The scariest part is they aren't Undead, you can't really call them Zombies. The host is very much alive, the Fungi have to keep them alive to use them
true. it feels much more realistic and grounded that way as opposed to a supernatural, undead type of thing. that’s how certain types of parasites infect animals and have similar mind control type of effects. the realization that this whole situation not that far off from reality makes it that much scarier.
The talent that portrayed the Clickers were actually huge fans of the game and had already worked on recreating the movement of those infected in their free time. According to one of the creators a large portion of the crew for this show sought their respective jobs out of excitement and love for the games - it really shows.
I love how you noticed that most of the first (pre-apocalypse) part of episode 1 was shot from Sarah's perspective. As a matter of fact, that's exactly how it's done in the game. You start out playing as Sarah all the way up until the car crash.
The second episode revealed the Fungi started in the Grain factories. In the first episode we see the main cast barely avoid eating grain throughout the intro, Sarah can't make pancakes, They refuse the Neighbor's Biscuits, and Sarah was gonna eat the cookies, but they made Raisin cookies instead, so she didn't eat them. Also, the grandma turned first in the show, and she was the one being force-fed Biscuits.
thats a interesting point i didn't notice, good point.. but.. how was the grain processed, packed, transported from Indonesia to texas, bought, and used within 30 hrs? and since the factory had this incident it would have been shut for atleast few hrs too
@@movienightwithjacqui nice episode you really got into it it's a great show, but baking the grains would have killed any fungal spores or mycelium (clusters of hyphae, like in the infected mouths 🙂) but contaminated cooked food would be an issue as with bacteria - in reality we are always surrounded by fungal spores, pollen, and other bio particulates 😛 only an insane rapid evolution of how Cordyceps works and it's chemistry would make any of this possible, but it's fun to speculate the show has to add a fair amount of "fi" to the "sci" to make it exciting and variable - for example, the spreading of any fungi would never be that quick, but it makes for compelling content and a big creepy factor the chemicals produced could be very quickly felt though, hence the potential mania/danger of infected characters in the case of a large dose of psilocybin or other hallucinogen - Cordyceps doesn't work that way, but the "ant zombies" it creates in real life are pretty wild anyway it's a great show... I had some fungal hyphae and sporangia from bell peppers and blue cheese on display in my microscopes on a fairly recent live stream I did for my MicroAddict YT channel 🙂🦠🫑🍄🧀🔬 I'm collecting local fungi this weekend for another livestream, maybe I'll find some slime molds too
for his directorial debut, Neil Druckmann (the creator of the original video game) knocked episode 2 out of the park. this story is his baby, and i'm so happy he gets the chance to see it come to life like this.
I never would have guessed it was his directorial debut. You said it--he knocked it out of the park! It's fun to see things turn out for people who deserve the recognition for their work 😊
@@movienightwithjacqui it was only his directorial debut for live action. Before that, he directed actors in 3 video games. The process was similar, but the order was shifted. For a game, you just direct actors first and stuff like camera angles, environments, clothing etc can be figured out in post. But in live action, all that stuff has to be figured out before hand. So yeah, that episode feels solid despite it being his first time in live action
@@SidPhoenix2211 Yeah even with using mocap, a lot of the visuals is added using software, so aspects of lighting, wardrobe, angles etc would be a bit new to him, but as he has such an intimate knowledge and experience with the source material, I would assume that he has enough visual's ion his head that atmosphere, lighting, blocking, choreography, and camera angles would be a bit easier than someone who had to start from scratch.
I also love how they established Ellie's character without talking about it. She has some anger issues, is clearly smart as a whip (figuring out the radio code and tricking Joel), but at the same time inexperienced (standing up outside in full view of a searchlight). Joel's silent reaction to that last part was great as well.
It's really great to see people already falling in love with Ellie and Joel. Also, the composer of the show also composed both games, and yes, the soundtrack is just as amazing in the games as it is in the show. The games induce as much anxiety and dread as that museum section.
They went ride or die with this ‘Mother Nature reclaims the Earth’ aesthetic that films like Studio Ghibli and games like Zelda championed, painting the world with lush nature, foreboding loneliness and an immeasurable scope and scale, as they were the most difficult to master, at least according to Neil Druckmann himself. I am in LOVE with the worldbuilding here.
Always loved the sentiment behind the name 'The Last of Us'. This isn't a story about the end of the world, the world's doing fine, better than ever really. For all the horror of the cordyceps, the only thing it touches is us, and I think that's kind of beautiful.
@@sagelemmers7009 I like that aspect, going by temperature alone most common animals would be safer as they have a higher average body temp. Going just on that your more likely to see an infected beef cow or horse, then you are a dog. Interesting if you think about it, Ellie is eating chicken which would have the highest temp of most food stock animals so the most safe to keep.
@MrThierryFournier not really a spoiler since we haven't seen them in the show yet. Only the people who know what they look like would even recognize whenever they do show up.
You've managed to avoid spoilers for almost 10 years, not a couple weeks! I appreciate how a student of the genre, still gets lost in the moment occasionally. Love it!
Just to clarify, the extra threat in episode 2 wasn't an animal. It's implied that the "clicker" (infected with the fungus growing out of it's head and blocking it's sight so it has to make those horrible clicking sounds to see) is the one that did it. There was a line about it from Ellie when they're walking across the bridge. The reason why they're the special threat is because the fungus growing out of their head has created a hardened shell around their brain making them tougher to kill. Meaning more than one shot to the head to kill them.
Clickers are also more prone to tearing things to shreds rather than simply biting. Runners bite while Clickers bite and claw, that's why Ellie didn't recognise the damage to the dead guy in the museum.
The episode 2 prologue in Indonesia gives off some serious _Chernobyl_ vibes, as it tracks the early stages of the outbreak and follows someone who fully realizes the magnitude of what's happened. You can tell Mazin had a hand in it. (Incidentally, Christine Hakim, who played the scientist, is apparently a huge movie star over there, and has been making films since the '70s.) Also, the show takes a lot of artistic license with Boston geography, but the placement of the Quarantine Zone in the North End does make strategic sense - it's bordered on three sides by water, so it would be a lot easier to defend than most areas of the city.
For sure! As soon as I realized it was the same director/producer as Chernobyl, I could see the similarities. Chernobyl was incredible, so it's not surprising this is just as good. (And thank you for sharing the Boston geography--I'm not familiar with the city, so I had no idea).
I loved visiting Boston and seeing areas they recreated in this show and Fallout. It was so much fun to visit places I had already known about, through different media. Faneuil Hall is quite an experience to visit!
Fascinating watching a film student provide commentary on the show and the film techniques being used. I feel the show uses tons of symbolism and includes so many hidden details. I notice new things every time I rewatch.
@Movie Night at Jacqui's HBO has a companion podcast that releases after each episode that is packed full of really fun extra information about their thought process that goes into each episode!
Your “fork”, “holy shirt”, and “dip” etc give me life. What a great reaction! I love how empathetic the FEDRA agent was towards the infected child. It shows you don’t have to let the shirty situation make you inhumane. I reckon Bella’s mother was pregnant when she was infected (probably later in the pregnancy) so there was some sort of immunity transmitted. But that’s just a guess.
I have not played the game so I don't know if that is what happened. I have wondered that myself. If so, then that is kinda like the story of Blade, who's mother was bitten by a vampire before he was born so he is half vampire. (Marvel comics, they have made a few movies about him).
The genius of the beginning part being completely from Sarah's POV is from the games. It is masterful way of making us care about her when we see everything from her perspective and then suddenly she is just gone. I'm so glad they kept that intact in the series!
If you listen closely, in episode 2 when Joel opens the door to the outside in the beginning, they foreshadow the Clickers by using the same noise they make in place of a door creak! When I first watched the episode it's almost like my senses kicked in after hearing the clicking and I thought I'd imagined it but nope, it definitely happens. I'm so proud of Neil for his television directorial debut on the series that is adapting his baby no less. Episode 3 can't come any sooner!
It's so cool how sound designers can incorporate things that we barely notice. I was watching game of thrones again and when Ben Jen Stark was re introduced and met Bran, the first note of the music was the Nights Watch horn.
I only have 3 things to say: 1. The Last of Us is the greatest game ever made. 2. The TV show has been a fantastic adaptation of the game. 3. Neil Druckmann is a genius and the fact the TV show has him involved means it will be a masterpiece.
That was a great reaction! Btw There’s four stages of infection. We saw the first three variants so far. Runner, Stalker, and Clicker. The dead guy who was torn apart was from the blind freakish fungus heads are called Clickers. They use echolocation to find prey. The one that kissed Tess is a Stalker. Runners are the normal infected. I’m so excited for people who haven’t played the games to experience this fantastic story.
You're probably the most perceptive 'reactor' on youtube right now. Every analysis and prediction is pretty much spot on. And you've only just started lol
Great reaction. The show has two main people behind it, actually: Craig Mazin (indeed, from Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann, who created the games. Neil directed the second episode and it was actually his first ever live action directing job. I think he did a great job.
Fun fact: Those monstrosities at the end of the second episode are called "Clickers" and they hired fans of the games to play them. People who understood the mannerisms and movements of that particular kind of infected.
The professor in the Jakarta scenes was sooo good. Went back to watch those scenes again and again. There is so many amazing little things, not just the emotion on display but the posture, physicality, she speeds up her breathing with fear before saying bomb. That was just fantastic to watch.
@@jerpanils8875 “are there any other workers missing?” “Fourteen” *tremble* 14 is not a big number in a city that has nearly 9 million people (Jakarta’s population in 2003 was 8.7m), that number makes her tremble so much she not only has to put the tea down, she says the only way to stop infection spreading is by bombing the city…
@@CoffeeMatt10 Yes, because the math is horrific. 14 untraceable infected alone, with each passing the fungus along to say three other people, and then the newly infected passing it on to three, and so on...that alone gets you into serious pandemic levels fast. And if the initial contagion is fungus tainted wheat? You'll have clusters of these infected popping up everywhere, all causing the same exponential spread. There's no vaccine, no antifungal, the infected don't move in predictable ways, and you know nothing about this variant of the fungus. You kill fungus by dehydration and burning. If you hear 14, and you understand what you're hearing, you tremble. And you probably say "burn it all before it spreads too far."
The fact that her suggestion ended up being something that you would expect the military officer to conclude, not the professor, is such a dark and ominous wrench thrown into that scene. The look on his face is not one that was looking for confirmation of what he was planning for, but one of surprise and rejection of the idea. Bombing a civilian population, the genocide on his own people, was never on the table before this. The pause after, followed by the emotion displayed is really just the acceptance of the end settling in.
@@KKraemerPhoto the chilling part is she knows they wont have the heart to do such things... they will do everything other than the worst thing even knowing it would be the best choice, but they will do it all to try to save as many of their people as possible. we can hear in ep. 1 on the radio that there have been disturbances in Jakarta, but nothing about the bombings. we later see the craters in Boston indicating the US didnt care, we bombed away and it basically did nothing.
Easily the best reaction to the TV series I have seen yet! I am a HUGE TLoU fan. I was very confident that they would nail the TV adaption because both Neil and Craig were holding the reigns. There was no way in hell that Neil would allow for anything short of perfection, and Craig was the perfect guy to help make it happen! Can't wait to see your reaction to episode 3 and beyond! PEACE!!!
So glad you’re doing this show. The games are amazing and the show remains faithful while adding exceptional character moments and backstory. Have fun with this.
@@movienightwithjacqui I loved your reaction to the Clickers, the name for the blind but super hearing evolution of zombies. If you pay attention to the conversation (and looks between Joel and Tess behind Ellie’s view) on the bridge, you can get hints of how else the infection leads to other evolution in the twenty year history of the outbreak. Can’t wait for episode 3 and your reaction to it.
Great reaction! It's such a good show, the kind of adaptation TLoU fans had hoped beyond hope for. The level of care taken with each scene is evident. Re: how to kill the infected, destroying the brain would prevent them from functioning, since the fungus is manipulating the brain to control people. Destroy the brain, and you won't necessarily kill the fungus, but it won't be able to utilize the body, which is why the fungus was still alive in the jakarta flashback. It still has a food source, even if it can't easily spread.
Ah gotcha! Thank you so much for explaining that! And I 100% agree--even as just a show-watcher, I'm so blown away by the effort and attention to detail. It's absolutely spectacular.
@@movienightwithjacqui in the game (so the show could be different) the infected do not need the brain to be destroyed in order to die. a headshot works quicker but isn’t always needed !
From someone who did play through the game way back when, this adaptation is already well beyond my wildest expectations. The story in the game was already one of the best, little wonder why these episodes are just exceptional.
As a die hard fan of the games, what they're doing in this show is nothing short of stellar. While they are giving you shot for shot moments from the game, they are also adding content in a way that stays true and respects the story. That, compounded with the fact that Naughty Dog is completely involved with this show gives it so much more weight. Because we know the true gamers are the ones who set the bar. Considering the past 2 episode have been perfect 10s, things are looking good. (Sidenote: would highly recommend playing the games)
Came here for the film student reaction and thoughts, stayed for all the Good Place curses. Some excellent points you’ve commented on, like the parallels between Sara and Tess with the twisted ankles. Subscribed and Liked! 🙂
Great reactions and filmmaking analysis so far! Also, (you may have already caught this) Bella's character is actually revealed to be named "Ellie" during episode 1 - "Veronica" was just the fake name she was giving to the Fireflies when she was still being held captive and not trusting them. Or maybe you were just calling her "Veronica" out of habit. :)
I had seen the name "Ellie" elsewhere, and I kept wondering how they got that from "Veronica" 😂 I hadn't caught that it was a fake name, so thank you for clarifying that! Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@movienightwithjacqui I think the moment you might have missed was when Marlene called her Ellie right after she told her she was the one who put her in military school.
I love that you put emphasis on the first-person POV shots and saying its "video gamey" especially since the games don't have first person or POV shots at all in the game haha. It is a third person game with the camera way behind the characters. Loved your reaction though! As someone who played the games several times throughout the 10 or so years (damnit...) this adaptation is like a fever dream to watch. It is very faithful with several scenes directly ripped from the game line-by-line, shot for shot.
How funny! 😂 Even if the games weren't that way, it's a great subtle homage to them, and I really appreciated it. I don't know that I'll ever play them, but I'm so happy to hear how faithful the adaptation is! Thank you!
@@movienightwithjacqui Well I think if the show should entice you to consider playing them definitely! The way you get to walk around on the sets and explore (as part of your objective no less) cannot be replicated in a TV show. Worth the experience! Also "Veronica" was a fake name Ellie used, in case you didn't catch it.
@@movienightwithjacqui you should watch videos comparing the cutscenes of the games to the episodes you already watched if you’re not a gamer. It’s fascinating how much they got right. But don’t get the ending of the game spoiled for you.
Stumbled across this channel while binging Last of Us reactions. Easily one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful breakdowns I have seen. Insta-sub! Loved it! Can't wait to see more!
As someone who's a HUGE fan of the games, it was brilliant to hear your thoughts on this as someone who's never played them! Especially with you being a film student -- I love analyses of things I love from people that know so much more about the technical aspects of the medium than I do!
Hello from the Vancouver film industry! My crew has been doing a lot of very excited yelling about this show, and a lot of what you brought up has been mentioned! In particular the first scene with Ellie in Ep 2, the symbolic lighting shining only on her and Joel and Tess deep in shadow was such good work. I'd kill to have been in Calgary when they shot this!! Enjoy the show and good luck in your studies.
In the game you actually start out by playing Sarah, and you don't switch to Joel until the car crash. I love that they kept that in by focusing on her perspective in the beginning.
Fun fact: I'm still traumatized by that opening scene from the game. The show tore open that wound all over again. They did such a great job adapting this show.
So far the show has only expanded, if anything way more informative than the game, PLUS in the game we only get to see from our perspective, in this it can just bounce around freely, so the storytelling is so much better. And the story is already so good so it's impressive.
The show hired the actors who performed for the motion-capture sequences of the game to play the clickers in the TV adaption. This is why those of us who played the game are ecstatic over how accurate their movements are in this show.
the terrifing thing to me is that this fungus actually exists, well not the one for humans of course, but there is a fungus , Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, otherwise known as cordyceps or zombie-ant fungus, infects insects such as ants or spiders.
I played the first scene from the game which is the first 30+ minutes, so I knew what was coming, but it hit me so hard, especially as a father. Nico Parker’s and Pedro Pascal’s performances were amazing. Had me in tears when Sarah died😢 even though I knew it was coming
I like how you explain your thoughts on every aspect and touch on everything from writing, set design, cinematography, acting, audio design, and more. There's so much to appreciate about this show, and it's obvious how much you love film. You should totally do the deep dissection of the episodes! As a filmmaker myself I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on it because you definitely brought some things to attention that I never noticed in these episodes.
Fun crossover references to another game to tv show adaptation... Ashley Johnson provides the voice and motion capture for Ellie in the game. She is also part of Critical Role, and played in the actual D&D game that was adapted into the series The Legend of Vox Machina. The t-shirt that Joel's daughter is wearing at the start features Marisha Ray, also a member of Critical Role/Vox Machina. Ashley is already confirmed to be playing a character in the show Last of Us. btw, the song at the end is heavy 80's... Depeche Mode, premiere synth progressive band
So fun to watch a reaction with someone who knows the craft and can give good analysis, while at the same time just getting immersed and having visceral reactions to the story and the characters. That's a perfect formula for a great reaction, and you delivered.
Hi, Jacqui, it's me again, from the previous comment in the last video. 😁 I'm SO glad you're loving the show. As a player of the game myself, I can happily say.... that they ABSOLUTELY nailed it. The writing, the dialogues, the dynamics between characters (that are the same with the game, while also adding and explored some parts a bit more), the tension-building (especially Episode 2), the make-up design (for the "Infected" and for the main characters), the world-building, the emotions, the shots in every scenes, EVERYTHING.....is done sooo WELL!! And it's all thanks to Neil Druckmann (the creator and writer of the game, The Last of Us) for his knowledge and lore, and Craig Mazin with his directory vision back in Chernobly, that he brings to this show. These two has makes The Last of Us REALLY brought to life, very well. I hope this series continues on the channel, cause I LOVE your reactions as well as some of your thoughts, and opinions on direction, cinematography, writing, and everything in between..about the show. Keep it up. Have a nice day, Jacqui ❤️
Safe to say the most intuitive reaction on RUclips. Your instincts are so good. A lot of the POV shots are straight from the game, like Sara in the truck
A headshot isn’t necessarily required to kill an infected as they aren’t undead just controlled normal humans, it’s just that if you want to kill it immediately it’s much more preferred, being infected makes them stop caring about pain like a person on bath salts or meth
Great video, I like how you pick up fast on the details and the cinematography. To give you more context about everything, Bella's character is Ellie, not Veronica (it was a fake name) and in the game she was played by Ashley Johnson, who will have a different role in the TV series, as well as Troy Baker, the original Joel who was also cast for the show. Also Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel) is the composer just like in the game, many themes are taken straight from the game while others composed for the show. Also, the showrunner as you have seen is Craig Mazin but alongside him as executive producer and writer is Neil Druckmann, the father of The Last of Us, who he created when he was in college as a personal project and eventually grew into something real that he presented his bosses at Naughty Dog years later. The idea for the Cordyceps came while watching a BBC documentary about it, he thought it would be great to have that instead of the classical virus. Neil Druckmann only directed three games and nothing more: TLOU, TLOU Part II and Uncharted 4. So seeing him directing chapter 2 and in such an amazing way is so awesome. And yeah, shaky camera is not the best, but is a way to represent the movement that you constantly have while playing, even in the slowest moments. It's a third person game and even when walking you have movement and shakiness. Luckily he doesn't abuse of that. The infected have four stages. Runners, who are the first you see (low time of exposition), stalkers (the one who kisses Tess) who are second stage, the fungus started to give them coverage on the body while still being able to see, Clickers that the fungus has destroyed their faces and bodies and use echolocation and sound to "see", and the four stage that won't spoil you but will appear later. And finally, there are two TLOU games, a DLC (that will be part of the show) and a mini-comic depicting the time of Ellie at the FEDRA military school. The series will cover TLOU and its DLC from beginning to end, while adding new content. There are many faithful things, even shot almost frame by frame and also others completely changed, like Tess' ending, same principle (sacrifice while having been bitten) but in a very different way. TLOU Part II is a extremely controversial game because it's very purposefully uncomfortable in many different ways and also has a narrative very complicated to take out of its videogame form. Craig Mazin already stated that if they continue, Part II will be done in two seasons, in one is impossible, but also stated that this will have an ending and it won't be The Walking Dead that goes on forever. Glad you're enjoying it so much. I wish I could also see it blind, but also makes me teary every time I watch a new episode of seeing such an adaptation.
What's particularly great about the adaptation is that it follows the BASIC plot of the game, but doesn't try to be beat for beat. But what it DOES do, it uses a lot of the same visual one-shots or scene set pieces (wading through water in the hotel, for example) so that the game players feel nostalgic and/or immediately feel tension (ooh, this part is dangerous!) without ruining anything for anyone.
I've seen so many reactions to this show and yours is by far my favorite, I love your commentary and analysis of the scenes, bringing attention to how they create tension and symbolism that I hadn't noticed before. I love the games and this adaptation, and seeing all the details you highlighted has made me appreciate the storytelling and worldbuilding even more! So excited to see your reactions to the future episodes :)
The opening of the video game was saddest thing I've ever experienced in a game. The show nailed it. They really did a great job casting both Joel and Ellie (not Veronica, that's a fake name). Just like in the game, the Clickers are difficult to kill. takes multiple shots to the head, because the fungus inside the skull makes it thicker and harder to kill. I loved the exposition in the beginning of the show, explaining what would happen if cordyceps ever spread to humans, & why we'd be screwed. It really was tense, I didn't realize there wasn't music until you pointed it out. Most of the music in the show is the same as the game. Btw that was an 80s song was by Depeche Mode, called Never Let Me Down Again. 80s in the code meant trouble. I'm thinking song came on the radio because someone discovered the murdered guard who Joel beat to death. Glad you are doing this reaction, it's different how much I don't catch because I've played the game, vs someone who's never done so.
You are now my favorite reactor for yours show! I love the excitement you have but I also really love how you talk about this from a more analytical, movie-making perspective. Like your observations on the use of music to heighten tension. Can't wait for your next reaction!
Interesting! As someone who hasn't played the game, I can't say for sure, but the first twenty minutes very much felt like a "premise" sequence, where the game gives you the backstory before you actually start playing. (I'm not sure what that's actually called), but it worked so well in the show. I'm hooked!
@@movienightwithjacqui Well it was a story focused single player game. Actually, I'd expect any game that has won any "best narrative" award would translate well into series/movies. The problem with prior game adaptations was always hollywood being hollywood and they decide "oh I'm gonna make my mark in this story and make it my own, I'm sure that'd work fine". Like they didn't know what made the games won the awards in the first place. Oh and Sarah's death was even more shocking in the game because of the fact that you actually play as her in the beginning. You started bonding with Joel, then getting to know the infection situation as Sarah, so you probably expect you'd stay with her for a while. Then she gets killed pretty much immediately. That's like extremely rare in story focused games, in fact I can't even name any that did this before.
@@thebluestyx lmao @ "oh I'm gonna make my mark in this story and make it my own, I'm sure that'd work fine" yeh like of course things need to be adapted for a new medium but it feels like those producers/writers were trying to change things just for the sake of distancing themselves from a medium they don't really consider as art.
Even though it doesn't seem like something you would do in your channel I would be interested if you would play through the game once the show is over or at least watch a play through of it with no commentary.
It may have already been commented on here. But just to put emphasis on how creepy this universe is, its well established that the Infected are called as much because there's evidence that the early stage Runners are to some extent still alive and self conscious, just physically not in control of their bodies. The game has audio of Runners crying while attacking their victims or even screaming in mental agony as they try to fight their Fungal Puppeteer. It's probably only late stage Infected that are no longer puppets but actual corpses being controlled by fungus, like the Clickers in the museum.
Glad you like the cinematography as a lot of the scenes in this show are shot for shot remakes of the game, such as the car sequence and many others. It goes to show how well some of the games are "shot".
Loved your reactions...all the production elements are indeed amazing. Just wanted to say that after learning more about the main underlying theme of this story (from the official podcast), seemingly throwaway lines like Joel's "he doesn't love me; he's dependent on me - it's not the same" at the beginning of E1 hit way different.
The truck driving scene with Joel, Tommy, and Sarah in Episode 1 was taking almost frame by frame from the game. One of the advantages of telling a story in video game format is that it is easy to make changes in a video game. They can press a few buttons to add non-player characters (i.e. civilians screaming and running away), move the camera around the world, change the clothes on the characters, move buildings around, etc. Because it's all a computer model on the video game engine, it's cheap to redo those extended action scenes over and over again until they get it perfect. It was very smart for the TV people to copy the scene frame-by-frame, because it's unlikely they can do it better than the video game designers who animated it hundreds of times.
Nico Parker (Sarah) , absolutely, nailed her part. Craig Mazin's (Chernobyl) writing is very evident in the "Flashback" exposition introductions. This is an awesome show. Watching this "Blind" is the best. (Spoiler talk below) The "Christ" trope has a nice twist when Judas kiss is given before his sacrifice.
It’s not just that a Clicker needs a headshot- two headshots exactly; the fungus acts like an armor plate, which is something you’d have to remember while playing- a clicker is exactly 2x the problem that a runner is.
The scene from where Sarah gives Joel the watch to her getting shot and dying in Joel's arms is ripped straight from the game. It is just as heartbreaking. All the actors are killing it on this show. Their performances are riveting.
At one point, fans of the game were fancasting Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Joel and Maisie Williams as Ellie (Veronica). Even as Oberyn, he wanted justice for his sister and her children, so there was a similar theme.
Always keep in mind the infected are not anything supernatural or undead, what will kill a normal human will also kill infected and they do not return to life
What I love the most about this show, is that TV nerds are now experiencing what us video game nerds experienced in 2013 when the game came out. This story is just so good.
Thank the writing to Neil Druckmann! He also co-directed with Craig Mazin who is the director of Chernobyl. This is my favorite story of any form of media. Movie, show, game, book etc. Druckman wrote himself a masterpiece which as of right now is the most awarded video game in history and also setting at a 9.4 rating from imdb which no show has ever topped. A couple of others are at 9.4 and Chernobyl is at 9.3 which shows what amazing minds both Druckmann and Mazin have. The Last of Us is on pace to be both the highest rated video game and highest rated tv series of all time. Kudos to how great of a story it is. 👏
Little thing at first. There is no Veronica, she tried to fool the Fireflies. But Marlene knows her from the past and called her by her real name, Ellie. Played both parts of the game multiple times. Part 1 first on the PlayStation 3 back in 2013 and now on Playstation 5. Your reaction reminds so often of what I thought, when I had the first run in 2013. HBO made such a good job and I love to see, that someone who has never played the game, falls in love to the characters and story identical to so many gamers. Am 40yo by now and this is the video game adaption, is so true to the game, it's comparable to nothing before, better than every adaption, they tried and failed with before. I subscribed to the channel and hope you'll do the whole season. Greetings from Germany Marco
Loved the reaction! Your selection of alternative bad words is fun 😂. It also clearly shows you're not a religious person, but I think it's the first time I could tell from a RUclipsr's vocabulary rather than video topic, personal storytelling, or background props.
This is my all-time favorite game, my favorite video game to TV adaptation, and by far my favorite reaction to this. This is my first time watching you and very intelligent and fun, can't wait to see the rest of your reactions to this and see what else you have!
The clickers were actually fans of the game who understood the movement of the clickers in the game and the clicking is also the same voice actors from the game too
I absolutely LOVE seeing non gamers falling in love with the masterpiece that is TLOU. One of the greatest games ever made, and now, potentially one of the greatest shows ever made. Also: 1. Unrest started in Jakarta, per the radio broadcast in the kitchen during breakfast. 2. Joel forgot to buy pancake mix. 3. They refused the biscuits offered by the neighbor. 4. Sara didn't eat the cookies made by the neighbor because they were raisin. 5. Joel forgot to bring a cake home. 6. Pancake mix, biscuits, cookies, and cake all have flour in them. 7. Jakarta is the world's largest supplier of flour. It was in the flour. That is how it was spread.
"Like a man possessed" If Joel has one major 'ability', it is that. When he completely shuts down the part of his brain that has any moral compunctions about doing what he 'needs' to do and goes into the darkest parts of the human mind.
In the game, you start off by playing as Sarah. As she's not around for long (either in game or show) the creators have to push the envolope to get the audience to feel an emotional response to her death, just like her dad Joel does. They do this in the game by the player taking control of Sarah, so the bond is made instantly. In the show, they have to push it a little harder for that bond to be made. They do this remarkably well in a couple of ways... firstly, by following her around, showing how caring she is by getting the breakfast ready, getting the watch fixed for her dad, for dropping in on the neighbours after school. Secondly, when everything starts breaking down, in the car you see it all occur from Sarah's POV, effectively putting the audience into Sarah's shoes, seeing the chaos all around, and leaving the audience as shocked, awed and confused as Sarah is. So when the enevitable happens, the bond between the audience and Sarah has been solidified and then shattered, invoking the emotional response we all felt. A remarkable piece of filmmaking and storytelling from such a short amount of screen time.
This adaptation shows so much respect to the source material, which makes sense bc the original creators were heavily involved in helping make the show! The core story is exactly the same with even lines taken directly out of the game ("Drugs, I sell hardcore drugs" being a great example). But what makes the show more unique is the expansion on certain things such as the neighbors, why Joel wasn't at home when Sarah woke up, the explanation of the cordyceps. A lot of these things weren't fleshed out in the game since the cutscenes were fairly short in comparison to the actual gameplay, so it's nice to see them add more original content and build the world more. They also made the actual fungi more realistic. In the game, the infection could also be spread through spores in the air, however in real life, spores are everywhere and don't localize in specific areas, so they instead brought the hive mind structure where everything is connected underground, I find that very interesting and a nice way to revise the original concept
absolutely loved this reaction and thoughts/analysis. can't wait for more - sounds like next week is supposed to be a certified banger. and as a longtime TLOU fan, what makes this story special hasnt even really taken hold yet :)
I'm really enjoying your reactions. I'm following some other reactors and it's nice seeing different perspectives, but I love your commentary as a film student. You're pointing out things that I never consciously noticed before really helps me appreciate everything that's going on that much more. Thank you.
After making Chernobyl, HBO would've probably let Craig Mazin make basically whatever the hell he wanted to, getting a studio like HBO (who's entire brand is built on "prestige" content) 11 Emmy nominations for a single season limited series, is basically like getting a blank check from the studio for your next project. The fact that Craig could've made basically whatever the hell he wanted, but chose The Last of Us, already tells you how much he cares about this story.
I love the economic writing and the environmental storytelling. When Sarah raids Joel's drawer at the beginning, I was wondering why they were focusing on that so much, and then her ambiguous early interaction with the clock shop owner. Then I realized that was a misdirect, leading the audience to think that she was going to pawn dad's watch for money. But then it's revealed she's repairing the watch, and the audience feels bad for doubting her and is now like "aww, what a good daughter!" What a way to make the audience fall in love with Sarah in the little time she has, to make what happens next so much worse. Same with the boy in the beginning of the 2023 segment. First she show uses the boy's killing to establish the messed-up world we're in, and then the way Joel tosses the body into the fire to establish how numb and closed-off he is. Chef's kiss.
I have been waiting for someone to react to this who hasn’t played the games, this’ll be a big series if you continue it. As someone who played the games the difference between Sarah and Ellie in the first episode was well done. You could tell Sarah is a gentle soul who’s really to soft for the apocalypse that’s coming versus Ellie who has been raised in it. The openings are new additions in the game you don’t get those flashbacks, personally I enjoy them they’re a fun addition
the fun part, they actually got people that are fan of the game to play the infected "zombies" so they know exactly how to move, act and sound to play the part.
I love your excitement. I was very much the same way and just absorbed everything I could. By now I'm sure you've heard of or already seen the Podcast lead by voice actor, Troy Baker who discusses each episode with the show runners Neil Druckann and Craig Mason. Those break down the creative direction and production choices made with little extra bits of information like what it was like to work with Weta Workshop that helped with live monster effects (clickers) or the amazing cast. As a die hard fan of this series I can not recommend the podcast enough. Truly a great companion piece to the show.
I haven't played the game but while watching the episode I never felt left out of this The Last of us world especially the truck sequence the camera never left the truck that definitely give you the vibe of game
As someone who’s been playing the game since it was originally released 10 years ago I can say the first two episodes so far have been extremely accurate and faithful, specific elements have been tweaked or adapted to fit the medium of a series but wow as a fan of the games from the beginning they got it perfectly on the mark
@@atulkumargupta4774 I'm sure each season will match the each game. There isn't that much of a story for multiple seasons per game. I would get bored then. I already kind of am since the series is a carbon copy 90% of the game. I already know what all happens. Zero surprises.
The fact a game that was such a blockbuster for the gaming world is now a show and killing it just as it did back in 2013 makes me so happy... hearing people who hasn't experienced this story fall in love with this story through film is so exciting... It gives me a way to nerd out with non-gamers over such a great story
definitely giving you a subscribe you're really a good reactor i like you and also that green blouse looks so good on you brings out the green in your eyes and your red hair just the cherry on top :)
So an amazing thing about Tess's death is some details in the world. She is infected, by a bite to the neck... which we saw earlier means she has 5-15 mins till total infection, and that's why most of them ignore her. Then that one sees her and it doesn't attack because it sees another of its kind... it gets in close to speed up the infection rate essentially... and Tess is already struggling to stay in control which is why she doesn't do anything to stop it, the only thing she can do at that point is try to light the lighter and at the end she doesn't drop it because she lit it but because she was no longer herself. She/They got lucky. I think it was a producer who pointed all of this out in an interview but it may have been a writer or the director.
The scariest part is they aren't Undead, you can't really call them Zombies. The host is very much alive, the Fungi have to keep them alive to use them
Until they get to the final stages of mutations. There is not much of the human left mentally.
@@mackat7865 Well that's the thing they can't tell if they're there mentally. They might be locked up and fully conscious in there.
Yeah runners still have sentience, they even cry out loud to not kill them sometimes.
@@mackat7865 Takes a long time, presumably the fungus has to start to take over body functions to keep the body running as it feeds on the host.
true. it feels much more realistic and grounded that way as opposed to a supernatural, undead type of thing. that’s how certain types of parasites infect animals and have similar mind control type of effects. the realization that this whole situation not that far off from reality makes it that much scarier.
The talent that portrayed the Clickers were actually huge fans of the game and had already worked on recreating the movement of those infected in their free time. According to one of the creators a large portion of the crew for this show sought their respective jobs out of excitement and love for the games - it really shows.
are same actors who made mo-cap for game.
played 8 times first game and i can see clearly they have same movement and sounds
@@ASSASSIN19923 Well the sounds, at least in the game, where done by a voice actress
@@ShuffleUpandDeal32 i think are multiple actors for infected sounds. For example bloater have a different actor
@@ASSASSIN19923 I imagine so
wow
I love how you noticed that most of the first (pre-apocalypse) part of episode 1 was shot from Sarah's perspective. As a matter of fact, that's exactly how it's done in the game. You start out playing as Sarah all the way up until the car crash.
It's a very effective way to pack an emotional punch 😢
The second episode revealed the Fungi started in the Grain factories. In the first episode we see the main cast barely avoid eating grain throughout the intro, Sarah can't make pancakes, They refuse the Neighbor's Biscuits, and Sarah was gonna eat the cookies, but they made Raisin cookies instead, so she didn't eat them. Also, the grandma turned first in the show, and she was the one being force-fed Biscuits.
Oh that makes sense! I hadn't picked up that, so thank you for explaining. Wow! Just makes the writing even better!
Joel also failed to get the cake
@@movienightwithjacqui also, he accidentally forgot the cake he was supposed to bring home.
thats a interesting point i didn't notice, good point.. but.. how was the grain processed, packed, transported from Indonesia to texas, bought, and used within 30 hrs? and since the factory had this incident it would have been shut for atleast few hrs too
@@movienightwithjacqui nice episode
you really got into it
it's a great show, but baking the grains would have killed any fungal spores or mycelium (clusters of hyphae, like in the infected mouths 🙂) but contaminated cooked food would be an issue as with bacteria - in reality we are always surrounded by fungal spores, pollen, and other bio particulates 😛
only an insane rapid evolution of how Cordyceps works and it's chemistry would make any of this possible, but it's fun to speculate
the show has to add a fair amount of "fi" to the "sci" to make it exciting and variable - for example, the spreading of any fungi would never be that quick, but it makes for compelling content and a big creepy factor
the chemicals produced could be very quickly felt though, hence the potential mania/danger of infected characters in the case of a large dose of psilocybin or other hallucinogen - Cordyceps doesn't work that way, but the "ant zombies" it creates in real life are pretty wild
anyway it's a great show...
I had some fungal hyphae and sporangia from bell peppers and blue cheese on display in my microscopes on a fairly recent live stream I did for my MicroAddict YT channel 🙂🦠🫑🍄🧀🔬
I'm collecting local fungi this weekend for another livestream, maybe I'll find some slime molds too
for his directorial debut, Neil Druckmann (the creator of the original video game) knocked episode 2 out of the park. this story is his baby, and i'm so happy he gets the chance to see it come to life like this.
I never would have guessed it was his directorial debut. You said it--he knocked it out of the park! It's fun to see things turn out for people who deserve the recognition for their work 😊
@@movienightwithjacqui it was only his directorial debut for live action. Before that, he directed actors in 3 video games. The process was similar, but the order was shifted.
For a game, you just direct actors first and stuff like camera angles, environments, clothing etc can be figured out in post.
But in live action, all that stuff has to be figured out before hand.
So yeah, that episode feels solid despite it being his first time in live action
@@SidPhoenix2211 Yeah even with using mocap, a lot of the visuals is added using software, so aspects of lighting, wardrobe, angles etc would be a bit new to him, but as he has such an intimate knowledge and experience with the source material, I would assume that he has enough visual's ion his head that atmosphere, lighting, blocking, choreography, and camera angles would be a bit easier than someone who had to start from scratch.
@@SidPhoenix2211 Talent is, as talent is lol
@@SidPhoenix2211 The process is completely different.
I also love how they established Ellie's character without talking about it. She has some anger issues, is clearly smart as a whip (figuring out the radio code and tricking Joel), but at the same time inexperienced (standing up outside in full view of a searchlight). Joel's silent reaction to that last part was great as well.
It's really great to see people already falling in love with Ellie and Joel.
Also, the composer of the show also composed both games, and yes, the soundtrack is just as amazing in the games as it is in the show. The games induce as much anxiety and dread as that museum section.
They went ride or die with this ‘Mother Nature reclaims the Earth’ aesthetic that films like Studio Ghibli and games like Zelda championed, painting the world with lush nature, foreboding loneliness and an immeasurable scope and scale, as they were the most difficult to master, at least according to Neil Druckmann himself. I am in LOVE with the worldbuilding here.
The effort paid off! I genuinely believe this pilot is going to be taught in film schools as a masterclass in world building. I was so blown away.
@@movienightwithjacqui I might take you up on that Jacqui; I give it about a year
Always loved the sentiment behind the name 'The Last of Us'. This isn't a story about the end of the world, the world's doing fine, better than ever really. For all the horror of the cordyceps, the only thing it touches is us, and I think that's kind of beautiful.
@@sagelemmers7009 I like that aspect, going by temperature alone most common animals would be safer as they have a higher average body temp. Going just on that your more likely to see an infected beef cow or horse, then you are a dog. Interesting if you think about it, Ellie is eating chicken which would have the highest temp of most food stock animals so the most safe to keep.
Fun fact, Merle Dandridge is reprising the character of Marleen, in the tv show, that she voiced and motion captured for the video game.
Not the only returning actors. The voice actors for the clickers reprised their roles.
@@reliablereindeer not just voice actors...actors. The actors who have modeled for the clicker actors here.
@ReliableReindeer Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, the OG Joel and ellie, have new character acting roles as cameos in the season also.
@@SeanPS I was trying to keep it spoiler free, but…
@MrThierryFournier not really a spoiler since we haven't seen them in the show yet. Only the people who know what they look like would even recognize whenever they do show up.
You've managed to avoid spoilers for almost 10 years, not a couple weeks!
I appreciate how a student of the genre, still gets lost in the moment occasionally.
Love it!
Good point! And you knows it’s good when it sucks you in despite your expertise 😊 Thank you!
@@movienightwithjacqui you're welcome!
Just to clarify, the extra threat in episode 2 wasn't an animal. It's implied that the "clicker" (infected with the fungus growing out of it's head and blocking it's sight so it has to make those horrible clicking sounds to see) is the one that did it. There was a line about it from Ellie when they're walking across the bridge. The reason why they're the special threat is because the fungus growing out of their head has created a hardened shell around their brain making them tougher to kill. Meaning more than one shot to the head to kill them.
yep they use eco location to see its actually very intresting
unless you have a shotgun
They're also far stronger than a normal person, the fungus amplifies their muscles (probably also pumping adrenaline).
Ah so that's why she stabs them in the neck in ep 5
Clickers are also more prone to tearing things to shreds rather than simply biting. Runners bite while Clickers bite and claw, that's why Ellie didn't recognise the damage to the dead guy in the museum.
The episode 2 prologue in Indonesia gives off some serious _Chernobyl_ vibes, as it tracks the early stages of the outbreak and follows someone who fully realizes the magnitude of what's happened. You can tell Mazin had a hand in it. (Incidentally, Christine Hakim, who played the scientist, is apparently a huge movie star over there, and has been making films since the '70s.)
Also, the show takes a lot of artistic license with Boston geography, but the placement of the Quarantine Zone in the North End does make strategic sense - it's bordered on three sides by water, so it would be a lot easier to defend than most areas of the city.
For sure! As soon as I realized it was the same director/producer as Chernobyl, I could see the similarities. Chernobyl was incredible, so it's not surprising this is just as good. (And thank you for sharing the Boston geography--I'm not familiar with the city, so I had no idea).
I loved visiting Boston and seeing areas they recreated in this show and Fallout. It was so much fun to visit places I had already known about, through different media. Faneuil Hall is quite an experience to visit!
Fascinating watching a film student provide commentary on the show and the film techniques being used. I feel the show uses tons of symbolism and includes so many hidden details. I notice new things every time I rewatch.
They do! It's so clear how much effort they put into this, and it's a joy to watch 😊 Thank you for the kind words and support!
@Movie Night at Jacqui's HBO has a companion podcast that releases after each episode that is packed full of really fun extra information about their thought process that goes into each episode!
@@clairelawson3180 The podcast is totally worth a listen, they get into some great details. Nice suggestion.
Your “fork”, “holy shirt”, and “dip” etc give me life. What a great reaction!
I love how empathetic the FEDRA agent was towards the infected child. It shows you don’t have to let the shirty situation make you inhumane.
I reckon Bella’s mother was pregnant when she was infected (probably later in the pregnancy) so there was some sort of immunity transmitted. But that’s just a guess.
I have not played the game so I don't know if that is what happened. I have wondered that myself. If so, then that is kinda like the story of Blade, who's mother was bitten by a vampire before he was born so he is half vampire. (Marvel comics, they have made a few movies about him).
The genius of the beginning part being completely from Sarah's POV is from the games. It is masterful way of making us care about her when we see everything from her perspective and then suddenly she is just gone. I'm so glad they kept that intact in the series!
IKR?! I went into the game blind when it came out, and that opening was just an absolute gut punch.
If you listen closely, in episode 2 when Joel opens the door to the outside in the beginning, they foreshadow the Clickers by using the same noise they make in place of a door creak! When I first watched the episode it's almost like my senses kicked in after hearing the clicking and I thought I'd imagined it but nope, it definitely happens.
I'm so proud of Neil for his television directorial debut on the series that is adapting his baby no less. Episode 3 can't come any sooner!
It's so cool how sound designers can incorporate things that we barely notice. I was watching game of thrones again and when Ben Jen Stark was re introduced and met Bran, the first note of the music was the Nights Watch horn.
I only have 3 things to say:
1. The Last of Us is the greatest game ever made.
2. The TV show has been a fantastic adaptation of the game.
3. Neil Druckmann is a genius and the fact the TV show has him involved means it will be a masterpiece.
4. Graig Mazing is a magician. First Chernobyl, then this.
That was a great reaction! Btw There’s four stages of infection. We saw the first three variants so far. Runner, Stalker, and Clicker. The dead guy who was torn apart was from the blind freakish fungus heads are called Clickers. They use echolocation to find prey. The one that kissed Tess is a Stalker. Runners are the normal infected. I’m so excited for people who haven’t played the games to experience this fantastic story.
we know that from the game, but technically it is a spoiler at this point. i’m sure they’ll explain that later in the show.
Or rather, sped up the infection process in Tess, since she was already starting to turn, but she clearly still had some fight left in her.
You're probably the most perceptive 'reactor' on youtube right now. Every analysis and prediction is pretty much spot on. And you've only just started lol
Wow! Thank you for the incredible compliment!
Great reaction. The show has two main people behind it, actually: Craig Mazin (indeed, from Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann, who created the games. Neil directed the second episode and it was actually his first ever live action directing job. I think he did a great job.
Fun fact: Those monstrosities at the end of the second episode are called "Clickers" and they hired fans of the games to play them. People who understood the mannerisms and movements of that particular kind of infected.
The professor in the Jakarta scenes was sooo good. Went back to watch those scenes again and again. There is so many amazing little things, not just the emotion on display but the posture, physicality, she speeds up her breathing with fear before saying bomb. That was just fantastic to watch.
When her hand shakes, holding the tea cup. Man you FEEEEEEEL that fear.
@@jerpanils8875 “are there any other workers missing?”
“Fourteen”
*tremble*
14 is not a big number in a city that has nearly 9 million people (Jakarta’s population in 2003 was 8.7m), that number makes her tremble so much she not only has to put the tea down, she says the only way to stop infection spreading is by bombing the city…
@@CoffeeMatt10 Yes, because the math is horrific. 14 untraceable infected alone, with each passing the fungus along to say three other people, and then the newly infected passing it on to three, and so on...that alone gets you into serious pandemic levels fast.
And if the initial contagion is fungus tainted wheat? You'll have clusters of these infected popping up everywhere, all causing the same exponential spread. There's no vaccine, no antifungal, the infected don't move in predictable ways, and you know nothing about this variant of the fungus. You kill fungus by dehydration and burning.
If you hear 14, and you understand what you're hearing, you tremble. And you probably say "burn it all before it spreads too far."
The fact that her suggestion ended up being something that you would expect the military officer to conclude, not the professor, is such a dark and ominous wrench thrown into that scene. The look on his face is not one that was looking for confirmation of what he was planning for, but one of surprise and rejection of the idea. Bombing a civilian population, the genocide on his own people, was never on the table before this. The pause after, followed by the emotion displayed is really just the acceptance of the end settling in.
@@KKraemerPhoto the chilling part is she knows they wont have the heart to do such things... they will do everything other than the worst thing even knowing it would be the best choice, but they will do it all to try to save as many of their people as possible. we can hear in ep. 1 on the radio that there have been disturbances in Jakarta, but nothing about the bombings. we later see the craters in Boston indicating the US didnt care, we bombed away and it basically did nothing.
A breath of fresh air to see someone understand the difference between Infected and Zombies
For real, it's one of my pet peeves when people mix them up.
Easily the best reaction to the TV series I have seen yet! I am a HUGE TLoU fan. I was very confident that they would nail the TV adaption because both Neil and Craig were holding the reigns. There was no way in hell that Neil would allow for anything short of perfection, and Craig was the perfect guy to help make it happen! Can't wait to see your reaction to episode 3 and beyond! PEACE!!!
So glad you’re doing this show. The games are amazing and the show remains faithful while adding exceptional character moments and backstory. Have fun with this.
I'm having a blast already, and I'm so happy to hear how faithful the adaptation is. That makes me love it even more!
@@movienightwithjacqui I loved your reaction to the Clickers, the name for the blind but super hearing evolution of zombies. If you pay attention to the conversation (and looks between Joel and Tess behind Ellie’s view) on the bridge, you can get hints of how else the infection leads to other evolution in the twenty year history of the outbreak.
Can’t wait for episode 3 and your reaction to it.
Great reaction! It's such a good show, the kind of adaptation TLoU fans had hoped beyond hope for. The level of care taken with each scene is evident.
Re: how to kill the infected, destroying the brain would prevent them from functioning, since the fungus is manipulating the brain to control people. Destroy the brain, and you won't necessarily kill the fungus, but it won't be able to utilize the body, which is why the fungus was still alive in the jakarta flashback. It still has a food source, even if it can't easily spread.
Ah gotcha! Thank you so much for explaining that! And I 100% agree--even as just a show-watcher, I'm so blown away by the effort and attention to detail. It's absolutely spectacular.
@@movienightwithjacqui in the game (so the show could be different) the infected do not need the brain to be destroyed in order to die. a headshot works quicker but isn’t always needed !
42:00 "wait, WHAT?!"
AHAHAHA LOVE THAT PART
From someone who did play through the game way back when, this adaptation is already well beyond my wildest expectations. The story in the game was already one of the best, little wonder why these episodes are just exceptional.
As a die hard fan of the games, what they're doing in this show is nothing short of stellar.
While they are giving you shot for shot moments from the game, they are also adding content in a way that stays true and respects the story.
That, compounded with the fact that Naughty Dog is completely involved with this show gives it so much more weight. Because we know the true gamers are the ones who set the bar.
Considering the past 2 episode have been perfect 10s, things are looking good. (Sidenote: would highly recommend playing the games)
da fuk is a "true gamer"?
Right like the nod to the suv that hit the car in the game but to be rolled by the engine of the plane
Came here for the film student reaction and thoughts, stayed for all the Good Place curses. Some excellent points you’ve commented on, like the parallels between Sara and Tess with the twisted ankles. Subscribed and Liked! 🙂
Glad you appreciated both! 😊 Welcome aboard!
Great reactions and filmmaking analysis so far! Also, (you may have already caught this) Bella's character is actually revealed to be named "Ellie" during episode 1 - "Veronica" was just the fake name she was giving to the Fireflies when she was still being held captive and not trusting them. Or maybe you were just calling her "Veronica" out of habit. :)
I had seen the name "Ellie" elsewhere, and I kept wondering how they got that from "Veronica" 😂 I hadn't caught that it was a fake name, so thank you for clarifying that! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Awww, why’d you have to tell her!! I was looking forward to more adventures with Joel and Veronica!!!
@@edinalewis4704 😂 It's entirely possible I'll slip and still refer to her as Veronica, so you may get your wish!
@@movienightwithjacqui Marlene knowing her actual name is the one reason why she actually believed her in that moment.
@@movienightwithjacqui I think the moment you might have missed was when Marlene called her Ellie right after she told her she was the one who put her in military school.
I love that you put emphasis on the first-person POV shots and saying its "video gamey" especially since the games don't have first person or POV shots at all in the game haha.
It is a third person game with the camera way behind the characters.
Loved your reaction though!
As someone who played the games several times throughout the 10 or so years (damnit...) this adaptation is like a fever dream to watch. It is very faithful with several scenes directly ripped from the game line-by-line, shot for shot.
How funny! 😂 Even if the games weren't that way, it's a great subtle homage to them, and I really appreciated it. I don't know that I'll ever play them, but I'm so happy to hear how faithful the adaptation is! Thank you!
@@movienightwithjacqui Well I think if the show should entice you to consider playing them definitely! The way you get to walk around on the sets and explore (as part of your objective no less) cannot be replicated in a TV show. Worth the experience!
Also "Veronica" was a fake name Ellie used, in case you didn't catch it.
@@movienightwithjacqui you should watch videos comparing the cutscenes of the games to the episodes you already watched if you’re not a gamer. It’s fascinating how much they got right. But don’t get the ending of the game spoiled for you.
@@Sigmundfrued Yeah, maybe wait until the season concludes.
Stumbled across this channel while binging Last of Us reactions. Easily one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful breakdowns I have seen. Insta-sub! Loved it! Can't wait to see more!
Wow! Thank you for the incredible compliment 😊 I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the season!
What a coincidence! Me, too!
Same.
As someone who's a HUGE fan of the games, it was brilliant to hear your thoughts on this as someone who's never played them! Especially with you being a film student -- I love analyses of things I love from people that know so much more about the technical aspects of the medium than I do!
Thank you! I'm so glad I could give a new appreciation for the show--that's the highest compliment I could receive 😊
Hello from the Vancouver film industry! My crew has been doing a lot of very excited yelling about this show, and a lot of what you brought up has been mentioned! In particular the first scene with Ellie in Ep 2, the symbolic lighting shining only on her and Joel and Tess deep in shadow was such good work. I'd kill to have been in Calgary when they shot this!!
Enjoy the show and good luck in your studies.
In the game you actually start out by playing Sarah, and you don't switch to Joel until the car crash. I love that they kept that in by focusing on her perspective in the beginning.
Fun fact: I'm still traumatized by that opening scene from the game. The show tore open that wound all over again. They did such a great job adapting this show.
So far the show has only expanded, if anything way more informative than the game, PLUS in the game we only get to see from our perspective, in this it can just bounce around freely, so the storytelling is so much better. And the story is already so good so it's impressive.
The show hired the actors who performed for the motion-capture sequences of the game to play the clickers in the TV adaption. This is why those of us who played the game are ecstatic over how accurate their movements are in this show.
You're in for quite the experience.
Also, Piano Frog is my new favorite character.
I'm so excited! (and totally agree--piano frog was a perfect detail!)
the terrifing thing to me is that this fungus actually exists, well not the one for humans of course, but there is a fungus , Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, otherwise known as cordyceps or zombie-ant fungus, infects insects such as ants or spiders.
I played the first scene from the game which is the first 30+ minutes, so I knew what was coming, but it hit me so hard, especially as a father. Nico Parker’s and Pedro Pascal’s performances were amazing. Had me in tears when Sarah died😢 even though I knew it was coming
I like how you explain your thoughts on every aspect and touch on everything from writing, set design, cinematography, acting, audio design, and more. There's so much to appreciate about this show, and it's obvious how much you love film. You should totally do the deep dissection of the episodes! As a filmmaker myself I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on it because you definitely brought some things to attention that I never noticed in these episodes.
Fun crossover references to another game to tv show adaptation...
Ashley Johnson provides the voice and motion capture for Ellie in the game.
She is also part of Critical Role, and played in the actual D&D game that was adapted into the series The Legend of Vox Machina.
The t-shirt that Joel's daughter is wearing at the start features Marisha Ray, also a member of Critical Role/Vox Machina.
Ashley is already confirmed to be playing a character in the show Last of Us.
btw, the song at the end is heavy 80's... Depeche Mode, premiere synth progressive band
So fun to watch a reaction with someone who knows the craft and can give good analysis, while at the same time just getting immersed and having visceral reactions to the story and the characters. That's a perfect formula for a great reaction, and you delivered.
Hi, Jacqui, it's me again, from the previous comment in the last video. 😁
I'm SO glad you're loving the show. As a player of the game myself, I can happily say.... that they ABSOLUTELY nailed it. The writing, the dialogues, the dynamics between characters (that are the same with the game, while also adding and explored some parts a bit more), the tension-building (especially Episode 2), the make-up design (for the "Infected" and for the main characters), the world-building, the emotions, the shots in every scenes, EVERYTHING.....is done sooo WELL!!
And it's all thanks to Neil Druckmann (the creator and writer of the game, The Last of Us) for his knowledge and lore, and Craig Mazin with his directory vision back in Chernobly, that he brings to this show. These two has makes The Last of Us REALLY brought to life, very well.
I hope this series continues on the channel, cause I LOVE your reactions as well as some of your thoughts, and opinions on direction, cinematography, writing, and everything in between..about the show.
Keep it up.
Have a nice day, Jacqui ❤️
Pedro played Joel absolutely perfectly. Am very excited for the next season.
Safe to say the most intuitive reaction on RUclips. Your instincts are so good. A lot of the POV shots are straight from the game, like Sara in the truck
Wow, thank you for such a wonderful compliment!
A headshot isn’t necessarily required to kill an infected as they aren’t undead just controlled normal humans, it’s just that if you want to kill it immediately it’s much more preferred, being infected makes them stop caring about pain like a person on bath salts or meth
Great video, I like how you pick up fast on the details and the cinematography.
To give you more context about everything, Bella's character is Ellie, not Veronica (it was a fake name) and in the game she was played by Ashley Johnson, who will have a different role in the TV series, as well as Troy Baker, the original Joel who was also cast for the show. Also Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel) is the composer just like in the game, many themes are taken straight from the game while others composed for the show.
Also, the showrunner as you have seen is Craig Mazin but alongside him as executive producer and writer is Neil Druckmann, the father of The Last of Us, who he created when he was in college as a personal project and eventually grew into something real that he presented his bosses at Naughty Dog years later. The idea for the Cordyceps came while watching a BBC documentary about it, he thought it would be great to have that instead of the classical virus.
Neil Druckmann only directed three games and nothing more: TLOU, TLOU Part II and Uncharted 4. So seeing him directing chapter 2 and in such an amazing way is so awesome. And yeah, shaky camera is not the best, but is a way to represent the movement that you constantly have while playing, even in the slowest moments. It's a third person game and even when walking you have movement and shakiness. Luckily he doesn't abuse of that.
The infected have four stages. Runners, who are the first you see (low time of exposition), stalkers (the one who kisses Tess) who are second stage, the fungus started to give them coverage on the body while still being able to see, Clickers that the fungus has destroyed their faces and bodies and use echolocation and sound to "see", and the four stage that won't spoil you but will appear later.
And finally, there are two TLOU games, a DLC (that will be part of the show) and a mini-comic depicting the time of Ellie at the FEDRA military school. The series will cover TLOU and its DLC from beginning to end, while adding new content. There are many faithful things, even shot almost frame by frame and also others completely changed, like Tess' ending, same principle (sacrifice while having been bitten) but in a very different way.
TLOU Part II is a extremely controversial game because it's very purposefully uncomfortable in many different ways and also has a narrative very complicated to take out of its videogame form. Craig Mazin already stated that if they continue, Part II will be done in two seasons, in one is impossible, but also stated that this will have an ending and it won't be The Walking Dead that goes on forever.
Glad you're enjoying it so much. I wish I could also see it blind, but also makes me teary every time I watch a new episode of seeing such an adaptation.
What's particularly great about the adaptation is that it follows the BASIC plot of the game, but doesn't try to be beat for beat. But what it DOES do, it uses a lot of the same visual one-shots or scene set pieces (wading through water in the hotel, for example) so that the game players feel nostalgic and/or immediately feel tension (ooh, this part is dangerous!) without ruining anything for anyone.
I've seen so many reactions to this show and yours is by far my favorite, I love your commentary and analysis of the scenes, bringing attention to how they create tension and symbolism that I hadn't noticed before. I love the games and this adaptation, and seeing all the details you highlighted has made me appreciate the storytelling and worldbuilding even more! So excited to see your reactions to the future episodes :)
The opening of the video game was saddest thing I've ever experienced in a game. The show nailed it. They really did a great job casting both Joel and Ellie (not Veronica, that's a fake name). Just like in the game, the Clickers are difficult to kill. takes multiple shots to the head, because the fungus inside the skull makes it thicker and harder to kill. I loved the exposition in the beginning of the show, explaining what would happen if cordyceps ever spread to humans, & why we'd be screwed. It really was tense, I didn't realize there wasn't music until you pointed it out. Most of the music in the show is the same as the game. Btw that was an 80s song was by Depeche Mode, called Never Let Me Down Again. 80s in the code meant trouble. I'm thinking song came on the radio because someone discovered the murdered guard who Joel beat to death. Glad you are doing this reaction, it's different how much I don't catch because I've played the game, vs someone who's never done so.
You are now my favorite reactor for yours show! I love the excitement you have but I also really love how you talk about this from a more analytical, movie-making perspective. Like your observations on the use of music to heighten tension. Can't wait for your next reaction!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy the reactions for the rest of the show 😊
FYI, her name is Ellie, not Veronica, she was being snarky
Another fun fact they hired the same people who did the motion capture for the infected in the game are the same ones in the show
I love how the first two episodes are just the first couple hours of the game, essentially re-created
Interesting! As someone who hasn't played the game, I can't say for sure, but the first twenty minutes very much felt like a "premise" sequence, where the game gives you the backstory before you actually start playing. (I'm not sure what that's actually called), but it worked so well in the show. I'm hooked!
@@movienightwithjacqui Well it was a story focused single player game. Actually, I'd expect any game that has won any "best narrative" award would translate well into series/movies. The problem with prior game adaptations was always hollywood being hollywood and they decide "oh I'm gonna make my mark in this story and make it my own, I'm sure that'd work fine". Like they didn't know what made the games won the awards in the first place.
Oh and Sarah's death was even more shocking in the game because of the fact that you actually play as her in the beginning. You started bonding with Joel, then getting to know the infection situation as Sarah, so you probably expect you'd stay with her for a while. Then she gets killed pretty much immediately. That's like extremely rare in story focused games, in fact I can't even name any that did this before.
@@thebluestyx lmao @ "oh I'm gonna make my mark in this story and make it my own, I'm sure that'd work fine" yeh like of course things need to be adapted for a new medium but it feels like those producers/writers were trying to change things just for the sake of distancing themselves from a medium they don't really consider as art.
Even though it doesn't seem like something you would do in your channel I would be interested if you would play through the game once the show is over or at least watch a play through of it with no commentary.
It may have already been commented on here. But just to put emphasis on how creepy this universe is, its well established that the Infected are called as much because there's evidence that the early stage Runners are to some extent still alive and self conscious, just physically not in control of their bodies.
The game has audio of Runners crying while attacking their victims or even screaming in mental agony as they try to fight their Fungal Puppeteer.
It's probably only late stage Infected that are no longer puppets but actual corpses being controlled by fungus, like the Clickers in the museum.
Glad you like the cinematography as a lot of the scenes in this show are shot for shot remakes of the game, such as the car sequence and many others. It goes to show how well some of the games are "shot".
I love how every scenes mirror themselves in a way. Kind of line coming full circle, but with sharp edges and scary reflections.
Loved your reactions...all the production elements are indeed amazing. Just wanted to say that after learning more about the main underlying theme of this story (from the official podcast), seemingly throwaway lines like Joel's "he doesn't love me; he's dependent on me - it's not the same" at the beginning of E1 hit way different.
it’s like that in the game too. you play that first chapter as sarah and then watch her dad hold her as she passes.
The truck driving scene with Joel, Tommy, and Sarah in Episode 1 was taking almost frame by frame from the game. One of the advantages of telling a story in video game format is that it is easy to make changes in a video game. They can press a few buttons to add non-player characters (i.e. civilians screaming and running away), move the camera around the world, change the clothes on the characters, move buildings around, etc. Because it's all a computer model on the video game engine, it's cheap to redo those extended action scenes over and over again until they get it perfect. It was very smart for the TV people to copy the scene frame-by-frame, because it's unlikely they can do it better than the video game designers who animated it hundreds of times.
Nico Parker (Sarah) , absolutely, nailed her part. Craig Mazin's (Chernobyl) writing is very evident in the "Flashback" exposition introductions. This is an awesome show. Watching this "Blind" is the best.
(Spoiler talk below)
The "Christ" trope has a nice twist when Judas kiss is given before his sacrifice.
It’s not just that a Clicker needs a headshot- two headshots exactly; the fungus acts like an armor plate, which is something you’d have to remember while playing- a clicker is exactly 2x the problem that a runner is.
Great start to the series! See you for the next episode.
See you then!
I’m so happy you blew uppppp! You deserve recognition & attention. I love your content ❤️
Thank you so much! 😊 You're so sweet, and I hope you enjoy more to come ❤️
The scene from where Sarah gives Joel the watch to her getting shot and dying in Joel's arms is ripped straight from the game. It is just as heartbreaking. All the actors are killing it on this show. Their performances are riveting.
Oh shirt! Oh dip! I used to know a guy who would say "shiznitz!" when cursing, but this had me rolling on the floor
At one point, fans of the game were fancasting Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Joel and Maisie Williams as Ellie (Veronica).
Even as Oberyn, he wanted justice for his sister and her children, so there was a similar theme.
"Please protect this baby at all costs..." I'm going to remember you said that.
Always keep in mind the infected are not anything supernatural or undead, what will kill a normal human will also kill infected and they do not return to life
I'm obsessed with this channel now. Reactions are 🔥🔥🔥
What I love the most about this show, is that TV nerds are now experiencing what us video game nerds experienced in 2013 when the game came out. This story is just so good.
Thank the writing to Neil Druckmann! He also co-directed with Craig Mazin who is the director of Chernobyl. This is my favorite story of any form of media. Movie, show, game, book etc. Druckman wrote himself a masterpiece which as of right now is the most awarded video game in history and also setting at a 9.4 rating from imdb which no show has ever topped. A couple of others are at 9.4 and Chernobyl is at 9.3 which shows what amazing minds both Druckmann and Mazin have. The Last of Us is on pace to be both the highest rated video game and highest rated tv series of all time. Kudos to how great of a story it is. 👏
Little thing at first. There is no Veronica, she tried to fool the Fireflies. But Marlene knows her from the past and called her by her real name, Ellie. Played both parts of the game multiple times. Part 1 first on the PlayStation 3 back in 2013 and now on Playstation 5. Your reaction reminds so often of what I thought, when I had the first run in 2013. HBO made such a good job and I love to see, that someone who has never played the game, falls in love to the characters and story identical to so many gamers. Am 40yo by now and this is the video game adaption, is so true to the game, it's comparable to nothing before, better than every adaption, they tried and failed with before. I subscribed to the channel and hope you'll do the whole season. Greetings from Germany Marco
Loved the reaction! Your selection of alternative bad words is fun 😂.
It also clearly shows you're not a religious person, but I think it's the first time I could tell from a RUclipsr's vocabulary rather than video topic, personal storytelling, or background props.
This is my all-time favorite game, my favorite video game to TV adaptation, and by far my favorite reaction to this. This is my first time watching you and very intelligent and fun, can't wait to see the rest of your reactions to this and see what else you have!
The clickers were actually fans of the game who understood the movement of the clickers in the game and the clicking is also the same voice actors from the game too
Game to show transition is impeccable!!!!
I absolutely LOVE seeing non gamers falling in love with the masterpiece that is TLOU. One of the greatest games ever made, and now, potentially one of the greatest shows ever made.
Also:
1. Unrest started in Jakarta, per the radio broadcast in the kitchen during breakfast.
2. Joel forgot to buy pancake mix.
3. They refused the biscuits offered by the neighbor.
4. Sara didn't eat the cookies made by the neighbor because they were raisin.
5. Joel forgot to bring a cake home.
6. Pancake mix, biscuits, cookies, and cake all have flour in them.
7. Jakarta is the world's largest supplier of flour.
It was in the flour. That is how it was spread.
"Like a man possessed"
If Joel has one major 'ability', it is that.
When he completely shuts down the part of his brain that has any moral compunctions about doing what he 'needs' to do and goes into the darkest parts of the human mind.
In the game, you start off by playing as Sarah.
As she's not around for long (either in game or show) the creators have to push the envolope to get the audience to feel an emotional response to her death, just like her dad Joel does.
They do this in the game by the player taking control of Sarah, so the bond is made instantly.
In the show, they have to push it a little harder for that bond to be made. They do this remarkably well in a couple of ways... firstly, by following her around, showing how caring she is by getting the breakfast ready, getting the watch fixed for her dad, for dropping in on the neighbours after school.
Secondly, when everything starts breaking down, in the car you see it all occur from Sarah's POV, effectively putting the audience into Sarah's shoes, seeing the chaos all around, and leaving the audience as shocked, awed and confused as Sarah is.
So when the enevitable happens, the bond between the audience and Sarah has been solidified and then shattered, invoking the emotional response we all felt.
A remarkable piece of filmmaking and storytelling from such a short amount of screen time.
This adaptation shows so much respect to the source material, which makes sense bc the original creators were heavily involved in helping make the show! The core story is exactly the same with even lines taken directly out of the game ("Drugs, I sell hardcore drugs" being a great example). But what makes the show more unique is the expansion on certain things such as the neighbors, why Joel wasn't at home when Sarah woke up, the explanation of the cordyceps. A lot of these things weren't fleshed out in the game since the cutscenes were fairly short in comparison to the actual gameplay, so it's nice to see them add more original content and build the world more. They also made the actual fungi more realistic. In the game, the infection could also be spread through spores in the air, however in real life, spores are everywhere and don't localize in specific areas, so they instead brought the hive mind structure where everything is connected underground, I find that very interesting and a nice way to revise the original concept
absolutely loved this reaction and thoughts/analysis. can't wait for more - sounds like next week is supposed to be a certified banger. and as a longtime TLOU fan, what makes this story special hasnt even really taken hold yet :)
I'm really enjoying your reactions. I'm following some other reactors and it's nice seeing different perspectives, but I love your commentary as a film student. You're pointing out things that I never consciously noticed before really helps me appreciate everything that's going on that much more. Thank you.
After making Chernobyl, HBO would've probably let Craig Mazin make basically whatever the hell he wanted to, getting a studio like HBO (who's entire brand is built on "prestige" content) 11 Emmy nominations for a single season limited series, is basically like getting a blank check from the studio for your next project.
The fact that Craig could've made basically whatever the hell he wanted, but chose The Last of Us, already tells you how much he cares about this story.
I love the economic writing and the environmental storytelling. When Sarah raids Joel's drawer at the beginning, I was wondering why they were focusing on that so much, and then her ambiguous early interaction with the clock shop owner. Then I realized that was a misdirect, leading the audience to think that she was going to pawn dad's watch for money. But then it's revealed she's repairing the watch, and the audience feels bad for doubting her and is now like "aww, what a good daughter!" What a way to make the audience fall in love with Sarah in the little time she has, to make what happens next so much worse.
Same with the boy in the beginning of the 2023 segment. First she show uses the boy's killing to establish the messed-up world we're in, and then the way Joel tosses the body into the fire to establish how numb and closed-off he is. Chef's kiss.
Craig mason and Neil druckman, the writer and the director of the last of us game. Both in the serie.!!
Now I can't wait for your reaction to episode 3
I have been waiting for someone to react to this who hasn’t played the games, this’ll be a big series if you continue it.
As someone who played the games the difference between Sarah and Ellie in the first episode was well done. You could tell Sarah is a gentle soul who’s really to soft for the apocalypse that’s coming versus Ellie who has been raised in it.
The openings are new additions in the game you don’t get those flashbacks, personally I enjoy them they’re a fun addition
the fun part, they actually got people that are fan of the game to play the infected "zombies"
so they know exactly how to move, act and sound to play the part.
I love your excitement. I was very much the same way and just absorbed everything I could. By now I'm sure you've heard of or already seen the Podcast lead by voice actor, Troy Baker who discusses each episode with the show runners Neil Druckann and Craig Mason. Those break down the creative direction and production choices made with little extra bits of information like what it was like to work with Weta Workshop that helped with live monster effects (clickers) or the amazing cast. As a die hard fan of this series I can not recommend the podcast enough. Truly a great companion piece to the show.
The entire scene from inside the truck in episode 1 is ripped STRAIGHT from the game. Literally SHOT FOR SHOT.
I haven't played the game but while watching the episode I never felt left out of this The Last of us world especially the truck sequence the camera never left the truck that definitely give you the vibe of game
As someone who’s been playing the game since it was originally released 10 years ago I can say the first two episodes so far have been extremely accurate and faithful, specific elements have been tweaked or adapted to fit the medium of a series but wow as a fan of the games from the beginning they got it perfectly on the mark
@@quietdemon8138 As this season ends I am planning to play the game because it really had my curiosity but now this have my attention
With an emmersive game like last of us, i am glad i am not spoiled since i played it first. Would hate to play it after the series.
@@WheresWaldo05 There are two parts isn't it, I don't think the whole story will be concluded in one season that would be rushed
@@atulkumargupta4774 I'm sure each season will match the each game. There isn't that much of a story for multiple seasons per game. I would get bored then. I already kind of am since the series is a carbon copy 90% of the game. I already know what all happens. Zero surprises.
The fact a game that was such a blockbuster for the gaming world is now a show and killing it just as it did back in 2013 makes me so happy... hearing people who hasn't experienced this story fall in love with this story through film is so exciting... It gives me a way to nerd out with non-gamers over such a great story
definitely giving you a subscribe you're really a good reactor i like you and also that green blouse looks so good on you brings out the green in your eyes and your red hair just the cherry on top :)
Thank you!
@@movienightwithjacqui you're welcome glad you're really loving it i myself never played the game either so we both are going in blind :)
29:12 I find it haunting that Joel knew, he knew they wouldn’t come back and he was right
So an amazing thing about Tess's death is some details in the world. She is infected, by a bite to the neck... which we saw earlier means she has 5-15 mins till total infection, and that's why most of them ignore her. Then that one sees her and it doesn't attack because it sees another of its kind... it gets in close to speed up the infection rate essentially... and Tess is already struggling to stay in control which is why she doesn't do anything to stop it, the only thing she can do at that point is try to light the lighter and at the end she doesn't drop it because she lit it but because she was no longer herself. She/They got lucky. I think it was a producer who pointed all of this out in an interview but it may have been a writer or the director.
Episodic shows would be what would bring viewers into your channel WAY more than one off movies, I think!