The first 2 episodes of The Last of Us were fantastic. They set up an interesting world and premise, interesting characters, particularly Ellie and Joel, and did a marvelous job of melding drama and game play. I felt like I was watching something new and groundbreaking. Unfortunately, the season didn't quite live up to the potential of those first episodes.

While each episode on its own was high quality, the transitions were often abrupt. Relationships were often under- or over-emphasized. For instance, episode three focuses on characters tangentially related to the story, but are never seen again. Episode 7 shows a tragic backstory that has already been told and spoiled throughout. Whole other episodes are dedicated to characters and situations that are temporary and incidental, but then characters that are meaningful and have important relationships to Ellie and Joel are glossed over.

The journey across the country was fast and abrupt. I think that the story and relationships, especially Joel and Ellie, needed more time and space to breathe and grow. I think it would also have been helpful to weave in more backstory, especially Joel. They mention his relationships with Tess and Bill, and Marlene and the Fireflies, but the scenes are fleeting and not very illuminating. Everything felt kind of like the last episode-it was excellent, but then just suddenly and unexpectedly ends.

I mention mostly negatives, but still found this entertaining. I just feel like this could have been so much more.