The Finale (Fan Creations)

by cheapLEY , Monday, March 13, 2023, 16:38 (620 days ago) @ Cody Miller

I think the finale is done really well, in isolation. I'll echo what's been said before--overall I don't necessarily buy Joel's bond with Ellie. Not that it doesn't exist, but that it is well-established enough for him to do what he does. I can extrapolate and fill in those gaps, especially as a game player, but I shouldn't have to. The show spent too much time focused on things other than Joel and Ellie. I understand them wanting to ground the show, and that it can't just be Joel and Ellie killing their way across America, but we needed more of that than we got. Also, I hate to be that guy, but where's the all the zombies in the fucking zombie show? I wanted to see Bloater in the basement so fucking bad and they just ignored it. The Bloater we got was terrifying for what it was--now imagine that showing up in a dark, flooded basement corridor. Maybe that's why they didn't do it. Joel surviving the bloater in the basement segment of the game may have just been too unbelievable in the show.

Now, as for the finale itself, I think you all made great points. Joel actually having to get Ellie out of the hospital is sorely missed. I liked how extreme him getting to her was. He just completely disassociates and getting to Ellie is the only thing that matters, and anything in his way won't be there for long, no matter what it takes. I actually thing that segment was more effective in the show. For as much as we laud the heightened immersion of playing Joel, this is the one case where that was more harmful. As Korny mentioned, it's the first time we get an automatic rifle and tons of ammo. The game wants us to mow through the Firefly goons (and I did so with impunity, much as Joel did). But it felt too much like a video game moment too fully land emotionally. It turned into Uncharted in that moment, which actually served to downplay the real consequences of what was happening. That changed the minute I made it to the hallway leading to Ellie, but the gunfights weren't as impactful as they were probably supposed to be.

I loved the opening with Ellie's mother. I actually love the echo between her and Joel. Both made incredibly selfish decisions and lie to protect her. While we can debate the severity of those actions against each other, it's just a nice little touch that both of her protectors made a version of the same decision--she's more important than anyone else. The love a parent has for their child is hardly a revelation, but it just stuck out to me as something worth highlighting.