One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received was being told that you can’t please everyone. There will be people who agree with you and love what you do, and others who are indifferent or hate it. Either way, their opinions shouldn’t stop you from creating. This is sound advice when it comes to HBO’s The Last of Us.
Due to changes from the source material, HBO’s hit show has received criticism from fans of the PlayStation game. There have been changes to the story like Joel’s panic attacks, Abby not being built like a tank, and the infected invading Jackson.
As a fan of the video game, I can acknowledge that I didn’t like some of the alterations. Nevertheless, it’s an amazing show that stayed true to the important parts of the story. While modifications have upset some fans, there have been some that have been particularly vocal about their dislike of the show. Star Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie on the show, has the perfect response:
“You don’t have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again.”
During an interview on The Awardist, Ramsey discussed what people are saying about the show and their disdain for the changes. And, for someone so young, they had a great response. “There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. The show is out. There’s nothing that can be changed or altered. So I’m like, there’s not really any point in reading or looking at anything.” That mentality will serve them well beyond acting. And, to be quite honest, they’re 100% right.
"People are of course entitled to their opinions. But it doesn’t affect the show, it doesn’t affect how the show continues or anything in any way. They’re very separate things to me. So no, I just don’t really engage."Bella Ramsey
You’re always going to have critics when it comes to movies based on comic books and video games. As someone who loves superhero projects, I’m not immune to annoyances. For example: I believed that Cyclops should have been in X-Men: First Class. However, rather than be overly critical, I accept things for what they are and enjoyed the film.
When it comes to The Last of Us, the creators were aware that some things needed to change in order for the show to work. They said so throughout the program’s official podcast. One of the big things they pointed out was how certain moments are great for someone with a controller, but they don’t translate well outside of that. So, like Bella Ramsey said, you can always go back and play the game or go to YouTube and watch clips.
"If you want your work to continue to be better, if you want to grow as a writer, you have to constantly gut check and go, 'Can I make this better? Can I make this more authentic? Can I make the tension greater? Can I make the feelings deeper? And how can I honor the characters best?' And that's who you're serving more than anybody else."Halley Gross
Lastly, there are two things people should know. First, the creators stated that they’re going to use the same formula going forward into season 3. Craig Mazin said, “And moments are coming up in season 3, where I am so excited to replicate through adaptation because it will be different anyway.” So, if you’re expecting them to stop switching things up for the TV series, you’ll be disappointed.
Second, co-creator of PlayStation’s The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann, is leaving the show. That could lead to more alterations to the story. Like we’ve seen so far, some of them will be great; sometimes they won’t. Regardless, you have the option of watching or not. Either way, do what Patrick Swayze said in Roadhouse, and be nice.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media sites Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more news, opinions, and rumors on The Last of Us as they come out.