The Last of Us Season 1 Ep 1 is the first entry in an American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog, the series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. It features Gabriel Luna as Joel’s younger brother Tommy, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, and Anna Torv as Joel’s smuggler partner Tess. (Wikipedia)
S P O I L E R S
Entitled “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”, The Last of Us Season 1 Ep 1 introduces us to the post-apocalyptic setting of the series. There is a zombie breakout in 2003 but instead of a mystery virus, this apocalypse is caused by sentient fungi. Yes, really! We get to see how it all went down twenty years ago and how our main character Joel, lost his daughter to the ensuing chaos.
The rest of The Last of Us Season 1 Ep 1 explains the current setting of our 2023 scenario and introduces us to the cast of key characters. Joel has been working hard to survive and operates somewhat as an independent contractor, with his partner Tess. America is basically ruled by the fascistic FEDRA while the Fireflies fulfil the role of the rebellion. Yes all very Star Wars – and is Ellie, Baby Yoda?
Next, we meet Ellie, a prisoner of the Fireflies, who is of high value for a mysterious reason and due to unforeseen circumstances, both Joel and Tess are contracted to bring Ellie across the so-called forbidden zone to a Firefly HQ, for which the couple would be handsomely rewarded. Towards the end of the episode, we get the hint that somehow Ellie is different – she is infected by the fungi but does not act like a zombie. Obviously, a cure runs through Ellie’s veins and that makes her highly valuable.
Do we really need another zombie series? Especially after The Walking Dead has been squeezing the life out of the genre for years now? Probably not. Much will depend on whether the series can get us engaged and invested in the main characters. So far, nothing much to recommend the series. Wait and see, as usual.
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