The Last Of Us reCap(because mushrooms): Bloom of Time

The pilot of the Last Of Us is a story of time and mushrooms. Throughout the first episode, the show takes viewers on three-time hops. We started in 1968, an opening I went into here. The show only visits 1968 briefly, and the characters are not in the game franchise, and as I said earlier, it would be shocking to see them show up again. But it's one of several points in this pilot episode that tells much of the story without wasting a second. As the opening credit scene takes us on an excellent mushroom trip, we digest the dialogue-heavy scene setter. Now we are in 2003, and we get to the start of the video game. It's time to meet the Millers and enjoy Nico Parker's performance as Sarah because anyone who knows the game knows her time with us will be brief. This portion of the pilot lets viewers know this show will be a faithful adaption which is huge for fans of the show. The scenes and setting are straight from the IP.

Pedro Pascal's Joel is excellent casting, as he nails the overworked single dad who loves his daughter more than anything. Mando and The Viper fans will need a minute to adjust to his Texas drawl in this episode. His accent tampers down when the show jumps forward 20 years.

Now the show needs to make you care about Sarah, Joel, and Uncle Tommy as they navigate the world just before the Shitakke-storm starts. Sarah can tell her dad doesn't want to have time to celebrate his birthday, but she still wants to make him feel special, so she takes the bus to a sweaty watchmaker, complete with a look and giggle clock shade they pull down after letting the viewer know something isn't right.

Sarah delivers the gift, overworked dad forgets the cake, and they cutely watch an old movie she stole from the neighbors next door. Now it's time for the action as Joel goes to pick up Tommy from the slammer, and Sarah wakes up to all Hell breaking loose. At this point, we care about the characters and know the "zombie outbreak" scene is about to happen. The pacing is excellent in the introduction of the outbreak as it captures the nervous panic that sets in when helicopters start showing up and the world goes dark.

Old Mrs. Adler is the first victim of the Cordyceps Fungus, which, according to the show's creator, could be a real life problem. You can go down that wormhole on your own. We also learn what kind of zombies we are going to deal with. When discussing zombie shows and movies with friends, I like to use the Shaun of the Dead to 28 Days Later Scale. Shaun of the Dead zombies are slow, stupid, and easy to avoid. These are the zombies I would like to face off against in a zombie apocalypse. 28 Days Later Zombies will hunt you down at full speed, spit blood on you, and rage beat you into submission. If those are the zombies we get in real life, kill me because they are terrifying. The Cordyceps Fungus turn Mrs. Adler, who uses a wheelchair, into a spry 60-something jogger of an enemy. More non-disabled hosts are sprinting and lunging after Joel as he carries Sarah, more on the 28 Days Later real danger type zombie.

Time for the gut punch, folks using a classic zombie movie adage but following through with it. The military is on the scene, and they are not there to help our heroes. Joel is carrying his injured daughter, and the government official gets the order to take them out, no questions asked. Sarah takes her last breaths in her father's arms, and Pascal and Parker's performance makes you feel this death. We've been watching characters die in other characters' arms for years, and this one happens pretty early in the show. I played the game, so I knew this was coming, but the actor's performance made me care even though I was just getting to know them.