Lost in the Darkness... and Looking for the Light in The Last of Us Adaptation

Although novels and comic books are often adapted for film and television, video games have also become a source for filmmakers. Yet, live-action video game adaptations have rarely found success in Hollywood. Adapting a game requires more than recreating familiar characters or environments; it requires understanding why players are connected to the story in the first place. Because gamers experience the narrative by actively placing themselves in a character’s role, removing that effect can lead to criticism from fans who feel they know the story better than the producers. In Henry Jenkin’s essay “The Walking Dead: Adapting Comics,” he argues that adaptations work best when producers honor the “ground rules” while still allowing creators the freedom to explore new paths (p. 390). HBO’s The Last of Us demonstrates both sides of this balance. It follows many of the game’s ground rules while also taking creative risks… but I argue that The Last of Us shows both how video game adaptations can succeed and where they can fail when that balance is lost.

Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie

 When HBO released The Last of Us as a live-action series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, fans were skeptical but intrigued, especially knowing that Druckmann, who created the original game, was directly involved. And Pedro Pascal, a fan favorite, had been cast as Joel. Viewers tuning into the premiere were immediately met with familiar details: the opening credits featured the game’s iconic theme composed by Gustavo Santaolalla and included visuals of the Cordyceps spreading, resembling the game’s opening screen. Although the opening sequence had a slightly different style, the effect was the same and fans recognized the world instantly. Season One quickly became a major success. As Selome Hailu from Variety reports, “When The Last of Us debuted in January, it trailed House of the Dragon to become the second most-watched HBO premiere in over a decade with 4.7 million viewers.” (Hailu). Much of this interest came from fans’ strong attachment to the game’s story and characters, and the season was widely praised for its faithfulness to the ground rules Jenkins mentioned. 

Two aspects stood out in particular: the accuracy of the infected—especially the iconic Clickers—and the show’s visual design. In a Reddit thread titled “It’s safe to say they absolutely nailed everything about the Clickers,” one user wrote, “They felt more dangerous than the game IMO…From a look’s perspective, absolutely amazing—effects, makeup, movement, and sound. So good” (u/skippy5403) Another added, “Their clicking sounds automatically brought me back to the game, and I just wanted to hit pause to regain my composure.” The first episode also stayed close to the game’s outbreak scene as Joel, Tommy, and Sarah attempted to escape the city. However, while the series was praised for its visual and audio accuracy, it also introduced the creative freedom for the producers that Jenkins describes. 

Season One, Episode 3 “Long, Long Time,” shifts it’s focused to Bill and Frank, offering a story that’s

Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett in
"Long, Long Time"

different from their portrayal in the video game. In the game, Joel visits Bill to ask for a working vehicle. This segment involves the player following Bill through his booby-trapped abandoned town, fighting infected, and eventually discovering Frank’s corpse in an abandoned house. Bill describes Frank only as a “partner” and expresses his bitterness about their off-screen falling out. Frank also leaves behind a suicide note writing about his dislike for Bill. The game leaves their relationship unseen and emotionally distant. The series keeps the same premise of Bill living in the isolated town, but it now reimagines Bill and Frank as co-owners of the town, building a life together and now—a loving relationship. The audience witnesses their life together from their first meeting to their attempts at normalcy, to their last years together as Frank becomes terminally ill. While the game depicts Frank dying alone by suicide, the series portrays Bill and Frank choosing to die together after deciding they have lived a long, happy life. This episode was widely praised for adding depth to two minor characters and for the performances of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett who captured the desperation of survival and the softness of love in a post-apocalyptic world. Their acting brought a sense of humanity that contrasted with the isolation of the world around them. The episode itself functions like a short film, with a clear beginning (Bill and Frank meeting), middle (their life together and encounter with Joel), and end (their final decision), displaying satisfying pacing. For the remainder of the season, the show continued to have a strong balance of new perspectives with unchanged aspects of the game, particularly in its portrayal of Joel and Ellie’s relationship, which is the driven force of the story. That commitment to balancing remained strong…until Season Two’s arrival. 

In 2020, Naughty Dog released the sequel The Last of Us: Part II. HBO later adapted this in it’s 2025 release of Season Two. The major criticism surrounding the season focuses on Ellie’s characterization and the limitations of Bella Ramsey’s performance. In Season One, Ellie is introduced as a sarcastic and humorous teenage girl which Ramsey was able to portray accurately. However, in the sequel, Ellie shifts into a darker and traumatized character, and this shift is essential to the story. In the video game, Ellie’s personality is shaped by multiple burdens: her grief over Joel’s death, her resentment toward him for lying about her immunity, and the guilt that consumes her and drives her toward revenge against his killer, Abby. 

Bella Ramsey and Ellie side by side

Season two, however, keeps Ellie stuck to her Season One childlike personality. Ramsey’s portrayal leans on those same comedic mannerisms that fail to capture Ellie’s trauma, resulting in a weak characterization. Yet, the responsibility does not fall only on Ramsey. The writing repeatedly portrays Ellie as less capable and more dependent on others, particularly her girlfriend Dina. The show portrays Dina as the brains of their mission, whereas the game depicts their relationship as balanced. In addition, the series often places Ellie in situations where she is rescued by others: Her friend Jessie saves her, she escaped the WLF because of an infected ambush, and she survives the Seraphites due to an WLF ambush. In the game, Ellie rarely needs saving; she fights her way through each situation and survives because of her own skills, not by what conveniently helps her. In a podcast discussing the show, Craig Mazin even describes Dina and Ellie’s relationship as a “parent/child” dynamic (Mazin), rather than the balanced and mutual partnership that was shown in the game. This characterization highlights one of the issues with the adaptation: Mazin writes Ellie as far more immature and dependent than her character in the video game. 

Series and video game comparison
of the porch scene

Another major criticism is the pacing of Ellie’s emotional arc. In the series, Ellie learns the truth about Joel’s lie the day before he dies. In the game, she learns the truth years earlier, giving her time to process it until she ultimately begins trying to forgive him—only for him to be killed a day after that decision. This timing is significant and highlights the tragedy of losing the chance to properly reconcile with Joel. The series removes this buildup. Ellie simply suspects Joel is lying, behaves bitterly towards him, learns the truth about his lie right before his death, becomes briefly angry, and then immediately tells him she wants to try forgiving him. Another issue with this scene is that the series places it in Episode Four, where it risks being forgotten by Season Three. In the game, however, this moment appears at the very end, giving players the understanding that Ellie was ready to try forgiving Joel, which explains her revenge once that chance is taken from her. Although this change may seem small, it removes that emotional impact for the audience. 

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

The writers also reveal key information too early. This issue becomes clear in Abby’s introduction to the series. In the game, Abby kills Joel before the player knows anything about her. The suddenness of the murder leaves the audience just as shocked and angry as Ellie. The game intentionally hides Abby’s perspective until much later, allowing players to experience Ellie’s vengeance first. The show, however, has Abby deliver a monologue explaining who she is and why she is there far too early. Instead of letting viewers feel Ellie’s rage, the series asks them to empathize with Abby before the story is ready for that shift. The show also alters the reactions of Abby’s friends during Joel’s death scene. In the game, their discomfort and hesitance towards Joel’s death is revealed after Ellie has killed them, forcing players to face their own feelings about her violence. The series shows their discomfort too early, allowing them to be empathized with and making us feel conflicted about Ellie’s actions from the beginning. This again takes the depth away from Ellie and prevents the audience from inhabiting her rage and grief. 

Ultimately, exploring new perspectives can enhance an adaptation, but those changes should stay consistent with the emotional core of the original story. “Ground rules” do not only refer to the small details, but they also include the tone, relationships, motivations, and pacing that shape the story. Season Two of The Last of Us does not fail because it changes plot points; it fails because it loses sight of the relationships and depth that defined the game. When an adaptation with a dedicated fanbase fails, it doesn’t just lose viewers—it loses trust.

Works Cited:

Selome Hailu, “’The Last of Us’ Season 1 Finale Scores 8.2 Million Viewers, Reaching series High Despite Oscars Competition,’” Variety, March 13, 2023.

u/skippy5403, Comment on “It’s safe to say they absolutely nailed everything about the Clickers,” Reddit r/ThelastofusHBOseries, posted three years ago.

u/jlynn00, Comment on “It’s safe to say they absolutely nailed everything about the Clickers,” Reddit r/ThelastofusHBOseries, posted three years ago.

Craig Mazin, “The Last of Us Official Podcast: HBO Max”, The Last of Us Podcast, April 27, 2025.\

Henry Jenkins, “The Walking Dead: Adapting Comics,” in How to Watch Television, edited by Ethan Thompson and Jason Mittell, NYU Press, 2020.