The original post: /r/television by /u/MackPointed on 2025-05-28 07:50:02.
From the perspective of someone who never played the games, Season 1 of The Last of Us had a genuinely interesting premise. Ellie was immune, there was potential for a cure, and Joel faced a complex, meaningful choice. It felt like a high-stakes, post-apocalyptic journey - similar to Frodo carrying the ring in Lord of the Rings.
But then Season 2 completely drops this compelling storyline. Suddenly, Ellie’s immunity and even the infected themselves fade into the background. Instead, the entire plot pivots to revenge, one of the weakest and most overused narrative motives imaginable. It’s disappointing because it diminishes all the stakes established previously.
Imagine if, midway through Lord of the Rings, Frodo decided to abandon destroying the ring, and the story became about him chasing down personal enemies. That’s essentially what Season 2 has done. Maybe the revenge angle feels better when you’re actively playing the characters, but as pure storytelling, it feels hollow and lazy.
Is the video game narrative actually like this, or is it just poorly adapted for TV? Because right now, this doesn’t seem like “good storytelling” at all.