For those who have played the video game, the first episode of The Last of Us it was a pleasant dive into memories, the new HBO series immediately presented itself with a declaration of intent of those of great occasions, suggesting that the MPV of quality TV series would start 2023 with a bang. And if a good day starts in the morning, the road that leads to yet another success seems smooth.
The Last of Us: Finally justice for Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal finally has what he deserves: a TV series from absolute protagonist and with boundless expressive potential. Joel’s character was immediately presented as extremely complex and mysterious, the plot of the video game is enriched when a detail suggests that he is a war veteran, and therefore has already seen all the colors in his life. Pascal has played several roles in the past, proving the potential of him before him with the quirky and charismatic Oberyn of the Martell house in Game of Thrones and then with the determined and tormented agent Peña in Narcos, in the hunt for Pablo Escobar and the godparents of Cali. What has just begun, at least given the premises, can be there definitive consecration of a great actor who has been giving great performances to the international television scene for years. Joel is the embodiment of survival, forced to give up everything he has, and given the circumstances it will be very interesting to go and dig back into his past. The protagonist “wakes up” in 2023 and hasn’t changed one iota on a mental level, he still continues to survive and search daily a purposea reason why it is worth continuing to fight.
The power of cinema
For those who have played the video game created by Neil Druckmann, the first episode of The Last of Us has definitely brought back some vibes that taste like déjà vu. In particular, the point of view of Sarah, Joel’s daughter, in the scene in which the two try to escape the city by car together with Tommy, is extraordinarily similar to the same sequence in the video game. The scene manages to return the same sensations of the original, exploiting the feeling of panic and suspense to bring back the fans within the video game. A story as well written as Druckmann’s is made for a film adaptation, and it was only a matter of time before someone (the usual HBO) understood it and decided to invest in this project. So we empathize with Sarah, panicked after seeing the effects of the virus on her elderly neighbor with her own eyes, and embark on a journey into the unknown. Joel and Tommy have the coldness of two soldiers and a bit of luck manages to keep them alive even after the spectacular aerial explosions. Beyond the romance of the incipit, which is useful for presenting the protagonist in the best possible way and beginning to outline his character traits, from the moment the family gets into the car until Sarah’s tragic death, everything is practically identical to the videogame, and the two dimensions, the videogame one and the cinematographic one, go hand in hand in favor of an unprecedented show. If the girl’s death scene had already been a blow to the heart in its first version, reliving these moments reported in the scenic fiction of the series is truly sensational and causes a whirlwind of conflicting emotions: on the one hand the satisfaction of witnessing a perfectly rendered scene, and on the other the palpable drama of a loving father who loses his daughter, probably the only thing that is still worth living for.
A story as strong as that of The Last of Us it certainly doesn’t need to repeat itself, at least not in the slightest detail. The fact that we can enjoy its television transposition must be seen as one morea way to learn new details about one of the best-constructed stories of recent years, and the fact that Druckmann is the screenwriter here too is a fundamental aspect. We shouldn’t expect perfectionalso because it doesn’t make any sense. The Last of Us it is an opportunity to enrich a winning story, to explore the multiple scenarios of an already thick plot destined, right from its conception, to land on the screens, due to its undisputed potential. Everything works neatly, the special effects do not betray or disappoint the setting of the quarantine camp, capable of projecting the viewer into a world in which time has stopped and we have returned to a past in which bartering and smuggling are the order of the day, as well as hangings for high treason. It will be interesting to see how the subplots are developed and more importantly for the aficionados of the game, find out how the places that Joel and Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, will visit along the way that will lead them to the delivery of the little girl will be rendered, only real hope of humanity. What must not be easy at all is to always keep the level of interest in the public constant, however it is a sort of road series with very few main characters, but the personality of the performers available is certainly a excellent starting point.
