The Last of Us is one of the most popular games of this generation. Its story of a makeshift father-daughter relationship struck a chord with gamers everywhere. Building such a passionate fan base made an eventual television series an inevitability. Excitement was amplified even further when the creators of the series were announced. Created by the game creator Neil Druckmann and HBO’s Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, the bar for the series was impossibly high.
After the series premiere broke records on HBO Max, audiences began to realize they had nothing to worry about.
The first episode accomplished the difficult task of appeasing fans of the game and welcoming new audiences. The success of this episode stems from two very important factors. The first factor involves this premiere clocking in at a whopping 80-minute running time. The second factor is the casting of our leading characters. Combining these elements made this premiere one for the history books.
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The First 35 Minutes Are a Perfect Table Setting
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Instead of introducing us directly to Joel and Ellie, the show opts to create an ominous tone. Having the series start via a cold open set in 1968 grounds the style of the show realistically. This opening follows an epidemiologist discussing the possibility of a future fungal outbreak. Getting to this opening took some time to evolve, according to Mazin. While some fans may consider this a jarring shift, it establishes the world for fans and non-fans alike. Clocking in at five minutes, this dialogue is more than just an exposition dump for audiences. It’s the sort of opening that readily prepares all fans for what comes next.
After that, the opening shifts to introducing us to Sarah (Nico Parker), who fans of the game know as Joel’s daughter. Structurally, the episode then follows what fans will remember as the first level in the game. Establishing Joel and Sarah’s relationship, along with Tommy, puts audiences in a sense of ease. Building up the strength of this father-daughter dynamic works in two ways. Both methods work in building tension for fans who fear how this “perfect life” could fall apart. The other is for the fans of the game fearing the inevitable outcome.
Once the epidemic occurs, the tensions reach an incredibly explosive boiling point. That is after the episode establishes the year being 2003. Setting it in this year helps relate it to the real world, making the future feel scary. Seeing this event occur through a family’s eyes helps keep the premiere grounded in reality. Watching Joel navigate the eventual loss of Sarah perfectly establishes the world viewers are diving into. Without that talk show opening, this dark story shift would be too much for viewers to handle. Besides a stylistically strong opening, another factor of this episode’s success is the lead performances.
The Performances Command Viewer’s Attention
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Each performance in this episode helps to establish the emotional connections among the characters. Instead of filling each character with expository dialogue, Mazin and Druckmann subvert audiences’ expectations. Opening on Sarah (Nico Parker) and her life sets up two emotional arcs for viewers to follow. Those who play the game know Sarah’s fate, whereas non-game fans fear what’s to come. Parker and Pascal’s casting was met with backlash from fans upset about these being people of color. This criticism is a massive disservice to both actors, who create an emotionally moving and heartbreaking relationship.
Watching Joel and Sarah interact feels like watching the real life of two people. Having viewers care about that makes Sarah’s loss have much more of an impact. It is a heavy toll that Pascal portrays with both a brutal and realistic emotional response. At this moment, the version of Joel from the video games is born. Transitioning to 2023, Pascal applies a needed world-weariness to the character. This is a perfect introduction to his world and another popular game character, Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Viewers are able to finally see the start of Joel and Ellie’s signature relationship.
Being begrudgingly kept by the group known as The Fireflies, Ramsey makes a strong first impression. Her survivalist mentality makes for funny one-liners, and a perfect butting of heads with Joel. Eventually beginning their journey adds some unexpected, and serious emotional depth to Joel. Intercepted by a FEDRA agent, Joel’s trauma takes over as he brutally beats him. This beating makes perfect sense, as Ellie finally sees the lengths Joel (or anyone) is willing to go to for her. This burst of violence brings Sarah’s death full circle for viewers through Joel’s unkempt rage. Ellie’s facial response at this moment establishes the character fans remember. Simultaneously, it establishes who these characters are, and who they will become for new audiences.
The Last of Us had a difficult job in delivering a successful pilot episode of television. Not only did it have to explain the world, but it had to make viewers care. The opening talk show sequence explains the epidemic, without sounding like an exposition dump. That sequence creates uncertainty, which all starts with Sarah. In order for viewers to care about the characters, it hinged on the performance of Sarah. Her death brought out the emotional depths of Joel while showing there is more to Ellie than meets the eye. This episode established the world and characters in a profound and realistic way, making the first episode of The Last of Us a perfect episode of television.
