#tlou ep 1

[boilingcowboy]

absolutely going batshit insane over the parallels between Sarah and Ellie

It’s the same fucking look. It’s the same look in their eyes. the same fucking thing.

They both hold on to him the same way. the exact same way.

And he holds on to them the exact same way. the exact fucking way.

His daughters look at him and hold him the exact same way.

And he holds on to his daughters the exact same way. He even has the same look on his face.

fucking bawling over this. I am so going insane over this rn.

[dyingroses]

The Last of Us + text posts 

(RIP Tess, you would have loved raising Ellie as your found daughter with Joel)

[sunshine-and-clementines]

thinking abt in the first episode when tess and joel were climbing the ladder to get to the firefly base and how joel was talking about how they probably reframed the building in the 80s just before the two of them come upon the aftermath of the shootout,,,,, 80s means trouble!!!!!!!!!!! 👀👀👀

[pearlaqua-eevee]

TLOU EPISODE 1 "WHEN YOU'RE LOST IN THE DARKNESS" LIVEBLOG

IS THAT JOHNATHAN CARNAHAN 

“Viruses can make us ill but fungi can alter our very minds” OH MY GOD THERE ARE LAYERS TO THAT. THE WHOLE PREMISE OF THE STORY RIGHT THERE GENUIS FUCKING WRITING RIGHT OFF THE BAT 

#oh im gonna love this #this remains one of the best stories of the modern age BECAUSE of writing like this #yes yes yes

also the subtle commentary with the shots of the host’s bemused face and the people on set not paying attention, eating...the brilliant thing about this story is the subtle and not so subtle ways it comments on society and that...theres apathy and almost arrogance. Like “this guys ranting, this is crazy, will never happen” and then of course it does much like 2020

ooh. the deniers HATE this, dont they?

HAVING THE FUNGI GROWING AND LOOKING LIKE A CITY AND THEN LOOKING LIKE THE WEBS OF LIGHT SEEN FROM SPACE ON CONTINENTS AND THEN HAVING IT FORM THE SILOUTTES OF JOEL AND ELLIE  HOLY SHIT. NOBODY IS GONNA TOUCH THIS SHOW, ITS BRILLIANT

also the themeeee

I think they changed it slightly for the show, maybe a bit of percussion? But otherwise its EXACTLY like the game, I can hear Marlene narrating

(also I believe Merle is reprising her role as Marlene and FUCKING FLAWLESS ALREADY

im fangirling so hard because I know whats coming and I dont wanna think about it

SARAAAAAAAAHH  (Destiny’s Child, the Clash and Avril?? Girl has music TASTE) Her room feels so LIVED IN I love this

PEDRO HITTING THAT TEXAS DRAWL PERFECTLY, I AM YELLING

#Joel's accent is one of my fav things dont @ me #the fact that Troy Baker is FROM Tx so he played up his actual accent #idk much about Pedro but if that accent is put on its INCREDIBLE

AS a Texan and someone WITH a drawl, I LOVE it when you can tell actors did their work when it comes to the accent. (And here in Tx theres like 6 different regional accents and its the CORRECT one for the Dallas/Austin area!) like it’s the same I’d imagine for Brits or Australians when someone doesnt just default to Stereotypical British and actually does the right one. It just makes the character-details part of my brain SING. It just shows a lot of care for the character

nope. no. the emergency vehicles going by NOOOPE. CAN I EXIT OUT NOW. I REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE

NOPE. Fuck THAT

the kept the Its Not Working fake out. fml

THE NOKIA DAD PHONE. JOEL PLS

oh my god that exchange Joel and Tommy have it sounds DEAD ON like the game. Except in the game the call was to Sarah but like this is PERFECT  

“Which jail, Travis County?”  “Yeah the one on 10″ idk I just love these lines when you can tell the people know what theyre talking about. Subtle little awesome thing as someone who lives close by   (And yeah, very Texan to ask which jail or which official building by the county and not the city, which is apparently how people in other states do it)

oh god. the lights and noises and IMAGINE what Sarah must be going through, Joel isnt there...even if you dont know whats coming thats gonna be really upsetting. 

This is actually worse and more ominous than in the game

holy fuck the look on Sarah’s face when she turns the tv on to see the alert...Nico Parker is a KILLER actress, I can SEE her blood running cold 

SARAH THE ALERT SAID STAY INDOORS. BRING THE DOG IN AND LOCK THE DOOR. DO NOT GO WANDERING AROUND.

NOOOOOO

FUCK. THAT.

THATS DISGUSTING AND HORRIFYING

“You killed her” “Baby Im sorry” And that right there is the horror

OH MY GOD THAT SHOT OF THE NEIGHBOR GOING TO HELP THE INFECTED JOEL RAN DOWN WITH THE CAR AND THEN GETTING ATTACKED

holy shit everything about this is....its like shot for shot, the dialogue is perfect...this is...like its horrific but its done so fucking well. im in horrified AWE

that fear from Sarah, trying to reason it through..."but you'd have to go a lot, right" just. ive been there. This is so...obviously it hits harder after covid but. They hit the visceral FEAR of the unknown..."are we sick, how do you know" just. 2 lines. they expanded on this idea by TWO LINES. and it makes it so much more chilling

this is so. I cant even get words. Im not even 30 minutes in

Sarah being the audience surrogate and having the camera literally from her pov, following HER and where SHES looking, exactly like the game mechanic...we’re with her the whole way through and we experience everything through her eyes, not Tommy or Joel...so the fear is MORE

just holy shit the DIRECTION in this. Everything si done so rihght

there are just no words. that 10 minutes that follow Sarah’s death and the jump to 20 years later...gut wrenching

the way Ellie kicks that tray like the PAUSE as she puts her foot down...such an intentional thing and I LOVE IT ts SPOT ON

BELLA IS PERFECT AS ELLIE HOLY SHIT

“seven...eight...fuck...you” AMAZING

people commenting on “she seems to angry/too quick to attack” like...the live action Ellie goes to attack Marlene but thats about the only added on this. Everything else she did IN THE GAME. I think its the fact that Bella actually LOOKS young that makes people realize

like I dont understand people like “she got tougher over the story” No. She got more TRAUMATIZED and yes got more capable at fighting. But she STARTS OUT hard and tough and SOFTENS. She runs parallel and also counter to Joel. SO much of her attitude at the beginning is just a show and I think people miss that

technically speaking Tess and Joel's relationship didnt NEED more screentime, you knew exactly their relationship with what we got but I love these new/expanded scenes with them

MARLENEEEEE.

“...You my fucking mom or something?” “Do I look like your mom?” “Nooo, you do not.” lmao AMAZING  (I mean TECHNICALLY no...)

“was Riley a terrorist?” DO NOT--  if we get that flashback I’ll CRY

GOD. For people who dont know the endgame, they have no idea how hards Marlene’s “you will die” comment to Ellie hits but NOBODY IS BLACK OR WHITE MORALITY ITS ALL SHADES OF GREEEEYYY

ELLIE JUST ATTACKING JOEL RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE AND HIM OWNING HER LMAO

“IM not going with them!” oh my god she sounded like game Ellie

“Kim you dont have a fucking ear on your FUCKING HEAD could you please!?” oh my god

“What are they capable of?” going back to what I said before: Ellie is still a KID. She talks and acts tough (and she is!) and she grew up at the end of the world but shes still a KID who lived her whole 14 years in a military school and got pinged by Marlene the second she left. And it becomes more clear if you know HOW she got infected...she doesnt know ANYTHING about what the world is like outside the QZ. And thats the most heartbreaking part of the story is her going through those horrors. It’s why her and Joel’s relationship is important add to that that shes LITERALLY in the middle of everyone looking back and forth and being traded and called cargo shes CLUELESS and I wanna hug her 

“Asshole!” thats no way to talk to your dad

also her knife I cry

“yall talk it through but please remember that I’m bleeding out” I FUCKING LOVE MARLENE OK

“Joel. Dont fuck this up. Please” I mean if you told him WHY....

ok but AGAIN. Ellie knows a smuggling code because SHES LITERALLY BEEN RAISED BY THE MILITARY but its just this childish way of blurting it out--something that you dont say out loud out of an abundance of caution--and so easily. Really hammering home that she may KNOW the way the world operates but she doesnt know the how or why...

that “okaaay sorr-y” kind of handmotion lol

“your watch is broken” GOD thats some subtle acting from Pedro. FUCK

also whereas in the game it felt like an idle observation, here it kinda feels like its a tiny bit spiteful. Like shes pointing it out to annoy him.

“you know where to go. so we’re gonna be ok?” parallel that to Sarah asking if theyre sick...the daughter figure looking to the father figure for reassurance that everythings gonna be ok. when deep down they both know it isnt goddamnit

“code broken”    that was SO MEAN but I love it and Joel was about to dad lecture but AGAIN Bella NAILED Ellie’s mannerisms, the way she draws out words or the little head tilts

“Holy shit Im actually outside” AGAIN. the childish excitement. because shes a kid seeing something new and has no clue how serious things are about to get

THE PIPE. FROM RIGHT BEFORE THE CUTSCENE

...does the shot of the officer feel a little like...too much like Bumbling Cop...?

BELLAS ACTING, ELLIE STEELING HERSELF LIKE 3 TIMES BEFORE ACTUALLY MOVING THIS CAST IS WAY TOO GOOD WHAT THE FUCK 

also that scream when she does it. You KNOW this girl has never been in a real combat situation like this

....so I figured they might lean a little heavier on Joel’s PTSD and explore it but I didnt expect them to draw that parallel. SHIT

the look on Ellie’s face

Idk how I feel about that ending. like the show itself spectacular and I love the tie in with the 80s song = danger so its a callback but it feels a little like. Upbeat Hm. Anyone else feel like its a bit out of place?

[zoemar-son]

Ellie!!!

[knightwayne]

It’s okay, baby girl. I got you. I got you.

[oopsyblue]

Bill would absolutely tell Frank they’re not going to adopt a dog only for Frank to bring one home and Bill immediately forms the closest bond and attachment to it

[lilacevans]

♡ : ̗̀➛ 𝑃𝐸𝐷𝑅𝑂 𝑃𝐴𝑆𝐶𝐴𝐿 𝑎𝑠 𝐽𝑂𝐸𝐿 𝑀𝐼𝐿𝐿𝐸𝑅 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑃𝐼𝑆𝑂𝐷𝐸 𝑂𝑁𝐸; 𝑆𝐸𝐴𝑆𝑂𝑁 𝑂𝑁𝐸 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝐿𝐴𝑆𝑇 𝑂𝐹 𝑈𝑆

[amazingspidermans]

watching the last of us is just thinking "thats the saddest episode of tv i've ever seen" until the next week's episode when you "thats the actual saddest episode of tv i've ever seen" until the next week's episode when you think-

[boilingcowboy]

Maybe I am missing something but I can’t figure out what this scene was about because we see Sarah going through Joels drawer for his watch and money. But then she finds his knife and she gets like idk fascinated by it (might be the right word) and this sort of soft music is playing while she is admiring? the knife but then Joel honks and yells cus they will be late and she snaps out of it.

And this scene always stayed with me because I can’t really figure out why it’s there like sure it could be for just aesthetic purposes or something cus it was a pretty scene in my opinion but I think it’s definitely more then that but what is my question like is it a metaphor for Joel in the future how he becomes brutal and aggressive ?

Is it a connection to Ellie because she has a similar knife and there are horses engraved in the blade (which I just noticed btw) ?

Is it sort of a future telling thing because later that day everything gose to shit and people get violent ?

Is it like a hint at season two or jackson ?

I am not sure about like the parts where it could be something violent because the scene is so peaceful in a way and the knife is so pretty and well kept and that goes away from like the usual way people would portray violence (I think idk).

If anyone knows do share please :)

[dyingroses]

[boardchairman-blog]

**Shots of the Episode**

The Last of Us (2023)

Season 1, Episode 6: “Kin” (2023) Director: Jasmila Zbanic Cinematographer: Christine A. Maier

[willowparkfanclub]

do you think that scene with ellie is the first time joel's genuinely laughed since he made sarah think his watch was still broken on his birthday... anyways

[alaspice]

In terms of modern love stories

Bill and Frank >>>>>>>>>> Bella and Edward

[horseshit-posts]

*Native Kansans watching The Last of Us*

Yo! I wonder what part of Kansas City they're in!

*shows decrepit buildings* *Joel and Ellie get jumped*

Oh they're definitely on the Missouri side

[mikewheely]

Okay so, if you are reading this, be patient because I am about to pour my heart out because I might have just found out one of my favourite tropes used in The Last of Us!! And I had already noticed that there was something about this scene, but when I compared it to what happened in the game, it just hit me way harder.

So, I was watching this scene in the game, and the Firefly guy who escorts Joel out there in the game, tells him where Ellie is, "Top floor. The far end," before dying as Joel had already shot him twice. It makes sense, because you are playing as Joel and in order to save her, you need to have some information about where you should be going. Right.

But here in the show, the guy never gives him that information. And now it is up to Joel to find out where the hell she is in this huge hospital. Fine. Then in the game, again, as you are playing as Joel, you have to face obstacles, and fight for your own survival first, in order to save Ellie. So there is a sense of dread, which changes vastly in the show. You see Joel, being so confident and just killing anyone who comes in his way. I think the reduced sound of the gunshots and people screaming and the intense music playing depicts what is going on inside his head, which is, nothing. It is blank. Because in the podcast, they have said that Joel can dissociate himself when he gets into a situation like this, and he is calm when everyone around him is losing their minds.

You see a confidence in Joel's face, a determination, that no matter what he is going to save Ellie, his daughter, his new-found purpose. He knows he isn't going to get killed, he has this gut feeling that he would obviously be able to save her. So he kills anyone he sees with a weapon, it does not matter if they are surrendering themselves, because, "God help any motherfucker who stands in our way," right?

So he is going forward, not knowing where she is exactly, and he is killing everyone, absolutely cold-blooded. Now when he finally reaches the floor, without knowing that she is there, he spots the pediatric surgery ward. Sure, he sees that. So that is a good point to guess she might be there. But it is the way this scene is filmed and it is the expression on his face that makes me think that it is one of my favourite tropes??!

He gets in, he sees that one door, and his eyes are fixed on that door. It is one loooong ward, there are so many rooms. He does not even turn his head around to see other places. He sees that door, and he is just walking towards it, like he knows, he knows she is there. He is almost in a trance. He can sense Ellie's presence inside that room. It is like their souls are connected. And it just somehow makes their relationship way deeper than it already was.

Now, I don't know if that was the intention behind it. But the way the information was not shared to him about where she is, and he just went there, he did not struggle to think where she could be, he just kept going, and his eyes were fixed on that door, and he did not look in any other room in that long ward, it just makes me think, that it could be.

My heart cannot handle this. I love this trope. Where a character can just somehow sense another's presence without seeing or hearing them, because they love each other so much.