Lamar Reviews - "The Last of Us" (Airdate 4/21/2023)

Lamar Reviews - "The Last of Us" (Airdate 4/21/2023)

My son told me I had to watch this. It stars Pedro Pascal, and I love his work, so I started it. As soon as I realized this was going to be a pandemic/apocalyptic movie watching people try to go across the country to safety with hordes of zombie like creatures trying to kill them, I cut it off. I hate a zombie, not fond of Apocalyptic movies, and this was originally a video game. That is three strikes and I didn’t want to put the time and energy into it. Week after week Clay is calling me saying, this just keeps getting better, and I’m like yeah, yeah, whatever. So, after much pressure I watched the first episode. Surprise, surprise, I’m now hooked.

A fungus starts to make humans their host and hours and days it has broken out around the world. The series focuses on a contractor, Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, his brother Tommy, played by Gabriel Luna, and his daughter Sarah, played by Nico Parker. Watching them escape the town in the midst of the pandemonium is enough to lock you into watching the next episode for sure. There is tragedy in the chaos and bad things happen.

The show moves ahead 20 years and Joel is working menial jobs in the QZ, which is short for Quarantined Zone. It is a dismal world where hope is in short supply. Joel is wanting to head to Wyoming in search of Tommy, all he needs is a battery. When that falls through he gets an offer to take Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, played by Bella Ramsey, who might be the key to stopping the fungus if he can get her to a place out west. First, they have to get past the QZ guards, and then navigate through the infect hoards. These have their brains coming out of their split open heads, and they are blind. They have hive-mind connections that keeps them together, and they are blind, but have super hearing. And of course, they bite you sot that you are infected and will bite others, who will bite others. Sorta like Amway, but less annoying.

Of course, Joel and Bella don’t like each other, but as they travel and work together to survive, they start to form a bond. Morality as a concept is flexible. The episodes show us the worst side of selfishness, and the best side of generosity, sometimes at the same time from the same people. This is a live or die situation and you are constantly asking yourself, what would you do?

There are 9 episodes, 50 minutes each. It is Rated TVMA for violence and language.

They play with the timeline in very creative ways. We go back to the beginning in 2003 to get some facts we need and then shoot back to 2023. It is not confusing, but instead helpful to the story. Each episode is different in its own way so you don’t know what to expect, especially the episode with Nick Offerman. He was fantastic.

Watching this shows that in the event of tragic situation, that devastates humanity, I think people would find themselves in a world that is way more gray than black and white, when it comes to survival.

I still say I’m not a fan of apocalyptic movies and shows, but I can’t quit watching this one for sure.

My Score: 5 Ice Cold Budweisers

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