Future Days

This was a really great first episode. It was mainly just set up and setting the scene. Introducing new character and showing how the dynamics between certain characters has changed.

What i enjoyed:

Dina is cast perfectly. Isabela Merced is incredible and she works really well with Bella. Their chemistry is so good.

The other casting i really like was Young Mazino as Jessie. He looks and sounds just like the game version.

The introduction of the new types of infected. They did those scenes perfectly and the special effects look really good.

We got to see a lot of new characters, many of whom are not in the game. They are all quite interesting at the moment and i look forward to seeing how they develop.

What i didnt like:

The pacing of the episode is not as good as i expected it to be. Especially the beginning sequences. After that it wasn't too bad.

Ellie comes off a bit unlikeable in the first episode. As someone who has played the games, I understand why. But for new viewers that may be confused about the sudden shift in emotional tone with Ellie.

Overall, a really great episode that sets the scene for what's to come. I can hardly wait for the next episode.

Well, after a long 2 year wait TLOU is now back and many of us had our worst fears for the show realized.

Season 1 was a great success despite the understandably controversial casting of Ellie in the form of Bella Ramsey. Despite her version of Ellie being very much so different from the source material, it was serviceable for the young, bratty version of Ellie, albeit a shallow representation to say the least.

But here we are, a half decade later in terms of the storyline and we have the exact same version of Ellie who looks like an underdeveloped 12 year old and hasn't matured a day since season 1.

There are too many complaints to repeat about this but it all centers around that it's simply too much to suspend your disbelief to the point where such a miscast can be overlooked.

While we could get away with this in season 1, it's just too much for season 2.

I was looking forward to this episode but this 1st episode shows the worst aspects of the series. Instead of an action thriller based on the infected, we get a boring teenage drama, the usual social agendas and some action rarely thrown in. The main character Ellie is annoying, arrogant and keeps making mistakes that endanger her and others. Yet she is "looked up to" and continues to get her way while older more experienced people defer to her for no good reason. Since when are moody teenagers that can't follow instructions considered leaders and idols?? Why are they sent out on dangerous recon missions if they are liabilities?? Her tough act comes across as hollow with her physically injured in most encounters in the episode.

Yet they keep letting her do this? Why? It makes no sense. All of the leaders in the show are women and none of them show any real leadership skills other than blindly supporting Ellie and saying reality is nothing but a collective hunch while Maria is guided by "feelings". Maria is also annoying and condescending towards Joel and Tommy for no apparent reason. The dialogue is drab and the pacing is slow. I found it was actually a little boring for most of the episode. The moody teenage drama is a chore to get through and cliched. Joel is a shining light. Pedro's acting is very good and draws you in. Ellie is insufferable to the point where I find myself cheering against her.

I really hope they go back to what made the first season great instead of this walking dead meets Dawson's creek melodrama. It is often difficult to get through and they have Joel playing this sad father role that frankly is wasting the character and acting skills of Pedro. Do we need to always lean so heavily into these same social agendas? These themes are forced through in almost every series. Give it a rest and that's coming from someone on the left. They are focusing too much on the personal lives of characters that aren't appealing and don't matter while ignoring the big picture. Another series going down the same wrong path. I hope they turn it around because there is a lot of potential with the story and some of the actors here.

The show is nearly perfect - great writing, pacing, atmosphere, and outstanding performances by most of the cast. But Bella Ramsey as Ellie is a disaster. She completely ruins every scene she's in. Her face, voice, expressions, and awkward delivery just don't match Ellie at all. It's baffling how the creators thought she was a good fit. She drags the whole show down and makes it hard to stay immersed. Every other aspect shines, but her presence is a huge stain on an otherwise incredible and emotionally powerful series. Fans deserved better casting for such an iconic and beloved character - not this.

The episode is pretty decent, but as a season opener, it doesn't feel as exciting (to jump into this world) and engaging as the pilot.

So if you're expecting the same highs that you experienced from the first episode of season 1, this is gonna disappoint you.

But personally, I don't have much of a problem with it, because it does what a first episode should do pretty well. It introduced a new group of antagonists and their motives in a short time, and it sets up what's about to come in this season with the new villains and romantic interests, and the state of Ellie and Joel's relationship.

But it is still a decent episode, even though I think it feels like a second or mid-season episode because of the pacing. Something like Disney would've coupled this episode with the next one and dropped the first two episodes since there's not much happening in here, apart from a zombie scene in the middle, and the rest is pretty much setting up new relationships, characters, villains, and new types of smart zombies.

Overall, it's one of those episodes you hope you watched when binge-watching the whole thing instead of waiting for a week for the next one, but it's still a decent episode nonetheless.