Mirror Review: The Last Of Us

The first season of HBO's post-apocalyptic show, The Last of Us, recently came to a conclusion, and the verdict is in. It's a winner!

The first episode gets the tone just right by conveying the seriousness of a highly-deadly worldwide pandemic and giving us a glimpse of the pre-outbreak life of our protagonist, Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a single father working as a contractor to make ends meet to provide for his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) in a small cozy Texas house. Joel works with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) as contractors.

We learn that the outbreak (a real-life fungus that mutated from infecting animals to infecting humans) originated from contaminated food supplies that spread through the body and attack the brain, hijacking the CNS. Hosts remain alive and conscious, but are trapped in a body out of their control. 

The main timeline of the show is set in 2023, where the world is in ruins, zombies wander the earth, and survivors struggle to find safety. Boston's Quarantine Zone stands strong, a small glimpse into what’s left of civilization, certainly imperfect, but infected free; control and safety are prioritized over freedom and values that have been long forgotten. 

The Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA) is the last remnant of the US government. They are the ones who control the quarantine zones, but with authority comes resistance. That resistance being the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group that encourages those that are “lost in the dark, look for the light.” Joel has turned into a hardened stoic during his time since the outbreak. His life has resorted to becoming a smuggler with his partner Tess Servopoulous (Anna Torv). The two of them smuggle contraband in and out of the Quarantine Zone. It's dangerous work, and getting caught can result in extreme disciplinary actions or execution. When a deal goes sideways for the two they are short of a car battery, a rare and vital resources for hustle. Joel and Tess are soon presented with a unique situation from the leader of the Fireflies in the Boston Quarantine Zone, Marlene (Merle Dandridge). The two are tasked with bringing unique cargo, a young girl named Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) to the state capital, with the various dangers outside the zone, it is uncertain how their journey will end.

Calling The Last of Us a great show would be an understatement, and many would agree. Millions of viewers tuned in weekly to watch the latest episode. Impressively, the show was somehow able was able to jump from its source medium (a video game) into one of the best television shows of the decade.

That said, there's some room for criticism. Although the actors do a solid job, I found some of their deliveries to be weaker than their video game counterparts.  In addition, deviations from the source material lead to the show to underutilizing the infected population. Aside from a handful of scenes, we rarely see them much. By episode six and onward, they feel unimportant and easily avoidable.  

This isn't very important, however; because at the end of the day, The Last Us isn't a zombie show at all. It's about two universal themes: unconditional love and loyalty. Maybe that's why it has resonated so well with its audience.