PATREON: www.patreon.com/storystreet INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/storystreets/ Engagement Question: What was your favorite episode of season one of "The Last of Us"? It's definitely "Long, Long Time" for me as I'm sure it is for many of you. But I'm curious if there are some other favorites. "Kin" was a close second for me. And as always, thank you so much for watching! I hope it meant something to you.
I LOVE how Bill’s section in both mediums achieves similar things for the larger story & for Joel through WILDLY different ways. In the games, Bill is a warning to Joel (of what one is WITHOUT love). In the show, he is a REMINDER (of what one is WITH love). And that’s pretty cool to me lol Plus, "That's why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do, and god help any motherfuckers who stand in our way" is just a banger of a line lol Also: as a bi guy who has struggled (and still does) with this aspect of me… I could never quite visualize a life, a lasting relationship with a partner of the same sex, like I could with the opposite. Watching this episode kinda showed me what that could look like (albeit, with more raiders and infected lol). So, it was pretty touching for me, at a personal level.
Being gay or bi doesn't have to be emasculating. I know these traits are commonly downgraded as feministic trades, but you can be loving and into men AND be a classic Male stereotype. What I wanted to say, I understand your struggle, at least I think I do. Much love - a fellow bi man
It had nothing to do with the game. Why are we deviating from the game. We watch the show to see the game acted exactly the same. When it’s changed then it isn’t the same thing. It has become its own story
@@MeggaMann_theBlueLion they created a show out of the game to expand its audience, not cater to the same monkeys that play games all day and have little experience in social settings. which is why i feel the second part will do much better as a show than it did as a game. Gamers tend to be more brutal about their opinions when things don't go their way. Fans of the game are fuming while theres a huge group of film enjoyers that absolutely loved the show. No matter how much you hate to admit it the show still did quite well despite all the hate from the gaming community. At the end of the day the beauty of the last of us was successfully introduced to a wider demographic.
They're expanding on the story that they originally made, and adding something that they likely wanted to, but couldn't because of the political atmosphere of video game players at the time (unironically raging homophobes). That was one of the most moving episodes of TV I've ever watched dude, and I'm a very straight man with a fiancé. There was nothing wrong with what they did, it took nothing away from the original story, only added to it. @@MeggaMann_theBlueLion
I think what most video essays about the game vs the show seem to miss is that you are coming from 15 to 20 hours of gameplay, or in your case, having replayed it several times, 40 to 50 hours, and that’s a LOT of time to develop a relationship. You go into the show knowing what you want to see out of that relationship. For people who didn’t play the game, these nine hours of the HBO series were more than enough to show what those characters have been through together and why they made the decisions they made by the last episode.
You sound like a broken record for people defending the show. It’s visually stunning and the cast was great but it was terribly paced and it was awful storytelling compared to a better story from the game and I’m not talking about gameplay. I am talking about story.
@@Shinju2024the thing is that the history in the last of us 1 is not only by cinematic, it is also by the gameplay that they tell de story, when you are looking for objects, exploring the places, and also in combats.
I can replay The Last of Us over and over and never get bored of it. The same logic applies to the show. In the same vein of The Game being my favorite video game, the show is my favorite television series.
You have no idea what a gem you are in this online landscape. I found your channel as I was going through a rough patch in my life, it was the Sam Raimi Spider-man films that you made a video on, and I'm so glad I found you. Hearing someone voice their doubts and troubles as it relates to the topic that is of discussion is a balancing act I seldom see done in these video essays. I guess getting vulnerable with strangers on the internet is something that most people are right to be afraid of. You have a perspective on media that gives me a chance to view things through a different perspective I wished I had the ability to do as effortlessly as you make it seem. I hope to see you improve and make your videos better as you venture into making new videos without getting complacent. I appreciate you; you are a gem. Keep going.
I think you missed one aspect of why they extended the beginning. You get close in the following section about perspective. When you play a game, there is an instant sympathy for the character you're playing. So when Sarah stands up from her bed after getting Uncle Tommy's phone call and you start moving her around the room, there is an instant empathy and even identification with her ("This is me, and oh, look at the cute card, I am a good and thoughtful person"). The TV show doesn't have the shorthand empathy of the controller available to it, so more time with Sarah and more information about who she is are needed for the audience to develop that empathy, that identification ("She's our protagonist, and she is a good and kind person.") care about Sarah before killing her off.
What I loved most about HBO’s The Last of Us is that it gave me the ability to share this story with my dad. I loved the first game primarily because of its amazing story, and I knew that my dad would love it too since it was a raw story about love and what we’re willing to do to protect it. Sadly, I never got to finish the story with him since he passed away on January 29th, just one day before the release of episode 3 and, coincidentally, the same day Tess’s original actress also passed away. But even in those last few weeks of his life, I got to share one last interest of mine with him and I will always be grateful for this series existing.
I'm really thankful for this adaptation in so many ways... As an exercise in adaptation storytelling it's just perfection. Even video game fans will get to see new aspects of the world and characters we fell in love with. People who can't or won't play video games can experience this story. It has such wonderful tributes to the games in there beyond adaptation like the appearances in genuine roles of the video game actors getting to show their chops, the references and the blatant love for the source material on display, which isn't only to Neil Druckmann's credit, Craig Mazin is a huge part of imbuing the show with that reverence. And on top of all that, folks with narrow media views will see this and go "THAT came from a video game??" God I want to see this show STEAMROLL the Emmys.... BTW I can solidly recommend the accompanying Podcast for this show hosted by Troy Baker with regulars and guests Neil and Craig, really get into the weeds of each episode's production and writing together.
The man does it again. Every single video you make is a way for me to look inwardly and analyze my self often through a different perspective than usual. As your words allow me to use a different lense. Thank you, and I hope you find the change and growth you're looking for.
Yet another beautiful, thoughtful StoryStreet video. Knocked it out of the park, mate :3 Easily the best piece I've seen in response to the show. And you ended it with a sentiment that, funnily enough, I have been pondering a lot recently, too. Keep on keeping on :)
Been here since shortly before the Ape days and I just wanted to let you know again that you never fail to make me and my wife cry and that it's still criminal how few views and subs you have, no matter how big you get. Beautiful video
25:19 While I will certainly agree that the show would DEFINITELY benefitted from more Joel & Ellie time (I will almost NEVER say no to more of that lol), I will defend the rushed feel of the finale. I think that that choice feels more like a prerequisite because for Joel... it is. For Joel, it is no real choice at all. And I have ALWAYS felt this in the game, too. When I first experienced the game, I was certainly debating what is right in the scenario in my head. But the moment I thrust back into Joel's shoe... I thoughtlessly murdered ALL THOSE FIREFLIES. Because I was Joel. And for Joel: there is no choice. There is just one option: save Ellie or die trying. When I walked into that hospital room, I was ready to kill the doctor without hesitiation. I just let him say his lines cuz I wanted to get every bit of story from this game that I could. But when he was done, I instantly shot him (and left the nurses alive). Cuz that is what Joel would do. In both medium, I do not think he considers the larger fate of humanity for one second before he goes on his rampage. Both, in the game and the show, Joel spends the time he's being walked out kinda mentally preparing himself for what he's about to do. He's looking for an opportunity to attack. There is just ONE moment of reflection for Joel (or two, if you count the brief, quiet time in the elevator) and that is when Marlene confronts him. And even then, he is not thinking about humanity, really. But rather realizing that he KNOWS that Ellie wouldn't want this. For him, there was no other choice. And I think that facets of both, self-preservation & love for Ellie, exists in his actions in the hospital in both mediums. And there is certainly a bit of a difference of focus in the two mediums, but I do not think that the difference is as large as you might think. I saw a NUMBER of reactions from people who had no prior knowledge of the game. And this moment landed for them, 100%. Perhaps the most common complaint I heard was: more infected, and a lil bit more time with Joel & Ellie. And I mostly agree with that. That being said... the show absolutely landed those moments for those people. And I think that as folks who have lived with the games for as long as we have... this is certainly a tricky thing: comparing the impact of a moment in both mediums. Especially when both mediums are sufficiently cinematic: a game and a show (vs the common book and movie). And I think that it can be hard for the adaptation to comparatively hit every beat as hard as it did all that time ago. But given how much folks new to the story were impacted by the finale... I think it works for them. Again, mostly just my opinions and observations (anecdotal, sure lol). This has been a VERY well-done, and presented (not just visually, but also your arguments & opinions) video so far.
i'm gonna come back and read this comment when i get off of work or have some downtime, but excusing the finale of a show being rushed by equating it to how little time the CHARACTER has to make a decision, is just baffling. again, i only read the first paragraph of your comment so maybe I'm misrepresenting your overall argument and if so i apologize. but that is just a brain dead thing to say or feel, even if it's to make yourself feel better about something you generally do not like.
Great video (as usual!). I would love to hear your take on Part II. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest pieces of media ever made, and also one of the most undeservedly hated games of all time as well.
Hill ill die on is part 2 would have gone over waaaay better if joels death wasnt leaked, from then it was kinda doomed im sure it changed some peoples minds during their playtime but for most they probably already made their mind up and that was it. Everyone i know that played it and avoided the leaks has a positive opinion of the game but for ones that did see the leaks its more of a toss up what their opinion will be.
I'm really glad I discovered your channel. I greatly appreciate how positive, thoughtful, and well written your video essays are. Like you, The Last of Us on PS3 was an incredibly special experience for me. The only perspective I didn't think you really considered in this video was for the audience who never played the game. I have friends who experienced this story for the first time through this show, and the ending totally worked for them. I've never had quite the same experience that I had with The Last of Us back in 2013, so I knew the show was never gonna surpass it. But I still loved it, and for people who don't play video games, I'm just really happy that this version of the story exists for them to enjoy.
Love your videos man, I’m happy 2023 has been a successful year for you. Keep at it, don’t be afraid to experiment or find new influences. Peace with you brother.
Thank you - really interesting perspective. I am thankful for adaptations, because I would never have known about The Last of Us without the TV series; I'm not a gamer. I loved the show, and watched it a second time. I did, however, feel like another episode between 7 and 9 would have been useful, not because I believe the relationship between Joel and Ellie was under-developed, but because the time jumps between those later episodes just seemed so substantial compared to the pacing in the earlier episodes. Having said that, TLOU is easily my most loved TV show this year so far. To answer your question, my favourite episode is Episode 9. The heartfelt conversations; Ellie's origin story; Joel's devastating decisions; the heart-wrenching music had me crying throughout the whole episode. Episode 6 - Kin - comes a close 2nd.
Even though I haven’t played either of the games, I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures Joel and Ellie go on in season 2. That first season was a real hole in one.
story street, youre one of my fav youtubers of all time, youre so good at explaining all of this and showing the potentials of adapting a someone books or videogame into a new light like the last of us or arcane from league of legends(like you should watch arcane is so perfect in everyway, i hope you have nice day!
I’ve never played the game, and not likely to do so… So I think the adaption works well for someone like me, to experience the story for the first time. I saw the show, and loved it as a drama piece. I think that’s a great reason for adaptions.
19:00 Craig Mazin, in the official podcast for the show, touched on this aspect of show Ellie. He called it the "fuck you! tuck me in!" phase, that a LOT of teenagers go through. Wherein they feel invincible, they wanna be strong, independent etc. They wanna REBEL! But at the same time, they are vulnerable kids and need guidance, love, attentionm and care- And the way he put it made me laugh, but it is absolutely true. And I appreciated this element in show Ellie. 19:30 I will say: that while Ellie externally pushes the blame off herself... it is quite clear that internally she still feels it. I think she says what she says here in order to break the ice between her & Joel, so that she isn't pushed around by him with an undercurrent of disdain... but also to feel less guilty herself cuz she REALLY feels a lot of blame for her death. We can see this in her inability to move on from the Capitol as quickly as Joel does, and later in her final scene in the show (when she names Tess alongside Sam). She's hoping to lessen her guilt by outwardly saying this to Joel.
Typo in the quote at 0:06! Try to find it! It’s supposed to be “If they tell you what that story is all about,” not “If they tell you that that story is all about.” 😅😊
to me, the show pales in comparison to the game, and I think this video provides pretty good points as to why that was for me, namely the fact that in focusing on so many things that weren't in the game, there's a lot less time devoted to building upon Joel and Ellie's relationship, and it leaves where they end up feeling super rushed. But it's not a bad adaptation though and you made some points that help me appreciate it a little more, like how it restructures certain themes. I just think that the core of this story is Joel and Ellie and the game told that pretty much perfectly.
Part of the reason I like adaptation is because, if it's done right, it's a way to share something you love with someone who doesn't interact with the original medium, but does interact with the medium to which the story is being adapted. Like, my mom isn't a gamer, so this show was a chance to share the story of TLOU with her.
Already having Last of Us part one and two, it gives show Ellie the chance to explore her more sadistic side as well. She's curious about life in the show, but I feel like show Ellie is more curious about the world of death.
What I like about basically every story in the original Last of Us being framed as a tragedy is that Joel's act of protecting Ellie at the end is not about hope for the future they might have together, it is about how Joel is creating a new tragedy by avoiding all of the tragedies he has seen throughout the game. It is not an act of love or compassion, it is an act of fear, an act born of someone who is not strong enough to lose someone again, even if it goes against the good of humanity, and maybe even what Ellie would have wanted. I think the show dulls this, both because their relationship isn't as developed, but because it gives them what feels like an entirely dishonest hope for the future. The reason the game has "Us" in the title is because it is so critical of the way in which we draw lines between ourselves and others, and how we can pursue our own comfort when it is literally ruinous for everyone else, and I just don't think the show gets that.
Overall, there’s not one thing the show does that I prefer over the game. That said, I appreciate this retelling because it’s clear those involved actually respect the source material.
The Bill episode is the only thing I thought the show did better. If you don't like/suck at video games, I would suggest playing on the easiest mode which is a cake walk for basically any skill level, or watch a playthrough on YT. I don't even like the game that much, so I feel like I am pretty unbiased in saying that the show version is extremely mediocre and sometimes borderline bad. If a show of this quality didn't have the name The Last of Us, I really don't think there would be nearly as much hype or love for it....
Hi good video! Finally someone who sees the choices that the series makes the same as I, the only thing I have to say is that the series makes me sad like usual when I see an adaption from today. To be fair it is not as bad as others (the most recent one being netflix Avatar) but I think the whole issue with loosing focus on the Ellie Joel relationship could have been remedied with just one more episode. One episode where it focuses on the setting (meaning more Zombies), one episode where it focuses on the early character changes that even those version need to go through to depend onto each other in the end, one episode to make the world feel dangerous and that companionship is the only thing we need to fix that.
Good stories are worth adapting in a new medium. As someone that dont enjoy playing videogames, i am happy that this story was told to me in a way that i enjoy. I sm also grateful for audiobooks, because i can enjoy stories in this medium. I dont believe in gatekeeping, while a medium might be best, it might not be available or possible.
Last of Us Part 2 is demonstrably better than Part 1 as a video game, and arguably story wise as well. Both are the epitome of what it means to show videogames as an interactive medium for storytelling.
Documenting my thoughts re: original work v adaptation, prior to your video: I often see people compare the two: the game and the show, directly. Trying to decipher which one is better. And sure, one can do that, I guess. Me, personally, have never liked that. Because to me: they are companion, not competition. They are separate canons, sure. But they both still compliment each other in interesting ways. And I appreciate them for their differences more than for their similarities. I love that show Ellie is a little more brattier from the jump (game Ellie needed to not be too bratty off the bat. Cuz she is meant to be actively escorted by the player. She is already an NPC that can sometimes misbehave. If she shows, what some consider to be, attitude… players are not gonna like her (even then I saw some folks call her, a 14y.o. char, a b-word (censoring lest TH-cam protests my comment) lol. So I appreciate that about show Ellie. I love that while both Joels are motivated by fear, show Joel seems to be even more afraid of failing Ellie. This is aided by Pascal’s physical performance and the decision to make Joel older. Game Joel seems more afraid of getting attached and then losing her. I’m sure that the fear of failing her is there… But game Joel is more capable (cuz he’s the protag of a video game). Additionally, I love all the physicality from show Joel in the winter section. Game Joel recovers too quickly and aside from initially walking while clutching his side, he controls exactly the same as before in combat. Show Joel drags himself around across that stark white landscape. People also tend to compare both Pascal and Ramsey with Baker and Johnson. That also feels like a bit of a fool’s errand to me. Cuz each performance is so well suited to their respective Joel/Ellie. And ultimately, I don’t really have a preference? I guess by nature of spending MUCH MORE time with them (and going through the story of TLOU2 with them), I have a deeper love for Baker & Johnson. But ultimately I don’t like comparing either set with each other. In fact, having this new, separate, set of Joel and Ellie only made me appreciate and fall deeper in love with the characters of Joel and Ellie, regardless of the medium. And I thought that was pretty neat. Pascal & Ramsey FEEL like Joel & Ellie cuz that core is preserved from the games, but the actors still bring their own flair to it. Some folks feared that this was them replacing the game, in some way. Some feared that the TLoU Remake would have voice lines from Pascal & Ramsey etc. I NEVER had that thought. Cuz it is clear that the game and the show are separate. Like Druckmann said (paraphrased), there are those who will never get to pick up a controller and experience this story & fall in love with these characters. So he wanted to give them an opportunity to do that. And I got to do that. I got to share this story with my friend whom I’ve been pestering with TLOU stuff for YEARS. But she doesn’t play games. So NOW I get to share with her that story. And I’ve seen many show fans get interested & pick up a controller- many for the first time! So yeah, folks can certainly compare. Neither the game or the show are perfect & can certainly be critiqued. I, myself, have small issues with both (especially 2-3 editing choices in the show that felt a tad too hand-holdy, for ex. Fall section of the game being a bit empty, in a bad way). But like I said, I am way more interested in appreciating the differences, than 1:1 comparing the two. And I don’t choose between the show and the game. When I am in the mood for the game, I play the game (I was earlier today!). When I am in the mood for the show, I watch the show (like I did yesterday). Companions, not competition :)
I dont know the contract they uad, but i wish that the first game was 2 seasons long, and that the 2nd game would be 5-6 just because of how much there is. Butnthen you think about the writers strike and how they budget things. All i know is that itll be interesting how they handle the 2nd game.
My aunt, uncle and cousins would never know of the last of us story if it wasn’t for the show even 4 of my friends And I viewed it was TV universe and game/comic universe Just like with TWD TV universe and comic and telltale game
I think you have a small enough audience to be able to really branch out and try some experimental stuff. You just have such a way with words that I think you can apply in several other formats.
I've come to the conclusion that the show is meant to push people to play the game, those people who would not have otherwise but it also wants to please the fans you see more of the world we fell in love with, we see deeper into characters we know and other characters we dont know. As a tv show, it's good. it's just stronger as a game imo because of the interactivity. Im super excited for S2 but it does have a lot more to juggle in that one with regards to its interactivity...it played to its adapted mediums strengths, tv being the weaker of the two imo
I’m probably not going to get a response but are you gonna make a guide/tutorial on how to write scripts like this Btw love your videos you’ve earned a sub
I think the answer to your question is to reach a larger audience. The original story is incredible but if you don't play video games there is a chance you don't- rather, didn't - know it exists. Adaptation for screen is done because there are elements of the story, namely in-game mechanics, that work in a video game, which is a more interactive experience, but may fall flat on screen. Obviously the showrunners felt this story was compelling enough in a video game to warrant sharing through a more mainstream media outlet. Even though my opinion is that the game story is best, I do think it was adapted well on screen and found it entertaining enough on its own.
17:40 This is was my favorite episode. Hill telling her was so good. That change was so damn good it was when I knew the show was serious. But my only gripe with the show was the lost off some of the action. The game does a lot of story telling through action. As the medium does. But they cut it back reflecting more on chatacters, thats goo but this story needs that action sometimes. It was slightly under done in my opinion. I LOVED THIS SHOW tho so its only a small critzisim
i think it was alright, not the best, but it was alright. the story is about love, and the cordyceps are a terrible warped version of love. what’s worse than having to kill a loved one because they’re now trying to hurt you, of no want of their own. and i think that’s what they were trying to show there.
I personally really loved the bill and frank episode as a less then straight individual i hate how most society expects when same sex relationships happen they still expect one of them to fall into traditional gender roles as one being masculine one being feminine. This is honestly first time i can think of a show that took two masculine men at least in appearance and showed that its normal for a relationship between them. Like i cant think of any movie or show where ive seen 2 bearded men kiss before where it wasnt played off as a joke and i loved it for that.
Sorry to post way too much. I feel like a central trend in the process of adapting is taking a work and making it less than it once was. In most cases, this manifests as removing components for one reason or another, but at a deeper level I see this as making a work less rich in the step of audience interpretation, and sanding off what seems difficult or contradictory about a work. You can see this in historical adaptations which try to find a narratively simpler version of the story, and ignore everything inconvenient to that idea. You also see this in lazy fiction adaptations which will cut out seemingly gratuitous slow moments or push the work into the mold that is more compatible with Hollywood fiction. The other way, and the way I think this show adapts The Last of Us, is by making far more of the story explicit and constructing a version that is longer and more detailed, but seems averse to allowing a difficulty or contradiction rest within the audiences interpretation. In this case, the expansion actually feels like a reduction because the work has been taken out of the realm of interpretation and into the realm of cannon, and is thus less alive and formidable in the mind of its audience. Thus the Last of Us is not a departure from the problem of adaptation, but an extension of it into an entirely different methodology.
As someone who played TLOU 1, multiple times, my god the series did not meet my expectations. I especially didn't appreciate them trying to water down how not good The Fireflies are. One of my favorite things in any post apocalyptic work is the blurring of Black and White. Such as for example another post apocalyptic Father, Rick Grimes. Is he a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between all of that? After all its honorable to protect our loved ones, but when he and Morgan run into some fleeing Saviors, he promises them they could join them, be forgiven of past sins under Negan's rule and command. Yet when Walkers happen upon all of them, he unrepentantly kills all of them, even going so far as to kick the man into a Walker's reach. Then when the man is lying, bleeding out, he walks up and the man is sputtering with his final breaths "You said.. we could.. join you.." to that he responds with a single bullet to the head after stating back to the dying man; "I lied." I feel with Pascal's (NOT his fault) Joel Miller is is far less ruthless, gruff, and just seems more tired a worn down in a more docile manner. And once more I feel with how amazing of an actor Pascal is he clearly could have turned in a preformance like that of Season 3 Episode 5: "Say the word." When Rick loses his wife to the impromptu C-section she had during the chaos of Episode 4, I mean my god the acting preformance Lincoln turns in. I have no idea how he got there, but he truly resembled a man having a psychological break. After seeing Pascal in Narcos, I KNOW he could have given a preformance worthy, but even the hospital "massacre" just felt off and softened. Which I guess I can understand after seeing the net have a BF over Pascal getting Hero of the year for Joel. It seems as though nuance is being dimmed more and more everyday in people's minds. They no longer want to think on the hard questions and think how these characters are having to survive but instead thinking with the more basic of Good/Evil. I think that's a large part of why I went back to TWD after watching Part one on HBO, well that and even Alpha of the Whisperers is a better villian than Kathleen. David they didn't do too bad with, but man we live in a world where there are many characters made for a property that at first didn't exist Harley Quinn and Daryl Dixon being two examples, who are now icons and beloved. Hell Alexei from Stranger Things Season 3 made waves and barely spoke. Idk what writers came up with Kathleen, but they definitely needed to go back to the drawing board. I'm thankful they didn't screw up the brothers though. Poor sweet Sam. R.I.P. Last but not least (of us. Lol) I do think I should admit to Bias as damn the game just cannot be matched in my mind, and that's something TWD had a huge advantage on when it came to me. I didn't even know the comic existed til about Season 4, but man from October 31st 2010, that Halloween night, I was immediately in Sheriff Rick Grimes corner and ready to journey with him anywhere. So this is just my thoughts but also speaking of TWD, I think HBO better hire one hell of a writer on the upcoming season as Glenn getting Lucille'd was always known, yet when it happened, hell Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been flipped off and yelled at in the street to this day. And with how there is kinda a weird cultish following of all things Pedro Pascal (i love him too but man some ppl take it too far) him being killed is going to be like the slaughter of a lamb. Just like Glenn Rhee, Joel Miller (HBO) has become the heart of that series. Not to mention Abby has less than stellar words thrown at her in the gaming community, she won't be able to be the Charming Psychopath Negan was, much less be redeemed as he was in later seasons. Also, Episode 3 should have been a short film. It was phenomenal 👏🏻.
I 100% disagree when it comes to that Bill episode, it literally made no sense and they tried to use “Emotions” to distract people from all the Flaws of the Episode and they were many. 1.bill letting in the first person he found fed him and slept with him in the matter of hours…whatever that’s the least of it. 2.Franks character immediately changes the moment he met Joel and Tess, Bill and frank were having an argument and frank said this is a whole community and he’s fixing up the places because people will come here to stay….So Franks character is a kind person who is willing to help others and bring people in and bill seems to be weak to his demands so he most times let him have his way, yet there was no one else in the community with them even after 20 years, Bill said it in the letter himself Only Joel and Tess would have known the Gate code which means they had no other visitors even though Frank is not that kind of person, so he was only that was for a plot device until he met Joel and Tess lol. 3. Unlimited supplies- yes bill took over a whole town but things perish/Expire Gas goes bad after a time and they’ve maintained electricity, Food to the point where they could have 5 star meals as their last meal and there was possibly more Food because it’s clearly unlimited zero struggles and it all seemed like pandering to me a Gay Utopia which leads in my final point. 4. Zero threats- forget infected because we clearly know the show doesn’t have any except for that 1 episode but human threat, there was none….zit…..zero they only seem to have gotten Attacked once in 20 years ??? Really??? And after that single attack they just went back to being Normal again zero issues…just think about it you are in the apocalypse and you see a place with chain link fence yes Fence not a Tall wall that you can’t see over a Fence you can clearly see right through and let’s say you see them with electricity, you would assume they have supplies and even if you fail the remaining people will keep trying over and over again and even if they all die then more people will eventually take their place it’s a whole town people “WILL” find it but no one ever did other than Frank for Plot and some randos “Once” for plot again and they never came back and no one else showed up ……again this is in the Apocalypse where people are always moving and scavenging you see two men “Jogging” along side the Fence in the mornings and you don’t camp out and try to kill them like literally you believe those guys would be able to Jog safely in an apocalypse??? Kneeling down eating strawberrys lol okay again it was just a gay utopia of an episode that didn’t make much sense at all and I caught all these flaws from my first viewing which made me hate the episode it’s as if it wasn’t even the same show more like”The Notebook” but with a Gay couple instead.
I still didn’t care much for Sarah in the show 😂 however Sam’s death in the show made me cry and it only gave me shivers in the game as it cuts to black. In the game he was dead weight to me 😂 I feel like they could’ve done more in the show in the Left Behind episode, I wanted to see what happened when Riley turned and how Ellie went to Marlene. Very lazy imo
The third episode as a contained short story was a masterpiece imo, the first episode was also a perfect adaptation of the game too I loved the added detail of the scientists at the start of the first couple episodes too
24:35 hmmm that's interesting....how they will do that with Ellie and Dina, given the ultimatum in the end and Ellie's anger towards Abby....🤔 definitely it's going to shock deeper the ppl who know nothing about the second game
I didnt like the last episode. It needed to be longer for sure. The opening episode was 83 mins long, like they could have at least made the last episode a whole hour.
coming back to this to hear you out. paused @ 20:52 rn and... bro, the farmhouse scene isn't about ellie, yes she expresses her own feelings about being unwanted, but the scene is about joel and his selfishness which derives from his trauma. joel is broken, and has been frozen in his trauma since the day sarah died. ellie is confronting him, calling him on his bullshit, attempting to knock down the walls he's had up for 20 years, the walls that insists are what have kept him alive. part 1 is much more about joel than it is about ellie. everything that happens in the story is a service to joel's arc in one way or another, even the winter segments where he isn't present we see how he has influenced ellie and how violent she has become. because in the world of the last of us violence is a basic tool of survival, and if ellie is unable to be violent when it is needed, she is far less useful to joel. edit: paused @ 22:14 now. again, the scene where ellie kills david was (pun not intended) butchered in the show. that scene in particular is the climax of joel's arc. he is literally reborn, brought back from the dead in that scene. he pulls her off of david, HE embraces her, he even initiates that embrace, he comforts her as if she is his own daughter. i truly believe that troy baker gave one of the greatest performances in the history of acting in not only that scene, but the entire game. without his performance this show would never be made, the game wouldn't have been what it is. i've heard a snippet from the podcast they did after every episode where they said they wanted to give ellie her own moment for that scene so they changed how joel finds her and pulls her off of david. that doesn't work at all, and removes every single ounce of context from the game. it is a shining example of how the show is a blatant misrepresentation of the source material. that scene isn't for ELLIE, it's for JOEL, it is JOELS moment not ELLIES. edit p2: paused @ 33:26 now. what he might gain?? WHAT HE MIGHT GAIN?? brother what is going going to gain? he's going to gain a surrogate daughter who was a legitimate psychopath far before she ever had to witness him brutally kill multiple people on a year long journey across a post apocalyptic america. like ellie is genuinely such an unlikeable character in the show because they massive changed her to be an inherently violent person. in the game she is shocked by the violence she witnesses from joel and tess. she only begins to become violent herself in pittsburgh, as she is seeking validation from joel. ellie in the show is just straight up violent and lowkey a psychopath, this is even confirmed by craig mazin and neil druckmann in the podcast after the pilot episode. it is just beyond baffling to me how the two of them together seemed to completely and utterly not understand what the game is about, especially neil, but i have a feeling he was taking out some frustrations he may have had with being told his initial ideas for certain story elements weren't good enough by bruce straley and amy hennig while collaborating during the writing process for the first game. neil tends to prefer being surrounded by yes men instead of having his ideas challenged in the name of producing the best product.
It all depends on how the source-material adheres to its medium and what each medium can add. Going from a book to a movie/TV show introduces a visual and auditory element. Even in a comic-book, an adaptation can give the feel of tangibility. However, there are things movies cannot replicate from literature. Books can put the reader into the state-of-mind of the characters and are allowed to be as long as they want. Acting and visuals can clear the first hurdle, but movies HAVE to cut-out material. Games are more difficult because they have an element that film does not, interactivity. Games like "The Last of Us", "Tomb Raider", and Metal Gear Solid" are basically movies. Cutscene, gameplay, cutscene, gameplay. Even the Mario movie somewhat works because the source-material is incredibly simple to adapt. It gets thornier when we talk about games that are 100% reliant on the interactivity of gaming. Obviously, games like Tetris or Pong can't be adapted (The Tetris movie was about the creation and ensuing lawsuits of the game. Not the same thing) but there are also games like "Return of the Obra Dinn" or "Breath of the WIld" where story-elements are woven into the gameplay. Resident Evil couldn't survive the adaptation-bug because it'd just be watching an escape-room with zombies. NGL, a Resident Evil game-show would be amazing.
I loved the video and agree with almost everything except that the ending didn't achieve its intent and that Joel and Ellie's relationship hadn't been fleshed. I've played TLOU more times than I can count, and honestly, for me the only difference in their relationship is that there's no interaction prompt. Everything is there to make their bond real and geniune and strong. And their performances sold it.
You praise it for why I feel like it didn't live up to the game - an emphasis on side characters instead of focusing on the relationship of Joel and Ellie, and its growth over time. Henry was totally a traitor in the game, too, as he left the main characters to die when sh*t went down. Instead of building upon the events in the game and the backstory, cordiceps, the state of the world, we focus on generic post-apocalyptic characters that we've seen in the walking dead, and countless other media, before. There were only like 3 clicker sightings in the show, and the action scene in the hospital felt like it was taken out of a different medium altogether. It's not a bad show by any means, but it can't hold a candle to what tlou achieved in the gaming space.
i genuinely don't understand why everyone likes this adaptation. it is a fundamental misrepresentation of the source material, it is inherently not the same story AT ALL, and above all else it's just not very good. it isn't good from a technical standpoint or a writing/storytelling/performance standpoint.
idk I just dont think the bill story was good enough too make this season good. And it very much failed on the horror/action elements of a zombie movie, let alone the games. The length of the season and not adding enough moments between Joel and Ellie really hamstrung it. It should have been 12 episodes. Ending the best part of the games in one season leaves me with zero excitement for what's to come ahead. Sure its was the best game adaption so far but to me thats just cuz the bar has been set so low. they butcher to story for a wider appeal when I think the original was good enough to be adapted as it was. I was disappointed and I won't recommend it to people.
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Engagement Question: What was your favorite episode of season one of "The Last of Us"? It's definitely "Long, Long Time" for me as I'm sure it is for many of you. But I'm curious if there are some other favorites. "Kin" was a close second for me.
And as always, thank you so much for watching! I hope it meant something to you.
I LOVE how Bill’s section in both mediums achieves similar things for the larger story & for Joel through WILDLY different ways. In the games, Bill is a warning to Joel (of what one is WITHOUT love). In the show, he is a REMINDER (of what one is WITH love). And that’s pretty cool to me lol
Plus, "That's why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do, and god help any motherfuckers who stand in our way" is just a banger of a line lol
Also: as a bi guy who has struggled (and still does) with this aspect of me… I could never quite visualize a life, a lasting relationship with a partner of the same sex, like I could with the opposite. Watching this episode kinda showed me what that could look like (albeit, with more raiders and infected lol). So, it was pretty touching for me, at a personal level.
Being gay or bi doesn't have to be emasculating. I know these traits are commonly downgraded as feministic trades, but you can be loving and into men AND be a classic Male stereotype.
What I wanted to say, I understand your struggle, at least I think I do. Much love
- a fellow bi man
It had nothing to do with the game. Why are we deviating from the game. We watch the show to see the game acted exactly the same. When it’s changed then it isn’t the same thing. It has become its own story
@@MeggaMann_theBlueLion they created a show out of the game to expand its audience, not cater to the same monkeys that play games all day and have little experience in social settings. which is why i feel the second part will do much better as a show than it did as a game. Gamers tend to be more brutal about their opinions when things don't go their way. Fans of the game are fuming while theres a huge group of film enjoyers that absolutely loved the show. No matter how much you hate to admit it the show still did quite well despite all the hate from the gaming community. At the end of the day the beauty of the last of us was successfully introduced to a wider demographic.
@@MeggaMann_theBlueLionthen stick with the game then
They're expanding on the story that they originally made, and adding something that they likely wanted to, but couldn't because of the political atmosphere of video game players at the time (unironically raging homophobes). That was one of the most moving episodes of TV I've ever watched dude, and I'm a very straight man with a fiancé. There was nothing wrong with what they did, it took nothing away from the original story, only added to it. @@MeggaMann_theBlueLion
as someone who didnt ever play the original game, i am incredibly grateful for this adaptation. it allowed me to experience this story.
You are the real reason they adapted the game to a show. So that everyone, even those who don't play games, could experience the story.
I think what most video essays about the game vs the show seem to miss is that you are coming from 15 to 20 hours of gameplay, or in your case, having replayed it several times, 40 to 50 hours, and that’s a LOT of time to develop a relationship. You go into the show knowing what you want to see out of that relationship. For people who didn’t play the game, these nine hours of the HBO series were more than enough to show what those characters have been through together and why they made the decisions they made by the last episode.
You sound like a broken record for people defending the show. It’s visually stunning and the cast was great but it was terribly paced and it was awful storytelling compared to a better story from the game and I’m not talking about gameplay. I am talking about story.
@@Shinju2024the thing is that the history in the last of us 1 is not only by cinematic, it is also by the gameplay that they tell de story, when you are looking for objects, exploring the places, and also in combats.
@@Shinju2024the gameplay is 70% of the story
The man, the myth, the legend. He's back.
Cringe
@@steve13191typing cringe is cringe
@@stopmotion-Negantyping that typing cringe is cringe..is cringe
@@ukshikas5271 typing that typing that typing cringe is cringe is cringe… is cringe
I can replay The Last of Us over and over and never get bored of it. The same logic applies to the show. In the same vein of The Game being my favorite video game, the show is my favorite television series.
You have no idea what a gem you are in this online landscape. I found your channel as I was going through a rough patch in my life, it was the Sam Raimi Spider-man films that you made a video on, and I'm so glad I found you. Hearing someone voice their doubts and troubles as it relates to the topic that is of discussion is a balancing act I seldom see done in these video essays. I guess getting vulnerable with strangers on the internet is something that most people are right to be afraid of. You have a perspective on media that gives me a chance to view things through a different perspective I wished I had the ability to do as effortlessly as you make it seem. I hope to see you improve and make your videos better as you venture into making new videos without getting complacent. I appreciate you; you are a gem. Keep going.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Cringe
I think you missed one aspect of why they extended the beginning. You get close in the following section about perspective. When you play a game, there is an instant sympathy for the character you're playing. So when Sarah stands up from her bed after getting Uncle Tommy's phone call and you start moving her around the room, there is an instant empathy and even identification with her ("This is me, and oh, look at the cute card, I am a good and thoughtful person"). The TV show doesn't have the shorthand empathy of the controller available to it, so more time with Sarah and more information about who she is are needed for the audience to develop that empathy, that identification ("She's our protagonist, and she is a good and kind person.") care about Sarah before killing her off.
What I loved most about HBO’s The Last of Us is that it gave me the ability to share this story with my dad. I loved the first game primarily because of its amazing story, and I knew that my dad would love it too since it was a raw story about love and what we’re willing to do to protect it. Sadly, I never got to finish the story with him since he passed away on January 29th, just one day before the release of episode 3 and, coincidentally, the same day Tess’s original actress also passed away. But even in those last few weeks of his life, I got to share one last interest of mine with him and I will always be grateful for this series existing.
I'm really thankful for this adaptation in so many ways...
As an exercise in adaptation storytelling it's just perfection.
Even video game fans will get to see new aspects of the world and characters we fell in love with.
People who can't or won't play video games can experience this story.
It has such wonderful tributes to the games in there beyond adaptation like the appearances in genuine roles of the video game actors getting to show their chops, the references and the blatant love for the source material on display, which isn't only to Neil Druckmann's credit, Craig Mazin is a huge part of imbuing the show with that reverence.
And on top of all that, folks with narrow media views will see this and go "THAT came from a video game??"
God I want to see this show STEAMROLL the Emmys....
BTW I can solidly recommend the accompanying Podcast for this show hosted by Troy Baker with regulars and guests Neil and Craig, really get into the weeds of each episode's production and writing together.
huh
If Pedro Pascal doesn’t at least get a Nomination I’ll be pissed
@@IronBeagle2003 same for Bella. Hell, same for plenty of actors on this one.
I want it to win every award it's up for
@@IronBeagle2003 They both have one! Basically it's up for one in every category it could be
I can't explain the genuine excitement I feel whenever I get a notification that you uploaded
Your insights at the end are so full of humanity that teaches me a lot of things. Thank you
The man does it again. Every single video you make is a way for me to look inwardly and analyze my self often through a different perspective than usual. As your words allow me to use a different lense. Thank you, and I hope you find the change and growth you're looking for.
The Sam and Henry dialogue change was great too. Where Henry says in game "it's all your fault." But in the show he says "what did I do."
Yet another beautiful, thoughtful StoryStreet video. Knocked it out of the park, mate :3 Easily the best piece I've seen in response to the show. And you ended it with a sentiment that, funnily enough, I have been pondering a lot recently, too. Keep on keeping on :)
This was wonderful. Thank you for making my day.
Bro this guy is the absolute king of writing good video essays
Hey, Just found your Channel a few days ago, and now i've watched almost all your videoes! I love them! Please make more! :D
Been here since shortly before the Ape days and I just wanted to let you know again that you never fail to make me and my wife cry and that it's still criminal how few views and subs you have, no matter how big you get. Beautiful video
25:19 While I will certainly agree that the show would DEFINITELY benefitted from more Joel & Ellie time (I will almost NEVER say no to more of that lol), I will defend the rushed feel of the finale. I think that that choice feels more like a prerequisite because for Joel... it is. For Joel, it is no real choice at all. And I have ALWAYS felt this in the game, too.
When I first experienced the game, I was certainly debating what is right in the scenario in my head. But the moment I thrust back into Joel's shoe... I thoughtlessly murdered ALL THOSE FIREFLIES. Because I was Joel. And for Joel: there is no choice. There is just one option: save Ellie or die trying. When I walked into that hospital room, I was ready to kill the doctor without hesitiation. I just let him say his lines cuz I wanted to get every bit of story from this game that I could. But when he was done, I instantly shot him (and left the nurses alive). Cuz that is what Joel would do.
In both medium, I do not think he considers the larger fate of humanity for one second before he goes on his rampage. Both, in the game and the show, Joel spends the time he's being walked out kinda mentally preparing himself for what he's about to do. He's looking for an opportunity to attack.
There is just ONE moment of reflection for Joel (or two, if you count the brief, quiet time in the elevator) and that is when Marlene confronts him. And even then, he is not thinking about humanity, really. But rather realizing that he KNOWS that Ellie wouldn't want this.
For him, there was no other choice. And I think that facets of both, self-preservation & love for Ellie, exists in his actions in the hospital in both mediums. And there is certainly a bit of a difference of focus in the two mediums, but I do not think that the difference is as large as you might think.
I saw a NUMBER of reactions from people who had no prior knowledge of the game. And this moment landed for them, 100%. Perhaps the most common complaint I heard was: more infected, and a lil bit more time with Joel & Ellie. And I mostly agree with that. That being said... the show absolutely landed those moments for those people.
And I think that as folks who have lived with the games for as long as we have... this is certainly a tricky thing: comparing the impact of a moment in both mediums. Especially when both mediums are sufficiently cinematic: a game and a show (vs the common book and movie). And I think that it can be hard for the adaptation to comparatively hit every beat as hard as it did all that time ago. But given how much folks new to the story were impacted by the finale... I think it works for them.
Again, mostly just my opinions and observations (anecdotal, sure lol). This has been a VERY well-done, and presented (not just visually, but also your arguments & opinions) video so far.
i'm gonna come back and read this comment when i get off of work or have some downtime, but excusing the finale of a show being rushed by equating it to how little time the CHARACTER has to make a decision, is just baffling. again, i only read the first paragraph of your comment so maybe I'm misrepresenting your overall argument and if so i apologize. but that is just a brain dead thing to say or feel, even if it's to make yourself feel better about something you generally do not like.
Great video (as usual!). I would love to hear your take on Part II. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest pieces of media ever made, and also one of the most undeservedly hated games of all time as well.
Hill ill die on is part 2 would have gone over waaaay better if joels death wasnt leaked, from then it was kinda doomed im sure it changed some peoples minds during their playtime but for most they probably already made their mind up and that was it.
Everyone i know that played it and avoided the leaks has a positive opinion of the game but for ones that did see the leaks its more of a toss up what their opinion will be.
The hate is definitely deserved be fr
I'm really glad I discovered your channel. I greatly appreciate how positive, thoughtful, and well written your video essays are. Like you, The Last of Us on PS3 was an incredibly special experience for me. The only perspective I didn't think you really considered in this video was for the audience who never played the game. I have friends who experienced this story for the first time through this show, and the ending totally worked for them. I've never had quite the same experience that I had with The Last of Us back in 2013, so I knew the show was never gonna surpass it. But I still loved it, and for people who don't play video games, I'm just really happy that this version of the story exists for them to enjoy.
Love your videos man, I’m happy 2023 has been a successful year for you. Keep at it, don’t be afraid to experiment or find new influences. Peace with you brother.
BEAUTIFUL, video, story and narration.
Thank You so much Mr Kinzey for all of this.
Thank you - really interesting perspective. I am thankful for adaptations, because I would never have known about The Last of Us without the TV series; I'm not a gamer. I loved the show, and watched it a second time. I did, however, feel like another episode between 7 and 9 would have been useful, not because I believe the relationship between Joel and Ellie was under-developed, but because the time jumps between those later episodes just seemed so substantial compared to the pacing in the earlier episodes. Having said that, TLOU is easily my most loved TV show this year so far. To answer your question, my favourite episode is Episode 9. The heartfelt conversations; Ellie's origin story; Joel's devastating decisions; the heart-wrenching music had me crying throughout the whole episode. Episode 6 - Kin - comes a close 2nd.
Even though I haven’t played either of the games, I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures Joel and Ellie go on in season 2. That first season was a real hole in one.
I think you are fibbing sir 💀
Just wait till the second season, that’s literally a hole in one 👀 iykyk
For real, if not one of, your best video to date. Resonated with me so much. Thanks you.
return of the king
Storystreet is king
Great video! I love finding new channels that are putting out well written and entertaining videos!
story street, youre one of my fav youtubers of all time, youre so good at explaining all of this and showing the potentials of adapting a someone books or videogame into a new light like the last of us or arcane from league of legends(like you should watch arcane is so perfect in everyway, i hope you have nice day!
also may recomend you to check out on HI FI RUSH, is a very good game. even tho it has story flaws but it soooo goooooood.
I’ve never played the game, and not likely to do so… So I think the adaption works well for someone like me, to experience the story for the first time. I saw the show, and loved it as a drama piece. I think that’s a great reason for adaptions.
Just thank you for this video.
This was beautiful. Thank you
19:00 Craig Mazin, in the official podcast for the show, touched on this aspect of show Ellie. He called it the "fuck you! tuck me in!" phase, that a LOT of teenagers go through. Wherein they feel invincible, they wanna be strong, independent etc. They wanna REBEL! But at the same time, they are vulnerable kids and need guidance, love, attentionm and care- And the way he put it made me laugh, but it is absolutely true. And I appreciated this element in show Ellie.
19:30 I will say: that while Ellie externally pushes the blame off herself... it is quite clear that internally she still feels it. I think she says what she says here in order to break the ice between her & Joel, so that she isn't pushed around by him with an undercurrent of disdain... but also to feel less guilty herself cuz she REALLY feels a lot of blame for her death. We can see this in her inability to move on from the Capitol as quickly as Joel does, and later in her final scene in the show (when she names Tess alongside Sam). She's hoping to lessen her guilt by outwardly saying this to Joel.
Typo in the quote at 0:06! Try to find it!
It’s supposed to be “If they tell you what that story is all about,” not “If they tell you that that story is all about.” 😅😊
to me, the show pales in comparison to the game, and I think this video provides pretty good points as to why that was for me, namely the fact that in focusing on so many things that weren't in the game, there's a lot less time devoted to building upon Joel and Ellie's relationship, and it leaves where they end up feeling super rushed. But it's not a bad adaptation though and you made some points that help me appreciate it a little more, like how it restructures certain themes. I just think that the core of this story is Joel and Ellie and the game told that pretty much perfectly.
Part of the reason I like adaptation is because, if it's done right, it's a way to share something you love with someone who doesn't interact with the original medium, but does interact with the medium to which the story is being adapted. Like, my mom isn't a gamer, so this show was a chance to share the story of TLOU with her.
Okay all the music you are using is so beautiful!! If there are any titles people have on them i would love to have them
this video was absolutely fantastic!
Goat is back with a new video
The scene with Joel and Tommy is the best scene of the show. It’s so good it feels like it could be I. The game!!
Loved the bit at the end about choices 👍👍
Excellent as always
Awesome video! I fear for the day you release a video for Part II. Tissues on set and ready.
“Make you cry.” Shows Clementine shooting Lee. 😭😭😭😭😭
Great video as always!
Great work my man 🎉
Babe wake up, new Storystreet is up
Already having Last of Us part one and two, it gives show Ellie the chance to explore her more sadistic side as well. She's curious about life in the show, but I feel like show Ellie is more curious about the world of death.
What I like about basically every story in the original Last of Us being framed as a tragedy is that Joel's act of protecting Ellie at the end is not about hope for the future they might have together, it is about how Joel is creating a new tragedy by avoiding all of the tragedies he has seen throughout the game. It is not an act of love or compassion, it is an act of fear, an act born of someone who is not strong enough to lose someone again, even if it goes against the good of humanity, and maybe even what Ellie would have wanted. I think the show dulls this, both because their relationship isn't as developed, but because it gives them what feels like an entirely dishonest hope for the future. The reason the game has "Us" in the title is because it is so critical of the way in which we draw lines between ourselves and others, and how we can pursue our own comfort when it is literally ruinous for everyone else, and I just don't think the show gets that.
Overall, there’s not one thing the show does that I prefer over the game. That said, I appreciate this retelling because it’s clear those involved actually respect the source material.
The Bill episode is the only thing I thought the show did better. If you don't like/suck at video games, I would suggest playing on the easiest mode which is a cake walk for basically any skill level, or watch a playthrough on YT.
I don't even like the game that much, so I feel like I am pretty unbiased in saying that the show version is extremely mediocre and sometimes borderline bad. If a show of this quality didn't have the name The Last of Us, I really don't think there would be nearly as much hype or love for it....
Brilliant video :)
Hi good video! Finally someone who sees the choices that the series makes the same as I, the only thing I have to say is that the series makes me sad like usual when I see an adaption from today. To be fair it is not as bad as others (the most recent one being netflix Avatar) but I think the whole issue with loosing focus on the Ellie Joel relationship could have been remedied with just one more episode. One episode where it focuses on the setting (meaning more Zombies), one episode where it focuses on the early character changes that even those version need to go through to depend onto each other in the end, one episode to make the world feel dangerous and that companionship is the only thing we need to fix that.
Dude I thought this was an Spider-Man 2 video and watched the whole thing
wonderful video
Good stories are worth adapting in a new medium. As someone that dont enjoy playing videogames, i am happy that this story was told to me in a way that i enjoy. I sm also grateful for audiobooks, because i can enjoy stories in this medium. I dont believe in gatekeeping, while a medium might be best, it might not be available or possible.
Last of Us Part 2 is demonstrably better than Part 1 as a video game, and arguably story wise as well.
Both are the epitome of what it means to show videogames as an interactive medium for storytelling.
Is this a joke… lololol
Great video as always, anyways can you review or take a deep dive into marvel's spiderman 2 game story 2023 please.
Documenting my thoughts re: original work v adaptation, prior to your video:
I often see people compare the two: the game and the show, directly. Trying to decipher which one is better. And sure, one can do that, I guess. Me, personally, have never liked that. Because to me: they are companion, not competition.
They are separate canons, sure. But they both still compliment each other in interesting ways. And I appreciate them for their differences more than for their similarities. I love that show Ellie is a little more brattier from the jump (game Ellie needed to not be too bratty off the bat. Cuz she is meant to be actively escorted by the player. She is already an NPC that can sometimes misbehave. If she shows, what some consider to be, attitude… players are not gonna like her (even then I saw some folks call her, a 14y.o. char, a b-word (censoring lest TH-cam protests my comment) lol.
So I appreciate that about show Ellie. I love that while both Joels are motivated by fear, show Joel seems to be even more afraid of failing Ellie. This is aided by Pascal’s physical performance and the decision to make Joel older. Game Joel seems more afraid of getting attached and then losing her. I’m sure that the fear of failing her is there… But game Joel is more capable (cuz he’s the protag of a video game). Additionally, I love all the physicality from show Joel in the winter section. Game Joel recovers too quickly and aside from initially walking while clutching his side, he controls exactly the same as before in combat. Show Joel drags himself around across that stark white landscape.
People also tend to compare both Pascal and Ramsey with Baker and Johnson. That also feels like a bit of a fool’s errand to me. Cuz each performance is so well suited to their respective Joel/Ellie. And ultimately, I don’t really have a preference? I guess by nature of spending MUCH MORE time with them (and going through the story of TLOU2 with them), I have a deeper love for Baker & Johnson. But ultimately I don’t like comparing either set with each other.
In fact, having this new, separate, set of Joel and Ellie only made me appreciate and fall deeper in love with the characters of Joel and Ellie, regardless of the medium. And I thought that was pretty neat. Pascal & Ramsey FEEL like Joel & Ellie cuz that core is preserved from the games, but the actors still bring their own flair to it.
Some folks feared that this was them replacing the game, in some way. Some feared that the TLoU Remake would have voice lines from Pascal & Ramsey etc. I NEVER had that thought. Cuz it is clear that the game and the show are separate.
Like Druckmann said (paraphrased), there are those who will never get to pick up a controller and experience this story & fall in love with these characters. So he wanted to give them an opportunity to do that. And I got to do that. I got to share this story with my friend whom I’ve been pestering with TLOU stuff for YEARS. But she doesn’t play games. So NOW I get to share with her that story. And I’ve seen many show fans get interested & pick up a controller- many for the first time!
So yeah, folks can certainly compare. Neither the game or the show are perfect & can certainly be critiqued. I, myself, have small issues with both (especially 2-3 editing choices in the show that felt a tad too hand-holdy, for ex. Fall section of the game being a bit empty, in a bad way). But like I said, I am way more interested in appreciating the differences, than 1:1 comparing the two.
And I don’t choose between the show and the game. When I am in the mood for the game, I play the game (I was earlier today!). When I am in the mood for the show, I watch the show (like I did yesterday).
Companions, not competition :)
I dont know the contract they uad, but i wish that the first game was 2 seasons long, and that the 2nd game would be 5-6 just because of how much there is. Butnthen you think about the writers strike and how they budget things. All i know is that itll be interesting how they handle the 2nd game.
Adaptions are to find another audience. I never played the games (I mainly play strategy 4Dx games) so never knew TLOU until the HBO series.
Anyone that can help me a out the music playing under the Question of Adaption? 4:02
My aunt, uncle and cousins would never know of the last of us story if it wasn’t for the show even 4 of my friends
And I viewed it was TV universe and game/comic universe
Just like with TWD TV universe and comic and telltale game
Not all of us are gamers. I love the fact that LoU was brought to hbo so that I could enjoy it as well.
You mean TLOU. The show isn’t enjoyable in comparison. Idk how they called it a show about “zombies” when they appear in 2/9 episodes
I felt the same exact way when the show ended, like, that's it?
I really loved the piece you used over the credits. Where’s it from?
Yeah pls i need the pt2 video hahaha
I think you have a small enough audience to be able to really branch out and try some experimental stuff. You just have such a way with words that I think you can apply in several other formats.
The Last of Us Part 1 will always be such a great story.
I've come to the conclusion that the show is meant to push people to play the game, those people who would not have otherwise but it also wants to please the fans you see more of the world we fell in love with, we see deeper into characters we know and other characters we dont know.
As a tv show, it's good. it's just stronger as a game imo because of the interactivity. Im super excited for S2 but it does have a lot more to juggle in that one with regards to its interactivity...it played to its adapted mediums strengths, tv being the weaker of the two imo
I’m probably not going to get a response but are you gonna make a guide/tutorial on how to write scripts like this
Btw love your videos you’ve earned a sub
please make a video on red dead redemption 2
Yo did you remove the GOTG V.3 video?
I think the answer to your question is to reach a larger audience. The original story is incredible but if you don't play video games there is a chance you don't- rather, didn't - know it exists. Adaptation for screen is done because there are elements of the story, namely in-game mechanics, that work in a video game, which is a more interactive experience, but may fall flat on screen. Obviously the showrunners felt this story was compelling enough in a video game to warrant sharing through a more mainstream media outlet. Even though my opinion is that the game story is best, I do think it was adapted well on screen and found it entertaining enough on its own.
fire
Can you make a video about part 2 the game
He just like me fr
turning off ad block so you can get all the revenue from my end lol
17:40 This is was my favorite episode. Hill telling her was so good. That change was so damn good it was when I knew the show was serious. But my only gripe with the show was the lost off some of the action. The game does a lot of story telling through action. As the medium does. But they cut it back reflecting more on chatacters, thats goo but this story needs that action sometimes. It was slightly under done in my opinion. I LOVED THIS SHOW tho so its only a small critzisim
I just ask that they adapt it well. Tess' death was not well adapted to the screen at all
i think it was alright, not the best, but it was alright. the story is about love, and the cordyceps are a terrible warped version of love. what’s worse than having to kill a loved one because they’re now trying to hurt you, of no want of their own. and i think that’s what they were trying to show there.
I personally really loved the bill and frank episode as a less then straight individual i hate how most society expects when same sex relationships happen they still expect one of them to fall into traditional gender roles as one being masculine one being feminine. This is honestly first time i can think of a show that took two masculine men at least in appearance and showed that its normal for a relationship between them. Like i cant think of any movie or show where ive seen 2 bearded men kiss before where it wasnt played off as a joke and i loved it for that.
Sorry to post way too much. I feel like a central trend in the process of adapting is taking a work and making it less than it once was. In most cases, this manifests as removing components for one reason or another, but at a deeper level I see this as making a work less rich in the step of audience interpretation, and sanding off what seems difficult or contradictory about a work. You can see this in historical adaptations which try to find a narratively simpler version of the story, and ignore everything inconvenient to that idea. You also see this in lazy fiction adaptations which will cut out seemingly gratuitous slow moments or push the work into the mold that is more compatible with Hollywood fiction. The other way, and the way I think this show adapts The Last of Us, is by making far more of the story explicit and constructing a version that is longer and more detailed, but seems averse to allowing a difficulty or contradiction rest within the audiences interpretation. In this case, the expansion actually feels like a reduction because the work has been taken out of the realm of interpretation and into the realm of cannon, and is thus less alive and formidable in the mind of its audience. Thus the Last of Us is not a departure from the problem of adaptation, but an extension of it into an entirely different methodology.
As someone who played TLOU 1, multiple times, my god the series did not meet my expectations. I especially didn't appreciate them trying to water down how not good The Fireflies are. One of my favorite things in any post apocalyptic work is the blurring of Black and White. Such as for example another post apocalyptic Father, Rick Grimes. Is he a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between all of that? After all its honorable to protect our loved ones, but when he and Morgan run into some fleeing Saviors, he promises them they could join them, be forgiven of past sins under Negan's rule and command. Yet when Walkers happen upon all of them, he unrepentantly kills all of them, even going so far as to kick the man into a Walker's reach. Then when the man is lying, bleeding out, he walks up and the man is sputtering with his final breaths "You said.. we could.. join you.." to that he responds with a single bullet to the head after stating back to the dying man; "I lied." I feel with Pascal's (NOT his fault) Joel Miller is is far less ruthless, gruff, and just seems more tired a worn down in a more docile manner. And once more I feel with how amazing of an actor Pascal is he clearly could have turned in a preformance like that of Season 3 Episode 5: "Say the word." When Rick loses his wife to the impromptu C-section she had during the chaos of Episode 4, I mean my god the acting preformance Lincoln turns in. I have no idea how he got there, but he truly resembled a man having a psychological break. After seeing Pascal in Narcos, I KNOW he could have given a preformance worthy, but even the hospital "massacre" just felt off and softened. Which I guess I can understand after seeing the net have a BF over Pascal getting Hero of the year for Joel. It seems as though nuance is being dimmed more and more everyday in people's minds. They no longer want to think on the hard questions and think how these characters are having to survive but instead thinking with the more basic of Good/Evil. I think that's a large part of why I went back to TWD after watching Part one on HBO, well that and even Alpha of the Whisperers is a better villian than Kathleen. David they didn't do too bad with, but man we live in a world where there are many characters made for a property that at first didn't exist Harley Quinn and Daryl Dixon being two examples, who are now icons and beloved. Hell Alexei from Stranger Things Season 3 made waves and barely spoke. Idk what writers came up with Kathleen, but they definitely needed to go back to the drawing board. I'm thankful they didn't screw up the brothers though. Poor sweet Sam. R.I.P.
Last but not least (of us. Lol) I do think I should admit to Bias as damn the game just cannot be matched in my mind, and that's something TWD had a huge advantage on when it came to me. I didn't even know the comic existed til about Season 4, but man from October 31st 2010, that Halloween night, I was immediately in Sheriff Rick Grimes corner and ready to journey with him anywhere. So this is just my thoughts but also speaking of TWD, I think HBO better hire one hell of a writer on the upcoming season as Glenn getting Lucille'd was always known, yet when it happened, hell Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been flipped off and yelled at in the street to this day. And with how there is kinda a weird cultish following of all things Pedro Pascal (i love him too but man some ppl take it too far) him being killed is going to be like the slaughter of a lamb. Just like Glenn Rhee, Joel Miller (HBO) has become the heart of that series. Not to mention Abby has less than stellar words thrown at her in the gaming community, she won't be able to be the Charming Psychopath Negan was, much less be redeemed as he was in later seasons.
Also, Episode 3 should have been a short film. It was phenomenal 👏🏻.
Based
I 100% disagree when it comes to that Bill episode, it literally made no sense and they tried to use “Emotions” to distract people from all the Flaws of the Episode and they were many.
1.bill letting in the first person he found fed him and slept with him in the matter of hours…whatever that’s the least of it.
2.Franks character immediately changes the moment he met Joel and Tess, Bill and frank were having an argument and frank said this is a whole community and he’s fixing up the places because people will come here to stay….So Franks character is a kind person who is willing to help others and bring people in and bill seems to be weak to his demands so he most times let him have his way, yet there was no one else in the community with them even after 20 years, Bill said it in the letter himself Only Joel and Tess would have known the Gate code which means they had no other visitors even though Frank is not that kind of person, so he was only that was for a plot device until he met Joel and Tess lol.
3. Unlimited supplies- yes bill took over a whole town but things perish/Expire Gas goes bad after a time and they’ve maintained electricity, Food to the point where they could have 5 star meals as their last meal and there was possibly more Food because it’s clearly unlimited zero struggles and it all seemed like pandering to me a Gay Utopia which leads in my final point.
4. Zero threats- forget infected because we clearly know the show doesn’t have any except for that 1 episode but human threat, there was none….zit…..zero they only seem to have gotten Attacked once in 20 years ??? Really??? And after that single attack they just went back to being Normal again zero issues…just think about it you are in the apocalypse and you see a place with chain link fence yes Fence not a Tall wall that you can’t see over a Fence you can clearly see right through and let’s say you see them with electricity, you would assume they have supplies and even if you fail the remaining people will keep trying over and over again and even if they all die then more people will eventually take their place it’s a whole town people “WILL” find it but no one ever did other than Frank for Plot and some randos “Once” for plot again and they never came back and no one else showed up ……again this is in the Apocalypse where people are always moving and scavenging you see two men “Jogging” along side the Fence in the mornings and you don’t camp out and try to kill them like literally you believe those guys would be able to Jog safely in an apocalypse??? Kneeling down eating strawberrys lol okay again it was just a gay utopia of an episode that didn’t make much sense at all and I caught all these flaws from my first viewing which made me hate the episode it’s as if it wasn’t even the same show more like”The Notebook” but with a Gay couple instead.
I still didn’t care much for Sarah in the show 😂 however Sam’s death in the show made me cry and it only gave me shivers in the game as it cuts to black. In the game he was dead weight to me 😂 I feel like they could’ve done more in the show in the Left Behind episode, I wanted to see what happened when Riley turned and how Ellie went to Marlene. Very lazy imo
The third episode as a contained short story was a masterpiece imo, the first episode was also a perfect adaptation of the game too
I loved the added detail of the scientists at the start of the first couple episodes too
My best friend will never play video games. So it was nice to be able to debate the events of the game with him via the show.
PADRO PASCEL. video over.
24:35 hmmm that's interesting....how they will do that with Ellie and Dina, given the ultimatum in the end and Ellie's anger towards Abby....🤔 definitely it's going to shock deeper the ppl who know nothing about the second game
I didnt like the last episode. It needed to be longer for sure. The opening episode was 83 mins long, like they could have at least made the last episode a whole hour.
I really hope for the second season they completely rewrite part 2. Killing off Joel at the start is a no no for me.
They’re not going to do that, there would be no plot unless you want a season of Ellie and Dina like episode 3 with bill and frank
🫡🙏🏿
coming back to this to hear you out. paused @ 20:52 rn and... bro, the farmhouse scene isn't about ellie, yes she expresses her own feelings about being unwanted, but the scene is about joel and his selfishness which derives from his trauma. joel is broken, and has been frozen in his trauma since the day sarah died. ellie is confronting him, calling him on his bullshit, attempting to knock down the walls he's had up for 20 years, the walls that insists are what have kept him alive. part 1 is much more about joel than it is about ellie. everything that happens in the story is a service to joel's arc in one way or another, even the winter segments where he isn't present we see how he has influenced ellie and how violent she has become. because in the world of the last of us violence is a basic tool of survival, and if ellie is unable to be violent when it is needed, she is far less useful to joel.
edit: paused @ 22:14 now. again, the scene where ellie kills david was (pun not intended) butchered in the show. that scene in particular is the climax of joel's arc. he is literally reborn, brought back from the dead in that scene. he pulls her off of david, HE embraces her, he even initiates that embrace, he comforts her as if she is his own daughter. i truly believe that troy baker gave one of the greatest performances in the history of acting in not only that scene, but the entire game. without his performance this show would never be made, the game wouldn't have been what it is. i've heard a snippet from the podcast they did after every episode where they said they wanted to give ellie her own moment for that scene so they changed how joel finds her and pulls her off of david. that doesn't work at all, and removes every single ounce of context from the game. it is a shining example of how the show is a blatant misrepresentation of the source material. that scene isn't for ELLIE, it's for JOEL, it is JOELS moment not ELLIES.
edit p2: paused @ 33:26 now. what he might gain?? WHAT HE MIGHT GAIN?? brother what is going going to gain? he's going to gain a surrogate daughter who was a legitimate psychopath far before she ever had to witness him brutally kill multiple people on a year long journey across a post apocalyptic america. like ellie is genuinely such an unlikeable character in the show because they massive changed her to be an inherently violent person. in the game she is shocked by the violence she witnesses from joel and tess. she only begins to become violent herself in pittsburgh, as she is seeking validation from joel. ellie in the show is just straight up violent and lowkey a psychopath, this is even confirmed by craig mazin and neil druckmann in the podcast after the pilot episode. it is just beyond baffling to me how the two of them together seemed to completely and utterly not understand what the game is about, especially neil, but i have a feeling he was taking out some frustrations he may have had with being told his initial ideas for certain story elements weren't good enough by bruce straley and amy hennig while collaborating during the writing process for the first game. neil tends to prefer being surrounded by yes men instead of having his ideas challenged in the name of producing the best product.
It all depends on how the source-material adheres to its medium and what each medium can add. Going from a book to a movie/TV show introduces a visual and auditory element. Even in a comic-book, an adaptation can give the feel of tangibility. However, there are things movies cannot replicate from literature. Books can put the reader into the state-of-mind of the characters and are allowed to be as long as they want. Acting and visuals can clear the first hurdle, but movies HAVE to cut-out material.
Games are more difficult because they have an element that film does not, interactivity. Games like "The Last of Us", "Tomb Raider", and Metal Gear Solid" are basically movies. Cutscene, gameplay, cutscene, gameplay. Even the Mario movie somewhat works because the source-material is incredibly simple to adapt. It gets thornier when we talk about games that are 100% reliant on the interactivity of gaming. Obviously, games like Tetris or Pong can't be adapted (The Tetris movie was about the creation and ensuing lawsuits of the game. Not the same thing) but there are also games like "Return of the Obra Dinn" or "Breath of the WIld" where story-elements are woven into the gameplay. Resident Evil couldn't survive the adaptation-bug because it'd just be watching an escape-room with zombies. NGL, a Resident Evil game-show would be amazing.
I loved the video and agree with almost everything except that the ending didn't achieve its intent and that Joel and Ellie's relationship hadn't been fleshed. I've played TLOU more times than I can count, and honestly, for me the only difference in their relationship is that there's no interaction prompt. Everything is there to make their bond real and geniune and strong. And their performances sold it.
You praise it for why I feel like it didn't live up to the game - an emphasis on side characters instead of focusing on the relationship of Joel and Ellie, and its growth over time. Henry was totally a traitor in the game, too, as he left the main characters to die when sh*t went down. Instead of building upon the events in the game and the backstory, cordiceps, the state of the world, we focus on generic post-apocalyptic characters that we've seen in the walking dead, and countless other media, before. There were only like 3 clicker sightings in the show, and the action scene in the hospital felt like it was taken out of a different medium altogether. It's not a bad show by any means, but it can't hold a candle to what tlou achieved in the gaming space.
i genuinely don't understand why everyone likes this adaptation. it is a fundamental misrepresentation of the source material, it is inherently not the same story AT ALL, and above all else it's just not very good. it isn't good from a technical standpoint or a writing/storytelling/performance standpoint.
Idk bro sounds like a you problem
idk I just dont think the bill story was good enough too make this season good. And it very much failed on the horror/action elements of a zombie movie, let alone the games. The length of the season and not adding enough moments between Joel and Ellie really hamstrung it. It should have been 12 episodes. Ending the best part of the games in one season leaves me with zero excitement for what's to come ahead. Sure its was the best game adaption so far but to me thats just cuz the bar has been set so low. they butcher to story for a wider appeal when I think the original was good enough to be adapted as it was. I was disappointed and I won't recommend it to people.