So with the show now done and I sat down and watched the show, I wanted to write down my thoughts on the adaptation of my favorite video game. I did put up my thoughts on the first three or four episodes, I decided to stop that and wait til the whole show comes out.

And now that it is all out and I took some time to think my thoughts on the show, I decided to write this all out and give my thoughts.

Overall, the show was just okay. Not good, not great and not bad just okay. Which I think is worse than being bad or even good. The show does adapt certain moments from the game but they always felt rushed and not hold the emotional weight that the game had.

The original things they had in the show (i.e. Bill and Frank's backstory, David and his groups backstory, the group of hunters in Kansas instead of Pittsburgh) were okay but either didn't add to anything or underdeveloped. And the changes they made from the game to the show, I find head scratching and still question about. And if anyone says I should listen to the podcast that Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin did to understand why, I shouldn't have to listen to a podcast the show should explain itself.

But what is the biggest problem the show had, in my opinion, was the relationship and chemistry between Joel and Ellie. I'm sorry but like the Uncharted movie, this show had a bad case of miscasting the wrong actors for the characters.

Bella did kinda grow on me as Ellie but she still shouldn't have been picked to place as Ellie. She had done some moments where I was like oh that is Ellie but most of the time she never felt like Ellie. But I also felt like she acted like how Ellie does in the sequel than in the first game.

Pedro also shouldn't have been picked as Joel. I like Pedro but there was multiple times throughout the show that he showed little to none expression. And his voice it seemed like the directors of the show told him to just do his Mandalorian voice with a southern accent which seemed to go in and out. He was also too soft spoken and monotone. And his portrayal of Joel was not good, they made Joel too soft and never really showed how badass he is.

Both of these actors when they did scenes from the game, the way they delivered the lines was so damn flat I might as well had watched a fan film of the Last of Us. And Pedro and Bella have no chemistry unlike how Troy and Ashley did in the game.

I'm sorry I just didn't buy the relationship in show unlike how in the game I buy the relationship between Joel and Ellie.

And this is why finding the right actors when you adapt something is very important!

I also didn't like that they changed the spores to these tendrils that whenever you step on it then several infected would come after you. Sounds like the crew watched Stranger Things and were like "we should do that!" But I think getting rid of the spores took away what made the infected so unique from other zombie shows/movies and it gave better ammo for Joel to believe Ellie being immune.

Also the infected felt like an afterthought as they're barely in the show. I mean, in the show, Joel and Ellie get by way easier than they did in the game. I mean I get it, it's a video game they had to adapt it for a TV show but The Walking Dead is based on a comic and they were able to make the Walkers a threat as well as the humans in the show pretty well. So it makes the changes they made was pretty meaningless and it was like well why change it if you weren't gonna use it often.

I also still think the whole one infected goes and kisses Tess before she blows up the place is still stupid. I have heard the explanation and it doesn't change that it was stupid and unnecessary.

And Kathleen, who was the leader of hunters in Kansas City and was added in the show, was just so underdeveloped and another character that was miscast cause I'm sorry I just didn't buy her performance as a leader. She just came off as one-dimensional villian and was too emotional to be a leader since she was hunting Henry and Sam down cause Henry got her brother killed. 

Also the whole episode of Bill and Frank, while I liked it I also feel cheated since at the end of the episode we find out Bill does a Romeo and Juliet with Frank as they both die. So we didn't get to have the great banter between Bill and Ellie which I was excited for. And finding out that they died made the whole 3rd episode completely pointless.

The thing is the way Bill acts in the game basically shows Joel the road he could go down if he continues to shut people out in his life. While Henry and Sam shows Joel the road he could go down if he continues to being overprotective of Ellie.

Now the positive I'll give the show is the cinematography was great and some of the views and shots they give were beautiful. And the make-up on the Infected and the Bloater were fantastic. Like I said I did like the Bill and Frank episode and I also liked the Left Behind episode which is all about Riley and Ellie. The moments when Ellie pulls out her pun book were good and pretty funny.

All in all, I just found the show to be just average and not at all as good as the game. I will say it is one of the better video game adaptations but it is not the masterpiece everyone is claiming it to be. And I will not be coming back for season 2 since they said season 2 will adapt part 2 and from the way it sounds they are not gonna change the story. And apparently part 2 story has enough story to adapt multiple seasons for some ungodly reason.

But yeah, the show is meh and it is one of those people are overhyping it. If you want a good version of The Last of Us play the game or watch a playthrough of it. It has better pacing, better acting, better structure and better chemistry.