FILMMAKER REACTS to THE LAST OF US Episode 6: Kin

[@robertt9825]

I've seen some people complain about some of the changes/tweaks to the story, but for presenting the story as a TV series? I think they're fantastic. It's a different medium, and it makes it interesting. They're clearly respecting the source material, and do you really want "the exact same thing" over again?

[@robertt9825]

also the visuals in this series are just fantastic, every scene feels like a work of art

[@crazycatlady6226]

people will always sadly have something to complain about😅 I really don't mind the changes, every big key moment they did it as close to the game as possible. but when they got to the car scene that was pretty much exactly like the game I knew that I didn't have to worry about them ffing it up And I love Bill and Frank's storyline and them having a pretty long and happy life together, they were able to actually instead of just survive. i was sobbing for half of the episode 🤣

[@KayinAngel]

And those people are wrong. The show is objectively better. I say this as someone who has Part 1 and 2 in their top three favourite games of ALL time (just behind Disco Elysium), who has now watched/played the show and the games way way too many times (both myself and vicariously through react vids). The show does all of it better. There's only maybe two tiny things I prefer in the game more: Joel subtly touching his watch in the ending of the game when he says "you find something to fight for." And the change of no spores. I understand why they made that change for TV, and I would have made it as well, but it's absence will change a pretty key memorable beat from Part 2.

[@robertt9825]

@K.C-2049 that's the thing, because a game is interactive it makes sense to have more fighting because the player is partially sharing the action with the character. Where as in TV/Movies we're not participating in that way so when translating the material for that medium it's good to take a step back and look for ways to engage our emotions. Neither way is wrong, it's just what works for this medium, or this presentation of a story

[@boomfyer89]

Shoutout to the legend Graham Greene And Pedro needs to win an award for that scene where he's confessing his soul to Tommy in that boot shop

I love the choice that Neil Druckmann made here, to physically manifest Joel's years and traumas, letting his violent side appear at specific moments. In the game he's a beast, here he's a deaf middle-aged man with anxiety attacks. He added layers to an already complex character.

[@ChrisMaxCisneros]

He already was complex and now they ruined him for Woman Power message.

@@ChrisMaxCisneros I don't know what show you watched, but that's okay.

[@nicholasloduca6668]

'You going to shoot this thing or get it pregnant' might be my favorite line in the show. Certainly for new line

[@bridgethaines7127]

I loved the changes. They made sense for a lot of reasons, mostly the medium, and the fact those mission were basically just...killing a bunch of stuff which would make the killings in the show less impactful. Lives have more of a weight here. Also it let them put the budget into more impactful things.

[@thaesimir]

HBO released a companion podcast with Craig Maizin and Neal Druckman for every episode that really gets into all the details of the episode as well as the changes between the game and the show. As a fan of both the games and the show, it's a really fun listen

[@fxzero666]

They did the same with Chernobyl and it was fantastic! Thank you for letting everyone know about this. It's probably just as awesome 😎

[@codypavy]

I have so much love for the couple at the beginning! And Joel’s whole “I’m failing in my sleep” speech is so good. Pedro has definitely become one of my favorite actors over the years

[@allieren]

And he said he improvised that line, too. I’m biased because I’ve been a fan of his since Game of Thrones, but his performance was just so dang good in this.

[@KeithDCanada]

The director needed a song for the ending, and he knew his daughter who lived with him, made music from her room. So he approached her about doing a short version of Depeche Mode's 'Never Let Me Down Again", and she freaking nailed it. It could possibly be the best version of that song I have ever heard.

[@meghanmonroe]

"80's means trouble, code broken. 😏"

[@Drforrester31]

Gabriel Luna's Tommy voice is absolutely perfect

[@deathwitheponine]

I think if we didn’t get the flashback of Joel thinking about Sarah it would have felt forced to me, but obviously Joel did a lot of thinking between that conversation and the next morning.

[@Quixotic1018]

The fact that they did a cover of the song that Frank and Bill plays in an emergency was such a nice touch

[@surrealfantasy1554]

there's quite a few part 2 easter eggs in this episode and I really like that they did that

[@blitzgirl6522]

I was seriously geeking out over this episode when I watched it with my friend, who hadn't played Part II.

[@lynnhettrick7588]

The older couple at the beginning were both in the ‘90s show Northern Exposure.

[@thebigshep]

I really enjoyed so many parts of this series, but the scene where Joel opens up to Tommy is probably my favorite scene in the whole season, particularly the delivery on the lines "I was so afraid" and "I just know when I wake up, I've lost something."

[@JAYWALKER1000]

Absolutely loved the old couple at the beginning of the episode.

[@loganmcleod141]

Gabriel Luna killed it in this episode.

[@misti-step]

joel makes being a protector such a big part of his identity, i think hes most upset that tommy did so well WITHOUT joels help

[@tricia8617]

I think it’s more that Joel now knows that Tommy is fine and if he had just gotten a message to Joel, he and Tess wouldn’t have made the deal with Marlene and Tess would still be alive.

[@bkaozzz]

I love that the series makes a great point to show us that Joel ia getting old. In the game he's a beast even though he's almost 60. In the series he's an almost 60 years old man who's still a beast, but is struggling with getting old and what comes with age.

[@fortunatus1]

I'm glad the creators changed the injury that Joel sustained. It just wasn't anywhere close to realistic. Being impaled on that spike means death unless you have an entire surgical team ready to go to deal with the injury.

[@VebastionSettel]

You are totally right about Pedro absolutely killing it here. His monologue with Tommy is what I think should get him the Emmy, the bedroom confrontation is the just cherry on top. Interesting bit about the filming of that scene, Pedro was there when they shot Gabriel's coverage and gave a full on performance without the cameras on him, tears and all because he felt Gabriel should have a real scene partner. I think Bella crushed the loss scene. Neil said in the podcast that he didn't even watch any daillies for the bedroom confrontation scene. He was so nervous and wanted so bad for it to be as good as the game but he wanted to experience the same as the audience so he waited till broadcast to see it. Then he called Craig and said "We fucking did it." Jackson was filmed on main street in the town of Canmore here. It was already a tourist trap but after the show came out it became crazy busy for a while. The university here was filmed at 2 different universities in the city. Actually the tunnels from episode 5 are underground tunnels running under the university used for filming here when Joel and Ellie are on the horse going through the buildings.

[@denisebennettahrentzen8340]

I didn’t play the game. It flowed incredibly well. It made complete sense to me and didn’t feel rushed at all. We just had the action in the last episode in Kansas City. I felt like it was very balanced. Great reaction!! Love you darling!!!!!❤️❤️❤️

[@taneshah.1260]

The way they make you love characters in such a short amount of time. I wanted more of the couple in the beginning so bad, LOL.

[@blitzgirl6522]

What they cut out for the show is stuff that makes sense in a video game, for sure. It's not quite so realistic when you're doing a live action adaptation. I've loved every change, every addition, and I still love the game. Both are amazing. And seeing Jackson and all the little easter eggs just gets me amped for season 2!

[@Performing_Nerd]

As someone who hasn't finished the game (played the first few hours), I think, in general, this show is paced very well. The quick turnaround from Ellie and Joel is to, I think, Illustrate how much they depend on each other. By the end of the show, I felt their relationship and connection were very believable despite the relatively shorter time we spent with them. Also, while I don't really mind trading most of the action for these character moments, there are a couple of points where I feel like there needed to be a bit more against the infected, just to remind us of the threat of this world. Otherwise, I think the show has a pretty good balance and knows where the focus should be.

[@braders790boop]

I think it would have served the series much better if they just slotted in like two more scenes against the infected. One in this episode to enhance the Ellie and Joel cutscene (it hit harder in the game because of what led up to it but here it felt more sudden and less earned) and one in the David and Ellie episode so that Ellie fighting with David against infected she begins to trust him before the twist, whereas in the show this dynamic doesn't exist.

[@MamadNobari]

The show is only paced until this episode.

[@DelatoDarion]

One of my favorite behind-the-scenes trivia about this show is that a lot of the voice actors from the game play some role in the show. The henchman guy from last episode that got his head ripped in half by the bloater was the voice for Tommy in the video game~ lol

[@kaleyrose47]

I actually prefer the softer portrayal of Joel and Tommy in the show than the game. In the show, there’s more pain and grief with Pedro and Gabriel’s delivery-in the game, they’re just angry and pushing each other. Pedro during Joel’s monologue and crying was so good! He’s such an amazing, emotive actor! Bella and Pedro NAILED that famous scene (the argument in the bedroom)! And their off-screen friendship is the sweetest thing-it really helps their chemistry on-screen as well! Their Emmy noms are so deserved!

[@jenthejen]

i love how much you praised tommy’s voice 😂 gabriel luna did try to change a bit to match how tommy sounded in the games

[@rubenlopez3364]

Even if Tommy needed to stay low-key, he could’ve left a radio message that was vague like a bro don’t worry I’m gonna have to go off the grid for a while I’m safe.

[@Kiralynhoeung]

They filmed that last bit of this episode at my university, and actually in my classroom, walking through and seeing the set design so close up was just amazing

[@jmet2001]

that’s so cool!

[@ChrisMaxCisneros]

Literally no one believes you plus most all classrooms in America look the same.

[@ElenaDelaVega-jq8tn]

@@ChrisMaxCisneros they literally filmed the first season in Alberta Canada, not the states. Two filming locations are universities too, no need to bully in this community.

[@Skunchskunch]

"I'm failing in my sleep..." Damn.

[@Hakkar6993]

Pedro Pascal sounds absolutely spot-on identical to Troy Baker when he says "You have no idea what loss is". Crazy.

[@inescosta2671]

12:47 the Dina reference🤍^^ Season two, can't wait

[@jond7972]

People actually do like contractors. When they show up and do the work right lol. Half the jobs I show up on I'm treated like royalty for fixing people mistakes. For showing up on time and just doing my thing

[@JAYWALKER1000]

Amazingly Joel never has to find a pallet to get Ellie past a water hazard.

[@zbennalley]

I love that James praises the production design and insane attention to detail, but this episode is an eagle eye shot where the camera crew was in full view, lol. Mistakes happen, and sometimes get overlooked, but I just always find it funny when they happen. Keep up the great work James!!

[@mr.whatzittooya8339]

Which part?

[@zbennalley]

@mr.whatzittooya8339 its when they show the bridge to the Dam. If you look all the way to the left, you can see the camera crew.

[@tricia8617]

I lived in Colorado for nine years, mostly in Golden. Loved it there.

[@Kal_El1994]

"Yo Yo Yo, what is up everybody, welcome back." - you know you in for a treat when you hear that from this champ.

[@JamesVSCinema]

Stay cozy my friends 🤘🏽

[@jip5889]

This is how Emmy’s are made.

[@whitemagerivers5294]

When you really look at the game and show side by side, the turn around of Ellie and Joel going their separate ways and deciding to stick it out together, more time technically passes in the show, a whole night of both of them thinking. In the game, they have the argument, Joel kills like 5 guys then they ride their horses back to Jackson and boom, his mind is changed.

[@toast8089]

22:44 This scene was shot at my school it was so cool seeing all the prep work they did to make the background what it is, They added grass between the concrete cracks, dirtied up the walls, very distressed bikes on the bike racks

[@Happofusagarii]

thats why the old guy in the cabin looked so familiar lmao hes from the reservoir dogs and its a good show you should watch

[@mikewoodrow5878]

I believe the Main Street part was shot in Sunshine Village in Alberta. Also, the game’s designer was heavily involved in this project.

[@tomektalk4671]

I think if you take into account that they had a limited budget, the things they cut really make sense. They needed to cut things in order to keep the quality the way it is.

[@Wolf21973]

12:50 Dinaaaaa!

[@bidishah]

Scrolled too far to find this comment!

[@JamesVSCinema]

This is the point I'm very curious to see the PACING within this show..lots of grounds to cover! Better Call Saul & The Last of Us & Always Sunny on Patreon! Click here: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Much love!

[@KayinAngel]

There's less to cover then you think. I felt the same way when this first aired. But the game just feels bigger because it's mostly walking and shooting. If you reduce the key moments of the game, cutscenes and such, it's only a few hours, which really gave the show room to find it's own non-gameplay paths to those beats.

[@vladimirvanvhorno357]

Did you play TLOU Part 2? They did a very good reference to the game in this episode. 🤣

[@Kayjee17]

Listen to the official The Last of Us podcast - you get the inside scoop from both Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman about the choices they made in putting the show together, and bonus points because it includes some actors takes and it's hosted by Troy Baker, the OG game Joel himself. Believe me, you're missing out on so much if you don't listen to it, and they make sure there are no spoilers for future episodes too!

[@oblivioustouch9012]

I watched these on Patreon and I’m still watching to show support.

[@kahlbutomacfarland]

Loved your thoughts on the cut game action. I think it’s a really silly, shortsighted criticism many had that there wasn’t more infected, more action. ANY video game adapted to film with an equal amount of action would just come off as nothing more than Commando level action schlock. There’s no way around this. Or you know, like RE adaptations. TLOU is one of the rare game story examples where the story can stand on its own and to add that much action would make it less “grounded” and believable. I think TLOU handled it perfectly in this regard (my only minor issue is I want the spores, but you know, Hollywood and its biggest fear of mask and all. Even if it might have been a total of 10min in the show 🙄) Ps: I hear all your RDR references and it warms me to know you’re a fan. God I wish we could get an adaptation.

[@JayJayAlberta]

The university scenes were filmed at two different schools in Calgary. Southern Alberta Insitute of Alberta (SAIT), for the first outdoor scenes (with the red brick buildings) and Mount Royal University for the interior shots and the other outdoor scenes. I work at SAIT and it was surreal seeing places I walk everyday in this episode. Jackson is actually the town of Canmore and they took over the entire center of the town to film. As it was filmed during COVID, it was much easier to do this with minimal impact on the town. Another fun fact is that the medical institution scenes that were in Indonesia were filmed in my building. James, you need to come up to Alberta and visit.

[@joevaldez9822]

I think these two mediums, the game and the show, are awesome. I definitely feel people should experience the game first but the show is great on its own. Both are amazing, the details are like reading a book that's made into a movie. Can't fit all of them but they do the game justice with the show.

[@fridaymovies2924]

12:49 If you know, you know 🥹☺️

[@transformersrevenge9]

I'm just back from a showing of Godzilla Minus One, and I highly recommend it. Truly a wonderful film. Just absolutely gripping, emotional, terrifying, uplifting, well executed, period piece drama. And for 15 million dollars, japan managed to make a Godzilla film of all things, that unifies both critics and audience in praising it. I think it is the movie of the year for sure.

[@nimos7593]

I highly recommend the official podcast to the show. Showrunners Mazin and Druckman go episode by episode and talk about the conversations they were having and why they changed things from the game. very insightful.

[@twite5462]

Wasn’t the song at the end sung by Druckman’s daughter?

[@salmonero6472]

@@twite5462by Craig Mazin’s daughter

[@nimos7593]

@@twite5462 I think it was Craig Mazin's daughter.

[@twite5462]

@@nimos7593 thanks, I knew it was one of the show runners’ kid from the podcast.

[@kilian-one-l]

Advice - Not actually a good idea to drink alcohol to warm up, it makes you feel warm, but that's because it's leeching your body heat out of where it should be to keep you alive in the cold, and into your extremities

[@wompa70]

Joel asked Ellie what she wanted then followed through on her choice. That kind of autonomy is something Ellie has never had.

[@shep4life]

I love those scenes. They need all the awards

[@StoryTimewithMissAnna]

Why do I always forget you are here in Colorado? :D I'm always surprised, followed by an 'ohhh right, that's right" :D It's great watching you react to this show! I hope they get nominated for some Emmys. This season was some amazing television.

[@neilbrideau8520]

Are you going to play Part II before Season 2? Many changes in the show tie Ellies development in with who she is as a young adult.

[@mirtieraczo5842]

I never played the game but I think what they did with the show is perfect.

[@mr.whatzittooya8339]

I would honestly pay so much money to see the walking dead video game as a tv show

[@raoskidoo15]

I have watched over 80++ reactions and one thing that I always find 'curious' is that your (and mine ) generation of people are always refering Joel's moment after leaving the camp as an anxiety attack (which it was) and 'older' people their first reaction is always : heart attack ! I don't want to generalise but this is something I always found curious

[@IDieHardForever]

Haven't played the game but what this show feels like it's a return to "Peak Television" of a quality like Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Battlestar Galactica etc. Its phenomenal.

[@analuciamedeiros4828]

this one feels like the second game!! i love every single reference they made

[@machaiahlillard8156]

Gabriel's voice was very smooth!

[@calvin20877]

I believe it's not age. I am 56, and I'm in the best shape of my life. In addition, I am enjoying your channel. 🙌🏿🙌🏽🙌🏻

[@oLaudix]

I have like half of your damage (couldnt grt jewels so only 1100 dex) and build already shreds T16 maps. I lack a bit damage on bosses but it just take longer but with totems you can just put them down and run 3 screens away and wait. My best character since 3.15.

[@eliteteamkiller319]

I think cutting out the killing in these missions makes the ending a lot more powerful.

[@analuciamedeiros4828]

ALSO i love the western film vibe this episode has, starting with the native americans and going all the way to the horses and the shootings

[@Nro52]

I watched the show before finally getting to the game. In my experience, it worked all the way around. I mean, understanding it is a game, I´d still wanted to go through the gazillion killings because I wanted to see the story unfold like it did on the show. That been said, c´mon, getting a flamethrower on a game is always a win!

[@Cultnree]

I see no one bringing this up. That was dina in the scene when Ellie look at some lady and said “what!?” And also that horse is the horse from the last of us 2!

[@JAYWALKER1000]

A lot of the gameplay has been removed and the story streamlined to work better for the show. That's why we're not seeing all the clickers and bloaters that show up in the game (and probably why there were so many in that scene from last episode). And they connect Joel's wounding to episode 8 in way that it wasn't connected in the game. So much better than if they exactly followed a cut scene version of the game.

[@KayinAngel]

You know. This section in the game isn't very good compared to the show. Sure, it has some good gameplay. But in the game you meet Tommy at the dam, have a pretty argumentative and confrontational interaction with him about handing Ellie over, before getting I interrupted by raiders you need to fight. After which Tommy decides ok he'll take Ellie but then you both realize Ellie runs away. You go after her, and have the excellent scene in the bedroom which is the same, but then raiders attack you and you fight your way out, then when you jet back to the gates of Jackson you suddenly decided you'll stick with Ellie. The show has Joel's Emmy scene opening up to Tommy about how broken he is, instead of Joel just shoving Tommy aggressively. A view of a better life in Jackson. Ellie's conversation with Maria. Still has the excellent bedroom scene. But it also has Joel reflecting afterwards about Sarah, which tbh helps motivate his change of heart more than just another combat gameplay part.

[@diaphanouswaffle]

Not a gamer, so am only in this for the tv version of story-and I admit that the transition from Joel having his crisis of confidence (PTSD/panic attacks/etc.) one night and asking Tommy to take over-then suddenly the next morning being all like "okay Ellie, we can stay a team if you want" felt abrupt (like, how did he have such a turnaround just in those few hours ?) to me. But that's a nitpick, in a series that overall I think is fantastic. I like that Joel is as you say, "more human" in this version-bc superhero stuff where the protagonist is supposed to be a mortal yet age never slows them down (mentally or physically) is hard for me to relate to or enjoy.

[@ravenlockhart0925]

I love that they were accommodating to Bella Ramsey being nonbinary. For instance, wardrobe would lay out a regular bra, a binder, and a sports bra, saying that they can wear whichever one they'd be comfortable wearing that day. Little gestures like that can truly have a big impact, and I think it's really cool that they would do that for them

[@Amanda-ik1wv]

At first I thought this episode seemed a little rushed and maybe even a little dull... but with the episode that follows, I think the lul in action is actually an awesome choice on rewatch.

[@saadesigner07]

Really wish you played the second game. So much in this episode for the people who know.

[@BenBrodsky]

I didn’t know you’re a fellow Coloradan!

[@ryanalex4671]

Not going to lie, I put these videos on while I play Xbox. As soon as Joel said “we’re going our separate ways” I got an ad for Old Spice body wash and the voice over sounded like Joel. Really weird to hear that audio merge.

[@TahoeNevada]

My only complaint is the lack of clickers in the back half of the series.

[@jeffbartholomew1152]

I’ve never played the game so as a viewer I’m only allowed glimpses into Joel’s bad assery. With the show focusing more on his “weaknesses,” I think it would be confusing to see him constantly taking out people and the infected. He doesn’t possess any supernatural abilities so having to face an onslaught of foes that he defeats would detract from the vulnerability that makes this show so engaging.

[@otterpoet]

Honestly, I really enjoyed how this episode handled the game. Narratively, they covered all the beats that are required to move the story forward, whereas in a video game the combat and game-play are effectively filler and add very little to the story itself.

[@AutomanicJack]

pls react ot "Detachment" with Adrian Brody, strong movie

[@iFranOne]

Brotha, PLAY the 2nd game lol. We'll watch it!

[@marennicholson5444]

Pedro Pedro Pedro

[@TahoeNevada]

Dina cameo? 🤔

[@SptmbrsVryOwn]

In the podcast they say it can or can’t be. But pretty much lean into it being Dinah who takes fascination with Ellie right away.

[@bidishah]

She looked exactly like Dina. I'm a believer 😂

[@stevesmith4600]

At the end of episode 1, the 80s song signifying "trouble" playing on the radio was "Never Let Me Down Again", by Depeche Mode. At the end of this episode, it is the same song, but the 2015 cover by Luno. The song is really about (lead singer of Depeche Mode) David Gahan's heroine addiction, but I guess on the surface it is simply a sad song about a reliance / dependence on "a friend" to get you through some tough times.

[@robsdianten1]

Actually, this cover at the end of episode 6 was made by Jessica Mazin, daughter of the creator of the show (Craig Mazin). He asked her to do it during the post-production

[@Wolf21973]

I think Joel is 56 in the show maybe 57.

[@noban419]

You watched peaky blinders yet?

[@kandradreas4334]

In the games it was 2013 when the world went to shit and Joel started off at age 32, 20 years later in 2033 he's 52 then by part 2 the story jumps 4 years in the future aka the year 2037 in which joel is then 57. But now in the TV show they changed it to 2003 and also changed his age to 36 and so 20 years later in 2023 he's now 56 so by season 2 that'll make him 70 in 4 more years unless they change how many years pass by part 2, which is why he looked kind of ALOT older in the game's part 2 haha..bc yk he was originally 57 by then and not possibly 70 so if that's the case for season 2 then umm hahaha idk.

[@NicholasSeamans]

60 you mean.

[@lynnhettrick7588]

I heard that they’re not going to jump immediately to the game’s part 2.

[@KishinZephrite]

As someone who beat the game and watched the show, I would have preferred at least one more intense action scene this episode to reflect the amount of action in this part of the game. I prefer Joel getting shanked instead of impaled by rebar, because I find it more believeable with how it resolves in the following episode when compared to the game's version.

[@andrewdunn8778]

The whole "communism" line is funny because yeah, in a small post-apocalypse community it would make zero sense for one or two people to own everything. It would be really inefficient and weird if they practiced capitalism inside this little community.

[@kiml.1565]

I love that Tommy has the instinctive reaction of "NO, of course it's not COMMUNISM, everyone knows communism = bad!" and his partner is just like "It's totally communism" and Tommy looks so unsettled because none of this has ever occurred to him before and it doesn't match up with the preconceived notions he got from pre-apocalypse society.

[@danielperry6921]

😎

[@kennycooper294]

they sacrificed a lot of gameplay for story but fans of the game feel a type of way about not seeing the scenes.

[@diannebdee]

For me as a non-game player, had they had Joel go full on Batman or Iron Man would have killed the show for me. What kept me watching was the human action. The all too human foibles of "what would we do" in the same situation. The game is the game. Leave it there. If you want to go play it, play it. Adaptions of video games are just that, adaptions. Pedro and Bella are the reasons I tuned in as a non-game player. The chance to see Oberyn Martell and Lady Mormont together is the draw. And quite frankly, they killed it. I'm so looking forward to season two.

[@jasonwistaff]

My complaint about Pedro Pascal is that he dropped the southern accent all together by the 3 rd episode.

[@andrewstephens5885]

To be fair he didn’t give it a strong try in the first place

[@Blag_Cog]

I think the show does a good job, but the seasons are harder to buy in the show compared to the game all because you spend a lot more time in each season.

[@michaelsaldana4103]

I think the natural stopping point of the series was when Joel takes one in his potato gut and leave people hanging for season 2 where you finish it.

[@ChrisMaxCisneros]

This is ACTUALLY the worst episode. Like complete utter doggy doodoo