The Last of Us - HBO Series [Spoilers after episodes have aired -- no game spoilers]

[AC]

Originally Posted by Locke

I enjoyed it, but yeah, this show has set the bar really, really high.

But it allows us to know a lot more about Ellie. I definitely saw it going to a much darker place, such as Ellie having to kill her best friend and newfound lover.

On the flip side, by not showing their fate you have to imagine the painful reality Ellie ended up in. She either had to abandon Riley, kill her to save herself, or put Riley out of her misery after learning only she was immune.

Leaving it unsaid or not shown is impactful too IMO.

[calgarywinning]

This was the best episode to date in my opinion. The acting was off the charts by both. Loved the mall nostalgia.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by AC

On the flip side, by not showing their fate you have to imagine the painful reality Ellie ended up in. She either had to abandon Riley, kill her to save herself, or put Riley out of her misery after learning only she was immune.

Leaving it unsaid or not shown is impactful too IMO.

Uh huh. Sure. That works too...but, ya know...it could have gone a lot of different ways.

Spoiler!

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by calgarywinning

This was the best episode to date in my opinion. The acting was off the charts by both. Loved the mall nostalgia.

Agreed. I also enjoy The View daily

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

But that mall doesn’t have a full second floor does it?

It was discussed awhile ago in the "Calgary and area filming thread" but they shot that at Northland Mall but CGI'd some of the upper stuff.

edit: I don't believe they ever shot at SouthCentre Mall.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Ha wow can't believe I sat through all of that.

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Agreed. I also enjoy The View daily

At his point man, just give it up. Not worth your time or posting about it. There's two episodes left and you gave it an uphill battle right off the bat. Why put yourself through it or us through your feelings on it at this point?

I'd never give a show this much leash with these types of feelings.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

That episode was great. It hit hard for me tbh.. I think because it reminded me of old friendships in that adolescent phase, but also literally taking place in Northland Mall where I frequented growing up (what an unexpected layer that I was not prepared for) and which just recently closed its doors forever

Kudos to the actresses who really sold a genuine relationship between them in under an hour. The arcade part was awesome

I'm really glad they fleshed out their friendship and little nostalgia tour without letting the infected attack overshadow/take away from it

Made for an interesting viewing experience when the whole time you have that sense of impending dread

Damn. This is how you make a post-apocalyptic show

[Locke]

My biggest Nostalgia moment was Mortal Kombat II.

When I was their age that was my jam!!

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by jayswin

It was discussed awhile ago in the "Calgary and area filming thread" but they shot that at Northland Mall but CGI'd some of the upper stuff.

edit: I don't believe they ever shot at SouthCentre Mall.

Yeah I was so confused seeing the second level, thinking it was another mall, but then recognizing the indistinguishable windowed roof of Northland. Was going to look up photos thinking I was going crazy. The only upper floor part is at the Winners/Dentist/Crafts shop

They must have augmented it visually like they did with other scenery

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Yeah I was so confused seeing the second level, thinking it was another mall, but then recognizing the indistinguishable windowed roof of Northland. Was going to look up photos thinking I was going crazy. The only upper floor part is at the Winners/Dentist/Crafts shop

They must have augmented it visually like they did with other scenery

I thought it was Sunridge mall.

[Erick Estrada]

I really like the show but to me this was a bit of a filler episode (and I played the DLC which this was based on) which is strange for a 9 episode season. Also 100% Northland mall including the escalators that used to go up to Homesense at the end of the mall.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I thought it was Sunridge mall.

I was thinking Sunridge as well for the two levels and railing but I don’t think the skylights made sense and the food court seemed wrong. I wonder if it’s a composite?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

It's absolutely Northland. Everything above the first floor was added digitally. When they shot it there were a ton of pictures of the set that were on social media.

Anyway, if you happen to want to see how the game did it, here's the full set of cutscenes that make up the episode.

Spoiler!

... Aaaand just the climax of the episode if you don't have an hour.

Spoiler!

[DionTheDman]

100% was Northland Mall

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nort...us-hbo-filming

Episode was good for backstory I guess, but it's hard to keep the momentum going with the main narrative when there are two 100% flashback episodes out of a total of nine episodes, one of which is for a pair of characters who don't appear elsewhere.

Personally, I like the technique where they intersperse present time with flashbacks here and there to fill in the holes. That way you can keep the momentum going.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

100% was Northland Mall

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nort...us-hbo-filming

Episode was good for backstory I guess, but it's hard to keep the momentum going with the main narrative when there are two 100% flashback episodes out of a total of nine episodes, one of which is for a pair of characters who don't appear elsewhere.

Personally, I like the technique where they intersperse present time with flashbacks here and there to fill in the holes. That way you can keep the momentum going.

This is my thought. There hasn’t been enough time drawing out the main story imo. I can’t help but think the last 2 episodes are going to feel rushed now.

I didn’t play the games so have no reference point for any of this though.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I really like the show but to me this was a bit of a filler episode (and I played the DLC which this was based on) which is strange for a 9 episode season. Also 100% Northland mall including the escalators that used to go up to Homesense at the end of the mall.

We're going to see multiple seasons. Giving the main character a backstory is hardly filler.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by blankall

We're going to see multiple seasons. Giving the main character a backstory is hardly filler.

I think it's debatable if this flashback episode was really necessary. As I said before it wasn't even part of the original game and a DLC add-on. I really like the show but it's not above criticism.

[PepsiFree]

I also fall on it being a “just good” episode. I wouldn’t call it filler or anything and everyone did well/episode was well made/etc etc, but it pretty much zapped any tension around the main character that was bleeding out on an old mattress. I also understood how they were trying to queue up the flashback but it didn’t end up making much sense as to why she had that specific flashback at that specific moment and how those memories influenced her actions right after.

Excited for the last two, though!

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by blankall

We're going to see multiple seasons. Giving the main character a backstory is hardly filler.

It looks like it'd be exactly two, at this point.

[timun]

I still haven't seen last night's episode, but I presume it's almost beat for beat the same as the "Left Behind" DLC, which is fine.

I see a few people are concerned about pace given they only have two episodes left to tell the rest of the story, but in the grand scheme of things it won't take long. There are three chapters of the game left to tell, and given the pace of the episodes so far that's pretty much right on schedule. (E.g. episode 6 told the story of two chapters of the game.)


I bought The Last of Us Part II a few weeks ago and powered through the last few chapters of that game yesterday.

Spoiler!

God damn, that game is bleak. No happy endings for anyone.