I really enjoyed the first episode. I have not read any think pieces and didn’t play the game, so I’m along for the ride with this one. I admit to being an Armageddon backseat driver though. “Why are you doing that!? That’s so stupid! Go back!”
I knew that I would be watching this at least a month ago, just to see if they could pull it off. However, I didn't watch on Sunday night and I've decided to wait and binge.
I agree that Station 11 was a high water mark for the post apocalyptic dystopian genre, I'm pretty sure I started Station 11 before you even mentioned it, Tim — because of the McKenzie Davis of it all (Halt and Catch Fire made me a huge fan). What set that apart from the other shows in this genre was the heart and humanity of it all. It was far less about fun ways to kill a zombie and far more about how people could survive something horrific like this and not only retain but blossom in their humanity.
...and then there's The Walking Dead. Mildly interesting for the first half of the first season then it just became interminable. Very few of the characters were really well drawn (though some became so after more seasons than I was willing to give it, apparently). The protagonist was whiney, his son made me want to throttle him even more that the daughter in the first few episodes of Fleishman and it just went on and on and on. But that wasn't enough, apparently because then Fear the Walking Dead, Walking Dead II: The Heretic and, of course The Walking Dead vs The Wolfman. They kept promising that they would end the reign of mediocrity but it. Just. Kept, Going.
The Strain was an interesting show that seemed to have a sense of what it was and it was fine.
No one has mentioned it, but for shows that are derived from other sources, I actually really enjoyed Showtime's Let The Right One In. Compelling characters and a "monster" that possessed more compassion and humanity than many of the "normal" people that populated that world. Check this one out.
I'm glad you wrote the spoiler-free 2, er, 1 Episode Test™ because it's confirmed that I'm gonna enjoy the time I spend with The Last of Us in a few weeks!
Buzz was also reason why I decided to give a chance to “The last of us” right away. I enjoyed the pilot well enough and I’ll give it a season. Having finished reading “Entangled Life: The phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller exploring how fungi make our worlds, change our minds and shape our futures” by Merlin Shledrake, in December, I was already aware of those powerful terrifying properties mushrooms have of which the show makes us aware at the very beginning. Cool they went that way. But not knowing anything about the videogame, I am blissfully ignorant of all mythology: FEDRA, Fireflies, I’ll learn along the way. So far I can say I like it much more than The Walking Dead which was always too misogynist to me to be able to stomach it. Station Eleven on the other hand gave me more of a sense that the world had ended for real. This reality looks more like a war-time that eventually will pass. I love the casting. I am not sure about the “morals” or the show yet, but I am curious to see what it tells me about life and death and all the darkness and light ideas.
I'll be watching but I'm already fairly convinced after the first episode that there's no way it can match the profound humanity of Station Eleven. For one, it already feels quite a bit more dystopian/nihilistic. That's the thing I wish people who don't think they can handle Station Eleven understood: that it's actually not dystopian at all (though it is incredibly sad), but instead quite a hopeful show.
I am, for some reason, drawn to post apocalyptic shows (love Station Eleven) and was eagerly awaiting "The Last of Us," although with a bit of apprehension because it was based on a video game which I am not interested in. I was not disappointed and enjoyed it very much. I think the reason I like these type of shows is seeing what the imagination of the creators can conjure up as to the new world the story inhabits and how the inhabitants survive in it. I will definitely be watching this one. Will you be doing this as a box set, Tim?
I'm in but I'm a gamer and a sci fi fan so this hits me directly. That said, this episode did a great job of drawing me in with characters of interest and a plot dump without feeling like a plot dump. Great start
Yay! I also watched the pilot of this show. It feels like it might be a monoculture show. Like if you decide to write about this show in the future I won’t be mad! I have watched Station Eleven but not The Walking Dead. I don’t play video games. I have to say that I am reading a lot from gamer fans of the show and ... it’s a little grating. How do I say nicely: I don’t care how it compares to the game!
I thought episode 1 was solid but I feel like the good part is still to come. As in our 2 main characters interacting. We only got a few minutes of that at the end. I felt the strength of episode 1 was about his daughter Sarah. You really cared about her and knew who she was {SPOILER} by the time we lost her. That was smart storytelling. Joel misses her but we do too.
Part of the sequences felt like a video game and apparently (sigh) it was the video game. I was not jazzed by that. I feel like Hollywood needs to stop crashing airplanes during pandemics. That’s not a thing. At the least it would crash at the airport because they have instruments that can fly a plane. Also: it was missing some Shakespeare. Yup. Now that I have watched Station Eleven I think all apocalypses should be accompanied by a few lines by Will.
This was a fantastic first episode. The tone is just right, Pascal is perfect in the role, the music was great, and the camera work was good without being flashy. I will be interested to see if Bella Ramsey can pull off the lighter, less intense, parts of the story...we already know she can play mean and nasty. But, in the game, Ellie is not a dark, angsty character. She is pretty light-hearted for a lot of it. Just a kid, you know? I do like how the show has deviated from the game already and made something *better* in the process. I think this bodes well for the series.
First episode convinced me ... wife and I are in for the long haul. Just had a thought, as I considered other zombie shows/movies. No one talks about The Strain (virus/vampires, but yeah, zombies). I'm not saying it was great, but it lasted four seasons and didn't overstay its welcome. Guillermo del Toro was one of the creators, and he's a noteworthy artist with "buzz". But five years later, it never comes up in conversation.
I really enjoyed the first episode. I have not read any think pieces and didn’t play the game, so I’m along for the ride with this one. I admit to being an Armageddon backseat driver though. “Why are you doing that!? That’s so stupid! Go back!”
I knew that I would be watching this at least a month ago, just to see if they could pull it off. However, I didn't watch on Sunday night and I've decided to wait and binge.
I agree that Station 11 was a high water mark for the post apocalyptic dystopian genre, I'm pretty sure I started Station 11 before you even mentioned it, Tim — because of the McKenzie Davis of it all (Halt and Catch Fire made me a huge fan). What set that apart from the other shows in this genre was the heart and humanity of it all. It was far less about fun ways to kill a zombie and far more about how people could survive something horrific like this and not only retain but blossom in their humanity.
...and then there's The Walking Dead. Mildly interesting for the first half of the first season then it just became interminable. Very few of the characters were really well drawn (though some became so after more seasons than I was willing to give it, apparently). The protagonist was whiney, his son made me want to throttle him even more that the daughter in the first few episodes of Fleishman and it just went on and on and on. But that wasn't enough, apparently because then Fear the Walking Dead, Walking Dead II: The Heretic and, of course The Walking Dead vs The Wolfman. They kept promising that they would end the reign of mediocrity but it. Just. Kept, Going.
The Strain was an interesting show that seemed to have a sense of what it was and it was fine.
No one has mentioned it, but for shows that are derived from other sources, I actually really enjoyed Showtime's Let The Right One In. Compelling characters and a "monster" that possessed more compassion and humanity than many of the "normal" people that populated that world. Check this one out.
I'm glad you wrote the spoiler-free 2, er, 1 Episode Test™ because it's confirmed that I'm gonna enjoy the time I spend with The Last of Us in a few weeks!
Buzz was also reason why I decided to give a chance to “The last of us” right away. I enjoyed the pilot well enough and I’ll give it a season. Having finished reading “Entangled Life: The phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller exploring how fungi make our worlds, change our minds and shape our futures” by Merlin Shledrake, in December, I was already aware of those powerful terrifying properties mushrooms have of which the show makes us aware at the very beginning. Cool they went that way. But not knowing anything about the videogame, I am blissfully ignorant of all mythology: FEDRA, Fireflies, I’ll learn along the way. So far I can say I like it much more than The Walking Dead which was always too misogynist to me to be able to stomach it. Station Eleven on the other hand gave me more of a sense that the world had ended for real. This reality looks more like a war-time that eventually will pass. I love the casting. I am not sure about the “morals” or the show yet, but I am curious to see what it tells me about life and death and all the darkness and light ideas.
I'll be watching but I'm already fairly convinced after the first episode that there's no way it can match the profound humanity of Station Eleven. For one, it already feels quite a bit more dystopian/nihilistic. That's the thing I wish people who don't think they can handle Station Eleven understood: that it's actually not dystopian at all (though it is incredibly sad), but instead quite a hopeful show.
I am, for some reason, drawn to post apocalyptic shows (love Station Eleven) and was eagerly awaiting "The Last of Us," although with a bit of apprehension because it was based on a video game which I am not interested in. I was not disappointed and enjoyed it very much. I think the reason I like these type of shows is seeing what the imagination of the creators can conjure up as to the new world the story inhabits and how the inhabitants survive in it. I will definitely be watching this one. Will you be doing this as a box set, Tim?
I'm in but I'm a gamer and a sci fi fan so this hits me directly. That said, this episode did a great job of drawing me in with characters of interest and a plot dump without feeling like a plot dump. Great start
Yay! I also watched the pilot of this show. It feels like it might be a monoculture show. Like if you decide to write about this show in the future I won’t be mad! I have watched Station Eleven but not The Walking Dead. I don’t play video games. I have to say that I am reading a lot from gamer fans of the show and ... it’s a little grating. How do I say nicely: I don’t care how it compares to the game!
I thought episode 1 was solid but I feel like the good part is still to come. As in our 2 main characters interacting. We only got a few minutes of that at the end. I felt the strength of episode 1 was about his daughter Sarah. You really cared about her and knew who she was {SPOILER} by the time we lost her. That was smart storytelling. Joel misses her but we do too.
Part of the sequences felt like a video game and apparently (sigh) it was the video game. I was not jazzed by that. I feel like Hollywood needs to stop crashing airplanes during pandemics. That’s not a thing. At the least it would crash at the airport because they have instruments that can fly a plane. Also: it was missing some Shakespeare. Yup. Now that I have watched Station Eleven I think all apocalypses should be accompanied by a few lines by Will.
Yes definitely going to watch more!
This was a fantastic first episode. The tone is just right, Pascal is perfect in the role, the music was great, and the camera work was good without being flashy. I will be interested to see if Bella Ramsey can pull off the lighter, less intense, parts of the story...we already know she can play mean and nasty. But, in the game, Ellie is not a dark, angsty character. She is pretty light-hearted for a lot of it. Just a kid, you know? I do like how the show has deviated from the game already and made something *better* in the process. I think this bodes well for the series.
First episode convinced me ... wife and I are in for the long haul. Just had a thought, as I considered other zombie shows/movies. No one talks about The Strain (virus/vampires, but yeah, zombies). I'm not saying it was great, but it lasted four seasons and didn't overstay its welcome. Guillermo del Toro was one of the creators, and he's a noteworthy artist with "buzz". But five years later, it never comes up in conversation.