In 2020, a live-action adaptation of the popular 2013 game “The Last of Us” released on HBO Max. It received mixed reviews during its premiere, mainly criticising some casting choices which weren’t 100% accurate to the original game’s characters. However, the gaming community took it in stride after discovering how well Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey worked together as the main characters, Joel and Ellie. The season is composed of nine one-hour-long episodes, which allow for a week’s worth of episodes or a nine-hour-long binge-fest.
As someone who grew up online, I greatly appreciated the attention to detail throughout the show. For example, the flooded hotel scene in the pilot episode is a direct copy of the game’s iconic scene. These details made the show feel loved and cherished by its producers; just as the game was. “The Last of Us” community is very detail-oriented when it comes to the story aspects of the game and the show really leans into this, providing more backstory for beloved characters like Bill and Frank, which are never truly provided in the game. These details give those of us who have played the games somewhat of an Easter egg to look out for throughout our watchtimes that those with no experience with “The Last of Us” may not catch.
I would give the live-action adaptation of “The Last of Us” four out of five Cordyceps — if you know, you know — and am quite excited for the second season’s premiere in April. I would recommend this show to those who enjoy zombie-esque and end-of-the-world types of media, along with themes of loss, found family, love and guilt. It’s the perfect show to escape from this world and immerse yourself into another reality for a few hours — even if it’s apocalyptic.