Episode 1 - When You're Lost in the Darkness
Written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
Directed by Craig Mazin
1968.
On a talk show, epidemiologist Dr. Neuman warns that as the world gets warmer, fungus could evolve to survive high body heat, leaving humans vulnerable to infection.
2003.
Austin, Texas.
During the early hours of September 27, Sarah wakes to an emergency news broadcast and finds her neighbours have been killed by an infected cannibal.
Amidst the chaotic panic in town, Joel and Sarah are cornered by a soldier who's ordered to execute them.
Tommy takes him out, but a fatally wounded Sarah dies in Joel's arms.
2023.
The Cordyceps pandemic has devastated civilisation.
In the ruins of Boston, survivors work for rations in a FEDRA managed quarantine zone.
Marlene leads rebel group the Fireflies, who are at war with military dictatorship.
Leaving the QZ in search of Tommy, Joel and partner Tess take smart-mouthed Ellie (initially Veronica) along for the ride.
After Ellie reveals she's been bitten and apparently immune to infection, trio enter a biological containment area.
Sublime start
I don't want to get too carried away, but pilot was fucking awesome.
Whether you're an ardent fan or new to post-apocalyptic universe, either faction will be grinning from ear to ear.
Casting, performances, visuals, set-pieces, music, screenplay etc kicked ass, and subtle deviations to cut scenes/gameplay ensure sequences are not entirely beat for beat.
Ignoring race swap (which isn't really a problem), Nico Parker could've easily been your typical bitchy kid, but not so.
When 'that' scene is plays out, it left me feeling nearly as emotional as game did.
Episode 2 - Infected
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Neil Druckmann
Jakarta, Indonesia
September 24th, 2003
Mycology Professor Dr. Ibu Ratna is asked by military police to analyse a specimen identified as Ophiocordyceps.
While examining human corpse, fungal growth inside mouth is still alive.
She laments no medicine exists and bombing the city is the only way to prevent infection spreading further.
Present day.
Ellie explains doctors at a Firefly base across town are working on a cure and whatever happened to her is key in developing a vaccine.
After Clickers attack at the Bostonian Museum, Tess reveals bitemark.
She covers room with gasoline and grenades as Joel and Ellie flee.
Rather than FEDRA soldiers shooting her off-screen, a monster gives her a kiss, resulting in an explosive climax.
Boom
Joel and Ellie's relationship has officially begun, with the former giving as good as he gets on the sarcasm front.
Anna Torv was superb and barring a flashback scene, it's a shame we'll never see character again.
Production design and visuals of overgrown world are nothing short of astonishing.
Actors portraying Clickers (presumably dancers) smash creepy movement and emit an appropriately terrifying sound.
Did creative decision of replacing spores with tendrils make sense?
Probably.
Hot damn, I'm digging changes so far.
Episode 3 - Long, Long Time
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Peter Hoar
10 miles west of Boston, Joel and Ellie begin hiking to Lincoln.
Coming across a mass of human skeletons, Joel explains that about a week after Outbreak Day, FEDRA evacuated small towns and transported people to a QZ.
But if there wasn't enough room, excess were killed.
September 30th, 2003.
Hardened survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman) lives in his underground bunker and regularly goes looting.
Four years later, Bill takes a shine to Frank (Murray Bartlett) and romance blossoms.
Spinning on to 2023.
A terminally ill Frank asks Bill to help him die.
On Frank's 'final' day, they get married and during dinner, both take a lethal dose of sleeping pills and retire to the bedroom.
Bang goes any interaction between Bill and Ellie then.
Some time later, Joel and Ellie stockpile Bill's weapons and supplies.
They take his truck and leave for Wyoming to find Tommy.
When Bill Met Frank
Apart from guest leads giving fine performances, I can't understand why most are having kittens.
In the game, off-screen, Frank hung himself after being bitten multiple times to ensure he couldn't turn.
Rather than love story primarily taking centre stage, playing out the above towards the end would've been far more effective.
Do we buy that Bill built a resource happy neighbourhood all by himself?
I'm calling bullshit.
Why has universe's danger magically subsided?
Finally, Bill leaving ass completely exposed to raiders was so fucking DUMB.
On a sad note, prolific TV actress Annie Wersching (who provided voice and performance capture for Tess) has died aged just 45.
R.I.P.
Episode 4 - Please Hold to My Hand
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Jeremy Webb
The ruins of Kansas City (changed from Pittsburgh) block Joel and Ellie's epic journey to Wyoming.
After surviving an ambush, Joel shows no mercy to a guy called Bryan.
When original character Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) finds geezer dead, resistance leader orders for those responsible to be found and killed.
Joel and Ellie take refuge inside an apartment block and awake to Henry and Sam holding them at gunpoint.
No pun intended
There's not much to say.
It's watchable enough, but sandwich filler needed to be longer than 45 minutes.
Was it really necessary to play out Ellie finding Bill's gay jazz mag?
Hmmm.
From weak dialogue delivery to non-threatening presence, initial impressions of Kathleen were not good.
Joel reacting to Ellie's selection of rubbish jokes (lifted directly from game and DLC), proved to be an unlikely ally.
Bloaters have been teased and should hopefully inject some much needed action.
Episode 5 - Endure and Survive
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Jeremy Webb
Kathleen's people have taken control of Kansas City.
10 days later.
Henry (Lamar Johnson) agrees to help Joel and Ellie escape via tunnel system.
We learn Henry gave up Kathleen's brother Michael to FEDRA for Sam's medicine, hence why she's rather pissed at him.
After the resistance shows up, Kathleen is poised to exact revenge.
But a crashed vehicle sinks into the ground, giving licence for Infected to run amok.
Perry's head is ripped off by a Bloater and girl Clicker cooks Kathleen's goose.
At a motel, Sam (Keivonn Woodard) reveals bite mark and Ellie smearing her blood on wound cannot prevent him from turning.
Henry executes sibling and turns the gun on himself.
Joel and Ellie bury bodies and head west.
The monster inside
Will I miss Kathleen? Not at all, as she was awful.
One of the key changes is making Sam deaf and his Savage Starlight relationship with Ellie was quite touching.
Shit hits the fan in the last quarter and sequence briefly kicked ass.
For those who care, Adam Basil's Bloater suit cost $500,000 to make and was designed by Barrie Gower.
Even if Ellie's inability to cure an infected person isn't revisited later on, it adds another dimension to character.
Episode 6 - Kin
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Jasmila Žbanić
Three months after burying Henry and Sam, Joel and Ellie ignore an elderly couple's advice and cross the so-called 'River of Death'.
Survivors appear on horseback and escort them to the heavily populated gated community of Jackson (modelled on Part II).
Hmmm.
Tommy's wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) is revealed to be pregnant and brothers reunite.
Ellie and Joel leave at dawn and arrive in Colorado, discovering that Fireflies have already vacated the university campus.
Seeing a group of raiders outside, they attempt to flee. Joel kills a bloke, but is stabbed in the process.
Following their escape, Joel collapses from the horse.
Monkey business
Joel having panic attacks was an interesting addition and for shits and gigs, film playing at the cinema is The Goodbye Girl.
I know they race swapped Sarah, but repeating tactic for Maria is just bizarre.
Ellie's brashness annoyed me and although we spend a vast amount of time in Jackson, there's no action.
Ending was extremely rushed.
In the game, Joel falls off a high platform and impaled on a rebar.
As they negotiate danger, we hear this memorable exchange.
Ellie: Well can you walk?
Joel: Yes.
Ellie: Then fucking walk.
Definitely a missed opportunity.
Episode 7 - Left Behind
Written by Neil Druckmann
Directed by Liza Johnson
Joel urges Ellie to abandon him for Tommy. She runs upstairs and hesitates entering kitchen as scene cuts.
Some time before Episode 1, Ellie is training at a FEDRA military boarding school.
During the night, Riley (Storm Reid) sneaks into her room and reveals she's joined the Fireflies.
Riley takes Ellie to an abandoned mall and promises bestie the time of her life.
After jumping to the present for the final time, Ellie uses a needle and thread to stitch up Joel's wound.
Five wonders
Adapting DLC was only necessary because of how Kin ended.
Production team decorated the former Northland Village Mall with numerous props and touched shit up with visual FX.
Chemistry between Ramsey and Reid (sporting a terrible wig) impresses, but relationship was 'sweeter' in the game.
As a reminder, Yaani King (in her only video game appearance) provided voice and motion capture for Ellie's crush.
Both narratives were handled clumsily, and it would have been more engaging to include Ellie searching for meds on her own.
I didn't expect much action, but stupidly thought we'd finally get some visceral gore.
But no, they pussy out AGAIN, as Ellie stabbing an Infected in the head is tame compared to her graphically slitting a Runner's throat.
Episode 8 - When We Are in Need
Written by Craig Mazin
Directed by Ali Abbasi
While hunting, Ellie comes across David (Scott Shepherd) and James (Troy Baker).
She agrees to trade some deer for penicillin.
David reveals because Joel killed Alec (raider at the end of Kin), he seeks justice.
At dawn, David captures Ellie and his men continue pursuit for vengeance.
Joel tortures an intruder to learn of Ellie's location and clobbers another with an iron bar.
David's cannibalistic secret is spilled and after Ellie breaks one of his fingers, baby girl is next on menu.
She kills James and hacks David to death with a meat cleaver.
After the event, Joel shows up and they leave together.
Violent heart
Aside from some minor differences, we watch a collection of cut scenes smashed together.
While I applaud authenticity, it's perhaps done too well.
Also, narrative deserved two episodes.
Here's fun, why not spice things up by including the Infected?
It's so fucking frustrating.
Shepherd's performance was particularly creepy and we finally see the real Joel in action.
The only major change to dialogue is David's reaction to finger break:
"You little cunt."
As opposed to: "You stupid little girl."
Episode 9 - Look for the Light
Written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
Directed by Ali Abbasi
At some point in 2009, Anna (Ashley Johnson) flees an Infected by hiding in a house. She's bitten and kills the monster, giving birth to Ellie in the process.
Before taking baby to Boston, Marlene reluctantly shoots Anna dead.
Present day.
In Salt Lake City, Joel is knocked unconscious and Ellie is captured by a Firefly patrol.
Joel awakes inside Saint Mary's Hospital and told that Ellie is being prepped for surgery so Cordyceps can be extracted from her brain.
Knowing that procedure will kill her, Joel goes on a murderous rampage, giving The Terminator a run for its money.
He executes the lead surgeon and carries her away.
Laura Bailey (who played Abby) cameos as one of the nurses.
Marlene confronts Joel in the parking garage, stating there's still time for him to do the right thing.
But he refuses, shooting her dead.
While driving out of the city, Ellie asks what happened and Joel lies, saying that doctors had found other immune people like her and gave up finding a cure.
After car breaks down, Ellie forces him to swear everything he said was true.
She replies: "Okay."
Shot and missed
Pretty good, but shit was always gonna be rushed.
They saved the shortest until last, begging the question - WHY?
As per previous entry, dialogue is practically verbatim.
Giraffe looked better in the game and submerged underground tunnel is cut.
Wow! HBO really fucking hated the Infected.
I understand why Ashley Johnson was given a stint as Ellie's mum, but sequence should've been replaced by the above, even if just for a few minutes.
Or simply 'bloat' episode's length.
Ellie's immunity is the same principle as Blade becoming a Daywalker, as his mother was bitten and turned into a vampire during labour.
Tut tut.
It's been confirmed that second season will adapt controversial sequel over at least two parts.
I suspect it'll be a while before we find out if Joel's death is prolonged.
acturally i like game more
ReplyDeleteoverall, they did a good job. but the lack of infected really annoyed me.
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