Current Events > is hbo's the last of us season 2 really that bad? (SPOILERS)

(+) Yeah! (+)

only thing i havent liked about it so far is the therapist

I think they dropped the ball when it came to Ellie this season. One person I know is planning on dropping this series once this season is over, because Ellie is unlikable as a main character.

I think its fine and a great addition to HBOs catalog, but people havent liked Bella Ramseys acting. That is the main complaint Ive been hearing. Ill admit shes a bit on the cringey side. I havent played the game, but people say Ellie is supposed to take a more serious tone in the second game (second season). Id say she isnt perfect this year, but she was nearly perfect for season 1s Ellie.

the direction and production is on par with Game of Thrones, but the writing and pacing could have used a little touch up this season. Season 1 felt like every episode was its own little event. But season 2 is a lot more of a continuing storyline, and some episodes dont feel important

Is it bad, or is it "bad" in the same sense that the game is because the male lead from the previous game gets killed, Ellie is a lesbian, and Abby isn't an anime girl?

I'm partially reserving judgement until the finale drops, but overall the pacing is pretty rough.

I love this season. Every episode has been great imo.

havent been watching it, but the memes are great

I think it's generally decent to good, but as a fan of the game, I think it drops the ball a lot when it comes to direction/writing.

TMOG posted...

Is it bad, or is it "bad" in the same sense that the game is because the male lead from the previous game gets killed, Ellie is a lesbian, and Abby isn't an anime girl?

it's more like, the adding/subtracting of scenes from the source material, how Ellie is portrayed a lot of the time, the mystery and nuance of some moments removed, and stuff like that.

there are some changes people preferred on the show, though, if they're familiar with both versions, and if they're only show watchers, seemed to like.

Its hard to know what people think of it when most of the online criticism is just grown ass men saying very cruel things about Ellie actresss appearance.

No, it's great.

Evolician posted...

Its hard to know what people think of it when most of the online criticism is just grown ass men saying very cruel things about Ellie actresss appearance.

the criticism i've seen around her has been her bad acting, her not matching the tone of Ellie in the game at all, and the cringey faces she makes. hardly any of it has been about her being conventionally unattractive, unless you mean 'not looking like Ellie whatsoever', then i've seen that.

edit: and lots of criticism towards the writers for making fundamental changes to characters or scenes. "im a dad lol"

Its pretty bad compared to the game.

Ill concede that the most recent episode was a tear jerker, but the show runners knew they would need at least four to appease audiences who havent played the games.

FrozenBananas posted...

people havent liked Bella Ramseys acting

People are just dumb. Bella's acting is phenomenal. The issue is the writing. When she's allowed to act like game Ellie, she does great. They've just chosen to make her dumber and less focused.

S2 is still a great show, but it's very much a downgrade from the game whereas the first season was on par.

pegusus123456 posted...

People are just dumb. Bella's acting is phenomenal. The issue is the writing. When she's allowed to act like game Ellie, she does great. They've just chosen to make her dumber and less focused.

S2 is still a great show, but it's very much a downgrade from the game whereas the first season was on par.

Ehhh. The acting between her and Dina has been pretty atrocious.

Bella really shines when shes on screen with Pedro.

tbh the only complaints are from people who compare it the game and dont like the changes theyve made

on its own merits its great

Lol, right. People don't like her "acting"

She's good. Creeps just developed a crush on the video game Ellie and Bella doesn't look like that. I never see any constructive criticism and only memes of her eyes being too far apart.

TheGoldenEel posted...

tbh the only complaints are from people who compare it the game and dont like the changes theyve made

on its own merits its great

SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SEASON OF THE LAST OF US

The writing between Ellie and Dinas plans for their future without giving any semblance of a thought to the actual father of Dinas child is objectively horrible writing. They had every opportunity to tell Jesse and didnt.

TheGoldenEel posted...

tbh the only complaints are from people who compare it the game and dont like the changes theyve made

on its own merits its great

I have to agree that, for me at least, this is the case since idk if I could be objective enough to not compare the two.

I still like the show, though, and I appreciate it's different enough from the source material to not feel worn out by double dipping.

LonelyStoner posted...

SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SEASON OF THE LAST OF US

The writing between Ellie and Dinas plans for their future without giving any semblance of a thought to the actual father of Dinas child is objectively horrible writing. They had every opportunity to tell Jesse and didnt.

What the actual fuck are you talking about?

Dina finds out she's pregnant literally millions of miles away from Jesse. The three of them have been together onscreen like five minutes since then, the entirety of which was them running for their lives. Should they have broke the news to him when they're being assaulted by zombies, when a militia is chasing them through a city, or when cultists are hunting them through a forest?

LonelyStoner posted...

Ehhh. The acting between her and Dina has been pretty atrocious

Because the writing isn't as good. She's playing that kind of character well, Ellie just shouldn't be this dopey, lovesick goofball when she's doing what she's doing.

pegusus123456 posted...

What the actual fuck are you talking about?

Dina finds out she's pregnant literally millions of miles away from Jesse. The three of them have been together onscreen like five minutes since then, the entirety of which was them running for their lives. Should they have broke the news to him when they're being assaulted by zombies, when a militia is chasing them through a city, or when cultists are hunting them through a forest?

Literally millions of miles away, you say? Even when Jesse finds them about 10 miles out?

LonelyStoner posted...

Literally millions of miles away, you say? Even when Jesse finds them about 10 miles out?

Just glossed over the whole second half of that paragraph, I guess you read as well as you watch TV

pegusus123456 posted...

What the actual fuck are you talking about?

Dina finds out she's pregnant literally millions of miles away from Jesse. The three of them have been together onscreen like five minutes since then, the entirety of which was them running for their lives. Should they have broke the news to him when they're being assaulted by zombies, when a militia is chasing them through a city, or when cultists are hunting them through a forest?

I think a perfect time would have been when Dina got shot with an arrow to yell out "This could have hit Jesse's baby!"

pegusus123456 posted...

Just glossed over the whole second half of that paragraph, I guess you read as well as you watch TV

My point is that Dina should have told Jesse first. But she tells Ellie first and they immediately start making plans for a family instead of even mentioning Jesse or considering his parental rights.

LonelyStoner posted...

My point is that Dina should have told Jesse first. But she tells Ellie first and they immediately start making plans for a family instead of even mentioning Jesse.

Again, literally millions of miles away. They're not discussing Jesse because he's not relevant at that moment, it's not like they're planning to cut him out. And is your complaint is that Dina told her at all? Because the pregnancy is already hampering them with her morning sickness, it's relevant info.

pegusus123456 posted...

Again, literally millions of miles away. They're not discussing Jesse because he's not relevant at that moment, it's not like they're planning to cut him out. And is your complaint is that Dina told her at all? Because the pregnancy is already hampering them with her morning sickness, it's relevant info.

Again, they are not literally millions of miles away. Jesse shows up in the nick of time about 10-15 miles outside of their camp. My problem isnt that Dina told Ellie. Its that they immediately start planning a life together with a kid instead of even mentioning Jesse at all. Neither of them gave even half a thought to how Jesse might feel.

Yes because it's based on Druckman's The Last of Us 2, lol

LonelyStoner posted...

Again, they are not literally millions of miles away. Jesse shows up in the nick of time about 10-15 miles outside of their camp. My problem isnt that Dina told Ellie. Its that they immediately start planning a life together with a kid instead of even mentioning Jesse at all.

You just cannot fucking read.

Go back and reread what I've already wrote to see why your points are bad.

pegusus123456 posted...

You just cannot fucking read.

Go back and reread what I've already wrote to see why your points are bad.

I can read just fine. They had several opportunities to tell Jesse after he saved their asses. Its not like they were being constantly hounded by infected. They had downtime to explain. But no. Im gonna be a dad! took precedence.

It's the same issue the second game had, no strong lead.

People loved the first game and season because of the father/daughter dynamic. It's relatable. Nobody cares about her being a lesbian, that's fine and Joel would be also be fine with that. Without Joel, the story and relatability is weakened.

Pedro is a popular actor and Bella played really well off him in S1. Not only did they lose the father/daughter angle, but the cast just isn't that strong to carry the show.

LonelyStoner posted...

I can read just fine. They had several opportunities to tell Jesse after he saved their asses. Its not like they were being constantly hounded by infected. They had downtime to explain. But no. Im gonna be a dad! took precedence.

LonelyStoner posted...

I can read just fine. They had several opportunities to tell Jesse after he saved their asses. Its not like they were being constantly hounded by infected. They had downtime to explain. But no. Im gonna be a dad! took precedence.

Good idea to drop life changing news on someone while you're running for your life

pegusus123456 posted...

your points are bad.

Just please stop with literally millions of miles away. I know youre making other points, but this use of literally is particularly distracting and its literally all I can focus on lol

LonelyStoner posted...

SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SEASON OF THE LAST OF US

The writing between Ellie and Dinas plans for their future without giving any semblance of a At thought to the actual father of Dinas child is objectively horrible writing. They had every opportunity to tell Jesse and didnt.

That type of thing doesnt need to be spelled out it for the viewer

we already know that they remained on good terms after the breakup, theres no reason to believe they wouldnt let him be involved

but also, she has no obligation to tell him anything until she chooses, because its her body

TheGoldenEel posted...

That type of thing doesnt need to be spelled out it for the viewer

we already know that they remained on good terms after the breakup, theres no reason to believe they wouldnt let him be involved

but also, she has no obligation to tell him anything until she chooses, because its her body

A father has a right to know if hes expecting a child, point blank. That isnt something you keep secret.

LonelyStoner posted...

A father has a right to know if hes expecting a child, point blank.

father has a right to decide if the woman gets an abortion ass post

TheGoldenEel posted...

father has a right to decide if the woman gets an abortion ass post

The right to know if the woman you impregnated is having a child and the decision to have an abortion is vastly different.

I didnt think this should need to be explained.

LonelyStoner posted...

The right to know if the woman you impregnated is having a child and the decision to have an abortion is vastly different.

So its her body, her choice, but only sometimes?

IMO, Dina didn't have a good opportunity to tell Jesse yet, and that's the reason she hasn't.

she only told Ellie because she was pressed about her condition and her pregnancy could affect their mission.

plus, she just found out herself so she was dealing with a lot.

boxoto posted...

IMO, Dina didn't have a good opportunity to tell Jesse yet, and that's the reason she hasn't.

she only told Ellie because she was pressed about her condition and her pregnancy could affect their mission.

plus, she just found out herself so she was dealing with a lot.

Yeah, I dont see any indication with what we know about these characters that she wouldnt tell/involve Jesse

but she has no obligation to tell him as soon as she knows

TheGoldenEel posted...

So its her body, her choice, but only sometimes?

You very clearly know the difference between telling one of two parties that helped conceive a child and making the choice to having an abortion.

LonelyStoner posted...

A father has a right to know if hes expecting a child, point blank. That isnt something you keep secret.

They aren't keeping it a secret. They have not had the opportunity to tell him. Holy shit.

Also, you keep using the phrase "planning their life together." Ellie made one joke about being a dad, they didn't put a down payment on a house.

Bella's acting is fine. I've had no problem with any of the acting from anyone this season. It's just the dialogue, which feels unrealistic at times given the certain situations our main characters find themselves. And the dumbing down of characters, particularly Ellie.

Also, would it kill the writers to give Ellie some good, main character moments, to build off of? Like for example, have her go out of her way to save a parent and child from getting killed by zombies, while Ellie and Dina are on their way to Seattle. It's not on the game at all, but it would give the audience something to attach themselves to Ellie, and root for her to succeed, because she heroically saved two survivors from certain death. Maybe it doesn't have to be something like that, but just some good, minor character with Ellie to get the audience to care a little more about her.

pegusus123456 posted...

They aren't keeping it a secret. They have not had the opportunity to tell him. Holy shit.

Also, you keep using the phrase "planning their life together." Ellie made one joke about being a dad, they didn't put a down payment on a house.

You have to be trolling. Its the apocalypse. Who are they going to pay for a down payment? They both said they love each other and want to be a family together. All plans that theyve made before even considering telling Jesse that hes the father. He wasnt even brought up in the conversation.

I think Bella is a fine actor, but I think the writers are way more comfortable writing and the directors are more comfortable directing "young Ellie." And I think because of that Bella clicks a lot more when put in that role. The flashback really seemed to hammer that in for me. Because Bella just felt super at ease in the museum scene in a way that they just haven't quite been this season.

I think the other fallout of the comfortability of the writers/directors with young Ellie is that they have transposed a lot of that immaturity onto adult Ellie. And while no one should expect a ton of maturity out of a nineteen-year-old, I think it still generates a total disconnect when you really would expect her to be just a lot more focused and angry. My dad, who didn't even realize it was based off a game and figured Joel got written out because Pedro Pascal was so busy being in everything, has expressed that he just isn't into this season as much it just feels more immature compared to season one.

LonelyStoner posted...

You have to be trolling. Its the apocalypse. Who are they going to pay for a down payment? They both said they love each other and want to be a family together. All plans that theyve made before even considering telling Jesse that hes the father. He wasnt even brought up in the conversation.

tbf, when Ellie said "we're having a baby", she also says "I mean, we and Jesse are".

boxoto posted...

tbf, when Ellie said "we're having a baby", she also says "I mean, we and Jesse are".

As a 3rd party afterthought. He has more rights to being a parent to that child than Ellie does. Its not like he walked out or is a deadbeat. Dina fucked him over during their relationship.

Compsognathus posted...

My dad, who didn't even realize it was based off a game and figured Joel got written out because Pedro Pascal was so busy being in everything, has expressed that he just isn't into this season as much it just feels more immature compared to season one.

Exactly the same with my Dad. All that stuff with Ellie and the dialogue has been a turn off for him.

LonelyStoner posted...

As a 3rd party afterthought. He has more rights to being a parent to that child than Ellie does. Its not like he walked out or is a deadbeat. Dina fucked him over during their relationship.

such a weird way to read the scene and a super weird thing to get hung up on

no one fucked anyone over lmao

LonelyStoner posted...

As a 3rd party afterthought. He has more rights to being a parent to that child than Ellie does. Its not like he walked out or is a deadbeat. Dina fucked him over during their relationship.

we don't really know what happened between Dina and Jesse other than things didn't work out between them.

as far as the baby, people have conversations like that (the one Dina and Ellie had) all the time, even without being one of the parents - parents of either parent, siblings, friends, other family members. it was more about their hopes/idealized future rather than any serious discussion.