The Last of Us

The first season was undeniably phenomenal. One of the best series I've seen in a long while. The characters were developed well, the storyline was amazing, and the drama spectacular. Based on season one alone, I rated the series as a 9 overall. Therefore imagine my surprise when, upon viewing/completing the second season, the overall quality of the series, took and unobstructed nose dive off a cliff. What happened? It couldn't be the death of Joel alone (as he was still used in flashbacks). My biggest gripe is the dumbing down of Ellie. She went from an intelligent and cunning character, to a ignorant annoying little girl in constant need of rescue. This series could have been great, but evidently the creators settles for decent. With season 1 at a rating of 9 and season two a rating of 5, combined the series gets a generous 7.

I think the tittle pretty much sums it up, but a summary of some of my reasons could be that it keeps piling up too many incongruences, or lazy plot delivery, or little originality (too much resident evil... too much), or miscasts... honestly, I'll keep watching (for now) just to see how deep can they dig a hole because honestly, now I can't see an episose without pausing at least 5 times to take a break because it gets painful an unnecessary amount of times.

As a side note for those who read reviews: do you also skip reviews of 10/10? How can you trust the judgement a person that gives a 10 to a Marvel movie for example?

Season 1 was excellent-emotional, intense, and well-acted. I'd give it a solid 8/10. It stayed true to the heart of the game and delivered a compelling story. Unfortunately, Season 2 fell flat. It dragged, lacked real plot progression, and didn't add anything meaningful. I'd give it a 4/10 at best. The shift in tone and pacing just didn't work. Overall, I'd rate the series a 6/10. Like others have said, stop after Season 1. It tells a complete, satisfying story, and going further honestly just weakens the impact. It's really I give it a low rating because season 2 after the first 3 episodes was just boring!

Did they really have to do this.. why would the makers of such a great season 1, will infect themselves to ruin everything for themselves and the viewers... I'm so disgusted...please don't watch season 2 or if you do then just stop after first 2 episodes. That's it.. S1 has left such impressive memories of careful writing, acting, direction and everything. Now it has turned into a teen comedy show .. so unnecessary.. they should've stopped at season 1 for it to be remembered as one of the best apocalypse drama.. even the main character of Ellie has lost all its charisma, valour and personality. Just don't watch if you like S1.

Season 2 of The Last of Us is a textbook example of how a strong foundation can be squandered. What began as a series marked by emotional gravity, narrative precision, and grounded character choices has devolved into a hollow, melodramatic shell of its former self.

The shift in tone is jarring. Where season 1 built tension through moral ambiguity and careful pacing, season 2 leans into teen drama tropes, complete with romantic angst, overacted grief, and emotional scenes that often defy internal logic. The world these characters inhabit is supposedly brutal and unforgiving - yet their decisions increasingly ignore this reality.

Take the central revenge arc. The idea that two young adults - essentially still kids - would set out on a cross-country revenge mission against a group they barely understand, with no intel on terrain, no backup plan, and no clear objective, is absurd. The only rationale offered is "Ellie is immune" - as if that cancels out every tactical and survival risk. You could chalk this up to youthful recklessness, but the way it's presented lacks nuance, weight, or even basic plausibility. It feels lazy, not tragic.

Some moments are outright implausible within the established logic of the world.

Structurally, the season fails completely. Abby, a central character in the second game, only appears in the final scene - setting up "Day One" in Seattle. The game gained emotional complexity by letting players experience the conflict from both sides. The series opts instead for a full season of one-sided buildup with no payoff. It feels like narrative stalling: all setup, no substance.

I never played the games, but I don't need to. What's on screen should stand on its own - and it doesn't. This season abandons the brutal realism that made the world believable, and instead becomes a stylized coming-of-age story in a world that was never meant to be romanticized.

A generous 4/10 - purely out of respect for season 1, and the world that once was.