Change Your Image
lewisgreen85
Reviews
The Last of Us: Please Hold to My Hand (2023)
Character and story execution starts to elevate the excellent source material
New and old fans alike will surely be rejoicing with the arrival of each new weekly episode. Going into episode 4 we are now firmly invested in the characters back stories and most viewers will be eagerly anticipating where exactly this dark apocalyptic journey is taking us...
The expert direction and well crafted narrative of "Please Hold to my Hand" builds even further after the joyous half departure from Joel and Ellie in episode 3, and the story shifts smack bang back to the two main protagonists and their perilous journey.
Soundtrack selection continues to enhance the experience and the sweeping cinematography across a baron and broken United States is presented beautifully. There are moments of genuine comedy which fans of the game should relish in (love, love Ellie's humour clashing with Joel's stoic sensibility).
Dont hold your breath or stop paying attention for even half a minute as the mood and environment can suddenly change and the pace shifts gears several times throughout the episodes shorter 45 minute run time.
Viewer 'point of view' does deviate to two new characters not in the original game (Kathleen and Perry), although far less significantly than with the Bill and Frank story. Whilst some may argue these character switches could have been executed more smoothly, by the end of the episode the purpose and impact of them is laid bare. These shifts in POV ultimately result in more enjoyable character development of both Joel and Ellie as we ponder the consequences of their interactions and experiences.
Survival and human desperation begins to be laid bare and the viewer will start to feel the danger and dread facing our two leads from the various threats which have managed to survive in an increasingly helpless portrayal of a broken America
HBO's Last of Us continues to impress, shaping up to be not only be the best ever game to screen adaptation, but one of HBOs finest shows for quite some time. It will surely end up standing alongside their impressive roster of TV successes over the last couple of decades. Cant wait for the rest of it!