Thomas Hoffmann
The first season of The Last Of Us came to an end. Prior to the premiere of the eighth and final episode, the biggest doubt was whether Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, showrunners of the series, would respect the closure of the game. That “fear” came about because, as you probably know, the production took the liberty of changing some events.
In the case of the ending, however, it was kept almost identical to the one in The Last Of Us Part 1; except for certain details that are of little consequence. However, in an interview with GQ, Craig Mazin acknowledged that they considered extending it slightly..
Both the series and the game end when Joel lies to Ellie about what happened with the Fireflies. The scene, filled with tension because of the obvious falsehood in the facts told by Joel, ends abruptly. Nevertheless, Ali Abbasi, director of the final episode, wanted to continue the sequence by showing how both characters walk to Jackson apart.; denoting that Ellie was not entirely convinced of what she had heard.
“Ali Abbasi, our director, had considered a slightly longer, sadder version where Ellie says, ‘It’s okay,’ and then turns and walks away. And Joel looks after her. We see the two of them walking towards Jackson. Not together, but apart. The scene lingers and then it all fades away. There was something beautiful about it.”
Craig Mazin.
To be honest, this slight variation from the end of The Last Of Us Part 1 would have had a positive reception. Especially since it doesn’t alter the narrative, but rather complements it and makes it clear that Ellie has doubts about Joel.
Why didn’t they go for the change? According to Mazin himself, the ending of the game carried too much weight in the discussion, which is why they decided not to make any alterations. Certainly, it’s an iconic moment for fans of the franchise, and the seed that gives rise to the events of The Last of Us Part 2.
Mazin even mentions that they put themselves on the feet of the fans. What would they think of seeing a different ending, would there be a negative reaction? To avoid any inconvenience, then, they opted to stick with the original proposal.
The Last of Us is the premiere of the year and you can only watch it on HBO Max.
On this topic he also spoke out Neil Druckmann, who with Bruce Straley wrote the screenplay of The Last of Us Part 1 At Naughty Dog. The creative mentions a key difference between the game and the series. When they developed the former, they weren’t sure if there would be a sequel. With the TV production, on the other hand, it is known that there will be more seasons. Therefore, the ending is perceived in a different way, mainly by those who already had the opportunity to enjoy the playable experience.
“When we made the game, and that ending came, nobody knew if we were going to make another title. So I think it was easier for people to accept that it is not a cliffhangeris a fitting ending. At this point, they could say: ‘You left us with a cliffhanger‘, as they know the second season is coming up. It will be interesting to see if this means people will have a different reaction.
Neil Druckmann.
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