The Initial Season Two Episode Of The Last Of Us Was Too Focused On Setting Stuff Up
Christopher Khoury. Shutterstock Images.(This post includes spoilers about what happens in Season 2, Episode 1 in The Last Of Us.)
Season 2 of The Last Of Us premiered Sunday and it all felt a little underwhelming. The show's production was up to its very high standards and the ratings were good (up 13% from the season one premiere). But unlike the pilot episode from last season where the world ended in front of us, this hour was dedicated to just setting up the season.
My biggest issue with this episode was that Joel and Ellie aren't getting along. The reason this dragged the episode down for me is that it separates the two actors. For me, Bella Ramsey is the weakest part of this series. Now, this may not be her fault at all. Maybe it's how the character is written. But unlike Pedro Pascal, who is talented enough to lift up even weak storylines, Ramsey can't elevate lesser moments all by herself.
Maybe this is a symptom of being the "kid". In their various shows, the Walter Jr., the Draper kids and the Meadow & A.J. Soprano storylines were never well liked by fans of those respective great shows. I don't want to spend half an episode with just Ellie. The weakest episode of last season was the one with Ellie at the mall. The weakest parts of this episode is Ellie moping around her garage apartment. This isn't a coincidence.
I have to disagree with my friend Kenjac. Yes, immediately after the outbreak a therapist isn't a critical job. But think about how long ago the world ended. It's been over 20 years. They've even been in Jackson for 5 years! I have to imagine people do need to sort some of this shit out. After surviving all of these monsters and then trying to go back to as normal of a life as possible must be so difficult mentally. Not only that but the therapy scene with Cathrine O'Hara was the best one of the episode.
Some other elements weren't as successful. The intro scene with Kaitlyn Dever felt forced. The grocery store fight felt almost too much like a video game. I did like that the fungus zombies (I know they aren't traditional zombies) are getting smarter. I also loved the reveal at the end that the cracked pipe could create even more dangerous fungi for people who think they are "safe" to have to deal with.
This wasn't a bad episode at all. It just felt like more of a prologue than an actual episode. But some of the stuff they did set up could be very exciting. I'll also give The Last Of Us credit. They typically do a great job of getting to the action faster than a lot of other shows. I hope that's the case this season but I don't want to sit through another climatic scene in a barn watching Ellie dance in front of the most generic homophobe in TV history.
Episode 1: B-