode......
It's kinda what I expected, it's generally like most okay game adaptations (sorry I'm not seeing a big difference here)
Some changes I didn't like, some I did.
Some new stuff I didn't like, some I did.
I'm not a fan of the new story beats they put into it as what they cut was... better imo
but I guess they needed those actors to have more screen time I guess?
Everyone played their roles fine I have no complaints there.
But the look of the show looks kinda underwhelming in comparison to the game.
Like a TV adaptation of Blockbuster Movie.
It looks lower budget and the art direction, lighting etc just isn't there.
That's probably my biggest gripe.
Overall It's okay, could of been better and it could of been a lot worse
Hopefully it does get better later.

Yeah the cinematography is what’s lacking here because the budget is there. The extras are there. The post apocalyptic cg is convincing. The sets look real and not green screen. So the effort is there but it seems the episode is just not well directed. It reminds me of the first hunger games movie which felt oddly off and had a made for TV look to it. They got a great director for the second movie and all of a sudden the world truly came alive. I’m hoping for a similar upgrade here because the budget and potential is there.

 

[TGO]

I also think the way they did the prologue which ends with Sarah's death and goes into the Opening Credits followed by 20 years later in the game was away better then what they did in the show.
In fact a lot it was better directed in the game.

 

[RickSanchez]

Literally was as imagine Ellie would be in real life. Didn’t feel like she was playing a mimic of the game character but a version of her that fits more to a grounder world. Didn’t expect more world building than the game.

I dare say that she sounds somewhat jarringly adult-like in the game, because Ashley Johnson was around 29 when the first game was made. So, if anything, Bella Ramsey's portrayal is more realistic and close to how a 14 year old girl would look like and behave. I can understand it is still difficult to adjust to the change after getting used to Ashley Johnson's performance but anyone who is watching this without playing the game will find it perfect.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

lol this is exactly what i just typed in a WhatsApp chat word to word.

Spending so much time on a character who dies in the first ten minutes of the game makes no sense because here she dies in the first 40. I guess they wanted the audience to think she would be the main chatter and have her death come as a shock but the game already showed that you can do it better in ten minutes.

Overall, its not a bad adaptation but comparing this to chernobyl’s first amazing episode just shows how it doesn’t quite land despite the insane production values. Hell even the cg was really good.

Maybe the second episode is better directed. I hear neil helmed either the second of third episode. Say what you will about Neil but this episode shows just how much better he’s as a director especially when working with the limitations of video game cutscenes. Aside from the plane crash, the game did everything better.

They were definitely going for the non-gamer crowd and to put her death in there as a shock moment, just like how the game did right away. I agree Neil is really great at directing, and it’s kind of funny actually, that I think his experience with games makes him much better than the Hollywood folks. Ironically he can tell a better story in a medium that was not traditionally used for that, compared to an industry he desperately wanted to be in and didn’t get the chance to. The dude has made it and surpassed pretty much every other milestone he would have dreamed about along the way.

 

[TGO]

Also minor nit pick, that didn't look like 2003

 

[Represent.]

Yeah the cinematography is what’s lacking here because the budget is there. The extras are there. The post apocalyptic cg is convincing. The sets look real and not green screen. So the effort is there but it seems the episode is just not well directed. It reminds me of the first hunger games movie which felt oddly off and had a made for TV look to it. They got a great director for the second movie and all of a sudden the world truly came alive. I’m hoping for a similar upgrade here because the budget and potential is there.

Take a listen to the podcast. They said this episode went through some trouble. It was originally 2 episodes but they shortened it to 1 and had it end differently. Seems like the show really hits its stride in the later episodes.

 

[TGO]

I dare say that she sounds somewhat jarringly adult-like in the game, because Ashley Johnson was around 29 when the first game was made. So, if anything, Bella Ramsey's portrayal is more realistic and close to how a 14 year old girl would look like and behave. I can understand it is still difficult to adjust to the change after getting used to Ashley Johnson's performance but anyone who is watching this without playing the game will find it perfect.

I think Bella actually sounded similar?
So good job Ashley & Bella ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The only realistic thing about Bella is she definitely don't look like the type to have a boyfriend
Nah seriously she did a good job

 

[solidus12]

So no gas masks at all? Could've been nice to have them for a scene or two.

 

[remember_spinal]

Also minor nit pick, that didn't look like 2003

Which part? I didnt see anything that looked off

 

[SlimySnake]

I think Bella actually sounded similar?
So good job Ashley & Bella ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The only realistic thing about Bella is she definitely don't look like the type to have a boyfriend
Nah seriously she did a good job

Bella is fine. She wasn’t bad but i didn’t fall in love with her immediately like i did in the game where she actually gets the jump on Joel and is cute and funny from the get go. I wonder if it would’ve been better if they had cut the new scenes with her and had her show up for the first time attacking Joel. Far more memorable an interaction than the test count to ten scenes.

My god that first game was perfect.

 

[remember_spinal]

She wasn’t bad but i didn’t fall in love with her immediately like i did in the game

 

[Ronin_7]

Absolute masterpiece, this will send TLOU into the stratosphere.

TLOU 3 confirmed also.

 

[vpance]

The beginning part with Sarah was pretty well done, but cut short on action compared to the game. Guess that's going to be a continuing thing, but maybe it's to be expected. Some things are just going be done better in the game. Appreciated all the Atmos effects too.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Can't wait to finish work! Might even pay the extra to now TV to get the boost in quality.

 

[Slothbeing1209]

Some thoughts from people haven't played the game. Pretty positive!

 

[kittoo]

Also im happy to say that the quality on HBO Max was actually pretty good. Still not Netflix or Apple TV crisp but very solid. Solid Dolby Vision.
Everything looked amazing on my OLED and holy fuck am I happy I bought a new audio set up recently. Shit was singing.

Yeah this is a really good HDR showcase for OLEDs (and other TVs too, I am sure).

 

[Tomi]

So overall

Absolute masterpiece, this will send TLOU into the stratosphere.

TLOU 3 confirmed also.

Tlou 3 confirmed?
Where?

 

[skneogaf]

It's absolutely awful, the changes have ruined the story and the actors are completely wrong.

Why is Sarah 6ft tall?

 

[Fahdis]

Why does Rotten Tomatoes matter all of a sudden? The pilot was good but my favorite part was the MP music inclusion in one of the seasons.

 

[GooseMan69]

It's absolutely awful, the changes have ruined the story and the actors are completely wrong.

Why is Sarah 6ft tall?

Ok manlet

 

[Lunarorbit]

Damn... Gonna have to find a way to stream this later today. I was at my saturation point with tlou as it's been glowed up so much but I'll be watching this much quicker than I thought

 

[RPS37]

Bro’s, it’s mad good.
Keeps tempting me to play Part 1.

 

[elcapitano]

I reckon they should have released it in PC today instead of at the end of the show. Who knows if the show will keep momentum after all.

I'm noticing Part 2 and the remastered are selling quite well based on the PS Store best selling list and on Amazon.

 

[elcapitano]

Absolute masterpiece, this will send TLOU into the stratosphere.

TLOU 3 confirmed also.

Who confirmed TLOU 3?

Like it makes sense to do it next so the show can also continue but I've not seen it confirmed anywhere

 

[ShadowNate]

Oh yeah, this was good. So happy it got off this great and close to the original story.

Hopefully the rest will not disappoint.

 

[Hugare]

It was good but nowhere near the hype levels. I think people are just thankful for a good video game show/movie adaptation.


What’s interesting is why they decided to waste time on Sarah’s day when it didn’t do anything for the character. Her few minutes of character development in the game was way better than all the stuff they added in the show. Did we really need to see her going to the watch repair shop and neighbor’s house? Why bother redoing all of that if it’s just going to be worse than the material from the game?

Watch repair shop served as world building. See glimpses of the world already falling apart with the police cars passing by, the woman from the shop rushing her out of it and etc.

Neighbor's house was one of my favorite scenes of the pilot. Grandma twitching on the foreground was creepy af, and the dog staring at her later ...

It also serves to make you more tense when Sarah enters their house later on.

More time with Sarah was necessary because you are passive, not actively controlling her like in the game. They want you to sympathize with her so her death hits you.

Outbreak Day was easily the standout part for me. Boston QZ was meh, just like it was the worst part of the game.

 

[Joshmyersbv]

Honestly I hope the story of the show deviates from the game a bit. The characters are good and the tone of the show nails the atmosphere of the game, so a little change in the story would be refreshing.

 

[Markio128]

Sounds positive from the comments. I’m from the UK, so I’ll be watching it later - I can’t flippin’ wait!

 

[DenchDeckard]

Can't wait to finish work! Might even pay the extra to now TV to get the boost in quality.

I did it. Paid the boost, I hope NOW TVs boost is actually decent or they can suck my CHEB!

 

[K' Dash]

lol

It’s pretty much the same experience.

Spoiler

jk

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Luipadre]

Preview for the weeks ahead. Looks fucking great.

damn looks so good

 

[tmlDan]

It was good but nowhere near the hype levels. I think people are just thankful for a good video game show/movie adaptation.


What’s interesting is why they decided to waste time on Sarah’s day when it didn’t do anything for the character. Her few minutes of character development in the game was way better than all the stuff they added in the show. Did we really need to see her going to the watch repair shop and neighbor’s house? Why bother redoing all of that if it’s just going to be worse than the material from the game?

The reason this is a shit take is because you played the game, for people that played the game you get that connection with Sarah through gameplay moments meaning you actually get to control her which immediately connects you to the character making you care about her. Also, it breaks the mold of "the character I play never dies" (in video games).

As for the TV show, and for those that never played the game, you can't get that connection. You get to see and care for her as she goes out of her way to cook with the neighbors and get her dad a gift for his birthday, that is what connects the audience to her and makes them care because that's the hardest thing to do in 20 minutes.

Honestly, the additions are what I liked more than the 1 for 1 shots in the opening, the characters need the added depth a TV show can bring.

 

[Markio128]

I thought I’d have to wait until later in the UK to watch it, but it was available to stream, so I’ve just finished the 1st episode. Amazing really. I’d say the first 20 or so minutes were the strongest - incredible intro, but it was a great watch from start to finish and I’m gutted that I have to wait another week for the next episode because I could easily binge the whole thing.

 

[DeepEnigma]

So the writers just confirmed that Ellie is a total psychopath at the end of the show with the commentary.

The guy playing Tommy is dead on in voice, accent and cadence/delivery.

 

[begotten]

One thing that confused me was in the show it seemed like Marlene and Ellie had only recently met. Hasn't Marlene been looking after her for ages in the game?

 

[Markio128]

One thing that confused me was in the show it seemed like Marlene and Ellie had only recently met. Hasn't Marlene been looking after her for ages in the game?

The Left Behind section will likely add more context to that.

 

[DeepEnigma]

but why remake game

We called this back when they were doing it. But wars and all that malarkey.

 

[John Bilbo]

The first episode was OK. I would like to see more.

Tess was my favourite, then Ellie. The best scene with Joel was him burning the body of a child. Maybe they should have lingered with that image for a while longer.

Some of the dialogue were somewhat corny. Joel's PTSD rage attack was corny. Hopefully they don't use such storytelling technique much later.

Without the spores are the fully fungied bodies of people harmless? With that said I'm not yet sold on the tendrils. Seems a much less efficient way to reproduce for the fungi.

 

[LQX]

So far it is almost 1:1 with the game and I'm honestly not sure that is good or bad thing...at least for folks that have played the game. Those that have not played the game though, but have always wanted to, should appreciate the fact so far they're sticking really close to the source. I also love that fact I did not even notice the CRT TV's for a bit as they fit so perfectly in their setting.

 

[PaddyOCanager]

[/ISPOILER]

Without the spores are the fully fungied bodies of people harmless? With that said I'm not yet sold on the tendrils. Seems a much less efficient way to reproduce for the fungi.

I thought the spores were only released from certain infected after a certain time? That being said, like most shows they don't want to have their lead actors wearing anything that covers their faces for very long.