Day One

So, remember when The Last of Us was about surviving a terrifying world where danger was around every corner? When every episode had you tense, wondering who might not make it to the end? Lately, that edge is slipping. Fast.

The most recent episode felt less like a post-apocalyptic survival story and more like a very slow emotional drama. Not the good kind either. The kind where characters mostly just stare off into the distance, speak in half-whispers, and talk about their feelings for what feels like an eternity.

Look, emotional scenes can be powerful. A good story needs heart. But there's a difference between giving characters depth and completely losing the plot. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if next episode was just 40 minutes of people walking around silently, thinking about what they should have said one season ago.

And where did the danger go? Where are the infected? Are they on a break? Did they retire? Because the whole apocalypse angle is barely even showing up now. The tension that made this series unforgettable is being replaced with long pauses and moody conversations.

It's like someone tried to turn the show into a low-budget indie film about grief. Which, sure, could work in small doses. But when it becomes the entire focus of an episode, it's hard not to feel like the story is stalling.

Even the strongest characters can't carry a plot that seems to have forgotten where it was going. You can only do so much with sad music and slow camera pans before viewers start checking their phones and wondering if they accidentally put on something else.

The strange thing is, the show still looks great. The acting is solid. The world feels lived-in. But the pacing has ground to a crawl, and the intensity that once defined it is barely flickering. It's not suspenseful, it's just... quiet. Not in a thoughtful way. In a dull way.

Some fans might call this "character development." That's fair. But development doesn't mean nothing has to happen. We used to get gut-punch moments that moved the story forward. Now we get speeches and flashbacks that feel like they belong in another show entirely.

If The Last of Us wants to get back on track, it needs to remember what it's about. This isn't supposed to be a therapy session with end-of-the-world scenery. It's supposed to be raw, intense, unpredictable. Right now, it's just kind of sad and slow.

Hopefully this is just a blip. The kind of detour that makes sense later on. But for now, it's hard not to feel like the show is losing its voice. The drama's starting to outweigh the danger. The mood is starting to replace the momentum. And the audience is starting to lose patience.

Here's hoping the next episode actually brings the world back to life again. With some urgency. Some risk. Maybe even a little chaos. You know, like how it used to be.

Lover of the game here. Let me start this off by saying that I'm not allergic to changes, matter of fact, I loved most that occurred in the first season, but these have all been for the worse, and I can't force myself to enjoy the show anymore.

There is a very fine line, and the show shines when it ADDS to the story (like Isaac's background), not takes away from it. All of these changes so far have been completely needless and even worse, they've sucked out all of the tension, sense of urgency, danger and all of the atmosphere that devs of Naughty Dog crafted so masterfully. Matter of fact, atmosphere is a HUGE part of the game and without it, a lot of story beats just fall flat. And it is ironic that one of the biggest criticisms for the game is the pacing, but the pacing of the TV show is incredibly worse and makes the game look even better.

What baffles me even more is that Neil Druckmann is involved. I haven't seen a writer as out of touch with his work as this but here we are. And I say this as someone who has him as one of my favourite writers. And before any one cries "hE iS nOt a CreDitEd wRitEr uNtiL ePiSodE 6", mate, if you don't think he had any say in the scripting process pre-episode 6, then you are delusional.

Had you asked me a year ago what TV show I think would sweep the Emmy's, I would've said TLOU, simply because Part 2 is one of my favourite stories in gaming. But if you asked me this now - I'd tell you that all 3 of Severance, Andor and The Pitt will comfortably share its awards.

Oh and let me quickly touch on Bella Ramsey. Thought she was excellent last season, but she is simply not up to par for the role now. The script and particularly the childish dialogue isn't doing her any favours, but the holes in her acting are glaring.

The show is essentially the "CW PG-13" version of the game and honestly, I feel bad for the TV only audience who won't know any better.

This series is slowly losing its grip. Once a exciting survival adventure with a duo that created a sparkling "father/daughter" chemistry have now turned into a teenage girls drama.

I don't think Bella Ramsey as Ellie, can carry this series by herself and it's getting more and more obvious each episode. Her acting is not diverse enough and it's not believable enough. It has become quite clear that we needed a Joel to balance things out.

I haven't played the games so my view on things are not colored by how the games was, but I think it really is time for this series to step up if they are going to keep the audience. They need to compensate from the loss of one of the main core characters, otherwise this will just be a waste of time.

Unfortunately, Episode 4 continues the issues that have plagued the series so far most notably the portrayal of Ellie. The decision to bring this version of Ellie to life just doesn't work. The actress simply cannot carry the emotional weight of the character. Her performance feels hollow, forced, and at times almost like bad cosplay rather than a grounded, complex portrayal. There's a lack of depth, presence, and rawness qualities that Ellie demands, and here, they're sorely missing.

It's hard to stay immersed when every dramatic moment is undercut by a performance that lacks authenticity. It constantly pulls you out of the story, making it difficult to care about the emotional beats.

Beyond that, the pacing continues to be painfully slow. With so many key events to cover from the game, it's genuinely hard to believe they'll manage to wrap things up meaningfully in such a limited number of episodes. The slow pace might have worked in another context, but here it just makes the stakes feel diluted and stretched thin.

Disappointing overallespecially for fans who know how powerful this story could be.

The brilliance of the story lies in this:

At first, you have no idea who Abby is or why she's doing what she's doing. She's just a stranger killing someone you deeply care about after spending 20 hours playing as them. Naturally, you hate her. By the time the game gets to Seattle, Tommy is already on a warpath, and Ellie is hell-bent on revenge and is willing to kill anyone who gets in her way.

Then everything changes. You start playing as Abby.

At first, you still see her as the villain. But slowly... almost without realizing it, you begin to understand her. Her father. The Fireflies. What Joel took from her. You learn that Abby isn't evil. She's a survivor. A respected leader. Loved by many. A WLF not by choice, but by necessity. And then it hits you: Abby stops killing. She walks away. No vendetta against Jackson. No revenge against Joel's brother. Just... justice.

Ellie, on the other hand, says she's seeking justice, but it's revenge. And that realization forces you to question your own morality. What would you do? And the hardest question of all: is Ellie actually a terrible person?

I won't spoil the ending, but to me, it's one of the most powerful, emotionally complex moments in storytelling because of that flipped perspective.

The game masterfully plays to each character's strengths: Ellie is small but smart and deadly. Dina excels at understanding and managing the infected. Abby is a physical powerhouse, able to go fight virtually anyone.

That balance, that nuance, needs to carry over into the show. But so far, it feels like they've abandoned it.

I'm still all in, but my concern isn't just about Pascal. It's about the story itself. Some of the most important narrative elements are already missing.