The Last of Us: This first look does not disappoint!
Like so many of y’all, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of the new HBO show The Last of Us. Starring Bella Ramsey as Ellie and Pedro Pascal as Joel, this first look at The Last of Us did not disappoint. Based on the incredibly popular video game of the same name, this show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has contaminated the human race, turning them into creatures resembling zombies.
Q+ Magazine is covering the show because, in the original source material, Ellie is a lesbian. Prior to the show’s launch, the director did publicly state that Ellie’s character in the HBO adaptation would remain true to herself and that she was written into the script as queer.
No one in this office has played the game, so we don’t really have anything to compare it to, however, we have watched the first episode and we can officially confirm that we are hooked already. We aren’t going to do an episode-by-episode review, but we do plan to stop by again mid-way through the season to throw our thoughts out there, and then at the end of the season we’ll release a full season review.
However, without giving too much away (because we know y’all want to watch in your own way) we can say that episode one is a serve. Here are our thoughts on this first look at The Last of Us.
The 4-1-1
At the beginning of the first episode, the story is set way back when the virus first hit. Joel has a kid and their relationship is clunky, but lovely all the same. They seem to have a semi-dysfunctional life, but it seems to be working for them anyway. It doesn’t take long for the virus to set in and all hell breaks loose sooner rather than later.
While they’re trying to get away from the zombie things and find a safe place to take refuge, Joel’s kid becomes a casualty of the situation. We liked her a whole lot so losing a character this quickly into the show felt a lot like the throws of The Walking Dead, and now we’re not sure if we should be getting attached to anyone at all.
Time jumps forward then, to twenty years in the future, and it looks like society hasn’t done a good job of bouncing back. The virus still seems prevalent (although maybe not quite as rampant as before) and anarchy still seems to have settled into the very fabric of society. Simply put, post-apocalyptic society is a mess.
The first episode feels a little formulaic, however, we’re not saying that’s a bad thing. All the necessary aspects of world-building are laid out carefully for viewers to assimilate to. Joel is established as the no-nonsense guy that has made it through this tragedy somewhat on his own, skirting the lines of morality and doing what he needed to survive.
As the episode progresses, he meets up with a group of women who seem to be traveling with, or maybe protecting, a younger girl that doesn’t belong to any of them. We realized pretty quickly that this was Ellie, and she is quite the handful.
Focusing on Ellie
We’re going to assume that the creators of the show told the truth, and are honoring Ellie’s queerness in this show. However, there is no trace of this in the first episode. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as there wasn’t really a chance to introduce that part of her yet. Even though we haven’t played the game, we are aware of the fact that Ellie’s queerness isn’t really established until part two of the game, so we’re interested to see how this will play out in the show. Nevertheless, Ellie is fierce, she seems very brave, and good luck to anyone that tries to reign her in or control her in any way.
As the episode comes to a close it does look like they are setting Ellie up as a central character that has some kind of immunity to this virus, which positions her are prime real estate, if you get what we mean.
If we’re going to make predictions, knowing nothing about the game at all and simply basing these predictions on episode 1, this first look showed us that Joel and Ellie are probably going to form some kind of familial bond, but we anticipate much frustration on Joel’s part as time unfolds. Ellie is young and unpredictable and already seems to be a bit of a thorn in his side. From where we sit, it doesn’t really look like Ellie needs a dad, but it does look like Joel could use some love in the reverse sense.
Whether you’ve played the game or not, if you’re into apocalyptic stuff, then this is going to be right up your alley. If you’re into shows that position young women as strong, formidable forces to be reckoned with, then we expect you’ll find a place for yourself in this world.
This first look of The Last of Us definitely has our attention and we can’t wait to bring the rest of our thoughts to you mid-way through the season.
The Last of Us premieres on HBO Max tonight at 9pm ET and will air every Sunday until March 12. Watch and come scream with us on socials. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured image: Photograph Courtesy of HBO
