The Last of Us is one of the most iconic stories ever told in a video game and HBO was up to the task of adapting it into a live-action television series. Naughty Dog struck gold with the simple plot about Joel escorting Ellie throughout the remnants of America to find a cure to save mankind and restore order to the world. The first season covered the first game with a few creative twists and changes; however, adapting the controversial sequel is much more complicated.
Director Neil Druckmann became ambitious and crafted a much more complex story focusing on the consequences of rage and violence in Part 2. Ellie takes center stage and the gaming community has mixed feelings learning Joel was swept under the rug, and perhaps the HBO adaptation can succeed where Naughty Dog failed.
The TV Format Will Allow The Last of Us Season 2 to Breathe and Viewers to Acclimate
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A still from The Last of Part 2
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Translating beloved video game franchises to a live-action production has been a troublesome endeavor in the past. However, recent adaptations like Fallout from Amazon Prime Video and The Last of Us from HBO have convinced the gaming community the curse has been lifted, and producers now understand how to adapt these franchises without butchering the source material and antagonizing the fan base.
Druckmann teamed up with Craig Mazin for the show and invited the original cast leading Troy Baker to wish he could return and take what Pedro Pascal had achieved into his performance. HBO greenlit the second season after the first received universal praise from the gaming community and critics alike, and the cast prepared themselves for a much more harrowing and traumatic experience.
Despite winning Game of the Year in 2020, not everyone is happy with what transpired in The Last of Us Part 2. Naughty Dog embedded alternate character models in marketing material to deceive fans into thinking the narrative was going in one direction but went somewhere else entirely. The story was far from linear and everything moved quickly and it was hard for some players to keep up and invest in the characters, especially the ones the developers introduced.
Mazin was a fan of the games and fully intended to adapt the sequel in a much more creative way that would suit the television format without deviating too far from the established path. The pacing of the second game is a massive flaw, and the HBO adaptation will avoid repeating that mistake by covering Part 2 across multiple seasons and giving the story to breathe.
The Story of The Last of Us Part 2 Should Not Be Condensed Into One Season
Players were given no time to reel from the traumatic events of Part 2 which is one of the massive flaws of the game. Druckmann designed the story with a fast pace and while it did work for chapters where combat is the focus, not everyone could keep up.
The Last of Us Part 2 is 10 to 30% longer than the first game according to Druckmann, and Mazin perfectly covered the entirety of Part 1 in 9 episodes. Not everything was carried over from the game for creative reasons, and it benefitted the live-action adaptation immensely.
Dividing the story of Part 2 across multiple seasons is the best way to adapt it and it could give the showrunners more opportunities to explore certain story beats like the WLF and the Seraphites.
Naughty Dog underestimated how much the gaming community valued Joel and the excessive use of time jumps and different perspectives did not sit well with fans. Mazin and the HBO team can learn from their mistakes and make something worthwhile.
Others would think stretching the story of Part 2 into multiple seasons is a good way of milking a franchise; however, it will allow the story to breathe and set the pace right. Hopefully, the second season will deliver the same emotional beats and recapture the first season’s success.
Are you excited about The Last of Us Season 2? Let us know in the comments section below!
