The beginning of The Last of Us review: The best distopia story since The Road begins

Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have orchestrated the most confident pilot in years with The Last of Us.

Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsay and Anna Torv shine in front of the camera in The Last of Us. While Mazin and Druckmann keep a steady, gorgeous hand on one of the best video game stories ever.

The Last of Us is a densely packed pilot. There are multiple time jumps in the pilot. The episode begins in 1968 and establishes the potential of a fungus wrecking havoc over humanity. Then the pilot jumps to 2003 right before the outbreak where Joel, his daughter, Sarah, and his brother, Tommy, live in Austin, Texas. Finally, the episode flashes forward to the present day where most of humanity is confined to quarantine zones.

Outside of the opening scene, there’s little exposition. Mazin and Druckmann excel at using the settings around Joel, Ellie, Sarah, Tess and Tommy to tell the story. Mazin’s decision to shoot the pilot with handheld cameras is brilliant. When Sarah is in shock, so is the audience. When Joel is pleading with a soldier, you feel earnest desperation all over Pascal’s face.

The pilot is well over an hour long. However, the performances and world-building are engrossing throughout. Mazin and Druckmann also make the wise decision to show the beginning of the disease and keep the focus on humanity’s reaction to the fungus.

From scenes of terror to action and to trauma, The Last of Us is a remarkable ride. With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood in the premiere. There may be some minor spoilers. The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.

Terrific Performances sell the horror of The Last of Us

Few actors can tell a story with just their face better than Pascal and he’s terrific as Joel. His transition from 2003 to the present day feels like a more natural progression than it does in the video game. In 2003, he plays Joel with world-weariness but is still trying the best he can. In the present, Joel is alive, but absent of much humanity. He does have a partner in Tess who he works with.

Torv does a great job as the tough-as-nails Tess. Since Joel starts the series at an all-time low, it’s crucial for Joel to have a counterpart with plenty of fights left in them. Also, The Last of Us series does a great job of setting up the power dynamic between Joel and Tess. When Tess is kidnapped, the kidnappers are terrified of what Joel will do if Tess lets him off her leash.

Ramsay is perfect casting as Ellie. While she is relegated to the background in this first episode, Ramsay makes every moment count. Ellie is a teenager, who is taken hostage by a rebel group fighting against the quarantine zones. The pilot does a better job than the game of setting up how Ellie and Joel’s daughter Sarah view Joel’s sudden explosions of violence. Sarah was horrified. Ellie was more enamored by Joel’s capability. Obviously, Ellie only knows this disease-ravaged world is part of her tough nature.

Nico Parker serves as the audience surrogate in The Last of Us as Sarah. Through her eyes, we see the beginning of the outbreak as well as the world before. Parker makes Sarah a relatable teenager. She’s nice, but not perfect. For instance, Sarah will go make cookies with the elderly neighbors, but won’t stay too long.

The screenplay gives these talented actors room to bring these characters to life by shifting perspectives compared to the games.

Changing POV’s

There are some minor differences between the game and The Last of Us series. However, the biggest change is how Mazin and Druckmann move the perspective to different characters, which adds to the scope of the world.

In the game, the only perspectives are Joel, Ellie and Sarah. Ellie’s story doesn’t begin until she meets Joel and Tess. In the series, Ellie is introduced independently from Joel. She’s a hostage of the Fireflies. We see her almost feral interactions with the Fireflies and how she softens when talking to Marlene. So later in the pilot when Joel and Tess infiltrate the Firefly compound, it’s not a surprise to see Ellie attack Joel.

The expanded point-of-views also gave Tess more to do. The interrogation succeeds in showing her toughness but also allows the other character to give their perspectives on Joel.

There’s also an incredible flashback used near the end of the episode. The flashback takes place in Joel’s head as a soldier is telling him not to move. Joel then explodes with violence. In the game, there’s no flashback. In the series, the flashback clearly shows Joel’s attack is preceded by PTSD from earlier in the episode. The grief evident across Pascal’s face as Joel is the best moment in the episode.

These expanded perspectives are just some of the changes which allow Mazin and Druckmann to create such a fleshed-out world in The Last of Us.

Boston

The pilot does a better job of showcasing FEDRA (the martial law-like authority) and the status of humanity than the Fireflies

When the episode flashes to the present day, the perspective shifts to FEDRA soldiers. They spot a boy outside the quarantine zone in Boston. The boy is brought in and examined by a seemingly nice agent. She promises the boy food as well as toys and that this small needle will only hurt a bit. The next time we see this boy, he’s dead and being thrown into a fire by Joel.

Later, as Joel is wandering around there are a few people about to be publicly executed. In this cold, brutal world any attempt to violate FEDRA’s authority is met with brutal justice.

Showing FEDRA’s authority allows for the Fireflies’ mission to connect better than in the game.

The Last of Us Final Thoughts

One of the best video game stories receives a more than faithful adaptation with this HBO series. The Last of Us doesn’t just retell the game’s story. The HBO series deftly expands on the game by changing perspectives. Mazin and Druckmann accomplish the rare feat of crafting a pilot that doesn’t rely on needless exposition to bring the world to life.

While it’s too early to say whether The Last of Us will improve upon House of The Dragon as a series, The Last of Us pilot is a more confident premiere than House of the Dragon.’s pilot I can’t wait to see where this heartbreaking, incredible story goes next.