I recently saw that my local library had The Last of Us, season one, on DVD. I hadn't played the games. I had no idea what the story was about, other than it was some kind of post-apocalyptic tale. And to be honest, a story set in a bleak future of a world gone wrong is enough reason for me to take a look. But I'd also heard that the show was good, so I borrowed it without hesitation and I'm glad that I did.
For those that don't know, the show follows the characters of Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey). Pre-apocalypse, Joel is a construction contractor and father, going through each day like any other until the world starts going to heck in a handbasket. Years later, Joel meets Ellie and their circumstances turn them into travelling companions in this strange and desperate new world. At first they're at odds with each other, but as they brave some staggering challenges together the two of them grow to care about each other. In a troubled world with troubled people, the trust they build with each other proves valuable beyond measure.
This show got a lot of things right in the initial exposition. I was hooked within the first 15 minutes or so of the first episode. I'm probably not giving too much away to say that the storyline's apocalypse is of the zombie variety. But the zombies here are given a fresh take; their origin and how they infect others is not your typical fare. And this allows for the onset of doomsday to be gradual and almost organic. The crashed cars, riots, and eventual military involvement creeps up on the population somewhat. I really liked this approach to building the apocalypse.
By the end of the season I realised that there wasn't a single dull episode; each one was a treasure in itself. I can't give this season a perfect score, because I feel that the ending was a little off. But overall I would definitely recommend watching this show.
Final score: 4 / 5
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