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[Punished Miku]

This is the only weird argument these people have, it's almost religious in that sense.
Nobody is asking for non stop, endless, constant, whatever tired nonsense justification; these arguments are literally jumping from one extreme to another, we've got 5 minutes of clickers in the past 480 minutes, yet when we point this out/complain, the response is always this bullshit about "CoNsTaNt zOmBiE AcTiOn sUcKs gUyS!"

Nobody is asking the last of us to be The Raid/Ong Bak version of a zombie outbreak, but there's definitely a way to reach a middle ground, and it's definitely not just gutting every action/encounter set piece in favour of human drama.

Id take Ong Bak vs Zombies. Sounds sick lol.

 

[Neff]

Very good episode, they managed to make David even more of a lunatic than he was in the game, bravo.

the left behind episode was exactly like the game lol

Exactly, it's the most faithful and accurate episode yet.

Nah…they pulled out the nuggets from the game and distilled it what works for TV and the masses. What you’re suggesting isn’t enough vs time and cost it would take to make. Just would have made a few gamers happy. Majority of people love show they are on the right track.

This is how I see it as well. They've adapted efficiently and economically and it's clearly paid off. Nobody wants to watch characters wandering through gloomy hallways and searching through drawers 8 episodes in. They set the tone perfectly from the beginning allowing them to just go straight to the character/plot stuff for the remainder of the season. In my experience viewers unfamiliar with the game's journey have been smart enough to read between the lines (as we did during the game itself, let's not forget that there were huge time jumps there too). That said, they'll obviously have a bigger budget and more freedom for season 2, so we'll probably get more of the cool, expensive monster moments we're feeling there should be more of.

A one on one perfect line by line set piece adaptation would have been excruciatingly boring anyway for those of us who already played the game, no?

Honestly yes. I even groan a bit internally when the dialogue is air-lifted in verbatim, even though it still 100% works, but then I remind myself that folks who haven't played the game deserve to hear it, because it's really good.

 

[Robb]

I thought Ep. 8 was decent, although I dislike the way they introduce characters just to kill them off the very same episode. There’s no build up.

I feel the viewer should feel something about David. I felt nothing, he was just some dude who died, like anybody else. Missed opportunity imo.

Was the same thing in Ep5, kid and older brother dies but who cares because they’ve barely been introduced.

 

[RaduN]

A decent episode, much better than the previous, but still slow and by the numbers.
The cannibal plot was not original in the game and is definitely not interestingly done here. TWD did it soo much better.

However Troy was absolutely amazing in it. I never knew the guy has such presence in front of the camera. Hope to see more of the actor outside of games.

 

[skneogaf]

I've just seen that the reason Ellie is immune to the fungus is because Ellie already has a fungus that stops it affecting her.

The TV show is so weird!

With how much time they've spent showing Ellie with period cups and tampons, I wouldn't be surprised if they said Ellie has a yeast infection and that is what stops the actual infection affecting her.

I've quite enjoyed looking at the the background and sets of each episode but hated the weird changes.

 

[Shakka43]

RE: not enough action

Constant zombie action/chase sequences get stale much faster than tense, character-focused drama. If the show was constant zombie fighting, it would be so easy to just zone out during every episode. I got bored in the clicker fight in episode 2. The KC fight was cool given the spectacle of it all but you can’t have that every week or it’ll feel like a marvel movie. The tense character interactions between David and Ellie, or Joel fucking up the kill squad, were much better than any kind of zombie action we could’ve gotten in this ep imo. And the sounds of cracking/clicking in the Ellie hunting scene still evokes the tension of the looming threat.

There’s a place for both Alien and Aliens in this world, but the show leaning toward the former makes it far more interesting than constant action.

There was no chance for zombies action/chase scenes to get stale cause there have barely been any, the Left behind chase could have been special but they had just one infected running after them for 10 seconds. In this episode you got David being all like "Ellie you are so especial and so strong" but why? They just sat together for a little while talking and nothing happened, in the game they went through a big fight where they barely made it out by helping each other and Ellie showing that she truly is especial and tough as nails but the show lacks any of that.

 

[Thaedolus]

There was no chance for zombies action/chase scenes to get stale cause there have barely been any, the Left behind chase could have been special but they had just one infected running after them for 10 seconds.

Yeah the game doesn’t have them acting like super heroes taking down dozens of baddies and infected at a time. It’s much more grounded, where two clickers in the game ain’t shit but in the show almost took them out.

In this episode you got David being all like "Ellie you are so especial and so strong" but why? They just sat together for a little while talking and nothing happened, in the game they went through a big fight where they barely made it out by helping each other and Ellie showing that she truly is especial and tough as nails but the show lacks any of that.

He’s literally grooming her and trying to get her to trust him. It doesn’t need to be attached to those other events, it’s pure manipulation.

 

[killatopak]

Maybe we’ll get more infected in the tunnel leading up to the hospital?

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Good episode. Bit rushed though. We could have done with David and Ellie fighting off the infected.

Agreed. Playing the game, I trusted David because he helped get Ellie out of trouble during the infected attack. In the show, it's not a betrayal, it's just a reveal

 

[The Fartist]

Agreed. Playing the game, I trusted David because he helped get Ellie out of trouble during the infected attack. In the show, it's not a betrayal, it's just a reveal

Wasn't he a pedophile in the game? It's been a while. I guess they kinda insinuated that when he offered Ellie to start a new life with him and his cult as he offered his hand, but never right out showed anything else from that.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Wasn't he a pedophile in the game? It's been a while. I guess they kinda insinuated that when he offered Ellie to start a new life with him and his cult as he offered his hand, but never right out showed anything else from that.

He was in the game, yes. To clarify: the "betrayal" I'm referring to is by the fireside outside of camp when he reveals they've been looking for Joel and Ellie. In the show, you dont trust him at all ever. He's just a stranger who sneaks up on Ellie without going through some real shit with her

 

[Shakka43]

Yeah the game doesn’t have them acting like super heroes taking down dozens of baddies and infected at a time. It’s much more grounded, where two clickers in the game ain’t shit but in the show almost took them out.

Why does it have to be dozens? A couple of runners and a clicker could easily create an intense chase until they have to fight them off, they could have saved the bloater for this episode instead of the awful usage it got in the Pittsburgh episode.

He’s literally grooming her and trying to get her to trust him. It doesn’t need to be attached to those other events, it’s pure manipulation.

Bella/Ellie is not that cute lol.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

He was in the game, yes. To clarify: the "betrayal" I'm referring to is by the fireside outside of camp when he reveals they've been looking for Joel and Ellie. In the show, you dont trust him at all ever. He's just a stranger who sneaks up on Ellie without going through some real shit with her

I was so fucking confused by that in this ep, they bring the deer in talk a few minutes by the fire and then suddenly the guy is back with the medi.....oh no they skipped the entire struggle goddamnit....

 

[EN250]

There was no chance for zombies action/chase scenes to get stale cause there have barely been any, the Left behind chase could have been special but they had just one infected running after them for 10 seconds. In this episode you got David being all like "Ellie you are so especial and so strong" but why? They just sat together for a little while talking and nothing happened, in the game they went through a big fight where they barely made it out by helping each other and Ellie showing that she truly is especial and tough as nails but the show lacks any of that.

Yup, show don't tell, in the game Ellie has no option but to team up with David so they both can survive an attack from infected coming from everywhere, that's why it made sense for David to try to incorporate her to his group seeing how she could handle the situation, in the show, he's just some religious nutcase that for some reason wants her on his side, leaving alone the fact that he's a degenerate, thing that only is known at the last minute, before that there was no reason for him to be so eager

 

[TacoSavage]

the show had such a stunningly strong opening, the 90 minute opening episode was perfection followed by 2-3 really solid episodes and i've completely lost interest now.

as much as i tried to get into ellie, i just can't do it, that Bella actress is just miscast for me, she is painful to watch as ellie to a point where i have to force myself to watch
i expected much more horror and tension of which there is almost none in the later episodes, just boring talking. the trek feels like a hike and not this life or death journey the games take you on

am i the only one that lost interest at around episode 5?

 

[DenchDeckard]

Really enjoyed this episode. The TV show cashes in on the drama side but does miss out on the relationship building that playing a strong 12 to 15 hour campaign brings.

Saying that, the Mrs is loving it so I guess they've done their job.

I'm liking it a lot too, but missing the infected a bit now.

 

[Jimmy_liv]

I thought Ep. 8 was decent, although I dislike the way they introduce characters just to kill them off the very same episode. There’s no build up.

I feel the viewer should feel something about David. I felt nothing, he was just some dude who died, like anybody else. Missed opportunity imo.

Was the same thing in Ep5, kid and older brother dies but who cares because they’ve barely been introduced.

I loved ep 8 but it's hard to argue with this take.
I think I feel that way because games, like books, let's you spend a lot more time which each character which you can never get with a TV show or film.

In retrospect imagine how poor it would have been if adapted even into a couple of films.

I think overall they've done a very very good job of adapting it however some more clickers and greater fear of the infected would have helped it along nicely.

 

[kyliethicc]

still growing

 

[twilo99]

We are back to 8/10

 

[kyliethicc]

 

[Eiknarf]

The bottom line is the game is already episodic AND ALSO cinematic. The game is already both a TV show and a game. So there technically wasn’t a reason to adapt the story to be more episodic or cinematic because it already was

So that means this HBO show is not for gamers. It’s for the masses; the non-gamers.

Because gamers will be expected to compare the show to the game. Non-gamers won’t. So it’s for them, no matter what anyone thinks

 

[FunkMiller]

Agreed. Playing the game, I trusted David because he helped get Ellie out of trouble during the infected attack. In the show, it's not a betrayal, it's just a reveal

David’s entire character was weaker in the show. His new introduction with all that unnecessary religious stuff makes him out to be creepy and wrong straight away. Much better in the game, where we only meet him in the deer scene. And chopping out the infected sequence also removes any sense of trust in him, which weakens the reveal.

 

[MALpractice311]

Maybe we’ll get more infected in the tunnel leading up to the hospital?

Alternatively, if the episode really is 40 minutes as has been rumored, I expect it will be cut entirely because there won't be enough time to have that action set piece plus the hospital action set piece.

 

[killatopak]

The bottom line is the game is already episodic AND ALSO cinematic. The game is already both a TV show and a game. So there technically wasn’t a reason to adapt the story to be more episodic or cinematic because it already was

So that means this HBO show is not for gamers. It’s for the masses; the non-gamers.

Because gamers will be expected to compare the show to the game. Non-gamers won’t. So it’s for them, no matter what anyone thinks

 

[YeulEmeralda]

It's okay to be gay is still an issue for some of you? Why are gamers such conservative cry baby pussies.

 

[Urban]

Episode 8 was great! I had fun!

 

[Eiknarf]

David’s entire character was weaker in the show. His new introduction with all that unnecessary religious stuff makes him out to be creepy and wrong straight away. Much better in the game, where we only meet him in the deer scene. And chopping out the infected sequence also removes any sense of trust in him, which weakens the reveal.

Ya can’t be surprised

Neil Druckmann wears his ideology and biases on his sleeve… He goes out of his way to promote same-sex scenarios as if we live in Algeria, Nigeria or Iran. And let’s guess who he makes a human flesh eating pedophile ? A white Christian!!! Yay!!

This is America! Nobody is shocked by same sex stuff.

But it’s cool to hate on white Christians

That said- he’s still a great writer and I love his games and like this HBO adaptation

But let’s not be surprised by what content he puts out

 

[Portugeezer]

I thought Ep. 8 was decent, although I dislike the way they introduce characters just to kill them off the very same episode. There’s no build up.

I feel the viewer should feel something about David. I felt nothing, he was just some dude who died, like anybody else. Missed opportunity imo.

Was the same thing in Ep5, kid and older brother dies but who cares because they’ve barely been introduced.

They tried with the snippets of abuse he showed to the other girl, and his preachy vibes. The cannibalism aspect was not convincing as they didn't really go deep into the hardships besides the men looking like malnutritioned Santa clause, just like "hey, we also eat people" oh and surprise "I also enjoy raping girls".

Episode 5 hit me in the feels though, I can't agree with that. I think they did enough to show the love of two brothers.

 

[Nankatsu]

I liked the episode, specially the more brutal parts. I guess the drama focus makes sense, since this is a TV show, but I wish they didn't neglect the more brutal scenes.

 

[Roufianos]

Hell of an episode. Thought it was absolutely .

 

[Lasha]

Ya can’t be surprised

Neil Druckmann wears his ideology and biases on his sleeve… He goes out of his way to promote same-sex scenarios as if we live in Algeria, Nigeria or Iran. And let’s guess who he makes a human flesh eating pedophile ? A white Christian!!! Yay!!

This is America! Nobody is shocked by same sex stuff.

But it’s cool to hate on white Christians

That said- he’s still a great writer and I love his games and like this HBO adaptation

But let’s not be surprised by what content he puts out

Casting David as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, evengelical pedophile was a bit too on the nose. My wife has zero knowledge of the game and fully telegraphed the episode from the first scenes. Right down to what he tried to do at the end of the episode. The show lacks any subtlety or mystery.

 

[ComputerBlue]

It’s not surprising that they would make the pedophile in the game a religious figure. This is Neil Druckmann we’re talking about, like of course Sam is now also a deaf mute who beat cancer post apocalypse. In the game his death is sad enough as it is, they just had to throw in more to pull at heartstrings and shit, it’s stupid.

Small touch that I liked about last nights episode was when everyone was eating, David had a full plate, while everybody else had scraps.

 

[Hobbygaming]

No, I watch good shows

 

[TheAmazingSpiderMan]

I feel like the game set the bar so high this series is nowhere comparable, the chemistry between Pedro and Bella just isn’t there, the lack of infected is also a shocker, it’s what carried tension in some scenes, I really don’t know how sites are giving episodes such high reviews lol it honestly doesn’t make sense and the series really needed more than 9 episodes, the pacing has been awful.

 

[kazuyamishima]

Thing is, he's not wrong.

Is the perception from the gamers that played the game that the show is nowhere near the game, which is true.

But it seems by now, that Neil wanted the show to reach the Non-gaming population, the ones that haven't played TLOU games.

 

[FunkMiller]

Ya can’t be surprised

Neil Druckmann wears his ideology and biases on his sleeve… He goes out of his way to promote same-sex scenarios as if we live in Algeria, Nigeria or Iran. And let’s guess who he makes a human flesh eating pedophile ? A white Christian!!! Yay!!

This is America! Nobody is shocked by same sex stuff.

But it’s cool to hate on white Christians

That said- he’s still a great writer and I love his games and like this HBO adaptation

But let’s not be surprised by what content he puts out

See, I'm a stone cold, dyed in the wool atheist, and even I had to roll my eyes at the added religious element. Not because it offended me (obviously) but because it just felt a bit lazy. The whole 'religious cult leader' trope is so played out. At least try for an original spin... or, you know, just do what you did in the game.

And frankly, I'd rather have seen Troy Baker playing David. Or hell, even Nolan North. The guy doing it wasn't good enough.

I loved episode 3, but I do feel they could have made the series one episode longer. Keep that wonderful romance in it, but also allow more time for aspects that are missed if they are not there (like the infected attack on Ellie and David, which was a very important scene for establishing the relationship between the two).

I see no good reason for nine episodes and not ten. Even from a budgetary perspective.

 

[BrutalTruth_]

The more I watch of this show the less I like it. And it's not even like episodes are bad per sae. Individually I think all the episodes are good. But outside of the first two I don't think they are doing a particularly good job of getting to the end point of the first game. They aren't really making me believe Joel has the bond with Ellie he develops in the game. And that is the end game. That's what makes the narrative work.

I don't find Joel and Ellie's bond as believable in the show as I did in the game. Episode 3 was a wasted opportunity to start building that bond by having Joel and Ellie navigate through Bill's town. There could have been interactions there where Joel saved Ellie from the infected and also defended her from Bill when Ellie and Bill bantered. I know everyone loves that episode, but when you factor in the last episode was Left Behind, we didn't need two full episodes dedicated to side stories. Left Behind makes sense because its about Ellie. Bill and Frank is just there. I know people will quickly jump to "bUt Da LeTtEr 2 JoEl"...but they could have accomplished that other ways that are more effective at moving the core story forward and building a bond between Joel and Ellie. Plus with the way this show has played out, Joel didn't give two shits about Ellie in episode 3. So getting that letter is largely meaningless.

I think the stuff in KC was mostly good but I think it would have including the encounter where Joel let's Ellie use the rifle to snipe raiders from the catwalk. I think that's an important scene in the game that helps translate the building trust between Joel and Ellie. They have done some other things to do this, but I think that Sniper scene would have been a good add.

I also think they should have integrated going through the dorm at university into the show. That would have been another really great moment that could have been adapted to TV. You could have had them have to go through together and have Joel stick his neck out for Ellie in a way to help show the build of the bind between them.

I thought the Left Behind episode was good and I appreciated its faithfulness to the game. I'd have maybe done more going back and forth between present day Ellie and past Ellie. Maybe have her search nearby houses for supplies for Joel instead of the mall. I feel like 2 or 3 cuts to present day Ellie while showing the Left Behind story would have worked better.

I don't know. I don't hate it. They are true enough to the source material. I just think the game does what the TV show is trying to do way better.

Exactly how I feel.

Could've been better.

 

[FireFistAce]

Are you kidding, its only this thread that i see people acting like it brings out no emotions.

Everyone on other forums, post show recaps, other social media talk about how they bawled in almost every episode or their roommates did who watch with them.

I feel like people who don't like it still watch it just to talk shit, you know what you can do? fuck off, don't watch it, and go do something else. You're not obligated to watch something you don't like, I've dropped many popular shows that weren't for me.

Yeah, I don’t believe that - the people bawling part.

But if you’re so butthurt that I am criticising the show, then I can believe that you cried watching this show.

 

[Captain Toad]

Easily the worst episode and worst adapted episode.

You're still on episode 3?

 

[Captain Toad]

Man it was SO divisive, so many people thought Joel was crazy and selfish and should have let her bring the vaccine to humanity.

I think that was the point. That's the whole point of both TLOU games. There are no black and white answers.

 

[daffyduck]

You're still on episode 3?

 

[hinch7]

The more I watch of this show the less I like it. And it's not even like episodes are bad per sae. Individually I think all the episodes are good. But outside of the first two I don't think they are doing a particularly good job of getting to the end point of the first game. They aren't really making me believe Joel has the bond with Ellie he develops in the game. And that is the end game. That's what makes the narrative work.

I don't find Joel and Ellie's bond as believable in the show as I did in the game. Episode 3 was a wasted opportunity to start building that bond by having Joel and Ellie navigate through Bill's town. There could have been interactions there where Joel saved Ellie from the infected and also defended her from Bill when Ellie and Bill bantered. I know everyone loves that episode, but when you factor in the last episode was Left Behind, we didn't need two full episodes dedicated to side stories. Left Behind makes sense because its about Ellie. Bill and Frank is just there. I know people will quickly jump to "bUt Da LeTtEr 2 JoEl"...but they could have accomplished that other ways that are more effective at moving the core story forward and building a bond between Joel and Ellie. Plus with the way this show has played out, Joel didn't give two shits about Ellie in episode 3. So getting that letter is largely meaningless.

I think the stuff in KC was mostly good but I think it would have including the encounter where Joel let's Ellie use the rifle to snipe raiders from the catwalk. I think that's an important scene in the game that helps translate the building trust between Joel and Ellie. They have done some other things to do this, but I think that Sniper scene would have been a good add.

I also think they should have integrated going through the dorm at university into the show. That would have been another really great moment that could have been adapted to TV. You could have had them have to go through together and have Joel stick his neck out for Ellie in a way to help show the build of the bind between them.

I thought the Left Behind episode was good and I appreciated its faithfulness to the game. I'd have maybe done more going back and forth between present day Ellie and past Ellie. Maybe have her search nearby houses for supplies for Joel instead of the mall. I feel like 2 or 3 cuts to present day Ellie while showing the Left Behind story would have worked better.

I don't know. I don't hate it. They are true enough to the source material. I just think the game does what the TV show is trying to do way better.

Yeah the pilot and episode 2 were amazing. Recaptured the spirit and bleakness of the game.. but then the showrunners went on a tangent and the pacing went out the window.

As a show its decent and is cool to see on in live action. But as someone who's played the games, I just see the series as an advertisement for it. The game does things so much better on there.

 

[Alexios]

Damn, that was a bloody (and) good episode.

 

[tmlDan]

 

[daffyduck]

It’s not surprising that they would make the pedophile in the game a religious figure. This is Neil Druckmann we’re talking about, …

Well to be fair, it included the admission of being a poseur, and not actually a Christian.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

It’s not surprising that they would make the pedophile in the game a religious figure. This is Neil Druckmann we’re talking about, like of course Sam is now also a deaf mute who beat cancer post apocalypse. In the game his death is sad enough as it is, they just had to throw in more to pull at heartstrings and shit, it’s stupid.

Small touch that I liked about last nights episode was when everyone was eating, David had a full plate, while everybody else had scraps.

cry more

 

[BrutalTruth_]

Ya can’t be surprised

Neil Druckmann wears his ideology and biases on his sleeve… He goes out of his way to promote same-sex scenarios as if we live in Algeria, Nigeria or Iran. And let’s guess who he makes a human flesh eating pedophile ? A white Christian!!! Yay!!

This is America! Nobody is shocked by same sex stuff.

But it’s cool to hate on white Christians

That said- he’s still a great writer and I love his games and like this HBO adaptation

But let’s not be surprised by what content he puts out

When they showed the town people I laughed at the lack of diversity in the cult, they've been forcing race changes and diverse characters all season long but the cannibals are all white christians

 

[Woggleman]

I am a big fan of both games but I realize that them and the show are in many ways separate entities. It is geared towards non gamers and I don't have an issue with that.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Good episode, if not a bit rushed but what to do. As a fan of the game, it bothers me that this whole episode completely skipped the infected attacks and then the bloater fight, it just became a human vs human show and infected are some rare occurrence. However, my girlfriend that never played the game, she loves the show and doesnt seem bothered by lack of infected in the show even though she knows that is what this is about and how the world got affected over the years.

 

[ComputerBlue]

Well to be fair, it included the admission of being a poseur, and not actually a Christian.

I don’t know what religious group they were supposed to belong to, I just know it’s cliché at this point, religious leader is a creep.

cry more

No u