The Last of Us Episode 1 BREAKDOWN - Spoilers, Reaction, Ending Explained, Easter Eggs!

[@danisar6153]

as a big fan of the game, the first 30 mins WERE PERFECT. it captures the gut wrenching pain and panic and anxiety you get while playing the game for the first time

[@Shockkings0714]

All of the episode is perfect

[@BradDoggett]

The angle from the backseat of the truck. I was really glad they kept that in.

[@Thisguy2532]

I’ve never played the game, my girlfriend has and she said it stays more or less true to the game so far, but it makes me want to play the game

[@TheDarkNet-.-]

@@BradDoggett That scene was everything, and the back drop 20 years later....It put your right back into the tension of the game playing for the first time. And Sarah nailed it.

[@Power_Crystals]

I agree. I had goosebumps. I've be traumatised by Sarah's death multiple times on all versions of the game, it wasn't any easier seeing it in live action

[@TheElegantOxford]

After rewatching the episode I think the infection was caused by tainted Flour. Yeast itself is a fungus so there’s precedent there. The pancakes, the biscuits, the cookies, and the birthday cake were all avoided and thus spared the Millers from the initial outbreak.

[@vkdeen7570]

it's based on the real fungus cordyceps which affects insects and arachnids and literally turns them into "zombies" ... its possible that somehow it came off insects mutated and got into our food chain via grains... since ants love grains

[@RobertK1993]

But they didn't know was a fungus it's just coincidence that they didn't eat flour product.

[@izabellalambert]

@@RobertK1993 it wasnt

[@trent2219]

It's funny how Grace is thrown off when she says the Last of Us is a zombie apocalypse show but it's focused on characters feelings. That is exactly what it is and what makes it unique and deeper than most apocalyptic worlds/shows.

[@danceactor]

I feel like she should just sit this one out. Maybe she can wait until Antman releases, mean time keep the Weekend Box office videos coming lol 😂

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

It's frustrating how she's commenting on these things without having any understanding of the source material it's directly adapting. Yes, the series should stand on its own. But how can you criticize it for being what it is/not being what YOU perceive it to be when you don't even know the material?

[@adamsbriee6330]

So has the walking dead tbh

[@purposedriven1609]

@Miguelito Reyes Agreed! And to her point about not involving Neil, the creator of the game in its adaptation, that would have been a very poor choice. Many adaptions have excluded the creators from the process and have turned out nonsense, they basically direct the movies within the game that drive the emotions felt by the players, how can they not be able to do the same in live action is weird

[@creamithmanning2632]

An apocalypse show focused on characters feelings is unique to you? Did you never watch Walking Dead, any of George Romero’s zombie films, The Road or literally any apocalyptic show or movie ever made? Lmao

[@isaacbuse6262]

I read that the virus in the show spread through wheat and grain. The fact that Sarah wanted pancakes and they were out of them and then later when the neighbor offered some biscuits and they refused.

[@ericmcclan6571]

That’s a great observation. I completely missed that connection to the fungus during my watch. 👍🏾

[@renatenha]

Not a virus.

[@isaacbuse6262]

@@renatenha *fungus. You know what I meant

[@charliestafford4668]

Also Joel forgot to bring home birthday cake.

[@druiz77]

Came to comment this. Glad someone did 😁

[@SweeterThanPinkCandy]

The first half of the episode really had me feeling the same emotions when I first played the game. Incredible and powerful. Especially the car sequence and leading up to Joel and Sarah's last scene.

[@roperjuliano1234]

UGH, seeing how loving and sweet Sarah was and all the hints of outbreak happening around her… I was literally counting the minutes till Joel & Sarah’s last scene 😭 also, Y is the “signs of outbreak shown but ignored” always a trope in zombie movies/shows?! “Shaun of the Dead” clowns this trope beautifully 🤣!

[@bethanyduvall9860]

incorporating the crashing planes into that car sequence was INSANE, so unexpected & I genuinely screamed a little bit

[@mattbogdan5451]

Grace, the song on the radio at the end of the episode is saying that Tommy is in trouble. When Ellie tricks Joel into giving away that an 80’s song means trouble, he freaks out and looks concerned because he thinks Tommy is in trouble. That song at the end was released in 1987, so that’s what it means.

[@anubisvel]

Those radio signals are coming from Bill and Frank, so I’m not so sure they’re related to Tommy. Rather, it could have to do with what we’ll see play out in Bill and Frank’s upcoming episode (episode 3).

[@joshhoehne8281]

What I came to comments to say. '80S mean trouble.

[@mattbogdan5451]

@@anubisvel Oh that’s right, I forgot about them. You may be right.

[@clairemercer4760]

It was an amazing adaptation to the game, I understand your comments because I think you haven’t played it grace but even the buildings look identical so it was very nostalgic. I felt like I was experiencing it again for the first time!

[@Werrecreator]

Yeah except the people an ethnic latino playing a white redneck character

[@BALL_BUZZ]

@@Werrecreator But Joel really didn't look white in the game. He looks like Pedro.

[@dalnim4294]

​@@Werrecreator How does that matter though? He feels like Joel and Pedro is a fantastic actor.

[@Blodhelm]

@@Werrecreator That is the least problem with the show. Not having spores but having the fungus spread just as fast, if not faster than airborne, yet people don't need masks or wear protective gear when disposing of bodies made no sense.

[@Blackpallyboi]

The thing about the Last of Us is it's not about the infected, it's about humans and the drama between them. In the games the infected make up maybe a quarter of the enemies you fight a majority are people and the various factions in the world of the last of us

[@thatonemoodyguy]

Sounds like the Walking Dead. I hope this doesn’t turn into a train wreck too

[@JamesTKeegan]

I'm a die hard fan of the games. I've been covering this show on my channel extensively since it was announced. Initially I was skeptical as the original game already tells that story almost perfectly, but I absolutely love the show. Perfect mix of familiar moments and new stuff to keep it fresh for fans. Pedro and Bella are killing it. Can't wait for episode 2

[@tchipz]

Not having spores not only takes away the uniqueness of the TLOU from the traditional zombie stories, it also takes away a bit of what made Ellie special in the games. Like her immunity to infections from bites, being able to breathe in spores gave her a tactical advantage.

[@wonderlanddreamer1021]

And also made her immunity a lot more complicated to hide which added to the drama of it all.

[@manuele.floresc]

Plus it's a weird endgame for the fungus. Once the mature and reach the end of their 'lifecycle' what then? For example when the one that infects ants finishes, they pose the ants to be eaten by another animal and restart the cycle. But when the ones from the last of us mature, well they release spores. But what do they do in the show? Just stick to walls and die?

[@BALL_BUZZ]

The spores were a game mechanism. They wouldn't be realistic in real life. In the game there are moments where they see spores and mask up if you can see spores you're already breathing them.

[@Uouttooo]

@@BALL_BUZZ But the spores are important in real life for spreading.

[@randycropsey6131]

If spores were a thing the entire world would be screwed they made it more realistic this way and better in my opinion

[@MidnightBard]

This was a great start to the show. Loved the cast, although I’m still getting used to this version of Ellie. Ashley Johnson was just so charismatic as the og version.

[@grn7522]

It’s odd that you think Druckmann shouldn’t be involved considering this is widely being considered the best video game adaptation BY FAR. And why? Because it’s not a bunch of studio execs changing the source material because they think they know better than the creator. Same thing happened with Game of Thrones

[@Dan-qi4ix]

Naw. Game of thrones ran out of source material because there were only 5 books written so the writing beyond s5 suffered for it. I understand what Grace means about Druckmann. T.V. shows are a different medium. Having him so heavily involved may not be a good thing.

[@Amouroso]

Just finished! Bella and Pedro absolutely nail the dynamic for the few scenes of it we got. Can’t wait to see how it plays out

[@harrisonedits]

i loved the actress for marlene! she felt very much like a leader

[@dark_winter8238]

It's actually the voice actress from the game

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

Having played the games and having an understanding of the spores not only as an airborne agent and threat, but also as a gameplay mechanic, I can confidently say that the tendrils were a perfect translation of that concept into this medium. I'm not saying they should or should NOT have kept them. But this change works very well not only practically in this medium, but as a way to convey the idea of the infected as a hive mind. It makes the infected that much scarier and increases the horror aspects of the story. Idk why people are hung up on it.

[@batalorian7997]

But a hive mind wouldn't make much sense. This isn't Halo or Dead Space

[@anubisvel]

@@batalorian7997 - It actually makes perfect sense. All it takes is a quick search: “Fungi send electrical signals to one another through hyphae-long, filamentous tendrils that the organisms use to grow and explore.”

[@AgentDigits]

Fungus would never work as a hive mind though. That whole idea makes no sense. People are hung up on it because it just makes no sense not to include it, not only scientificly but also in terms of established lore. Not to mention they easily could have found masks that allow their actors to emote. There are masks that can show your entire face It also completely contradicts the entire opening science talk show speech about how the fungus works. If there's no spores then making it a fungus infection just makes no sense... They're latching onto the video game lore and just ignoring the whole point of what made the infected so dangerous, new and different.

[@batalorian7997]

@@anubisvel that means the infected would have to be connected to each other in order send each other electrical signals. Which they aren't

[@Dr.LongMonkey]

@@AgentDigitsI’m sorry but you’re uneducated. I’m a scientist, fungi very very very much works as a hive mind. Some fungi can be hundreds of feet wide, but the most you’d see is a few fruiting bodies (mushrooms)

[@ErikR68]

they imply Cordyceps first spreads because it's in the wheat/flour supply. Which adds to the detail of 1) Not having pancakes 2) Not eating biscuits 3) Not buying the cake

[@jibthelegend]

Even though I played the game, I was feeling the anxiety of things to come in the first section of the first episode and the music gave me chills. I'm really impressed by this. Can't wait to see more of it when it comes out

[@shayanbond6184]

With all due respect Grace ,the thing that makes the game really unique and striking on an emotional level is the decisions and consequences that come with the decisions and the impact it leaves on the dynamic of the characters , and definitely NOT Spores

[@TheRevanSentinel]

She focuses too much on spores lol

[@uhuhuh1966]

The song at the end was another 80’s song, and since Ellie cracked that code, an 80’s song means “trouble” or bad news from Bill & Frank. Basically saying things are really bad over there

[@BeyondTheTrailer]

Hmmmm.... I don't recall anything about the radio in the Bill & Frank episode...

[@grn7522]

@@BeyondTheTrailer i think it’s meant to foreshadow what happens in the Bill and Frank episode

[@uhuhuh1966]

@@BeyondTheTrailerif anything bad happened to Bill & Frank in their episode, that’s what the radio was alluding to in episode 1

[@darkweeknd33]

Grace, as someone who played the game, just wait, it gets so intense and action packed throughout the game!

[@fransiscusdjaja7775]

I thought she already watch several episode. Maybe 4 or 5 ... usually punits/critics got a chance to watch it 1st.

[@grn7522]

@@DavidJohn_she said she only saw the first four

[@joeyv5805]

The fireflies are meant to be inept. They have very unrealistic goals in the game and it's the same in the show.

[@Silentsilo987]

Regarding how the elderly woman caught it in the burbs...in the truck scene, they mention how she often went into the city to the hospital, where she likely caught it.

[@coreym8145]

I am a fan of the game, and i have to say it was a literal perfect adaption. Like wow, The only flaw i saw was with the soldier who shot Sarah. In the game it felt more apparent that the soldier didnt want to shoot while in the series he kinda just went with the order without question. I loved how we followed Sarah through her day, we didnt get that in the game. She was playable very briefly at the start walking through the house looking for Joel right before they go in the car. Joels character and Ellies character were nailed perfectly. Really pleased with how this turned out.

[@robonick3607]

5:57 the domino buildings are a massive trademark of the video game, hence the focus on them. I do agree though that the show was a bit more plainly shot than I was hoping for. The use of color was a bit stilted and the shaky cam is a bit outdated to me. Those first thirty minutes though! Awesome!

[@EscherSketcher]

5:21 Did y’all catch the clicker atop a building?! 👀

[@massivedynamic2339]

Best 1st episode of a show that I can remember. As a single father, the 1st 30 minutes were gut wrenching! Masterpiece!

[@brentmaxey20100]

And Pascal went into HBO & was like, “hell no to another show covering this face up”😂😂😂

[@maxerinjames]

I can see what you're saying, and I understand. For me though, the buildings in the destroyed city just reminded me of the game because that's what I played back in 2013. The cinematography followed very similar to the game too which I liked. I was wondering how they were going to close the episode because the game doesn't stop here, and I felt the last ten minutes felt mooshed or rushed. Still, excited for the series! Reminded me of psilocybin or magic mushrooms for sure ha I do wonder how people who haven't played the game will take this story. 🤔

[@car7396]

Just saw the 1st episode and it went by too fast. It was so engrossing. The action was great. Pedro Pascal is so fine!

[@joseloria6628]

Hi Grace! I hope to listen to your thoughts on the show every Sunday. I've played the game multiple times on multiple platforms and still got the feels early on. I would say just like in movies and TV shows the "zombie" genre is over done in video games as well. That's what makes "the Last of Us' so great where the plots is zombie but the story is about these characters journey. I'd give this episode two thumbs-up and I'm excited for next Sunday!

[@_A.A_]

The song played in the end was "Never let me down again" which is from the 80s (1987 specifically) which mean B/F (Bill and Frank) have come across something dangerous.

[@sillyskater2]

The spores create some great moments in the game it’s a bummer that those will likely be removed/replaced and these will create plot holes for game moments that have to happen in the show.

[@anubisvel]

It was confirmed prior to release that spores will not be present in the show. There were certainly a couple key moments in TLOU2 that will need to be rewritten.

[@xdxxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdx8578]

Because the spores is a gameplay mechanic, it won't work well in a tv show.

[@blackmanwithcomputer]

The spores don't make sense in real life. If you can see concentrated spores, to know when to wear and take off the mask, you've been breathing it in and you will still be breathing it in after leaving the cloud.

[@getreal2592]

@@xdxxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdxdx8578 The spores weren’t a gameplay mechanic. They were a visual element added to make parts of the game with infect more visually interesting. It’s not like you can lose or take your mask off in the game as a mechanic.

[@BALL_BUZZ]

@@blackmanwithcomputer Exactly!

[@erickniebla4147]

Grace I feel that 90% video games adaptations fail because they don’t have any one from the game company working on the project. It’s great to have Neil involved. It doesn’t matter if they come from video games or live action films, they have to tell a great story and know how to build a world

[@vkdeen7570]

its more than that... they have no love for video games or the source material ... just a total lack of respect. because of that they tend to take the names the characters the ip the world and just shit all over it doing their own thing thinking they can write better... and it always fails. uncharted movie and witcher (have books as well) are great examples of this

[@Blackarachnia1996]

The last two Resident Evil games (VII and Village) also switched over to mold infections. Interesting. Didn’t realize that was starting to become the norm 🤔 Speaking of Resident Evil, considering how awful and uninvolved Capcom was in the Netflix show from last year, I think it’s great The Last of Us is going for a more faithful adaptation.

[@justafidemyself]

Every single point you've made is exactly me talking to my TV when watching this episode. Especially the mold aspect of it 😂

[@reignrl]

one of the big subtle things in the game is that you dont really know how competent the fireflies actually are. making them seem inept is accurate although it seems a little obvious in the show, especially this early. you dont really start doubting them until like halfway in

[@Blodhelm]

LoL the very first episode in and they're chatting about how useless they are and how their revolution has failed, doesn't inspire much confidence.

[@reignrl]

@@Blodhelm yeah you don't really start questioning until you find the remnants of their labs and bases

[@brianthemayan]

I LOVED the games. The magic in them was the quiet parts, the story telling interpersonal parts. What a difficult challenge to capture in a live action format. Really liked the first episode, can't wait for the rest.

[@nashsanadiki3104]

If you squint hard enough I see a WB shaped laser on Grace, blink twice if you need help 😂

[@anesa5121]

As someone who has not played the game, I really enjoyed it. I felt Joel's pain when he lost his daughter...I knew it was gonna happen just didn't know when..... I cried 😢

[@MellowMutantPlanet]

It's definitely a sad moment

[@SALMANNNNNNN]

in the game it also picks and choose when the fungus spreads through air. Joel literally grapple clickers to kill them.

[@EmileVinesh]

The opening for this series did a good job with bringing over the vibe of the videogame to the small screen. To me, The Last of Us is one of the best stories ever told in videogames! Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nico Parker (Sarah), Anna Torv (Tess) and Merle Dandridge (Marlene) all did a great job bringing their characters to life. Merle Dandridge of course played Marlene in the videogame and is actually reprising her role for the TV show! I'm excited for next week.

[@reynelsonalbarran113]

What a perfect episode as someone who played the games . Loved the little nuances they added to the characters and changes that were made.

[@MellowMutantPlanet]

I agree

[@roperjuliano1234]

GRACE, the fact you mentioned “Watchmen” parallel is crazy 7:04 , I immediately got deja vu! This is a fact, the way the movie opens about nuclear Armageddon as a conversation on the talk show is basically the same conversation had on the talk show in the opening of “TLOU”. Always love & appreciate your content!

[@MarkArnoldMusic]

14:55 it's funny you say this, because "the last of us" is actually a double entendre that speaks to this. Literally, The last of humankind but also "the last of ourselves" - As in, when all of our inner humanity is stripped, what is the last of us to remain.

[@brandoncox8052]

6:00 The end song 'Never Let Me Down Again' = 80's = code for trouble. The showrunners said on their official podcast that the song will be used again later in the series.

[@anthonyvelez5059]

Played the game, and felt as if I was watching for the first time. Thought it was interesting that they were able to recreate something very faithful to the source, and still provoke interest and a variety of emotions throughout the episode. I’m excited for what’s next and glad that it didn’t disappoint

[@Itzy91]

Grace makes a good point about spores.

[@Sanj1n]

20:14 Really? you don't want the game's creator to be involved here. This is why we have stupids "adaptations" like Netflix's Resident Evil.

[@MiaBostic]

I think because I'm Gluten Free I noticed right away when Nana was eating the biscuit that "OMG, the infection probably spreads through grain!" 🤣

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

I think Grace should stop viewing this as purely a zombie apocalypse story. At its core, it's not that. And I don't just mean how it's a character driven drama with a post apocalyptic backdrop. It's also down to the infected. They're NOT zombies. They don't eat people in the same way traditional zombies do. Their primary function is to spread the fungi. They're far more similar to the infected in The Crazies then they are to zombies. Part of what made The Last of Us such a big deal was how fresh and different it was to other "zombie" stories.

[@vokasimid5330]

Love "The Crazies" not many people watched that

[@gargolitha]

Just for the notes! You're right, the original cowboys were PoC since the Spaniards brought the tradition to the colonized territories of Mexico, being Mexicans, indigenous people and black people the first cowboys!!

[@vokasimid5330]

Cowboys weren't even what they were originally called, it was Gauchos

[@scottcritchley959]

Feel like you need to do more research on the property before doing in depth breakdowns

[@UpintheAir1395]

I don't think it would be such a bad thing to assume that a large LARGE percentage of people watching the show have played the game... Or at the very least seen the movie style cut scenes in a compilation online. There's a reason this first game is so popular and beloved.

[@blackmagician7645]

Good point Grace. The removal of spore transfer does make the quick spread impossibly inconsistent.

[@FollowerOfChrist144]

I don’t know if I can even finish this damn review lol, the game came out in 2013 and it’s an exact adaptation of the game in about 80% of the first episode including a lot of the shots that your ragging on. So when they were on like the second season of The Walking Dead at that point, if anything, The Walking Dead took inspiration from the last of us.

[@KnicksCarnageTV]

Fun fact: on the TV we hear something happening in Jakarta. Jakarta is home to the biggest mill factory which makes flour… Sarah and Joel are out of flour for the pancakes, then they decline to eat the neighbors biscuits, later Sarah doesn’t eat the cookies cause she finds out they have raisins and not chocolate chips… and finally JOEL FORGOT THE CAKE! The fungus was in the Flour! And they coulda been infected if they ate any one of those things during the day… thought that was a pretty cool detail

[@CeelahBeelah]

I too am annoyed they omitted spores in the show. The fungal infection doesn't make alot of sense w/o them. I understand the actors didn't want their faces covered but it's only for brief scenes, it's not like the Mandalorian where Pedro has to keep his face covered 24/7.

[@tomektalk4671]

but if there were actual spores on the show, people would have to wear masks eveyrtime they were outside and anywhere near infected. it would become cumbersom

[@jking4973]

Earlier in the episode Ellie figured out that songs from the 80s meant bad news, the song that played on the radio at the end was Never Let Me Down Again, which released in 1987.

[@dzibanart8521]

Honestly removing the spore factor cheapens the experience, it is the most fucking scary thing when the thing you need to survive (air) can infect you and kill you. This is odd, specially coming from the guy who did Chernobyl, nuclear fallout is scary for this very this very same thing. U.U

[@tonys.2216]

Please don't tease future episodes in the episode review. No spoilers, please.

[@emmanuelu]

FACTS

[@1D4ever]

Can't help herself kept trying to talk about episode 2🤦‍♂️

[@oswaldosanchez8938]

I played the game and loved it and this was a great adaptation, the final scene when Joel punches the police officer wasn't like that in the game (that flashback wasn't there) and it really made me cry and feel sorry for Joel 😪

[@darkweeknd33]

Loved the episode and the additions that were added!

[@talhahazher1274]

the reason for bites instead of spores makes sense. inreallity we would all be infected if it was spores. almost no chance of avoiding it and in the game we accept the spores as a game mechanic.

[@hexsystem7891]

One thing that I did not like about this 1st episode as it relates to that covered portion of the video game is that they change Tess and Joel's relationship with the Boston quarantine zone. They are both so broken emotionally from loss and the current state of things in the world that they are both only out for themselves. This is highlighted by their smuggling operations. They are gun runners, drug smugglers, and hitmen playing every side against the other. Their cold ferocity in a fight and their reputation for being as capable as they are regardless of the odds, is what allows them to keep doing business with everybody even though they are known to operate with other factions in the zone. In fact, Joel doesn't want anything to do with even his brother as he feels he betrayed him because, Tommy never lost hope whereas Joel did.

[@zekethewise7042]

The fact that there will be no spores is a let down I was looking for it in the first episode because it’s a big factor in the games and it does take away from the horror and story

[@punpun-ya]

“that firefly thing” exactly 😂😂😂

[@BlazerManiacNumber96]

If anyone wants more Last of Us material, there's a fantastic documentary about the making of the game. It goes into everything from the technical difficulties of making a video game, to in depth analysis of the story and how that came to be. It's called Grounded

[@reaping_pixels]

The deaf neighbor wasn't bit, but she was infected. So, it's not strictly transmitted through a bite.

[@Tovii2022]

It was a perfect adaptation. Perfect. So asking for more… then you’re not the target audience tbh.

[@RobbyGoodwin]

The infected guy that was chasing Joel & Sarah reminded me of the little dinosaurs in Jurassic World! Just falling and bumping into stuff while it’s chasing someone!

[@SlevinDayz7]

Did she miss how they explain it all started by getting into the food supply like in wheat and grain and flour

[@_KungFuBarbie_]

I was actually wondering why getting close to the fungus wasn’t affecting anyone lol. Maybe as the show progresses they can introduce spores to ramp up the tension idk.

[@Jayden.hammer]

The airplane crash was filmed in our town in Alberta! It was cool seeing the sets when they were filming!

[@davissteffens]

It was an 80's song.. Which means 'trouble' according to Elle decoding Joel's little code page. The song was Depeche Mode's - Never let me down again.

[@Beaveris]

I’m a fan of the games, and I just finished the episode in pure shock. They NAILED IT, the general feel, the characters, some shots were 1:1…. Just in awe with the production. You DO have a point with the spores and the removal of that made the explanation they kinda gave pointless, but I still think that in the end, it was a GREAT adaptation. Certainly WAY MORE than what we were expecting

[@leonthesleepy]

Actress for Sarah did a great job! Have to admit i still think Bella Ramseys performance is...inconsistent? Sometimes she sounds EXACTLY like Ellie but other times she feels like shes overacting and her line delivery is a bit forced. Hoping it gets better tho.

[@Spam591_]

Grace, I don’t quite understand your point about Druckmann being over involved. All video game adaptations thus far have struggled (with a few exceptions) because it deviates too far from the source material, and therefore doesn’t appeal enough to newcomers or diehard fans. Having Druckmann hyperinvolved gives me faith more so than any other creative being attached. TLOU is more like a movie than any other game being adapted thus far, so I think Druckmann is far more likely to succeed than someone else

[@aplayxplay]

I think the reason why there's no spores in the show is because the whole concept was too similar to covid. Naughty Dog delayed Part 2 indefinitely and changed the name of outbreak day because of Covid.

[@batalorian7997]

Don't see how covid should affect what happens in the show

[@getreal2592]

@@batalorian7997 Obviously you might not care. But executives at major studios like avoiding controversy.

[@batalorian7997]

@@getreal2592 By that logic, we should never have a movie or tv show about deadly a disease because people are offended by it because of covid. How are spores from a fungus considered "controversial" because of COVID. Not even similar

[@getreal2592]

@@batalorian7997 Yeah, that would pretty terrible if higher budget shows and movies increasingly became homogenized, unwilling to take chances and afraid of offending audiences. Thankfully, that's not the world we live in.

[@Ray03595]

Nobody watching in 2023 went through this episode and didn’t have COVID on their mind. If that was the reason then it was a poor one.

[@mcel33]

The song was “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode, one of the best alternative bands of the 80’s and 90’s

[@hyp3rsora]

Craig Mazin explains why he used Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” (stating we’d hear it again): "A lot of 80s music is chipper and fun but with this, I was looking for an up-tempo 80s song that had a darkness to it lyrically,” he says. Mazin then describes what the journey of Joel and Ellie would look like while drawing a link to the music choice. “What "Never Let Me Down Again" is about is 'I'm taking a ride with my best friend' - he was singing about drugs, it was a song about addiction. Well, Ellie's about to take a ride with her best friend, and Joel is a dangerous man. Joel's about to take a ride with his best friend, he doesn't know she's his best friend yet. She's a dangerous little girl," he said. "Now, the point is, you're 'never gonna let me down'? They are gonna let each other down, and then they're not, and then they are, and then they're not. That thought was a really interesting way in.”

[@emiliosanchelihonmayorga8965]

As someone who has played the game several times and as a reader that had read The song of ice and fire novels (just two times), I found myself with the same feeling of watching the tv adaptation: I want to share something I enjoy very much with people who hasn’t seen it in its original format and see what they add and change. My son, who has seen me play both games, was very scared because of the quality of the adaptation, and my wife, who hasn’t seen the game but knew about Sara’s death, she was very invested emotionally. I have enjoyed the first episode very much and we have decided to play the game one more time (now with my wife as a backseat-gamer) to enrich the experience.

[@dafttool]

For parasitic fungus zombies, I recommend *”The Girl With All Of The Gifts”* & *”Cargo”*

[@Blodhelm]

Yeah, not having spores but having the zombies destroy the world overnight made no sense. Disappointing.

[@jogmindersandhu4485]

Great episode! Watched it with my friends! First time doing something like this. Can’t wait to discuss every week with you!!

[@BALL_BUZZ]

First episode was amazing. The virus spread through bread or wheat products. That's why they talked about biscuits and pancakes in the episode.

[@wonderlanddreamer1021]

I agree that the lack of spores is definitely a loss here. It really takes one of the most original things that distinguished TLoU from other zombie things. It was the main TLoU thing: just breathe them in you're doomed. Bites were bad but spores...You saw them and you knew shit was about to hit the fan. They were also a major imagery part of the game. And the biggest action pieces of the games were made more terrifying by the haze/smoke the spores caused and the consequent confusion. The way the light reflected off them was such a big visual thing.

[@WaffleCone927]

Walking dead show is visually boring. They sprinkle ripped up cardboard on the road and call it a day. Your point on how the neighbor got sick is outstanding. Now I cant stop thinking about it

[@dark_winter8238]

She received treatment in the city. They mentioned it in the car. Saw someone else also mention it may of been spread in bread aka the biscuits.

[@thatonemoodyguy]

Excellent Breakdown Grace! I’m catching up on the show right now and I’m on to episode 2! Getting ready for third episode tomorrow!

[@TheDarkNet-.-]

The first episode is simply a 10. If you played the game, you know. It was just brilliant what HBO and the entire team has done. Bravo. And Thank You! - Just a random gamer.

[@TheReVmatch]

So great that they are respecting the source material….unlike rings of power

[@Beatness121]

I didn't even recognize that Anna Torv was Tess! I loved her in Mindhunter!

[@lachancla3723]

(SPOILERS) I thought the firs episode was solid and the changes weren't too bothersome since (hopefully) it still leads to the same outcome. HOWEVER, I believe that even if it leads to the same outcome, it may not capture the same feeling or intention. For instance, Joel's motivation to smuggle Ellie. I fear that changing his goal to "I need to find my brother", will diminish Tess' sacrifice. The whole point of Tess sacrifice is that it would give Joel motivation to keep moving forward and not let her sacrifice be in vain. By making it that he needs to find his brother, it will just make Tess begging kind of pointless since he is going to smuggle Ellie whether or not she sacrifices because he already has (the motivation) and the tools to find (or rather just meet up with him) his brother.

[@TheCountMosquito]

Removing the spores from the show is a mistake. Ellie’s ability to breathe the spores is kinda her superpower in the game and they took that away from her and made her story less dynamic.

[@MattBoehm87]

Mazin has said Neil was VERY open to adapting the game to fit the different medium.

[@TheKidd2639]

just to clarify because i don't think the show made it clear but the way the fungus transferred in the show and video game was through the wheat in I think India. it was why the news was talking about there being issues in india and why Joel and his daughter weren't affected because he forgot the pancakes

[@dessireet06]

Never played the game... I like the genre and I love Pedro Pascal!! He's why i chose to watch it and i really enjoyed the first episode!

[@cinne2135]

Same

[@deanfourie1]

As a non gamer myself I loved this episode, a good mix of fantasy and reality, I wasn’t spoon fed, can’t wait for next episode

[@mattymoo903]

The song at the end meant there’s trouble at the place they’re going to get supplies from. 80’s song.

[@jefferickson5833]

First episode was absolutely fantastic. This is what happens when you actually follow the much-loved source material. Damn, I hope they don't mess it up. I think they are going to mess it up.

[@vokasimid5330]

Fingers crossed

[@nydabeats]

This is instantly the best show out right now!