Okay, let’s talk about it.
If you know me, you know I like The Last of Us. It’s one of my favorite video games ever and I was one of the very eager people to literally count down the days when I found out it was getting a TV adaptation. I’ve played both games multiple times, and when the show premiered, I watched every week, seeing it break records over and over again because yes, the show is that amazing.
But as someone who has played The Last Of Us Part II, there are certain things from the game that I need included in Season 2 and beyond, if they plan to flesh out the story more. However, some storytelling elements central to the sequel received a ton of backlash, by way of changes in characters' behavior, major shocks, and a shift in main-character perspective. And while I do believe that Neil Druckmann and everyone else involved aren’t going to let that backlash impact the adaptation, I can’t help but be nervous.
These are my reasons as to why I believe it’s necessary for The Last of Us show to keep the storytelling changes, despite the backlash it might get. And for those who haven’t played the game, major spoilers for The Last of Us Part II down below, so read on with caution!
First Off, I Know We Don’t Want It, But Joel’s Death Is Essential For Ellie’s Story
I love Pedro Pascal. I really do. I’m one of many that was a fan of his since his Game of Thrones days, and have continued to follow him through his rise to international fame thanks to roles in shows like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. At first, I was nervous about him playing Joel, but he knocked it out of the park.
He gained a whole entire new fanbase with his portrayal, and has seriously become such a huge name in Hollywood that I’m proud to say I’ve been supporting him for so long. However, we need to talk about it – Joel in the games dies. And he doesn’t just get bit, no – he gets brutally murdered, beaten to death by a golf club, by Abby, the main antagonist (at first).
Is this extremely upsetting? Of course it is. It’s Joel, the main person we followed throughout the first game. But at the same time, it’s so essential for the story. I mean, think about it, even if Ellie was the one killed, there would have been an uproar regardless, and Joel would have gone on a killing rampage. But we have already seen Joel “break bad” in the way he reacts to situations.
This is the breaking point for Ellie, where we see her become the menace she is in the second game, and without this death, nothing would have made her like this. I’ll miss Pascal but it has to happen.
And Following Abby Makes For A Compelling Tale
Another big storytelling issue from Part II that I’m nervous about in the show is the switch to Abby’s POV. Granted, in a television series, it’s going to be a lot easier to do something like that, as we’ve already been given POV switches with other characters in the show, such as Bill and Frank or even the original character, Kathleen, but I’m nervous about Abby.
I know that we can still see her POV switch, where we play as her for half of the second game, but I want to make sure there is just as much story with her as there was in the game. I don’t want the show to sort of minimize her story just because fans weren’t the biggest supporters of it back in 2020.
Having Abby’s story told makes for a compelling tale, and provides a lot of background information that may be uncomfortable to some, but needed. It’s such a huge part of the game, I would be very mad if they skipped out on it.
It Makes Both Of The Lead Characters Morally Gray
I think what I like the most about The Last of Us Part II is that the main characters are morally gray, and it’s because of these storytelling changes that we are able to witness that. Before going into Abby’s POV, I really didn’t care that much for her story. I couldn’t care less what happened to her. She killed Joel, and she deserved to die. Simple as that.
But when you switch over into Abby’s POV, you really do get that sense of, “no one is in the right.” There are a million reasons as to why people do what they do that we, as the player, would not know unless we stepped into their shoes. And in those moments, we see that Abby isn’t some evil woman who is set on revenge – she lost her father, just like Ellie did, and while revenge is never the key to any kind of happiness, it was what she wanted.
She had a life, a family, and that was taken away from her. Now, she’s trying to start new in Seattle, and we even see that there is more to her than we thought before. Anyone can be the antagonist in the eyes of others. You’re always the villain in someone else’s story.
And That Last Fight Between Ellie And Abby Wouldn’t Be Nearly As Emotional
I don’t know about you, but that last fight between Abby and Ellie in The Last of Us Part II was something that truly had me on the edge of my seat because I genuinely did not want to kill Abby at the end – which is why that storytelling change is so needed.
You think I would have expected to actually like Abby? I never wanted to like her, at all, but through her time in the game, I started to actually develop a connection to her, wanting to stay alive, not only for her but for Lev, the boy she takes care of. For her to survive. I started to feel sad about some of her friends getting killed (even if most of them were kind of assholes to Ellie, but it was well-deserved). I felt even worse when she was captured.
It really shows that they lost everything in this quest for violence, and creates such a captivating story.
Plus, If We Didn’t Have Abby’s POV, We Wouldn’t Meet Lev
Bill and Frank was a huge change during the show, where we got to learn more about their partnership as a whole, and it was something I truly enjoyed the heck out of. Which is why if we aren’t given Lev in the show because we aren’t going to Abby’s POV, I’ll be very upset.
Lev was such a huge moment for video games, because he was the first transgender character to be in a mainstream AAA game. That’s huge for representation and honestly, Lev was a cool character. He literally was able to climb on the ruins of old abandoned buildings without any fear and started to grow close with Abby towards the end – which was very reminiscent of Joel and Ellie’s relationship.
It was so refreshing to see a character like this, especially coming from someone who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, so I really want to see him.
We Also Wouldn’t Get To Take On The Rat King
Okay, I mean, it’s not the end of the world if that evil piece of crap doesn’t come into the show but damn I would love to see the practical effects on that. Abby is the only one that runs into this abomination of infected, and this was quite possibly the scariest battle of my life in these games.
Since the creators have promised that there would be more infected next season, I think it would be fine to say that this would be a great addition. But only if it’s Abby facing it. I don’t know if Ellie could make it through this. Disgusting creature.
Anyway, I just needed to get my thoughts out here. I really hope that with The Last of Us Season 2, we do still get this storytelling change because I think it’s so essential to the storyline of the series, and I seriously hope the creators stick to their words and write whatever the hell they want despite the backlash. I need to see this happen.
