The first installment of the adaptation of the popular video game franchise The Last of UsIt’s finally here on HBO. As with any adaptation, comparisons between the new product and the source material are inevitable (check out a visual comparison).
While some of the changes in the premiere were more obvious, there are some that many could point to as thoughtful expansions of this narrative. This comes in the form of additional new scenes, such as the 1968 flashback, in which a talk show interview with two epidemiologists shows one of them expressing his views on the possibility of a yeast infection. Cordycepsright in the first scene of the production.
Another includes expanded scenes with Sarah (Nico Parker). However, there is one addition in particular that makes the game’s already excellent opening and adaptation even more effective than they already were. The scene in question, expanded upon in unexpected ways in the series, is Sarah’s death. The co-creators of The Last of UsCraig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, stick exactly to the source material when it comes to this particular scene.
Where the adaptation deviates is in how it connects to the final scene of the premiere. This scene places the audience in a familiar place that even those who played it would immediately recognize. During this scene, we see Joel (Pedro Pascal), Tess (Anna Torv) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) being tested for Cordyceps. After Ellie’s result is positive, Joel tries to calm down Private FEDRA.
It’s a stark comparison to the heartbreaking scene where Joel loses his daughter. More importantly, this comparison can’t be made when talking about the original game, as there was never a line that could be drawn between that moment and Sarah’s death. In the game, while Joel ends up killing a FEDRA soldier, there is no such relation to the emotional impact. We see him fight one of them to the ground for his gun, while Tess shoots the other one.
One of the most important additions is the link between the soldier FEDRA who points his gun at Ellie and the one who ends up shooting Sarah. The clear visual connection that accompanies the beginning of the game, where we see the soldier receiving the order to kill and the soldier discovering Ellie’s infected state, is one of the strong points of the beginning of this series.
Even more impressive is that this is absent from the game. The inclusion of a quick flash to the previous event clarifies the point. However, it still works, largely due to the implication based on Joel’s facial expressions changing.
The second episode of The Last of Us arrives on HBO and HBO Max next Sunday (22nd) at 11pm.
The post The Last of Us: Episode 1 scene is different from the game; Understanding first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
