Spoiler Warning: The next article comprises main spoilers for The Final of Us Season 2. In case you’re not totally caught up, please take a step again and watch all accessible episodes with a Max subscription.
Ever since its debut a few years in the past, The Final of Us, for essentially the most half, has been a great online game adaptation of the beloved (and extremely divisive) franchise of the identical identify. I’ve been down for lots of the adjustments made to the general story, regardless of some minor complaints right here and there. However, not like a number of my friends, there’s one storyline created for the present’s second season that retains getting in between me and what I got here right here to see: Ellie going after Abby to avenge Joel’s brutal homicide.
What storyline am I speaking about right here? Nicely, none apart from Jackson. Although the walled-off group was part of The Final of Us Half II (in addition to its predecessor) again when the sport got here out 5 years in the past, I really feel just like the present is spending an excessive amount of time within the exposition section of this revenge thriller, and I’m shedding my endurance. Let me clarify…
I am A Huge Fan Of The Final Of Us Half II, And The Battle At Its Core
After years of getting an Xbox 360 as my principal gaming system, I traded it in for a PlayStation 3 in 2013 solely due to The Final of Us. I blew via its marketing campaign on the unique {hardware}, once more the next yr when the PlayStation 4 remastered model got here out, after which a couple of years after that when The Final of Us Half I got here out on PlayStation 5.
And, it’s a comparable story with The Final of Us Half II, which my spouse and youngsters purchased me for Father’s Day again in 2020. Although I’ve stayed away from a lot of the net discourse in regards to the recreation, I’ve performed it a couple of extra instances over time and have at all times been captivated by the battle at its core.
Not your typical good vs. evil story or perhaps a recreation with conventional heroes and villains, the sport was about previous errors, revenge, redemption, and hope, as informed via the brutal revenge story centering on Ellie avenging Joel’s loss of life by looking Abby and everybody she loves. How the sport makes you reevaluate and recontextualize the revenge narrative is nothing wanting astounding, and I actually can’t wait to see the way it untfolds within the HBO sequence.
Although The Ellie Vs. Abby Story Is Nonetheless A Main Half Of The Final Of Us Season 2, I Really feel Like The Present Is Losing Time
Don’t get me fallacious, I’m loving the entire Ellie vs. Abby story, and I can’t wait to see the way it unfolds within the 4 remaining episodes of The Final of Us Season 2. Nevertheless, I can’t assist however really feel just like the present has been losing a number of time getting it going.
I’m totally conscious that this drama isn’t only for these of us who performed the video games, and we now have to ease our method into one of the crucial upsetting deaths in TV historical past, however I really feel just like the season premiere and second episode might have been mixed into one. There was a lot in regards to the happenings in Jackson all through the primary two episodes that felt pointless and will have been summed up in a line of dialogue.
I imply, Joel doesn’t die till the tip of the second episode, and Ellie does not go after Abby till slightly greater than midway via the next chapter, however we now have time for a city council assembly, a ridiculous battle sequence, and a lot speaking that I’m beginning to get misplaced.
I Respect What They’re Doing With The Growth Of The Jackson Story, However A Lot Of The Scenes Really feel Like Filler
Although I’m not completely on board with the expanded concentrate on Jackson (once more, I do know it’s a significant location within the video games), I can completely see why the present’s creators – Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin – took this route and I form of respect what they’re doing. I may also see how Druckmann, the co-creator and director of the video games on which the present relies, would wish to broaden sure issues or take a distinct method to a plotline years after Half II hit retailer cabinets. Nevertheless, a number of the Jackson stuff is nothing greater than filler, a minimum of in my eyes.
I’m nonetheless having a tough time understanding why a lot was modified in regards to the timeline of the story. Within the recreation, Joel is killed in late March, and Tommy goes off to search out his killers the subsequent day, with Ellie and Dina not far behind. However within the present, Joel dies in January, however Ellie doesn’t go on the hunt for Abby and the W.L.F. till the spring. As a substitute of quick motion, we now have the restoration from the contaminated assault on Jackson, a city council assembly to resolve the most effective plan of action, and a lot speaking. It doesn’t need to be this manner…
Although It Appeared Cool, The Entire ‘Sport Of Thrones’ Fashion Battle In Episode 2 Was So Pointless
I really like a giant battle sequence as a lot as the subsequent man, however I can not get down with the Sport of Thrones fashion battle that took up a big chunk of The Final of Us Season 2’s second episode. Yeah, there are some tense moments within the recreation the place it’s important to escape massive teams of contaminated, however this was simply a lot. After I noticed the battle teased in one of many numerous trailers hyping the season, I initially thought I had placed on the fallacious video.
I’ll admit that the nighttime battle did look cool in execution and provided some nice moments for Tommy, nevertheless it felt so rushed and pointless for a present that has lengthy centered on small moments between a couple of characters. I don’t know if Druckmann and Mazin wished to incorporate this or if it was HBO wanting so as to add extra to the season, however I simply didn’t prefer it.
I Know The Final Of Us Half II Is Being Cut up Into A number of Seasons, However There Has To Be A Higher Manner
With Half II being an enormous recreation (24 hours to beat the principle story, per HowLongToBeat.com), I used to be not stunned in any respect once I learn a Selection interview the place Mazin stated the story can be informed over two seasons as a substitute of 1 like the primary recreation. It is sensible, contemplating a lot occurs all through the sport and so many characters are introduced in (a type of main characters hasn’t even been launched at this level within the sequence).
That stated, there must be a greater method of stretching out the story and including extra to the Ellie vs. Abby dynamic with out pointless battles, a number of city council conferences, and drawn-out scenes that don’t actually have to be there within the first place.
Regardless of my numerous complaints with The Final of Us Season 2, three episodes in, I’m nonetheless completely invested in what’s occurring between Ellie and Abby, and I can not wait to see how the present handles their eventual run-in method down the street on the 2025 TV schedule.