The Last Of Us: why is everyone talking? I’m NOT a fan of end of times, shows. But HBO’s Last Of Us, unlike it’s storyline, has a future. If you haven’t heard about it, you will. A fungus takes over humanity, all normal living, technology and resources are almost all but wiped out. The survivors clean up the mess, and people love it. OH, did I mention it takes place IN BOSTON? Faneuil Hall never looked better. (Sarcasm.)
By the way, this series is not ALL about end of times, as you will see in Episode 3.
Look at the stats below.
According to Wikipedia:
The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023. It received acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, production design, and score; several called it the best live-action adaptation of a video game. Across linear channels and HBO Max, the series premiere was watched by 4.7 million viewers on the first day—the second-biggest for HBO since 2010—and over 22 million within twelve days. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a second season.
Inspired from a 2013 video game, the exploding new show is HBO‘s Last Of Us.
Pedro Pascal
It doesn’t hurt that the hero is already a known hero in the Star Wars universe. It’s The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal.
In The Last Of Us, the series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.
Pedro’s Joel is a cross between Harrison Ford’s Indy and Keanu Reeves John Wick. Tough, but low key. In this tight situation, you want Joel on your side, even though he is values challenged.
Unlike The Last Of Us, in Mando, Pedro wears a mask, the whole time. His Star Wars acting is split between physical acting in a suit, and voice-over in a studio. You never see his lips move under the mask, like James Earl Jones portrayal of Darth Vader. So in The Last Of Us, Pedro fans get to see him and hear him as a person, no mask.
The Appeal
As mentioned, I’m not a fan of end-of-times shows. But in watching the first two episodes, I instantly got caught up in the characters will to survive, and the means and ingenuity they created to do so. When you watch, you may say to yourself, how would I do? Where would I fit in? Would I lead, follow? How would I protect my family? The strength of the characters give you hope that as a race, we can do anything, if we work together. It’s a haunting reminder that we are really nothing, without each other. The show helps us remember not to take each other, for granted.
The Last Of Us: why is everyone talking? Let’s see why! Spoiler Alert for Episode 3 below!!
