When facing the consequences of his decisions at the end of the video game “The Last of Us Part I,” Joel (Troy Baker) shows no regret.
“If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment. … I would do it all over again,” Joel states.
2020’s “The Last of Us Part II” is a complicated topic. The former most awarded game of all time received near-universal acclaim from critics, but divided its player base as many were left infuriated by some of the choices developer Naughty Dog made with its story and characters.
The team behind the HBO show adaptation of “The Last of Us” had a similar attitude to Joel when adapting “The Last of Us Part II” for the show’s second season. Showing no regret or remorse, the team, helmed by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, stayed true to the divisive source material, only making minor changes — even though it would make the show just as polarizing as the game.
While the game’s core story remains intact in the show, a key decision was made to split the story of the game up into several seasons of the television series. Most of the issues with the season can be traced back to this very decision.
At surface level, splitting up the plot may seem like a good idea, as “The Last of Us Part II” is significantly longer than its predecessor, but it quickly falls apart under closer scrutiny. Splitting the story into multiple seasons makes each one feel less complete and satisfying. It is unfair to the audience to drag them along as they potentially wait years for a season that doesn’t even tell a full story.
At the very least, the story being told is willing to take risks, and that is its most admirable aspect. Not content to rest on its laurels and play it safe, “The Last of Us” Season 2 takes big swings that deliver heavy payoffs as it seeks to portray the key message of the source material.
Fundamentally, “The Last of Us Part I” is a story about what it means to love. In contrast, “The Last of Us Part II” tells a story about the opposite dynamic: what it means to hate.
Season 2 manages to keep that core message intact, which was key for a faithful adaptation. The audience is repeatedly shown how revenge brings out the worst in the characters and only prolongs the cycle of violence that is destroying them.
This exploration of morality is what makes “The Last of Us” stand out from all other franchises out there. Where most take solace in there being a good guy and bad guy, “The Last of Us” is not afraid to make you question who, if anyone, is in the right.
Mazin put it best, saying in an interview after the show, “We’re used to telling good guy bad guy stories in Hollywood. What we try and do with ‘The Last of Us’ is tell ‘people’ stories.”
Without remorse and without regret, the series charges into gray areas of morality and challenges the audience. That alone is worth celebrating in an era where most shows and movies are afraid to surprise their viewers.
The swings taken to deliver these profound messages are supported on a technical level throughout the seven-episode run. The show’s lighting, camerawork and acting are industry-leading. There are some moments that come off as a little goofy, undercutting some of the more serious moments, but they are few and far between.
Another key facet of the adaptation is how the characters were translated to television. This is done rather well, as the genuine acting and writing make each character feel similar to the game.
However, the show is more of a mixed bag when it comes to character visuals as their designs are more jarring in comparison to how they look in the source material. While this flaw was only a minor issue in the previous season, the aging of the characters only sharpened the juxtaposition in designs between game and show.
Although the characters may not look quite right at times to those familiar with the games, the show adds welcome backstory to minor characters. The added context for Isaac (Jeffrey Wright) and Jesse (Young Mazino) in particular is done very well, strengthening the story.
For Isaac especially, this context shines light on the motivations behind one of the key factions in the story, the W.L.F., which was overly clouded in mystery in the source material.
Several small changes like these definitely improve the source material, but the show could have gone further to address the core issues that hold back part two’s story. The primary issue that plagued the game is that the storyline does not provide enough light, happy moments to ease up on tension.
A core element of the series has been about finding beauty and a reason to live in a world overrun by the apocalypse. That element was not properly upheld in the second game and by extension, the second season of the show.
“The Last of Us” Season 1 is about as close to perfection as you can get, so expecting its successor to match or exceed that is a tall order and an unfair expectation. Nevertheless, the teams at Naughty Dog and HBO swung for the fences to make that happen.
Sure, the resulting product is a little messy and certainly not as iron-clad as its predecessor. Not everyone will enjoy this second season, that’s a guarantee. But love it or hate it, Druckmann and Mazin will not be deterred and will stick to their guns to tell a story that will challenge the audience without remorse or regret.
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