(Spoilers about Sunday’s episode of The Last Of Us are below.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you may want to watch it and come back.)
What if the good guy isn’t a good person?
What if he’s just a person?
A selfish person who is more interested in redemption than doing what is right?
After last week’s thrilling episode, last night felt more like an epilogue.
Joel saving Ellie felt just as basic.
The core difference is how the show turns on Joel and shows us clearly what his motives really are.
Joel wanting to save Ellie makes total sense and is what we have been rooting for all series long.
The problem lies not in Joel choosing his paternal redemption over saving humanity.
It’s robbing Ellie of the choice of saving humanity.
The Fireflies are no better.
They are willing to make the pragmatic option of killing Ellie for a cure.
As I mentioned, the storytelling was not strong this episode.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are both exceptional in this episode.
This marks back to back great episodes for Ramsey after an inconsistent start to the season.
Pascal is really terrific as he doesn’t shy away from being equally sympathetic and selfish.
That’s not Pascal’s fault though.
That’s a script that has one hand in the video game and the other in the show.
The “It’s in the game!”
defense shouldn’t matter.
It should be about making the best show.
It’s about taking the very best of the work you are adapting from.
The season does end with a bit of intrigue.
I do think Joel (and most people) would lie in that same situation.
At that point, you’re just in too deep.
He’s a selfish liar by the end.
It’s understandable why he would lie but it’s a lie nonetheless.
So where does this leave us for next season?
I have to imagine this lie will be eventually exposed.
What set this show apart from The Walking Dead was that there was a journey that dominated the season.
I’m guessing we’ll have quite a long wait for the next season.
The second season didn’t get greenlit until a few weeks ago.
The set designs in The Last Of Us are impressive and look expensive.
The casting and care that goes into the direction of the episodes are top notch.
I do have it in that very next group.
From an overall perspective, this has been a very good season.
Anti-heroes are easier to have portrayed in a drama like Breaking Bad or Mad Men than an action-thriller.
you oughta root for the heroes in action more than any other genre.
The explosions and clickers don’t have as much worth without someone to care about.
That we still care about Joel even though we see for him for his flaws is an impressive achievement.
