I know that I'm supposed to think that this is the best thing on tv in 2023. I don't. The performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are exceptional however. They raise this whole production considerably and they kept me watching until the end of season one when I would otherwise have lost interest a third of the way in. On the negative side even allowing for the fantastical storyline some of the plot twists are just a bit too much of a stretch with Joel at times as indestructible as Schwarzenegger's Terminator and there's occasional elements of the kind of gross violence that sent the Walking Dead down the rabbit hole from which it never recovered. In fairness there is much less of that here and it's balanced with a dialogue and storyline in between such events and with some tender sections along the way. In this regard Episode 3 is superbly done and is almost a standalone film within the series. There's also some accomplished cinematography. Overall Pascal and Ramsey are utterly believable in their roles and we don't doubt their evolving relationship as they proceed on their journey. That was enough to keep me engaged with this first season but I'm not convinced that I'll rush back in to watch if and when a second season emerges.