Moist Meter | The Last of Us Show 

My only gripe with the show was that Joel didn’t die multiple times in each episode like he did in my playthrough of the game

Everyone can agree that whoever is cast as Abby is the bravest person in the world

My only actual gripe with the show is that there wasn't a scene where Joel was quickly swiping his hands over tables, collecting supplies or building shit out of his backpack

Pedro saving Starwars, reviving Video Game Live Action, while still playing obscure fun roles like in the unbearable weight of massive talent. He's living his dream and having a blast and it's so good to see and so deserved

The fact that they also hired a majority of the voice actors to play characters in the show is another plus in my book.

Pedro is riding a crazy wave of success right now. He brings excellence to everything.

the fact they casted the voice actress for ellie to play as ellie's mom was a super good casting choice imo. the whole scene with her in the last episode was so intense and emotional too !! she did so well at conveying how a mother will do anything to protect their child. literally every actor / actress was perfect for their role

The infected part in episode 5 when hundreds of infected swarm from the ground like ants is one the most scariest & beautiful things in the show man it was worth every second they put so much effort into it and delivered in a spetacular way.

My biggest complaint about the show is that they spent so much time setting up the infected in the first few episodes and even showing that if you kill one they all know where you are, but they literally never mention it again after episode 2.

I honestly never would've picked Pedro to play Joel in a million years but he really nailed it

I believe Ellie and Joel being taken to the hospital by flashbang was such a cheap way of skipping the entire water section where Ellie almost drowns.

“I guess time heals all wounds.” “It wasn’t time that did it.” Such great writing especially dialogue that wasn’t in the game.

One thing I like about the infected is that even though I would have liked to see them more, they’re pretty effective every time we see them. There might be one time in the whole show that an encounter with the infected doesn’t lead to someone getting bitten or killed, so even if they aren’t around a ton, they do a decent job of showing how easily the infection spreads

I liked how they showed backstory’s especially Ellie’s mom. Also how the giraffe scene was and how they used a real giraffe.

Love how everyone's main criticism is that we didn't get enough of it lol. Such a good show.

I love how the sound is muffled while Joel is killing the fireflies as if he’s in a trance

Personally I was a fan of how they had the original VA cast do cameos as side characters. Troy Baker was the cannibal that Ellie buried a butcher knife into. And the original VA for Ellie played Ellie's mom which is incredibly poetic

We can all agree that the giraffe scene is still one of the best scenes.

Some changes I thought worked well Sam being deaf and 8 years old. My God his death hits you so much harder. Henry's actor was great too All of the voice actors having roles was great to let them be a part of this and they all crushed their roles especially Ashley as Anna The Joel suicide attempt story hit so much harder and his choked up line to Ellie "it wasn't time that did it" the eyes welled up Pedro and Bella deserve every award

Literally part 2 is SO easy to fix. ALL you have to do is characterise abby BEFORE she goes golfing (humor hiding real pain) if we can see it from her point of view BEFORE what happens happens we wont just TOTALLY hate her.

my only complaint about the show is the same complaint i have with the game, it’s that no matter how much time we spend with Joel and Ellie it never feels like enough i just want more 😂

I agree the penultimate episode was so climactic that the finale felt more rushed because there was less room for recovery and hope. I feel like if there was a whole episode dedicated to joel helping ellie recover from what she went through, as well as showing their trust grow, it would have made that decision joel made in the last episode to lie to her have a lot more impact.

The world building/set design is so detailed I couldn’t believe it. I live in SLC and during the giraffe scene I could literally see my apartment in it, halfway up the tallest building on the right. They got the details perfectly.

Pedro Pascal is not a golden Lion, but a Viper on stage. He has the whole package as an actor. I love how he is able to play a deeply hurt, vulnerable and also extremely merciless man and at the same time a loving and caring one, which is insanely hard to do in a believable manner.

My only real complaint for the show is the pacing. I understand it’s hard to translate a game to tv but more scenes with the infected would’ve fixed that. And besides the addition of Kathleen, most of the changes in the show were actually improvements from the game imo.

what i liked about the amount of infected in the show is that it made them way scarier. every time they appeared someone died, so when we watched one appear we already knew something bad was going to happen.

I think Joel tactfully terrorizing the entire firefly campaign wasn't supposed to be shown as something cool or action heavy like John Wick, but rather a terrifying and terrible experience for the viewers where the protagonist slowly descended to a darker path for his own desires. This is when the whole narrative of "Love" gets a much darker dimension. And it also makes sense. Joel not only lied to Ellie about the entire incident, he also avoided the verbal confrontation with Merlin and killed her on the process. This is the type of scene that is supposed to be taken a moment to sit and think about, man.

With your Bill point I understand missing the direct interactions, I feel it was heavily implied how important their relationships were. Bill leaves everything to Joel, he wouldn’t have done that for someone he barely knew, also I feel the note was more implication, I think what they did, focusing on him and his partner, really built on the idea of its tragedy/romance/emotional. I really feel like they did that well even with the sacrifice of less interaction.

Living proof that with the right talent and team, a video game adaptation can be done correctly and beautifully

I definitely had a similar gripe with the rushed ending, but for a slightly different reason. While the father daughter relationship had definitely been established at that point, I felt like it was kind speedran in this episode. It felt they could have taken one more episode to fully flesh it out.

It’s pretty impressive how the only real complaints for the show are the pacing being a bit slow. I applaud tlou for delivering in a department of tv show adaptations that has been waning in quality

I LOVED THE USE OF SFX AND NOT TOTAL RELIANCE ON VFX!!!!! It worked so well, the sets were amazing and the makeup and effects for the clickers were really well done

the finale was definitely rushed i felt i was like “wait they are at the hospital already?” and i even checked the time and it said 15 minutes left

The greatest change they made IMO is actually showing us Ellie's mom and Ellie's birth. A better explanation for why she's immune rather than "We don't know why she's like this, she just is". And on top of that, getting Ellie's original VA to play as Anna was just a cherry on top of an already beautiful sundae

one of the few shows that managed to make me cry multiple times.

ill never get over how amazingly perfect the drive scene was in the first episode

The scenes of joel just cold bloodedly murdering defenceless people gave me chills. It was so good

When Joel said “baby girl” to Ellie, that made me tear up. That was such a powerful scene!

I do love how visceral they made that last hospital scene, the game didn't make me question "is this okay" nearly as much. Like they really drove in that there is no good or bad in this world, it's just survival. Though I think there should have been one ep before to further cement him and ellie because he was out of it for 2 eps

The first season was fucking amazing. Really appreciated the team behind it and how it follows the story from the game.

this show got my parents to experience this story so I hope there are more goated game adaptions

My only minor complaint is the lack of infected, especially with the amazing effects they had on them. Luckily the showrunners have said there will be more in season 2!

yes youre so right about the pacing especially because of the beginning where there is a flashback and shows ellie's birth which takes up even more time from the episode

Wait i didn't even realize the last episode was the finale, it really didn't feel like a finale

pedro pascal deserves an award he is an amazing actor, not to mention versatile in any role he plays

Watched this show with my father as a father-daughter bonding time and we loved it! Gotta respect how true to the source material they kept it (as it should be), some things were even an improvement since everything from the game can't be translated just like it is. Amazing show, going to watch it again! :)

I was absolutely blown away with this one, I had a whole one complaint and you already addressed it. There wasn't enough of the infected. By otherwise it was done so well and so emotionally investing. Just spitballing here on that I feel like maybe they could have both fleshed out the ending and given us more infected by having the sequence under the bridge from the game serve as a flashback. Just give us an episode of Joel and Ellie alone making that final push towards the hospital and having to work together in the way we see more often in the game.

When I saw that intro for the last episode I thought it would focus more on flashbacks for the fireflies to give more conext about the hospital cause that’s something we didn’t get much at all until the second game

I just love how you go inside Joel's head in the hospital scene, just music and Joel doing his stuff. It's such a good way to make us BE Joel

Pedro and Bella actually both broke the rules and experienced the game in some way. Pedro got a Playstation and watched his nephews play the game (because he couldn't figure out the controls), and Bella watched part of other people's playthroughs.

My fav part of tlou show is When joel says to the bloater “It’s lastin’ time”

I loved how they did some scenes exactly the same, like down to every last word, yet also made huge sweeping changes that worked well like with bill and frank. It shows that Druckman wasn’t just respecting the original story, but that he respects the fans too and knew exactly how to portray these characters that he deeply loves and understands. I also LOVE that he did cameos with the original cast, clearly his love for the characters extends to them too and that felt like a heartwarming nod specifically for them and the original fans. I didn’t finish season yet so idk if I’ll feel end was rushed like Charlie, but I saw clips of Joel executing people in hospital who are unarmed or surrendering and I got chills. I def think they did the character justice in those scenes as we see exactly who he was after Sarah. Joel was never the hero and I was afraid show would drift in that direction but I was dead wrong. He truly is a man that would doom all of humanity, his own included, for his daughter

I wish we could've seen a flashback to what life was like for Joel and Tommy in the 20 year period between outbreak and boston. Hopefully they explore something like that for season two.

I absolutely loved every minute of this show, there are some extremely talented people behind this project and I can’t wait for the next season.

Honestly, I can give it 99% just because of the breath of fresh air it was to watch a good game-adaptation show for once, even if some of the changes didn't hit the mark for me, when I compare these to the depth this show gave to like everything else, The infection, the characters, the factions... And none of that felt like some fanfic written by a 15y.o. They actually respected the original work, and that is just a miracle in this genre.

Tbh I was skeptical going into the last episode, kept checking the time left when the whole anna thing was going on and I had no idea how they'd do this in less than half an hour, and idk how they did it, but I can't think of a better way to show that whole fight sequence, it's not just a pew pew finale fight, it's just a descent, pedro killed it, I fkin loved the way it was shot, the score and everything

Bella Ramsey really grew on me this show like every single episode her acting felt like it was improving literally every episode she did phenomenal in but that last episode was probably her best episode and the best episode overall in the show

I think the pacing of the finale was well done. It captured that dissociative blackout rage one would get from someone telling them they’re planning to murder someone they love. It wasn’t drawn out scenes of shootouts and Joel pleading with the fireflies. It was cold and Joel was on a mission to kill with 0 hesitation. There’s even a moment when he shakes his head and blinks as if he’s coming too from a blackout thinking “wait what did I just do”. Loved it.

they did the game so much justice. actors, writing, cinematics... all incredible

Great show. Agree with your points. I think season 2 is going to be a lot harder to adapt into a TV show

I think one standout feature for me was that the episodes felt like actual EPISODES, as in they often felt like standalone stories. Some shows fall into the trap of essentially just being “pauses” and “plays” of the storyline. It makes the episodes so much more memorable, like the 1st, 3rd and 8th episodes.

My favorite part was when Joel said, “it’s Joelin’ time” and Ellie followed up with, “what are we, some kind of the Last of Us?” and then walked onto the sunset

Agree 💯 about the ending. It was good but an extra episode to build it up would've made it much harder hitting.

Everything worked out fantastically and I definitely think having the director and codirector of the game work so closely together was definitely a main factor in that

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey nailed it. That is how you make a TV series after a game. Astonishing. Amazing.

Honestly, imagine if Joel wiping the fireflies was an entire dedicated episode. They could have made it so cool.

Good to see I wasn't the only one that thought that there was almost no infected presence in the show

Im shocked how well they did LOU. It made me start playing it again!

I actually fully agree with your points. I think having the video game production involved in the show production really helped. It was icing on top to have Ashley Johnson play Ellie’s mom in the show - it was SO poetic and added such a depth to the already incredibly emotional scene of her death in the final episode. I think the best part is that you didn’t have to play the game to enjoy and understand the show, but playing the game added to the experience.

I've got my minor gripes and nitpicks, but overall the show is amazing. The cinematography, music, and especially the acting were all incredible. If Bella and Pedro don't win awards for this show it'll be a crime

I haven't watched the last episode yet but I'm surprised there are only 9...at the end of 8 I just feel like there's so much more that needs to happen before we reach the conclusion at the hospital. Especially considering episode 9 is apparently the shortest episode of the whole season.

Those last two episodes were the greatest pleasure to watch that I have had in years! What a show.

Episode 8 is an emotional roller-coaster and I really cried at the end

This was the best show I've seen in a few years. First one that I watched weekly since The Walking Dead. Got a glass of wine every Sunday and tuned in to this amazing show.

This show is a good lesson for future adaptations and that's just to not change what is already perfect. I'm glad they used the same music, and it also helps that they got Neil Druckmann to work on it too. Amazing show.

I really like how much of a threat the zombies feel in this show. I love how much of a threat the normal infected felt and clickers felt even more terrifying than when I fought them in the games and the bloater was an absolute NIGHTMARE. Even tho they weren't around sometimes whenever they were they felt like an unstoppable force you couldn't just fight your way through them.

They coudl've made it much better, if they just cut the filler or made it a longer season. And also include more infected. We got way to little bonding between joel and ellie.

the joel and punisher comparison im so happy someone saw it too, in daredevil(show not comics) the scene when the punisher goes through the hospital shooting such similar vibes to the joel scene, I've been mentioning the similarity since i saw the daredevil episode when it aired

I think people with no prior exposure to the original source material unanimously loved this show. At least my family/friends who I watched it with fell in love with this show.

One of the best experiences i've had watching a show was seeing the live action version be so ridiculously faithful to the intro, gave me chills

All the actors and actresses crushed it. I agree, one more episode to space things out would have been nice, but this was still fantastic. Also Pedro Pascal going sicko mode was cool as hell.

In regards to the finale, I feel like the reason they didn't explore the hospital much is to save alot of that for season 2 with flashbacks. Agreed it would've been nicer if they allowed more time for the finale, but I understand why they streamlined the hospital section

I recommend watching 'the making of' episode. The extent they went in making EVERYTHING was just phenomenal. They spent a lot of money, and it shows.

I hope they translate more video game stories into shows as well as this. My mother understood why I played so many games like this when I told her that the game follows the exact same story as the series. I just hope their success carries over to season 2 and they aren't blinded by fortune or greed.

I agree so much on needing another episode, or even a long special season ending, really doing both would have been great. Hopefully next season they stay on the same path/formula and have enough confidence to draw the seasons(definitely need 2 seasons for part 2) out longer without over saturating it into soap opera plotless filler.

i think the delivery/execution of the whole thing was really good considering they had 9 episodes to cover a game that was extremely rich in its story and environment. so glad that they did this show justice but this part 2 is gonna be a rollercoaster lol

My parents have been watching the show and have been loving it so far. They said their favorite episode was episode three which focused on Bill and Frank

I’m curious to see how they do part 2. I feel like they could easily flesh out some of the characters more.

It was implied that most of the infected already expired due to old age/dehydration, and the ones that didn't were killed off in droves by FEDRA or thrive in secret colonies underground - which humans haven't discovered yet. This show added a biological aspect to the infected and made them feel more like forces of nature (quietly sleeping unless disturbed like real fungal colonies) rather than just obstacles Joel and co have to actively go through. It was a great choice and adds a layer of intrigue to the creatures I think Do wish they expand more on the cordyceps lore in the next season.

They definitely couldve made the first game into multiple season and explore the world and character far better, but still one of the best live action adaptations

Seeing Joel go from psycho killer in the hospital to fun chatty dad in the mountains after gave me whiplash

this season was absolutely beautiful and enjoyable I just really wish the final didn’t feel so rushed but I still found it very enjoyable to watch

as a person who never played the game, the ending didnt feel rushed to me, it felt really impactful

When the 8th episode came out i really thought there would be 2 more episodes with how much ground they needed to cover. Glad to hear im not crazy for thinking number 9 felt a little crammed. Otherwise though excellent. Also pedro rocks in everything hes in.

this show was honestly amazing, they did a great job! highly recommend checking it out if u haven’t

I'm honestly happy I have not played the game yet with how amazing this series was, so excited to to try it out now

So true! I agree with every word you said. The last episode felt like 10 minutes and that's it. Didn't play the second game, do you think there will be 2nd season?

It's a fantastic show. I can't go over how good it is.

Loved every minute of this show, i just want more 🥺

Bella Ramsey did an excellent job playing as Ellie. She deserves to win an Emmy!