I have never played the video games, so my review is based entirely on the show. "The Last of Us" has a slow and intense start that kept me on edge. I think that the pilot is the perfect example on how you should build tension and suspense. The show goes on by developing the characters and the first two episodes are well balanced, because they have captivating dialogues and a good adrenaline dose as well. The third one was very discussed. I personally enjoyed it and despite being a bit too long, it was a well crafted filler. The acting by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett was just unbelievably good. It expanded the narration beyond the main storyline. However, I feel that the series took too many bad turns: it often lost the focus with overly long and uninteresting interactions that do not add any value, and it insisted on useless details. The pace is at times way too slow, for the sake of being "deep". A bit more action would benefit the series.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Joel and Ellie. It was interesting and I really cared about them. In general, all the characters were well developed, even the secondary ones, and there were many emotional moments that got me by surprise. Pedro Pascal is always a guarantee when it comes to acting. It is the first time that I see Bella Ramsey; she did overall a good job, even though her acting felt forced at times. After many episodes, I think that she was not the best fit for this role. Finally, the locations and the sets are well realized and they look pretty realistic. I think that this show was way too over acclaimed, due to its popularity, but it suffers from many issues that are common also in "The Walking Dead". Obviously not at the same level, but the boredom is sometimes palpable. With that being said, I definitely recommend the series, especially to fans of the game, but do not expect a big masterpiece, as highlighted by the general rating.