The Last of Us’ HBO show is one of the greatest video game to TV adaptations we have seen so far. But what were some of the crucial changes that writers Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin made that helped the source material/story shine on TV?
Most of the video game stories that have been adapted to TV or movies have had somewhat of a flat delivery or strayed too far from the source material to keep original fans engaged.
Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and “Chernobyl” director Craig Mazin seem to have struck the perfect balance between making The Last of Us story resonate emotionally with new viewers, as well as doing the iconic video game the justice it deserves.
What changed from The Last of Us game?
While some cutscenes were almost word-for-word parallels with moments in the TV show, there are a few major narrative changes that kept everyone guessing and were welcomed by fans for this new format.
Let’s dive into what made these key improvements so special and why the writers opted to make them happen.
The Cordecyps introduction
Druckmann and Mazin managed to pull off one of the most simple, but chilling, opening scenes imaginable in the zombie and apocalypse genre. Similar TV shows and films usually require a lot from the audience for them to buy in and believe in the premise.
However, in The Last of Us TV series adaptation, the introduction is a simple, yet powerful warning of real science that could follow the Earth’s warming. The potential of a fungus, such as cordyceps, rapidly evolving and infecting the global population is very real, leaving room to exaggerate the damage it can cause.
Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin revealed, in TLOU Podcast, that they had waited until the final weeks before filming wrapped, before ultimately making these changes to this opening scene. “Seeing it edited, I loved it,” said Druckmann, “As a fan, it catches you off guard. Everything you think you know about this, you don’t know about this.
“Because of that opening, there’s a tension that just hanging in the air,” he added, explaining that the following scenes in the first episode were more impactful on the viewers.
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Getting to know Sarah
Nico Parker deserves a ton of credit for her performance in capturing Sarah’s innocence and likeability in the opening episode of the Last of Us. One of the best changes they made from the game, is simply that we got to see more of Sarah’s character interacting with others before the outbreak.
Seeing Joel and his daughter connect more with each other, as well as Sarah’s visit to the Adlers and her trip to the city. These changes made it all the more emotional for viewers when that inevitable confrontation with the soldier took place.
It was a wise decision by Druckmann and Mazin to make the most of Parker in the role and they also managed to set up the subtle clues for how the outbreak was forming around them.
Of course, the theory behind the fungus spreading through grain-based foods has since been confirmed, and taking this extended opportunity with characters pre-outbreak allowed the writers to leave so many great easter eggs for people to discuss and look back on.
Bill and Frank relationship
Perhaps the biggest change made to the original story was everything that happened between Bill and Frank. In the game, we find Bill completely on his own and alive by the time Ellie and Joel reach his town.
In HBO’s rendition, we instead receive a masterful non-linear recap that fills in the backstory for everyone’s favorite prepper and his partner Frank.
The third episode highlighted the love between Bill and Frank, and was a great opportunity to better understand the motives of what it is to be a human living in this post-apocalyptic world. The basic needs for purpose and company shine through these characters in unique ways as their relationship develops.
Frank’s desire for more company is what ties their story in with the other characters and gives us further insight into how Joel and Tess cared for each other, despite seeming so numb and calloused in the Boston QZ.
Sam vs Kansas City Hunters
The choice to explain Sam and Henry’s backstory in greater detail was another key improvement made by The Last of Us’ writer duo.
In the game, we understand that Sam and Henry are not too welcome in the city but it’s not exactly clear as to what happened before. Now, we understand the sacrifices and obstacles that Same and Henry have already had to face, making it clear why they were so wary of Joel and Ellie, initially.
Strong performances from Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce, Tommy’s voice actor from the games, truly gave us a good sense of how militant and capable the people were to overthrow FEDRA and control Kansas City. As well as how dangerous they were to Joel and Ellie’s mission.
Once again, this format allowed the writers to deeper explore who Sam and Henry were. And, it really captured how, despite all of the hazards they faced, Henry and Ellie were still just kids trying to grow up in the world.
The quiet moments
While there are some moments for the characters to interact in-game, on the way to the next point of interest or horde of infected, the TV show gave us plenty of great downtime moments.
Some of the best examples of Joel and Ellie’s character development come while they are sitting around a campfire, lying in sleeping bags, or just idly strolling through the wasteland.
Whether it is laughing at puns or reflecting on their journey, getting more of these moments with the characters gave us a deeper understanding of how they are feeling and evolving in front of us.
One common theme amongst these improvements and changes is that fans of the original story were given a better understanding of Joel and Ellie, as well as the tertiary characters that they came across.
These key changes made it easy for ss to resonate with these characters on TV and feel what was at stake for each of them, despite missing out on the interactivity that was there in the video game.