I must admit before I go into my full review that I have not actually played the video game from whence the tv show comes. I have seen a few clips here and there so I knew what to expect as far as the visual design of the zombies and the basic plot. But other than that, I was going in pretty blind.

I figured right off the bat that The Last of Us would be similar to most other zombie shows with The Walking Dead being the poster child of the genre. Initially I was pleased within the first episode it covered much of the beginning of the apocalypse. Then it jumps 20 years into the future. This I feel was a wise choice. Rather than rehashing things we have all already seen in TWD and the like, we get to focus on the aftermath of the end of the world.

Unfortunately this intrigue quickly dies off after the first episodes. This show starts off with a bang, but almost immediately becomes soooo boring. The Last Of Us begins putting in filler episodes before we have even got off the ground. With each subsequent episode feelings more like an unrelated sitcom episode from the early 90s. Yes there is a broad overarching storyline tying them together but every episode has a beginning middle and end.. New characters are introduced each week only to have their stories and drama resolved within the same episode. What is the point? There is no intrigue episode to episode without using cheap "cliffhanger" moments to make you want to watch the next episode. It's 2023! I expect better writing than this. Especially from an HBO production, and especially given this show's plethora of source materials.

I have heard that people who have played the game are really enjoying the show .. and its current IMDb score would reflect that. But as someone who came in fairly blind, there is not enough substance to this show to keep me interested. If you want a good zombie show, watch The Walking Dead instead.