‘The Last Of Us’ Series Pilot Non-Spoiler Review – “When You’re Lost In The Darkness”

Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s long-awaited post-apocalyptic drama television adaptation of the PlayStation/ Naughty Dog video game series, The Last of Us, is finally here. Treated as a television event, this is a series worth the watch for long-time fans and newcomers who are looking for a new zombie-related story post-AMC’s The Walking Dead. Indeed, you will not be disappointed in what HBO and Sony Pictures Television have to offer here. I also have an interview with talent from the series on the way, but more on that at a later time.

The series pilot is titled, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”. It is written for television by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and directed by Craig Mazin.

In this review, I will be discussing the pilot episode of The Last of Us. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion as I will discuss some character developments and some references to the source material, i.e., the 2013 video game.

Please note that I have seen all nine episodes of this first season ahead of the season’s release, with the pilot seen five times. I have also credited as many cast and crew members as I can.

The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 2 Synopsis

According to WarnerBrother Discovery, here is the synopsis for The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 1/ Pilot–“When You’re Lost in the Darkness”.

Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel and Tess are tasked with a mission that could change everything.

WarnerMedia

Discussion

At an hour and twenty-one minutes, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” makes for a pretty sweet pilot for The Last of Us. It almost plays out as if a television film with the runtime it is given. The series’ introductory title logo sequence is fantastic. It is presented a lot like the logo sequences for HBO’s prior two series, Game of Thrones and Westworld. Much like the latter show, The Last of Us‘s logo sequence exhibits the spread of a vicious entity (Cordyceps) that takes over the entire planet, further indicating a connectedness between humans and nature. (Although Westworld Season 4 conveyed a connection between humans and technology.)

Fleming’s musical composition is chilling and intense. For example, we have the road scene from the Miller home to the outside of the restaurant that takes place during the outbreak of the Cordyceps pandemic. The scoring complements the series’ narrative by showcasing the severity of the situation at large.

Paino’s production designs of Austin, Texas as well as the Boston quarantine zone (QZ) are remarkable. I love how he is able to adapt the story from the video game to the television screen through the use of set pieces. Not only do we see the Miller family’s home, but the production designs also allow us to see the neighborhood. The same thing can be said about the Boston QZ, which has more to offer in the series, such as a stage for hanging criminals or a restaurant for civilians.

Adapting the Story

In terms of Mazin and Druckmann bringing the video game to life, there are some changes and omission that the television series possesses. If you have played the 2013 video game along with its summer 2020 sequel, then you know what to expect. All I can say to that is: if you know, you know. This will be the premise of all nine of my reviews of The Last of Us Season 1, the pilot episode included.

When I say that the HBO/ Sony Pictures Television series is a merit worthy adaptation, I mean it. With all the characters that the first video game introduces, each episode allows for the secondary characters to grow and give the audience a backstory of their own.

The pilot is interesting in that it opens with Sarah Miller (Nico Parker) waking up in bed in the morning, as opposed to the video game iteration waking up at night. This episode guides us through her day and the omens that she encounters such as her English literature/ language arts classroom assignment, where she writes: “Where are you going?” or when she loses her neighbors’ dog, Mercy. I must commend the writers for giving us more reason to like Sarah and why her life and role in Joel Miller’s (Pedro Pascal) own life matters.

Just as appreciative is how the writers stay beat for beat with the video game’s course of events, such as Sarah gifting her father his birthday present or when Joel brings Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to his hideout.

Other Additions and Changes

One interesting bit about the pilot is how it opens with an all-too-familiar lesson on what a pandemic is, and how viruses define the change of humankind and humanity. This prologue — or the prologue to the prologue, if the 2003 portion counts — builds up the tension that the series has in store for itself. This introductory scene enlists Josh Brener from HBO’s previous television program, Silicon Valley, in which he plays a character who does not hold as much gravity as his ABC Networks talk show host does in this pilot.

Whist’s special effects and Wang’s visual effects are incredible. In the pilot, we see how tendrils could be just as terrifying in the show as the spores were in the video games. We do not see much infected individuals present in this season as the series focuses more on Joel and Ellie’s journey. Of course, more on that as the season progresses.

Easter Eggs

The series — as many other video game adaptations do — features allusions to elements and references present throughout the video game series. Curtis and Viper 2 is a fictional film that is referenced twice in the pilot: once as a DVD, and a second time as a poster as Joel watches Tess (Anna Torv) speak to someone at a restaurant in the Boston QZ. This movie is referenced in video game series, notably at the beginning of The Last of Us Part II. Here, Ellie (Ashley Johnson) and Dina (Shannon Woodward) talk about their plans for the night as they are out scavenging some houses together during the day.

When we first see Joel entering his apartment, sunlight shines through the window, and we can see specks of dust in the air. This could be reminiscent of the first video game’s opening menu. Also present in the room, as seen later in the episode, are gadgets and trinkets. This is the closest to Joel’s inventory that he uses to upgrade his weapons.

The Crew Behind The Last of Us

The Last of Us is created for television by Mazin and Druckmann.

Greg Spence and Cecil O’Connor serve as the producers of the series. Jacqueline Lesko is the co-executive producer. Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Evan Wells (Naughty Dog), Carolyn Strauss, Druckmann, and Mazin are the executive producers.

Ksenia Sereda serves as the cinematographer for the pilot, while Timothy A. Good is the editor. Joel T. Pashby is the additional editor. Paul Kang, Emily Mendez, Tim Kuper, Ben Cook, and Andrew McGivney are the assistant editors.

Gustavo Santaolalla and David Fleming score the music for The Last of Us. Michael J. Benavente is the supervising sound editor, while Christopher Battaglia and Chris Terhune are the sound designers.

Evyen J. Klean (Game of Thrones, Watchmen, Euphoria, Scenes from a Marriage, Peacemaker, House of the Dragon) and Ian Broucek (Peacemaker, Orphan: First Kill) are the music supervisors. Maarten Hofmeijer serves as the music editor. From PlayStation Studios, Scott Hanau serves as the score supervisor. Evan M. Greenspan does the music licensing for the show.

Corinne Clark and Jennifer Page are the Canadian casting directors for the series. Megan Bayliss serves as the Canadian casting associate, while Elizabeth Brown is a casting associate. Alyson Lockwood is the extras casting director.

Denton Edge serves as the stunt double for Joel, while Ty Provost, Chad Cosgrave, and Jeff Sanca are the stunt doubles for Tommy. Kailey Hyman plays the stunt double for Sarah. Samara Von Rad and Andrea Ross are the stunt doubles for Nana Adler, while Taryn Roberts is the stunt double for Ellie.

Aesthetics

John Paino serves as the production designer. Don Macaulay and Nico Lepage are the supervising art directors.

Callum Webster, Harrison Yurkiw, Stevo Bedford, Andrew Moreau, and Nathan Blackie are the art directors for the pilot. Hitoshi Okamoto and Matt Vest serve as assistant art directors. Paul Healy is the set decorator, while Jason Coxworthy, Alan McCullagh, and Alex Lingnau serve as the assistant set decorators.

Cynthia Ann Summers is the costume designer for the series. Kelsey Chobotar and Benjamin Toner are assistant costume designers. Chris Glimsdale is the head of the hair department, while Connie Parker (Scary Movie 3, Legion, Bad Times at the El Royale) is the head of the makeup department.

Joel Whist is the special effects supervisor. Alex Wang is the visual effects supervisor, while Sean Nowlan is the VFX producer. Luke Botteron is the VFX editor, while Baljot Bhatti and Ryan Faulkner are the VFX assistant editors.

The Cast of The Last of Us

Bella Ramsey portrays Ellie, the female protagonist of the series. Pedro Pascal portrays Joel Miller, a survivor of the Cordyceps outbreak and the main male protagonist.

John Hannah and Christopher Heyerdahl (Peacemaker) guest star as Dr. Neuman and Dr. Schoenheiss, two respective scientists being interviewed in the late-1960s. Josh Brener (Silicon Valley, Star Wars Resistance, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) portrays an ABC Networks talk show host.

Nico Parker portrays Sarah Miller, Joel’s daughter. Gabriel Luna portrays Tommy Miller, Joel’s younger brother. Brad Leland and Marcia Bennett portray Danny and Connie Adler, two neighbors of the Miller family, respectively.

Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) plays Marlene, a role the actor also played in the video game series. Brendan Fletcher (Freddy vs. Jason, Violent Night) plays Robert. Jerry Wasserman appears in the pilot. Anna Torv plays Tess, Joel’s companion and partner-in-crime.

Wendy Gorling co-stars as Nana Adler, an elderly neighbor of the Miller family. Jessica Belbin plays Mrs. Lauterstein, Sarah’s high school teacher. Haysam Kadri and Sarah Himadeh play Nasir and Tahira, two respective owners of a Lebanese clock repair shop called Lone Star Watch and Jewelry. Caitlin Howden plays Denise, the Millers and Adlers’ neighbor.

Max Montesi plays Lee. Natasha Mumba plays Kim, Marlene’s second-in-command. Gina Louise Phillips plays a medic. Taylor St. Pierre is credited as “Buzzcut”. Ryan D. Clarke plays a soldier.

Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah plays a kind FEDRA soldier. Logan Pierce plays the boy who stumbles onto the front gates of the Boston quarantine zone. Corina Akeson plays a sooty-faced woman who works with Joel. Jason Burkart plays a FEDRA Foreman, while Andrea Greening plays FEDRA Officer. Arran Henn plays a newscaster.

Performances and Character Developments

Parker is a rare gem as Sarah Miller, and I would be remiss if I did not point to her uncanny resemblance to her mother, Thandiwe Newton. Perhaps there is something in the actor’s eyes that suggests a sort of innocence that the character represents. Sarah is much like her father in the fact that she is curious, caring, and daring. However, I cannot help but note the small indication that she could take on her father’s killer instincts. There is one original scene in the episode where she gazes curiously at her father’s pocket knife. For a moment, even the audience is in wonder at what is going through her head.

Luna is just as great as Tommy. The character is introduced much like how he was in the video game. As someone who has been a fan of the actor since his time as Robbie Reyes/ Ghost Rider in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luna makes for a fantastic Tommy. However, it is a shame we do not see much of him in this pilot. Fortunately, he appears in at least one or two other episodes in the season. I do hope to see more of his backstory in the future as Tommy played a key role in Joel and Ellie’s lives during The Last of Us Part II.

Fireflies

Dandridge is radical in her reprisal as Marlene. She is hard and tough on the outside, letting nobody get into her head. As was the case with the first game, I only wish there was more to the character to gain. She does get some backstory in the first season finale, which we will get to eventually. However, I do not feel like that gives Marlene enough justice in terms of development.

Mumba is a mysterious character as Marlene’s second-in-command figure, Kim. As an original character for the franchise, I enjoy her presence in the adaptation. I am curious as to what her fate is since we kind of do not see her after this pilot. This does leave open the possibility of Kim’s return to the series in the future, perhaps as someone who aids Abby in her own quest for action. Maybe Kim will follow in Marlene’s footsteps and become a leader of her own. I just do not know enough about this character to piece together what she may be capable of, so for now, it is just mere curiosity.

The Survivors

Pascal is an outstanding performance as Joel Miller. While, yes, he does not sound like Troy Baker’s version of the character, the actor appears and acts very much like the video game iteration of Joel to a science. Glimsdale and Parker’s respective hair and makeup do a mighty fine job of bringing the character to life. On the other hand, the writers give Joel more development to deal with. Mazin and Druckmann imbue him with the tremors and the trauma that allow him to tap into his killer side.

Ramsey as Ellie is quite the talent in this pilot. In the rest of the series, they are just a mirror reflection of the video game character. However, in this first episode, they seem to mark a special departure from what we know Ellie to be. Notably, there is a scene or two that they share with Dandridge’s Marlene that I found to be rather emotional given the context of Ellie’s background.

One thing to consider while watching this first season is the actor’s dynamic with Pascal. In Joel, Ellie finds herself a parent figure that she never had beforehand, and this is where their relationship begins. Ramsey is able to balance the silliness and seriousness of Ellie that we see in the first game, and in the rest of the season, this only gets better.

Final Thoughts on The Last of Us Pilot

The Last of Us has some promising plots to tell ahead of its first episode. While many may have doubts about this adaptation, they will come to find that it lies in good hands. Mazin and Druckmann know how to bring the tragic story of Joel Miller to life, and at the same time, sprinkle on some levity through the youth and naivety of his daughter figures. In expanding on secondary characters’ backgrounds, the writers are able to weave a more coherent narrative that we do not get much of in the video game.

As a pilot, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” is not so bad. It introduces characters who may or may not live long enough to see the end but are still vital to the overall story. The episode is different from the others in the show, but that could be a good thing. Amongst the other episodes, though, I will say that the series has stronger stories to tell, including that which involves romance in a post-apocalyptic world. I cannot say what they are just yet. You will just have to stay tuned for the ride. In the final analysis, The Last of Us already feels so much like a video game yet with all the cinematic elements intact.

The Last of Us is now airing on HBO and streaming via HBO Max!

Have you played The Last of Us or its sequel? If so, what are your thoughts? Let us know! For more drama, horror and science-fiction-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!