HBO’sThe Last of Usjust wrapped up, and I’m still reeling. Season one featuredexcellentperformancesfrom its cast,tweaksandadaptationsthat elevated the show from itssource material, and asurprising amount of queer representation. It became such a cultural phenomenon that it was renewed in January for its second season, after only two episodes had aired. HBO is in it for the long haul.
I’m of the opinion thatThe Last of Us Part 2was stronger, both narratively and thematically, than the first game. I was incredibly moved by its tale of rage and hatred, redemption and forgiveness – I rarely find myself crying through boss fights, but as I alternated playing as Abby and Ellie fighting for their lives in pursuit of revenge, I wept. It is an immensely powerful story, and one I’m not ready to see adapted.
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Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it will be done badly. On the contrary, if the showrunners take the same approach to season two as they did to the first, it has a real shot at being excellent. There are so many compelling, interesting characters in the second part, all with their own motivations. If treated properly, the show could tell the existing story with more nuance, and hopefully better pacing, than the game could. Maybe that’s what I’m really afraid of.
If you’re not familiar withThe Last of Us Part 2, you should really go play it. It’s an extremely bleak, violent story, that’s undeniable, but it’s also one of the strongest anti-revenge narratives I’ve ever seen, and yes,that includes God of War. The game revolves around two characters: Abby Anderson, who kills Joel in retaliation for killing her father at the end of the first game, and a grown-up Ellie, who hunts down Abby for killing Joel in the game’s opening act. It is a harrowing excavation of the cycles of trauma we perpetrate on each other, the destruction that we leave in our wakes as we search for revenge, and how that damages our relationships with the people around us.
Bella Ramsey will act the hell out of their role as older Ellie – they’vealready been confirmed to be acting in season two, and I look forward to more excellent performances from them. I’m one of the people who thinks that theirperformance in episode eight was award-worthy. But I’m not ready yet for the emotional turmoil the next two seasons will put me through, and neither am I ready for the discourse people will surely start over the game’s queer characters, themes, and thepresentation of its women.
While the showrunners have said that the show could continue todepart “radically” from the game, they’ve also said that theydon’t care if the show receives the same negative reaction the game received. At the time the game was released, both the game’s creators and its actors received a barrage of hate and death threats, but it still proceeded towin over 300 Game of the Year awards, among others. It’s a phenomenal game, and it will likely be a phenomenal show – I’m just not emotionally prepared for it yet.
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