The Last of Us – One of The Best TV Adaptations In Video Game History
If you ever thought a series based on a video game couldn’t be good, then you haven’t seen HBO’s “The Last of Us.” It’s a post-apocalyptic drama that’s not just about survival, but also about humanity, relationships, and emotional trauma.
What is The Last of Us?
“The Last of Us” was first released in 2013 as a video game for the PlayStation 3, developed by “Naughty Dog.” The game received critical acclaim for its story, gameplay, and emotional power. A series adaptation was released by HBO in 2023, with showrunners Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (co-writer of the game).
Story and World
The story takes place 20 years after the fall of civilization. A deadly fungal infection (Cordyceps) has spread across the world, turning most of humanity into monsters. Cities have collapsed, society has collapsed, and only a minority has managed to survive.
In this world, we see two main characters:
- Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) – a former smuggler with a tragic past
- Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) – a teenage girl with a mysterious immunity to infection
Their relationship over the course of the season moves from a simple mission to the depths of love and moral difficulties. This is where the series gains real power: it is not just a “fight against zombies”, it is a story about people in a world where humanity has almost disappeared.
What Makes The Last of Us Special?
Emotional Depth – The Last of Us is strikingly different from typical apocalyptic stories. Here the main focus is not on survival mechanisms, but on how a person survives psychologically.
Filming Style – HBO has shown its class. Visual effects, atmosphere, acting – everything is of the highest quality.
Drama and Dialogue – The scenarios often practically mirror the scenes from the game, but with expanded perspectives and new contexts.
The Last of Us Season 1 Review
Season 1 is a direct adaptation of the first part of the game.
In the season, we see:
How Joel changes from a cold-blooded survivor to a man who is ready to destroy the entire world to save Ellie.
How Ellie grows – from a child who just wants to survive, to an adolescent who takes responsibility, doubts and learns the value of love.
What is the path from Jackson to the Firefly base – full of unexpected events, cruel revenge and difficult moral choices.
The season finale is especially emotional and asks an important question: is it worth saving one person at the expense of all humanity? – and does not give you an answer, it simply forces you to think.
Characters and Performance
Pedro Pascal – Joel stands out with his quiet but powerful energy. His eyes often say more than words.
Bella Ramsey – Ellie is the soul of the season. Her naturalness, energy and traumatic reactions strengthen the character and the ability to identify with the viewer.
Supporting characters – Tess, Bill and Frankie, Henry and Sam – all of them emotionally fill even their small screen time.
For fans of the game – an old story in new footage
The Last of Us series is not a simple “copy”. It expands the world, shows us scenes that we could not see in the game, or approaches already familiar events from a completely different angle.
Popularity and Ratings
The series has broken records since its first days – in terms of viewership, viewer ratings and critical reviews.
- IMDb: 8.8+
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (Critics), 90%+ (Audience)
- Google Trends: The search term “The Last of Us” peaked after the series’ release and remains popular to this day
The Last of Us Season 2 – A Darker and More Difficult Path
Although we won’t go into detail about the episodes of Season 2 in this review, it is worth noting:
Season 2 is much more difficult and morally questionable. Here, the audience no longer defends only one side. Here, everyone is tragic. The path to revenge begins… and there, good and bad simply no longer exist.
“The Last of Us” is not just a series. It is an emotional, philosophical and artistically sophisticated work that asks the most important questions — and leaves us with the answers. HBO has also managed to cast doubt on the fact that “game adaptations” should fail. This is not a failure — this is the standard.
