About this Video

• Video Title: Why HBO's The Last of Us is a Failure of Adaptation
• Channel: Writing on Games
• Speakers: The transcript does not name the speaker.
• Duration: 00:20:12

Introduction

This video reviews the first season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, arguing that while well-made, it fails to capture the essence of the game's storytelling. The reviewer analyzes specific scenes, highlighting how the show's approach dilutes the game's impactful use of ambiguity and pregnant pauses, ultimately creating a "lesser tale."

Key Takeaways

• The reviewer enjoyed the show but found it ultimately fell short of the game's impactful storytelling.
• The show's problem lies not in its faithfulness but in its excessive detail and explanation, filling in blanks better left to the audience's imagination. The game's power lies in suggestion and the withholding of detail, allowing players to fill in the gaps themselves.
• Episode 3, focusing on Bill and Frank, is praised as a standout, successfully mirroring the game's structure by using scant snapshots to create a compelling narrative.
• The "Winter" episode is criticized for its lack of subtlety and tension, revealing crucial information too early and failing to replicate the game's masterful build-up and impactful reveal.
• The reviewer concludes that the show, while enjoyable and potentially introducing new audiences to the story, ultimately fails to capture the essence of the game's narrative, resulting in a "lesser tale." The reviewer also points out that many people enjoy the show and it has brought new people to the game, but that doesn't change the reviewer's opinion on the adaptation.

The reviewer acknowledges the argument that the show's value lies in introducing The Last of Us story to a broader audience, including those who don't play video games. However, the reviewer counters this by stating that the show doesn't accurately represent the original story. They believe that the show's altered narrative, while accessible to a wider audience, is ultimately a "lesser tale" compared to the game's more impactful storytelling. The reviewer suggests that the show's simplification and explicit detailing of events may not fully capture the essence of the game's narrative for this wider audience.