HBO’s The Last of Us has ended, and one thing is clear, this may be the BEST video game adaptation ever made. Perhaps it’s a hot take from me, considering that I’ve never played any of the games, but from what fans are saying, the show stays true to the games, mostly. Before I continue, SPOILERS AHEAD!! CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK
The setting is in a dystopian America, with characters Joel and Elle traveling across an Infected country, as they make their way to what they believe to be the beginnings of a cure. Pedro Pascal plays Joel, and Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, and the two must both fight off raiders, Infected, and more while finding humanity in a world where it’s in short supply. As I said earlier, I never played the games, so I went into this show blind…And, I couldn’t be happier with that choice, cause…Damn! From the first episodes, showcasing how the Cordyceps infection was predicted and then impacted the world, The Last of Us does have great action scenes. From Ellie fending off cannibal raiders to the finale with Joel saving Ellie from resistance fighters, the action pieces are done well. However, more than that, The Last of Us shines the brightest when it slows down and focuses on the characterization rather than pushing the plot for the sake of the plot.
Pascal does a great job, portraying Joel. A broken man, who lost his daughter, before the world ended. Joel, at first, is almost devoid of any real emotion. He lost his daughter, his brother, Tommy, is missing, and he has no incentive to reconnect with the world. But Firefly resistance member, Marlene (played by Merle Dandridge) makes him an offer; take this girl up north to a secure location, and they’ll help find his brother. At first, Joel and Ellie definitely don’t hit it off. Ellie’s rebel spirit mixed with Joel’s no-nonsense attitude clash. However, with time, they both learn from each other. Ellie learns how the world used to be, and how to survive while Joel regains some of his humanity back. The two have their fair share of trauma; Ellie tells Joel how she was forced to kill her best friend, and Joel lives through a suicide attempt. As they travel, they acknowledge their bond and do whatever it takes to survive. Their dynamic is both heartwarming and heartbreaking to witness. In the season finale, it’s revealed by Marlene that Ellie may possess cells that can create a cure for Cordyceps, but at the cost of Ellie’s life. Joel is left with no choice but to save the girl he loves a daughter, killing anyone in his path. We’ll have to wait until season 2 if he made the right decision (or play the game if you don’t care about spoilers!) What’s worse, is that Joel lied to Ellie, about the events of what happened. What would you do if you were in Joel’s position?
It's really difficult to pinpoint my favorite moment in The Last of Us because there are so many! Joel reuniting with Tommy, Ellie’s night out with her best friend, Riley (Storm Reid), the tragic love story of Bill and Frank, or the gut-wrenching ending of characters Henry and Sam. Not too many shows can debut, captivating viewers with every episode by sharing a genre that The Walking Dead’s in. Rarer still, video game adaptations don’t get better than this. I give The Last of Us a 9.5 out of 10! What did you think of the show? Did it stay faithful to the game? Are you excited about season 2? Post your thoughts below, and till next time, fellow blerds!
The surprise hit show, Peacemaker, has concluded with a wild first season! I know that I’ve missed some episode reviews, and that’s my bad. And there’s been some discord with the appearance of a certain superhero team from some fans. But I’ll address that later. For now, allow me to recap.
So, Leyota Adebayo is the daughter of Amanda Waller, and she’s working with her mother’s associates in A.R.G.U.S to handle Peacemaker’s mission to hunt down the aliens known as the “Butterflies”. Meanwhile, Peacemaker’s father, who oversees some white supremacist group, decides to kill his son, which leads him to get out of prison. He dons the supersuit we saw in the first episodes, calling himself the “White Dragon”. The team manager, Murn, is also a Butterfly in disguise, but unlike the rest of his cadre, he wants mankind to be free from his kin’s rule. Peacemaker and the crew connect in the wackiest of ways, as they take down the Butterflies and their leader, Goff. After some brutal and gory battles, Peacemaker ends up killing his father for making him kill his younger brother, but from there Chris begins to see visions of his dad haunting him. The team discovers that Goff and her army has taken over the town they operate in and are planning to move their “cow”, which is an ugly-ass alien bug that supplies them with their only food source that the Butterflies can eat. Realizing this opportunity, Peacemaker and A.R.G.U.S take them out. As most of the team, including Vigilante, are too injured to continue, it's up to Peacemaker and Leyota to end the Butterflies’ occupation on Earth. In a hilarious and gross manner (true to James Gunn’s style of filmmaking) they eventually take out the Cow, which leaves all the Butterflies with no food source. In the aftermath of the battle, viewers are surprised to members of the Justice League arrive! (And we see Peacemaker roast Aquaman, in the process.) The end of season one leaves us with Leyota outing her mother’s illegal dealings with Task Force X aka The Suicide Squad, Harcourt recovering from her injuries, Epecanos going to work at Belle Reve (where the criminals from the Suicide Squad are imprisoned,) and Peacemaker trying to find peace with his own inner demons.
OK, so this series literally came out of nowhere for a lot of fans. With the moderate success of Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, I really wasn’t hyped for the show about a D-List superhero. But after the first episode, I must give credit where credit is due. This show is a pleasant surprise and a win for the DC Extended Universe! Perhaps with another season, we can get more series that are not afraid to tell their own stories without the studio interfering. This leads me to some of the fans being offended using certain members of the Justice League. Actors Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller made a guest appearance, and while the DC Fan in me enjoyed this brief cameo, I immediately knew what would come of this. Fans being toxic about the Snyder Cut not being canon, or that these characters being used solely for comedic fodder, or that Warner Bros just keeps making the same mistakes when handling these iconic characters. It was reported that they tried to get Batman and Cyborg in the cameo as well, but they scrapped the idea. It also feeds fuel to the fire, that stand-ins played Superman and Wonder Woman, instead of the actual actors. With Marvel pretty much dominating the movie scene, it’s hard to be a DC fan. Harder still, to convince fans to give DC and Warner Bros a chance when the company makes error after error. All us fans can do is to hope that we’ll get quality in the DC Extended Universe. It really does have the potential to be great, like the MCU. And with projects like Peacemaker, The Flash, Black Adam, and Aquaman 2, things may be looking up. All the studio really needs to do is t avoid interfering with the directors, and let their unique styles come to the big and small screen. Sorry for the rant and thank you for coming to my TEDTalk! I give Peacemaker an 8 out of 10. Post your thoughts below and till next time, fellow blerds!
It’s a sad time in streaming when Insecure AND Black-Ish are wrapping up their shows. It’s been a great ride for both shows but fear not! There are still plenty of shows that showcase some ebony excellence that will keep you satisfied!
Harlem.- Streaming on Amazon Prime, Harlem stars Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerri Johnson, and Shoniqua Shandi as four black women in Harlen, NY, each with different viewpoints on life and how to win the game called love. Right off the bat, the humor, chemistry between cast members, and topics will hook you from episode one. Here’s hoping a season 2 is in the future.
Grown-Ish- Black-Ish spin-off, starring Yara Sharhidi as college student Zoey Johnson finds her own path to success, while her friends keep her honest. While I haven’t finished all the seasons, I have enjoyed the Black-Ish franchise and will appreciate the end of this show even more, after binge-watching all the spin-offs. ABC could have given me the Old-ish show with Jennifer Lewis and Lawrence Fishburne, but oh well…)
The Wonder Years- Yes, this is a retelling of the classic show of the same name, with actor Don Cheadle narrating how a young black man is going through the 1970’s, including the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. how his sister is dating a Black Panther, his father being one of his greatest heroes, and trying to get his crush’s attention.
Our Kind Of People- While the writing on this show can feel a bit... extra. But when you have a cast like Yaya DeCosta, Joe Morton, Morris Chestnut, Lance Gross, and Debbie Morgan, it warrants some attention. The main themes of the show involve revenge, black upper class, and a world where rich and educated black folk are showcasing their wealth and influence in their surroundings. It’s a welcome change of pace, from shows like Power, Ghost: The Book of Power, and Snowfall. (Not dissing those shows, if you like em, that’s cool too.)
The Upshaws- Renewed for another season, comedians Mike Epps , Kim Fields, and Wanda Sykes killed it in this Netflix show about a mixed, middle-class family just trying to make it. I’m really glad that Netflix is giving this show another season! It’s always a pleasure to see Kim Fields on tv again, and Mike Epps is totally in his element!
South Side- I’m mad late to the South Side train, but this is one of the funniest shows on HBO! Starring Sultan Salahuddin, Kareme Young, Quincy Young, Chandra Russell and more, it involves two friends working for a “Rent-A-Center” style company, while going through some hilarious hijinks along the way!
That’s all I have for right now! If I missed any shows, please tell me in the comment section! Until next time, fellow blerds!
