The Last of Us Missed a HUGE Opportunity

[@HenryStudebaker]

I hadn't noticed that point when I was watching the second episode, but you're definitely right in noting that switching Joel and Tess's reasonings would have made more sense for their characters this episode. The only thing I can think of for why they didn't do that was to show how jaded and burnt out Joel is at this moment in his life, so much so that he would think Marlene's offer was too good to be true, and therefore suspicious. I think that, coupled with the fact that Joel has survived twenty years of an apocalypse, and done many, many things to get there, made him bitter about accepting anything that came with such a low cost. Just my two cents! Oh, and I definitely like these shorter videos, as getting more of your content is always great with me haha! Thanks again, and have a great one!

[@DrewMalou]

Good to know Henry! Glad you like the shorter-form content, and I totally agree with you. The way that they have the episode laid out right now definitely shows how jaded Joel is. It was still really good, and it shows how untrusting he is. Thanks as always for watching, and for sharing your thoughts!

[@HenryStudebaker]

@@DrewMalou Sure thing, my friend, my pleasure! Sorry again for taking so long to comment! 😅 Do you think you'll do a video on the whole season after it's done?

[@klasyk1532]

I feel like Joel's main for reluctance is not wanting to deal with a girl roughly his daughter's age and be responsible for her.🤷‍♂️ I get your point though....I dont think it would have made it better, but it was a different way they could have gone. Nice video essay! 👍🎯💯

[@DrewMalou]

That definitely makes sense. Thanks for watching, and for the response!

[@corn9631]

The Tess Twist™would have been soooo good if it weren't at the cost of Joel's character. I think there's nuance in the partnership Tess and Joel have when paralleled with Joel's backstory as a father. Joel clearly cares for Tess based on his reaction to her beat-up face, and in light of his ex-wife leaving him and his daughter dying, I appreciate the subtle change in his character (from flashback to QZ) to be hesitant and unwilling to lose any more family, especially on an unnecessary risk. This mission risks Joel experiencing the loss of a wife (Tess) and a daughter** (Ellie) all over again. Psychologically, Joel's hesitance is justified. Tess has less to lose, so it makes sense she's all in it for Joel-especially in her final moments. (**I know the father-daughter relationship hasn't been established at this point, but Joel's been noticing seminaries between Ellie and Sarah- like commenting on the broken watch- therefore establishing a correlation between Ellie and Sarah in his mind.) I do think Joel is desperate, but the desperate character path is a linear one- (e.g. "I'll do whatever it takes no matter what")- so I appreciate that Joel doesn't act desperately while disregarding his relationship with Tess and his own internal battle with the death of Sarah. (Even though I disagree with all respect, I still find your redrawing of the show intriguing and your arguments insightful [as always]! The short video format is great because I always love hearing your takes on shows/games/etc. without the need for a full fledged video essay. Keep up the great work, Drew! And happy Cordyceps Sunday 🍄😉ep.4!!! )

[@DrewMalou]

Corn! I'm so sorry, I somehow missed your comment! Thanks for elaborating so fully, and I laughed so hard at "The Tess Twist™" LOOOL. I think your explanation makes a lot of sense, except for the fact that Joel and Tess are already risking so much trying to get to Tommy. They are smuggling goods into and out of the QZ which we know already carries the death penalty. To me, his hesitation must come from the fact that he is now asked to smuggle a little girl instead of cargo. Being hesitant here would make sense due to his history with Sarah, but I think that his acceptance of the task would show off his desperation more, and give us a clearer depiction that he is willing to do anything to get out to his brother. But, yes, even if we respectfully disagree, it sure is fun to discuss things like this! Thanks as always for watching!

[@hundvd_7]

I completely disagree

[@hundvd_7]

I think the fact that Joel is unwilling to do this at first is totally believable for his character. And it's very satisfying that he can't be properly convinced until it's too late. Until his partner has to give up her life. It's kinda her dying wish for Joel to take Ellie to the fireflies. _But_ with that said, the initial motivation in the game is better. The prize of the decked out military truck is just _too_ good. For one, it's suspiciously good for what sounds like escorting a random girl. They make fun of this of course: "are you the daughter of some billionaire or something?" (very paraphrased, but you get the idea). But the show's version is _still_ unbelievably generous. Joel should be fucking afraid for his life if there is someone who's willing to do so much for a random 13 year old girl. Two, it's a good enough reward in itself - for everything they'd eventually go through. The prospect of helping humanity isn't really a factor in taking on this dangerous mission. That aspect is overshadowed by the monetary value of the literal prize. It makes it seem way more selfish than I think it's meant to be.

[@DrewMalou]

Good points, but I still think it would be better if Joel was the one willing to take on the task. He can be skeptical and untrusting, that fits within his character perfectly, but he's also desperate. His initial battery plan already fell through. If Tess is hesitant at first, and then becomes convinced that Joel has to finish the job, even though he isn't going to get his truck, that twist in her character development would be just *mwhah* (chef's kiss). But, that's just my opinion, and I respect yours and thank you for sharing it with me!

[@lefterismplanas4977]

I haven't seen the show or the game, but I wanna see at least some of your videos. I know that I love them. But I can't always watch because I'm not caught up yet. For example I wanna see both bleach and the second season of demon slayer. But I haven't gotten to that yet. Maybe I'll use some mobile data. Also, would you be interested in making an other video about Attack on titan, Mushoku Tensei, or Treasure planet or even Your lie in April? Thx anyways

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah, I know what you mean! And my videos will always be there, so take your time going through those shows and make sure you enjoy them. I can appreciate you waiting, I would do the same thing! And those are great suggestions. Definitely will do some Attack on Titan videos, but I'm going to wait until the show is completed for a few of them. Haven't seen Mushoku Tensei, but I'll put it on my list. And I actually have an idea with Treasure Planet, but nothing planned in more detail as of yet. Haven't considered anything for Your Lie in April, but I did like it, so it's always a possibility! Thanks for the suggestions!

[@ameryaser3987]

I love this style of videos in between the big stuff. It is awesome!

[@DrewMalou]

Sweet! Thanks for letting me know, and thank you so much for watching!

[@spontatious9854]

Ya I like these types of vids too actually keep it up!

[@DrewMalou]

Glad you like it! Thanks for letting me know!

[@giuseppepaolini6754]

i haven't seen the show yet, but i'll do it when it'll be out in it's entirety... and i'll watch this aspect closely

[@DrewMalou]

Yeah! Sounds good. Did you ever play the game, or are you going into the show with fresh eyes? I'd be curious to see what you think of the story if you've never played the game.

[@giuseppepaolini6754]

@@DrewMalou i didn't actually played the game entirely by myself, because (here's the unpopular opinion😅) i just find the naughty dog's games kinda repetitive under the gameplay aspect, even though the stories are kinda at the top of the category... I played the first part by myself, and then i watched a couple of full gameplays about it, so i actually know the story quite well even though i didn't played it till the end... I'm pretty curious to see the series now😬

[@onetrueone]

eh

[@DrewMalou]

eh

[@crispydog4832]

Nah.

[@DrewMalou]

mmmk.