The Last of Us didn't magically appear in Craig Mazin's mind; the series was first inspired by a video game developed by Naughty Dog. Neil Druckmann, who is also a writer on the HBO project, is actually the game director of the franchise, which contains two installments. Season 2 is therefore adapted from the first part of the video game The Last of Us Part II. Although the adaptation is extremely faithful to the plan almost 80% of the time, there are some differences between the two materials. Some are anecdotal, others have more impact on the storyline. Here are the most significant differences between The Last of Us Part II and season 2 of the series.
Abby's motivations revealed from the start
This is one of the only major drawbacks of season 2, and what was most heavily criticized by players. In the opening scene of the first episode, we are faced with Abby and her clique, whose identity is revealed almost immediately. The first few minutes are enough to understand why Abby is seeking revenge, where she comes from, and who she seeks revenge against. This information is not given to us in the first hours of the game.
Indeed, Naughty Dog maintains the suspense of the characters' identities until the scene of Joel's murder, which comes like a hammer blow, out of nowhere. Here, viewers are already expecting the scene, incredibly violent, but not very surprising in essence. This is a fundamental difference that completely disrupts the balance of power between the screenwriter and the audience, and gives the audience back the power to like or dislike the character from the start, as well as afterwards, while the game instead relies on dual-point-of-view sequences to force us to hate, then sympathize with Abby in her personal quest.
The relationship between Dina and Joel
Here's an addition that we particularly like. In the video game, Dina and Joel almost never speak to each other. They have virtually no reason to do so. Just like the fact that Joel goes to see the psychologist, the relationship he has with Dina, which we find to be infinitely fatherly, serves to further humanize the character before his death. All the sequences where the two characters talk, confide in each other, or talk about Ellie were invented by Craig Mazin, to our great delight.
Jackson's Attack
In the video game, Jackson's survivalist colony is also attacked. But in the series, this event has more consequences for the characters than a simple zombie attack. Tommy has a central role in the affair, while he is much less present in the game. This involvement was added by Craig Mazin to show the character's duality between the father of the family and the leader of the town, and to add heroic sequences. Additionally, in The Last of Us Part II, it's only Abby and her gang who are initially targeted by the infected, not the entire city.
The Manhunt
In the series, Ellie leaves the hospital with a single goal: to find Abby and make her pay for Joel's death. She then tries to convince the city council to allocate henchmen to her to undertake her quest, which is refused. She therefore leaves alone, with Dina, before being joined by Jesse and Tommy later. In the game, it is Tommy who leaves Jackson first just a few days after his brother's death. He wants revenge on Abby just as much. Ellie and Dina therefore set off in pursuit of him when they learn that he is trying to reach Seattle. Ellie's role thus moves to the forefront at HBO, making her the driving force behind all the consequences that will follow.
Mel's Death
In the video game, Mel's death serves as a trigger for Ellie's introspection. Before this episode, she spent days killing everyone who stood in her way and prevented her from achieving her goal, more or less in cold blood. In the series, Ellie is portrayed as someone who tries to defend herself and deliver justice, albeit clumsily. The character's intention is therefore not quite the same. To compensate, the scene in the series is much more violent. Indeed, while trying to defend herself from Owen, Ellie fires two bullets from her pistol, one of which kills the man, and the other slits Mel's throat. She ends up bleeding to death, while begging Ellie to give birth to her child. Distraught and surprised, Ellie remains motionless as Mel takes her last breath.
In the video game, Ellie actively tries to kill Owen, but Mel intervenes and attacks Ellie, who has no choice but to defend herself as best she can. She then stabs the young woman in the throat. She dies almost instantly, and it's only after she's dead that Ellie realizes she's pregnant. There's no hope of saving the baby, and no one begs her.
Alice Doesn't Exist (Yet)
If you've played The Last of Us Part II, you know that one character is missing from the cast of this second season. We're talking, of course, about Alice, Abby's faithful dog. The show's creators recently spoke out about this absence, explaining that it would have been "one murder too many." Indeed, the dog, to whom we quickly become attached in the game, ends up dying at the hands of Ellie in the aquarium sequence. This event should therefore have appeared in the last episode of season 2, which already contained a lot of deaths.
0 Comments