The Last Of Us series paints a picture of the bleak world in the post-apocalyptic era. This post-pandemic drama is a cinematic adaptation of a popular video game of recent times.
Originally, ‘The Last of Us’ is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog company. Neil Druckmann is a video game developer, co-president of the said company and the show creator of this series. According to its official website, this video game is critically renowned for its emotional storytelling, unforgettable characters, and suspenseful action-adventure gameplay.
Synopsis (summary) of this 2023 series set in the post-apocalyptic era
20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a global pandemic, a hardened survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) takes charge of a 14-year-old girl Ellie (Bella Ramsey). This girl may be humanity’s last hope, as they head out of an oppressive quarantine zone. Joel and Ellie must survive ruthless killers and monsters on a trek across America after an outbreak. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal heartbreaking journey. They both must traverse the post-apocalyptic United States of America and depend on each other for survival.
Spoiler Free review of The Last of Us (S1/2023) Series
The post-apocalyptic era.
We have seen our fair share of series and movies dealing with the Zombie Apocalypse and the post-apocalyptic era. Thankfully, this series did not cater to horror aspects of the same. Instead, it focussed on telling deeply moving human stories. Above all, it is about the emotional bond between the humans. Despite all kinds of hardships that surround them. But then it is not true for every character in this show.
The Last of Us – the video game & the series
To be completely honest, we have not played the video game – The Last of Us, as of now. So we did not have any preconceived notions about the content, its adoption and the story of this series. However, the opening title song scene in this series displays a Cordyceps fungus taking on the forms of various landscapes. And finally, it took the forms of Joel and Ellie, and that set the scene for us. In addition, it also gave us an understanding of its eerie storyline.
The end-of-the-world scenarios in the show
The end-of-the-world scenarios are terrifying, to say the least.
In this epic imaginative tale about humans surviving in the post-apocalyptic world, we the best of humans as well as the worst of human behaviour. In a dog-eat-dog world, some people will go to extreme lengths for their self-interests and self-preservation. And this is what both Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) learn along the way. When they undertake a life-changing momentous journey across the tough terrain of America.
Loved the human-bond tales
The human bond (the father-daughter relationship) between 56-year-old Joel and 14-year-old Ellie grows throughout the dangerous and life-threatening travelling across America. We learnt, that Joel cares and worries about the fate of Ellie in this ominous world, dominated by worse sorts of people, like him. Even Ellie starts caring about her father figure Joel in this show. Both grow in their beautiful relationship, with each helping each other out, whenever the crisis arises. This is what the family is really about.
Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey and the moral lessons
After watching this series, we can safely say that its two lead characters – Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) stole the show. Both the lead actors have done a splendid job, and they are superbly supported by a bunch of talented actors. Its third episode (about Frank & Bill) is certainly, one of the highlights of this tale about human bonds during challenging times.
Quite a few of them hold out moral life lessons for all of us. Their humanistic approach is in complete contrast with the way some of the most selfish people behave in this unsafe world. And we highly recommend watching this simple humanistic tale about all of us, both of good and bad varieties. Before we reach the point of no returns. We must press the proverbial panic button and maybe reset our approach towards life.
A whole range of human emotions is on display
This heart-touching story has so many moments of love, losses, heartbreaks, deaths, sacrifices, suffering, pain, cruelty, selfishness, etc. A whole gamut of emotions is on display in this show – from happiness to sadness.
In the not-so-distant past, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has visited all of us. Perhaps that gave us (the humans of the world) a huge wake-up call and a kind of shock that we all needed so that we do not play around the nature, too much. But as they say, to err is human. This pandemic happened not so long ago, yet we have not learnt our life lessons. We continue down the path of certain destructions.
The Last of Us is one of the top shows of the year 2023. And we loved it.
Ratings of this 2023 series set in the post-apocalyptic era
| FM’s rating | 4.50/5 |
| FM’s short comment | With their amazing acts, its lead actors – Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey have touched our hearts. We loved their epic story set in a difficult time. |
Spoilers Alert – episodes, ending and upcoming season two of this 2023 series set in the post-apocalyptic era
Peek into the nine (9) episodes of its first season
1st episode: When You’re Lost in the Darkness
Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Theresa ‘Tess’ Servopoulos (Anna Torv) are tasked with a mission that could change everything.
2nd episode: Infected
After escaping the QZ, Joel and Tess clash over Ellie William’s (Bella Ramsey) fate while navigating the ruins of a long-abandoned Boston.
3rd episode: Long, Long Time
(This episode is one of the highlights of the show)
When a stranger Frank (Murray Bartlett) approaches his compound, survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman) forges an unlikely connection. Later, Joel and Ellie seek Bill’s guidance.
4th episode: Please Hold to My Hand
After abandoning their truck in Kansas City, Joel and Ellie attempt to escape without drawing the attention of a vindictive rebel leader.
5th episode: Endure and Survive
While attempting to evade the rebels, Joel and Ellie cross paths with the most wanted man in Kansas City. Kathleen Coghlan (Melanie Lynskey) continues her hunt.
6th episode: Kin
After ignoring the advice of locals, Joel and Ellie descend deeper into dangerous territory in search of the Fireflies and Tommy Miller (Gabriel Luna).
7th episode: Left Behind
As Joel fights to survive, Ellie looks back on the night that changed everything – the back story about her best friend Riley Abel (Storm Reid) in Boston.
8th episode: When We Are in Need
Ellie crosses paths with a vengeful group of survivors and draws the attention of its leader. A weakened Joel faces a new threat.
9th episode: Look for the Light
A pregnant Anna Williams (Ashley Johnson) places her trust in a lifelong friend Marlene (Merle Dandridge). Later, Joel and Ellie near the end of their journey.
Explained: the season one ending and story of its upcoming season two
Ending of the first season – explained
In the entire first season, it seems that probably Joel (Pedro Pascal) was carrying the very heavy burden of the death of his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker), as she was shot in front of his eyes and he could not save her, despite his best intentions. We also learnt that the Firefly leader Marlene (Merle Dandridge) promised her friend Anna (the late mother of Ellie), to look after her daughter Ellie.
Instead, Marlene chooses to break her promise for the cure, by carrying out an operation that will end the life of orphan Ellie, for sure. So, in the last episode of the first season, he gets a chance for redemption, he decides to save the life of his chosen daughter orphan Ellie (Bella Ramsey) from the cruel hands of Firefly. Joel made a conscious decision, to save the life of an innocent 14-year-old kid Ellie, as he did not wish to sacrifice Ellie’s life at the altar of the so-called greater good of humanity.
It was a similar incident when the heavily armed soldiers shot dead Sarah in the name of the greater good, perhaps.
What could happen in season two?
Season two of “The Last of Us” might go like this, Joel is killed in its opening scenes by Abby, the daughter of the Firefly surgeon Joel killed in order to rescue Ellie in the first season ending.
Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors. When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure. As she hunts those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of her actions.
News source: The Last of Us (Part II) Video Game.
Poster of this 2023 series – set in the post-apocalyptic era
Key details of this 2023 series – set in the post-apocalyptic era
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror |
| Original language | English (USA) |
| Age-restrictions | UA (18+) |
| Released | January-March 2023 |
| Season | One (1) |
| Episodes | Nine (9) |
| Creators | Neil Druckmann & Craig Mazin |
| Cast | Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Merle Dandridge, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Jeffrey Pierce, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, etc. |
| Taglines | When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light. |
| Network | HBO |
Trailers of this 2023 series set in the post-apocalyptic era
If you like the work of the lead actor Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us, then check out the FM article about the Narcos series, in which he also plays the lead.
Featured & Other Images Credit: The Last of Us (2023) Show | HBO.