Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Part 1 and 2Fans have already gravitated toward HBO’sThe Last of Us. Being a largely faithful adaptation of the games thus far, it is exciting to watch along and catch notable differences in story beats and character interactions. Meanwhile, viewers who have never heard of the games before are able to watch the show without being able to predict what happens next.
The Last of Ushas been greenlit for a second season on HBO, which will cover the events ofThe Last of Us Part 2. Because there are many fans of the show who will beunfamiliar withThe Last of Us’ source material, it will be interesting to see how TV audiences respond to certain deaths and stories told in comparison to how gamers responded. That said, TV viewers will probably respond in a less vitriolic manner.
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TV Audiences Are More Accustomed to Sudden Character Deaths
Many television shows nowadays feature the deaths of main characters as a primary driving point. It seems that a lot of what keeps modern horror or drama afloat is the always-present knowledge that characters can die at any moment, giving stakes to every choice and interaction. HBO’sGame of Thronesmade this clear, andThe Last of Uswill have its fair share of seemingly random deaths as well.The Last of Us’ Sam and Henryplay a small but foundational role in learning about family dynamics in the apocalypse, and Marlene’s death punctuates how far Joel is willing to go to spare Ellie.
The Last of Us’ second season on HBOis going to open with Joel’s death near the start, and concluding the first episode with such a divisive incident would surely make for incredible television. However, fans of the show who are unfamiliar with the games may be more desensitized to character deaths of this manner and not react as sourly as some fans did toThe Last of Us Part 2.
The Last of Us’ Show Won’t Have as Much Time to Marinate as the Games
The gap betweenThe Last of Us’ original game releaseandThe Last of Us Part 2was seven years. This is an enormous amount of time between any franchise installments, especially considering how popular and influentialThe Last of Usbecame for the industry. Because fans had seven years to wait before they had a sequel, it is unsurprising that many were able to establish such close bonds with the original game’s characters.
That amount of introspection inevitably colored their expectations of what would occur in a potential sequel. If fans had decided that they adored Joel and stood by his choices, thenit was devastating to see Joel murdered inThe Last of Us Part 2. Players believed they would get to spend more time with Joel and see where the harrowing adventure took him next, and many felt robbed of the opportunity as a result of Abby’s actions.
The Last of Us’ HBO adaptation will have far less time between seasons, and therefore fans may not grow to be as attached to its characters. This is both positive and negative, because while fans of the show might not be as devastated as fans of the game, it might also mean thatJoel’s death in the show could have less of an impact.
The Last of Usdebuts new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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