When the video game adaptation The Last of Us first aired, it was a breath of fresh air for post-apocalyptic TV shows. While The Walking Dead is arguably the game-changing show that revived the zombie genre, The Last of Us is better than The Walking Dead. The cordyceps fungus-inspired zombies are nightmare fuel, and the show keeps its main cast relatively small.
The Last of Us stands out, as the excellent character writing drives the show. The best episodes of The Last of Us pack an emotional punch, and the writers have a talent for making a character feel lovable and three-dimensional in a very short time. The zombies are less important, which feels counterintuitive, but it is a genius strategy.
Zombies Are Not The Priority For The Last Of Us
The varied zombie types in The Last of Us were scene-stealers, from the virtually indestructible Bloaters to the eerie Clickers that hunt using sound. That said, while the zombies could easily have had more screentime, the show did not make them a priority. Instead, it focused on the human moments of connection, creating characters to root for through their personality quirks and humor.
Episodes like season 1’s “Long, Long Time” had surprisingly few zombies and were masterclasses in character development, avoiding feeling like filler episodes despite working as standalone stories. This is because the overall tone of the series has been consistent, emphasizing human action and regularly presenting human characters as equally monstrous, like David in “When We Are In Need.”
The Last Of Us Season 2 Ramped Up The Zombie Action
Season 2 of The Last of Us dramatically increased the zombie action and violence. While many of the best zombie scenes in season 1 tended to involve suspense-filled chases and jump scares, season 2 often felt like an unrelenting undead onslaught. “Through The Valley” was a standout episode for both action and emotional impact, but the season has been polarizing.
The Last of Us has a 96% positive Rotten Tomatoes score, but this does not tell the full story. Audiences gave season 1 an 86% positive rating, but this dropped to 37% for season 2. Reviewers felt that the game’s heartbreaking death was not done justice, with the action and poor pacing overshadowing the story, which was central to season 1.
The Character Moments Are The Last Of Us’ Real Strength
There are some zombie TV show masterpieces, but creating a fantastic monster will not always guarantee success. The Last of Us rewrote the rules of the zombie genre by sidelining the zombies, and it is a better show for it. The Last of Us made some significant changes to the source material, highlighting the best human stories and rewriting others, like Bill and Frank.
This character-focused approach gave The Last of Us its greatest strength, as it allowed audiences to care about the characters. Sarah was only onscreen for a while, yet her death was heartbreaking, and when Joel met the same fate as his video game counterpart, it was one of the most brutal moments in The Last of Us, which is now developing season 3.
- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
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