HBO Secretly Revealed The Last Of Us’ First Big Change – Screen Rant

HBO’s upcoming series, The Last of Us will adapt the critically acclaimed game of the same name, but this adaptation will have changes that will alter the story. In the show’s first look, HBO shows early footage of The Last of Us series starring Pedro Pascal, of The Mandalorian, playing Joel, and Bella Ramsey who plays his daughter, Ellie, creating much buzz around the upcoming show. Though brief, this clip also inadvertently reveals one big change HBO is making to the original story.

HBO’s The Last of Us follows Joel and Ellie, two survivors traveling together during an apocalyptic outbreak of zombie-like creatures. The show’s first look opens with the characters crossing a bridge during wintertime. However, in The Last of Us games, Joel is on the brink of death during Winter, having sustained heavy injuries after he and Ellie were ambushed by bandits. The time of year, and the Winter setting, is a significant point in The Last of Us games, as it leads to the player controlling Ellie instead of Joel for the first time.

While it is not currently getting as much backlash as the show’s casting choices, Joel not being injured during Winter is a big deal, since Joel’s injuries drive the back half of the original story. If Joel is not injured during Winter, it is unclear if Ellie’s point of view will be featured, or if Joel will become wounded some other way or time, and how this affects their encounter with a group of cannibals. HBO having Joel uninjured during Winter in their adaptation of The Last of Us has big ramifications, and it will inevitably beget more changes as a result.

What HBO’s The Last Of Us Winter Change Could Mean

With Joel appearing to be uninjured during Winter in the first look at HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us adaptation, some details of the series’ plot are now unclear due to the change. The most obvious question is: if Joel is not injured at the end of Fall, when and how will he sustain his injuries? The universe of The Last of Us is volatile enough that there are plenty of ways Joel might be injured. One possibility is that his wounds could be inflicted by David and his group of cannibals, who The Last of Us cast encountered during the Winter period in the original game. This would allow David to take a central role as an antagonist in the adaptation, in addition to creating a heightened sense of tension as Ellie tries to free Joel.

HBO changing the circumstances of Joel’s injuries in their adaptation creates another, more indirect change to the original story, affecting Ellie’s role in the latter half of The Last of Us. Winter marks the first time the story is told through Ellie’s eyes as she takes centre stage while Joel rests and recovers, which gives Ellie a level of responsibility she hadn’t possessed up to that point. Ellie being taken into custody by David and having to kill him to escape is a major character moment for her, but these events are indirectly a result of Joel’s injuries. It would be difficult for these events to transpire if Joel is not injured during Winter in HBO’s The Last of Us, leaving Ellie’s potential character development ambiguous. Though it’s a seemingly small change, HBO’s The Last of Us seeing Joel not be injured during Winter will have major effects on the show’s story. Joel’s injuries start a domino effect and having him healthy in Winter leaves many details unclear, including Ellie’s role.

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