HBO Original | The Last of Us | Part II OT | You Can't Stop This

Neil didn't write, but I'm sure he consulted on each episode. For the amount of effort he puts into getting scenes right in the game, it's surprising he'd let that go, but maybe he's just come to terms with this not being his baby and that it is Craig's. I get why Neil is saying there might not be a 3rd game now and I definitely don't think they can push this to 4 seasons. I expect ratings are going to tumble after this episode.

I definitely think spores will still be a thing, but I won't go into much on that.

They skipped the scene with the Jordan character completely, so Manny and Jordan have kind of parted ways it seems. Jesse should be in the next episode, but Tommy doesn't really play as much a part of the events. Ellie doesn't run into him until Day 3. Could be different in the show, but we'll see. I didn't think we'd get much more than Day 2 this season, but the pacing is kind of all over the place.
Some stuff this season seems rushed. Mazin is no dummy he's really talented so I'm curious why they decided to go the direction they did in some scenes this reason. Maybe it was a budget and a time crunch thing I don't know. I'm not sure if the ratings will crash or not. Do you mean because of the lezbo scene? I think anyone who cared about that already bailed in season 1 they know Ellie is gay at this point. And gamers of course know.

I can't remember where in the story Tommy killing Manny happens, but I won't to know if they'll do that this season if at all. If they do, they're running out of time. To have him leave Jackson and show up and then ambush Abby and Manny. And if they're gonna do that from Abby's perspective like in the game I'm feeling it definitely won't be this season.
 
Some stuff this season seems rushed. Mazin is no dummy he's really talented so I'm curious why they decided to go the direction they did in some scenes this reason. Maybe it was a budget and a time crunch thing I don't know. I'm not sure if the ratings will crash or not. Do you mean because of the lezbo scene? I think anyone who cared about that already bailed in season 1 they know Ellie is gay at this point. And gamers of course know.

This took things up a notch, but it was also really poorly done. I think people who were on the edge after Joel will take this as an opportunity to see their way out. I can't believe how poorly that was I've seen better on CW.

I can't remember where in the story Tommy killing Manny happens, but I won't to know if they'll do that this season if at all. If they do, they're running out of time. To have him leave Jackson and show up and then ambush Abby and Manny. And if they're gonna do that from Abby's perspective like in the game I'm feeling it definitely won't be this season.

Manny dies on Day 3. It doesn't make a ton of sense to do Day 3 stuff in this season, you'd have nothing left for Season 3. I think we'll see Tommy in Seattle, but we're not going to get a lot of him this season and that's pretty much in line with the game.
 
This took things up a notch, but it was also really poorly done. I think people who were on the edge after Joel will take this as an opportunity to see their way out. I can't believe how poorly that was I've seen better on CW.



Manny dies on Day 3. It doesn't make a ton of sense to do Day 3 stuff in this season, you'd have nothing left for Season 3. I think we'll see Tommy in Seattle, but we're not going to get a lot of him this season and that's pretty much in line with the game.
But doesn't that happen before Abby and Ellie's first major confrontation? Or does it happen after. I could be wrong but I thought it happened before. And I think that's how this season is going to end. So if it does, and I, not wrong about the order of events then it would have to happen this season or they're cutting it out.
 
But doesn't that happen before Abby and Ellie's first major confrontation? Or does it happen after. I could be wrong but I thought it happened before. And I think that's how this season is going to end. So if it does, and I, not wrong about the order of events then it would have to happen this season or they're cutting it out.

Seattle Day 3 and the first major confrontation is the end of both of their POVs in Seattle, so yes, it happens before. This would presumably happen at the end of a Season 3 if there is a Season 4 or maybe more likely an episode 6 of an 8 episode final season (3).

There is no way they have time to show Abby's POV in this season through Day 3. The next episode is either going to be Seattle Day 1 for Abby or Seattle Day 2 for Ellie.
 
Seattle Day 3 and the first major confrontation is the end of both of their POVs in Seattle, so yes, it happens before. This would presumably happen at the end of a Season 3 if there is a Season 4 or maybe more likely an episode 6 of an 8 episode final season (3).

There is no way they have time to show Abby's POV in this season through Day 3. The next episode is either going to be Seattle Day 1 for Abby or Seattle Day 2 for Ellie.
So you think they're actually going to do 4 seasons? I don't. I really hope not, anyway. To make the viewers wait 6 years to get a conclusion I think is a bad idea in terms of storytelling and I think an even worse idea for marketing. I can't see viewers hanging with this story for two more additional seasons. And I can't see them having major POV parts based around Abby, because I don't think non gamers are going to go for it. It's not going to work in the show because at least in the game you could play as Abby so you get gameplay to hold you over. The show doesn't have that luxury. No one's going to hang with Abby for large stretches of an entire season. Based on that, and some other things, I just assumed they'd wrap it up in season 3, which I figured meant season 2 would end when Ellie and Abby's first major fight and Tommy loses his eye and gets shot in the head and they'd end the season on a cliffhanger where we don't know if Tommy lives or dies. if I'm right about that then Tommy vs Manny and Abby has to happen this season or it's not going to happen. But maybe you're right and they make this 4 seasons, I just think it's a terrible idea. They have plenty of time to wrap this story up in 15 episodes or so.

I watched the episode 5 preview so I get what you meant about the spores. I also am starting to think they might just make episode 6 an entire flashback episode. I remember seeing Mazin or Druckmann say many months back that one of the concerns they had when writing for this season were the flashbacks and they didn't want to break up the pacing of the story, so I'm wondering if they will just make episode 6 "the flashback episode" where it has the guitar stuff, the museum, and everything else. And then maybe they have Joel reveal to Ellie at the end of the episode what he did at the hospital, but I wonder if they're saving that for the finale of this season.
 
Weakest episode of the season yet but still an enjoyable watch. Some odd directing choices like scenes suddenly ending abruptly, and Dina's excessively melodramatic and drawm-out reaction to the bite didn't work for me, although the scene with the bite itself was kind of genius. Great saucepan monologue. Ramsey's A-ha was on point. Hot lesbo fingerbanging is always welcome.
 
I thought tonight's episode was fine. I think people are being way too critical. While this is the adaptation from the game, there's an audience out there that didn't play play the games, let alone video games in general, so their interpretation of the show will be much different than those that have. If I've never played the game, I'd see this show much differently.

There's no way anyone should expect a beat by beat adaptation from the game. Unrealistic. As people who've played it, it's understandable for more fleshed out scenes. Yeah let's have 6 seasons of this to fully showcase the game (sarcasm). From the subway to the Theater was fast, I get that in terms of the pacing, but it is a show at the end of it. I appreciate the differences made here.

Could all be time constraints and budget. Show the most effective storylines and fight encounter segments as much as possible.

I don't remember the pregnancy reveal from the game, so I can't compare it to tonight. That's one of the things I forgot from the game.



In this case Ellie was not as happy initially about the pregnancy whereas in the show it's mostly the opposite, even though she was a bit of disbelief until she saw the multiple positive pregnancy tests.
 
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I can't feel the anger in this Ellie at all. In the game she goes on a killing spree and you can feel the rage Ellie has on every action.
 
I can't feel the anger in this Ellie at all. In the game she goes on a killing spree and you can feel the rage Ellie has on every action.
I agree. Maybe they thought it wouldn't translate to TV as well. Ellie going around with a scowl in every episode. But she doesn't feel like someone out for blood. She feels more sad than angry. And I started off really liking Dina, she was charming and such, but her quirky teen personality is starting to wear on me. I just don't think it fits in a post apocalyptic world. Dina from the game was a lot more withdrawn and darker.
 
ELLIE PUT THE FUCKING ACUSTIC GUITAR BACK

put-it-back-in-the-case-v0-y99udfjdsvye1.png
 
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Do you guys think there's any chance they choose not to include the Joel confesses to Ellie what he did at the hospital flashback this season? If they include it, I struggle to think of a good place to squeeze it in. It feels like they already missed the appropriate chance.
It has to be something like this since she got pissed over him

@thread
So now Ellie produces sperm, guys. She's a father

I'm thinking about dropping all together. Same thing happened with the Halo show - although Halo did wrong since episode two, but whatever
 
Finds super rare pristine acoustic guitar. Leaves it out to rot.
Its a metaphor for Mazin's writting ruining the game's story

Funny, I think it was the best episode this season. Maybe cause it was the closest to a 1-1 adaptation we've got this season thus far. I almost liked Ellie in this one.

But she is still the worst. Not 'cause she is ugly, I dont give a damn about that. Not even cause she looks 14 when she should look 19. But because she doesn't understand who Ellie is.

Ellie shouldn't be joking at this point. Part II Ellie should be a depressed, rage filled person 24/7. Any glimpse of young Ellie should be gone by now. But Bella havent evolved the character, she is still Season 1 Ellie, except when the director says "you should act sad now".

And Jeffrey Wright is great in everything. Amazing Isaac.
 
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So you think they're actually going to do 4 seasons? I don't. I really hope not, anyway. To make the viewers wait 6 years to get a conclusion I think is a bad idea in terms of storytelling and I think an even worse idea for marketing. I can't see viewers hanging with this story for two more additional seasons. And I can't see them having major POV parts based around Abby, because I don't think non gamers are going to go for it. It's not going to work in the show because at least in the game you could play as Abby so you get gameplay to hold you over. The show doesn't have that luxury. No one's going to hang with Abby for large stretches of an entire season. Based on that, and some other things, I just assumed they'd wrap it up in season 3, which I figured meant season 2 would end when Ellie and Abby's first major fight and Tommy loses his eye and gets shot in the head and they'd end the season on a cliffhanger where we don't know if Tommy lives or dies. if I'm right about that then Tommy vs Manny and Abby has to happen this season or it's not going to happen. But maybe you're right and they make this 4 seasons, I just think it's a terrible idea. They have plenty of time to wrap this story up in 15 episodes or so.

I watched the episode 5 preview so I get what you meant about the spores. I also am starting to think they might just make episode 6 an entire flashback episode. I remember seeing Mazin or Druckmann say many months back that one of the concerns they had when writing for this season were the flashbacks and they didn't want to break up the pacing of the story, so I'm wondering if they will just make episode 6 "the flashback episode" where it has the guitar stuff, the museum, and everything else. And then maybe they have Joel reveal to Ellie at the end of the episode what he did at the hospital, but I wonder if they're saving that for the finale of this season.

No I said that once the ratings drop, they will plan to finish in season 3.

I think we get a flashback episode, nora episode, and maybe a second flashback.
 
I'm redoing my predictions for the remaining episodes. I've significantly changed them based on how the last two episodes have gone:

Episode 5: Ellie kills Nora, they introduce the spores.
Episode 6: Flashback episode
Episode 7: Aquarium episode, Ellie kills Owen and Mel.

I guess?
 
I feel like at this point the consensus take is just tell people to play the game, which is already the most perfect version of this story anyone is going to get. Better acted, better-written, more immersive, more atmospheric, less rushed.

And it looks like it's supposed to. None of the character models are miscast, LOL.
 
the '' im pregnant > lets make it out '' scene was cringe as fuck. feel like ellie is like taking a vacation. i wish the episode had more Isaac, that was some last of us shit that i love
 
To expand on my remaining episode predictions, does anyone think the writers have the balls to have Ellie kill Nora as brutally as she did in the game?. Because based on her affect throughout this season and how she doesn't give off the vibes that she's totally out for blood, it would feel very out of place if it goes down that way.
 
This was the best episode of the season because of how dark it was, but yeah that sex scene is awful because in the game it's attractive ladies and done well.

Seeing buzz light year make out with Dina is cringe AF.

I think the writers looked at the hot shit the second games narrative is and went "how do I unfuck this?" And none of them can.

What's insane is the first half of the game is arguably the best part when you are Ellie, but they've managed to make this infinitely worse than the second half of the game for me.

Bella should've been forced to watch or play both games for reference because her take on Ellie, and the writing they keep giving her, is the most unlikable mother fucker alive.

I pray Abby wins this time.
 
To expand on my remaining episode predictions, does anyone think the writers have the balls to have Ellie kill Nora as brutally as she did in the game?. Because based on her affect throughout this season and how she doesn't give off the vibes that she's totally out for blood, it would feel very out of place if it goes down that way.

I think they're going to use that scene as the turning point where Ellie's pent up rage is unearthed.
 
I watched my last episode last night. This show has completely fallen off the rails. The first season was really solid, but this one is utter fucking nonsense with only a passing connection to the source material.

Man, what a cock up.
 
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Except for Isaac's scenes which are a plus this doesn't capture the sheer brutality and savagery of the second game. I am enjoying it for what it is but it doesn't feel like descent into darkness that the second game is.
 
Yes, they will have a chance to recapture that in episode 5, but if not, it's going to be very disappointing. If they soften Nora's death, I'm going to be none too happy.
 
If they have her brutally kill Nora and that is what brings her over the point of no return it could work. They can even have her do it in front of Dina who is horrified the same way Abbys group was.

The thing that worries me is that Nora and the rest of the group clearly were bothered by how far Abby was taking it so her telling Ellie Joel deserved it would be out of character.

Also Manny in the show seems like an angry and unsmiling jerk who would not be able to charm every woman in town.
 
This is the problem with the weekly TV format, people just have no patience, they think because character arc "X" or event "Y" isn't happening yet this somehow means it will never happen.
 
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This episode was great. Easily my favorite episode of this season so far. It was accurate to the game and Ramsey and Merced are so good.
 
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I can't feel the anger in this Ellie at all. In the game she goes on a killing spree and you can feel the rage Ellie has on every action.
With all due respect to autistic folks, casting someone who is very autistic and expecting them to be able to act emotional responses naturally is why it feels so awkward.

She talked openly about her struggles with autism in interviews before the show aired, too. They had to use a ton of the old 'onions' for scenes with crying etc as she said it was next to impossible for her to feel emotions like most people.
 
What a shit episode. Bella Ramsey continues to bring every scene down. That last 15 minutes must have been horrible for Dina's actress.
 
Time to give my 2 cents on season 2: Kaitlyn Dever absolutly nailed her performance as Abby. Hands down, great casting. Also the use of infected this season is awesome. It is good to see that they continue showing the infected as a threat. I mean sure, in the game infected are also not downplayed. But just by looking at shows like TWD were infected/zombies are becoming cannon fodder as a show progesses, it nice to see that this is not the case with this show. Overall, I am also fine with season 2 so far. What I find extremely unfortunate so far is how Ellie and Dina are written.

In my opinion, the Dina in the series is the complete opposite of the Dina in the game. And I have to say, I like the Dina in the game much better. I cannot even say exactly why that is. The character is certainly not badly played. But I would have just expected something different, less "cheeky". And I also find Ellie's writing really strange. So far TV-series Ellie does not even come close to game-Ellie. And I am not saying it because I hate the casting etc.. For Part II, the marketing back then was all about saying the game was about "hate." But I somehow miss the "hate" in Ellie's character in the show. I can only speculate as to why. Perhaps Craig and Neil are saving a major plot twist for the end. Maybe they just want to save "Video Game Ellie" for the Nora scene to shock the viewers who only know the series. Or maybe it is really just that Bella Ramsey cannot embody the character the way she is in the game, which is why they wrote her differently. Questions, questions, questions. I just know that I like the game version better. Overall, the dynamic between Ellie and Dina is completely different because of that. Let's see what they make of it. The scene with Nora will shed some light.

In return, the sets they use are absolutely brilliant. You kind of know right away what's outside the camera's field of view. I can absolutely understand Neil's feelings when he talks about how crazy it is to suddenly be standing in Joel's house, etc., in his interviews.
 
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I liked everything except Dina and Ellie stuff, which kind of sucks because they seem to be the main characters lol. Dina's actress doesn't seem like she belongs on anything but the Disney Channel. She's so over the top with her smiley bubbley thing. Ellie actually calms down and isn't a psycho bitch this episode but she's still boring as shit. Their little relationship unfolding just came across really ham fisted to me (wink.)
 
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This chick is a psychopath if that was her read of each portrayal.
She's my favorite critic, but I think she's been way too reactionary about s2e2 (quitting covering the show), especially since she knew what was coming (having watched the games' cutscenes). I can understand thinking it was done better in the games (I do think that actually), but to give up because of it was baffling to me. She claimed it had to do with ratings/ad revenue, so guess you can't argue with that.
 
Episode was a weird mix. Having not played TLOU 2 I don't really know what is going on.
There's supposed to be a big infection going on in the world that greatly reduced the human population but these chicks on the horse can just travel big distances and joke around without problems. :messenger_winking_tongue:
 
There's supposed to be a big infection going on in the world that greatly reduced the human population but these chicks on the horse can just travel big distances and joke around without problems. :messenger_winking_tongue:
I mean, the game was like that too, all the infected encounters during the horse section were in specific buildings. There was no combat when riding around.
Is this really what the game was like?
Yes and no, game has alot more action in this section for gameplay purposes of course and the horse gets blown up by a tripwire. Also Ellie gets pissed at Dina and calls her a burden when she learns she's pregnant.
 
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This TV show is a cheap / discount version of The Last of Us Part II.
It's incredible to think that developers at Naughty Dog do a far better job with direction, atmosphere, and both visual and sound editing than people who are actually paid to do it in film or television. Almost all scene was ruined

The Last of Us Part II is an excellent game that was dragged through the mud because of its bold choices and direction.
This series only damages the game's reputation further and will just make people even more hostile toward the second game.

I wouldn't even be surprised if they end up canceling Season 4 after this (and good riddance).
 
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This TV show is a cheap / discount version of The Last of Us Part II.
It's incredible to think that developers at Naughty Dog do a far better job with direction, atmosphere, and both visual and sound editing than people who are actually paid to do it in film or television. Almost all scene was ruined

The Last of Us Part II is an excellent game that was dragged through the mud because of its bold choices and direction.
This series only damages the game's reputation further and will just make people even more hostile toward the second game.

I wouldn't even be surprised if they end up canceling Season 4 after this (and good riddance).
what dragged the excellent TLOU2 game "through the mud"?
 
They have done several things I think could have been done better, but I do think a lot of the criticisms are over the top. This was always going to be a game that was incredibly difficult to adapt, and games in general are, because they are far less grounded than TV on average. Suspension of disbelief is baked in from the jump. It's far harder to translate to TV. There was no world in which having a teenager fight grown men was going to look believable. They could get away with this in season 1 because Joel was there to save Ellie. In season 2, it was going to be an unavoidable problem, I said this after season 1 ended. But that's on the game, not the show. Unless they have Ellie not fight at all, which would take away from it, they tried to do it as believably as they could. It's honestly laughable in the game too, this teenager is the fucking terminator. How many grown ass men plus infected do you kill in a playthrough if you don't go the stealth route? Over 100 probably. And that's just NPCs.

I have some direction choice gripes they went with the show, and I think it could've been better, but in terms of the source material they had to work with, I think overall it's still a high quality product compared to other video game adaptations.

We'll see what they end up doing in the final episodes here, because there's some things they could do that would really hurt the experience for me. I'm bracing for Ellie sparing Nora or her dying accidentally or something instead of being brutalized. Crossing my fingers the writers didn't bitch out. They didn't with Joel's death, so if they do with some of these other deaths then it's because they were afraid to make Ellie unlikeable and that would be a cowardly decision.
 
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They have done several things I think could have been done better, but I do think a lot of the criticisms are over the top. This was always going to be a game that was incredibly difficult to adapt, and games in general are, because they are far less grounded than TV on average. Suspension of disbelief is baked in from the jump. It's far harder to translate to TV. There was no world in which having a teenager fight grown men was going to look believable. They could get away with this in season 1 because Joel was there to save Ellie. In season 2, it was going to be an unavoidable problem, I said this after season 1 ended. But that's on the game, not the show. Unless they have Ellie not fight at all, which would take away from it, they tried to do it as believably as they could. It's honestly laughable in the game too, this teenager is the fucking terminator. How many grown ass men plus infected do you kill in a playthrough if you don't go the stealth route? Over 100 probably. And that's just NPCs.

I have some direction choice gripes they went with the show, and I think it could've been better, but in terms of the source material they had to work with, I think overall it's still a high quality product compared to other video game adaptations.

We'll see what they end up doing in the final episodes here, because there's some things they could do that would really hurt the experience for me. I'm bracing for Ellie sparing Nora or her dying accidentally or something instead of being brutalized. Crossing my fingers the writers didn't bitch out. They didn't with Joel's death, so if they do with some of these other deaths then it's because they were afraid to make Ellie unlikeable and that would be a cowardly decision.
I'd say make Ellie unlikable is one of the main goals. Since the story of part 2 is being split into 2 seasons, I guess by the end of this season Ellie would have become quite unlikable.
 
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