How I TRULY Feel Towards The Last of Us TV Show (Is it really that similar to the video game??)

Just like most people back in the year 2013, I was someone who obsessed over The Last of Us. It was my first year of high school and this video game helped me escape from the horrors of those days. I still remember sneaking away from homework just to go play this game all night long (it was totally worth having to rush through the homework minutes before class started). How could I not love this video game? Everything about the game was fantastic; the visuals, the storyline/plot, and the characters (as well as the character arcs and how they each tied into the story). My attachment to this video game was almost like home for me. I felt safe playing the game, or just laying back and watching lets players play the game on youtube (my all-time favorite let's player for the game definitely had to be PewDiePie).

So, when I first found out they were turning this beloved game into a tv show, I was both ecstatic and nervous. Ecstatic because ohmygod; they're turning one of my favorite video games into a freaking tv show. But nervous because... ohmygod; they're turning one of my favorite video games into a freaking tv show.

And goddammit did HBO seriously give us EXACTLY what we wanted when they made this television series.

Seeing my beloved duo Ellie and Joel come to life as actual people (rather than the original animated characters) was so unreal for me. Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) were superb casting choice... the casting director knew exactly what they were doing when finding two actors who shared the perfect father-daughter chemistry.

My nerves immediately faded the second I watched the first episode. No joke. When the show released, I was hesitant. I had this thought in the far back of my mind telling me that there was no way I'd love the show just as much as I loved the game back in 2013. Hell. I brought myself several copies of this game simply because it was made for different console types. I was hooked, lined, and sinkered into this game and there was no way of escape.

The first episode was more than amazing. Nico Parker was such a fantastic Sarah and I loved her every second she was onscreen (although, after being familar with the game beforehand, knowing her fate hurt myself because I loved her character so much in the television show). Nico did so amazing playing as Joel's daughter Sarah that I actually loved her character, despite not really caring so much for her character in the game.

Don't get me wrong- Sarah was an important aspect to Joel's storyline as a whole, but the game's Sarah didn't get me in the feels as much as the tv show's Sarah did. Although Sarah is a huge aspect to the storyline, the game didn't give Sarah much justice to helping you gain perspective towards her character. But the television show did such a fantastic job giving her as much backstory as they possibly can that her death hurt a hundred times worse when the scene came up. Sarah's role in the show went so well, I was lowkey praying they'd change up the story and keep her alive (of course I knew it wasn't possible... but still).

But I'm still partially certain that my love for Sarah is all thanks to Nico Parker's role in the television show.

With Grogu (The Mandalorian), Sarah, and Ellie, Pedro Pascal is a great choice when it comes to playing "dad roles" and I will forever stand by this opinion.

Let's be real. The second I saw that scene, I already knew this show was about to be a big hit. The second this one scene played in the first episode, that was the moment I knew this show was about to plunge a knife into my heart with every episode that gets released.

Pedro Pascal did so well in this scene portraying the emotion that a father would have when losing his daughter (especially in the way Joel did). The way he was holding onto his daughter, crying out for help, and telling her she'll be alright; I was in tears during this entire scene. Although I already knew it was coming, I was still not prepared for the amount of emotion I was about to endure (and the scene was already pretty emotional for the video game).

The one episode I was not expecting was episode three. Now. I have seen people complaining because of the direction they went with the third episode of the series, and if you are one of those people you will not like my opinion about it. Because I loved it!

I love how they not only gave a bit of backstory to Bill and Frank, but they also gave them a happy ending. If you played the game, you know that these two didn't end the way they did in the show and I loved how they took a short snippet of the original game and decided to twist it to make such a cute little apocalyptic love story. Love truly can happen, even in a zombie apocalypse.

Plus, let's be real. I'm apart of the LGBT community myself, so seeing HBO dedicate an entire episode just to one homosexual couple made my heart so happy. I grew up watching tv shows make crude jokes towards the LGBT community, or make jokes towards gay/lesbian people and couples that were quite insulting.

Also, for those who were made that we got an entire episode of The Last of Us dedicated to Bill and Frank's love story... how are you even watching the show? The main character Ellie is literally LGBT herself (as you can see in the seventh episode of the series "Left Behind").

Enough of my rant. Back to the scheduled program; my review of the HBO series The Last of Us.

Now, spoiler warning, it's going to hurt me a whole lot more when they recreate The Last of Us Part 2 because I've fallen in love with Pedro as Joel and grew way too attached with his character. And well... if you played Part 2 of TLOU, you know exactly what I mean when I say it is going to hurt my heart. But hey... I guess that's a good thing. The video game grew you an attachment to Joel for what they did in part 2, why can't the television show do the same thing?

I have to give this show 10 out of 10 stars. The Last of Us (Tv Show) has to be on your MUST WATCH list if you haven't done so already. The casting choice. The storylines. The chemistry between characters. Everything about this show is *chefs kiss*.