HBO Confidently Adapts Breakthrough Video Game The Last of Us | TV/Streaming
Of course, while these “side quests” are fun, the show is always about Joel and Ellie, two characters that fans started to cast from the minute the game became a hit. The good news is that Pascal and Ramsey are perfect. The star of “The Mandalorian” portrays Joel as a flawed hero without melodrama, never leaning on some of the crutches that other actors would have used for this performance. It’s a nuanced turn that balances trauma, cynicism, and the character’s emerging hope in a way that always feels true. A show like this doesn’t work without relatable human emotion in its center. Not only does Pascal find that but so does future star Ramsey, a performer who reminds me of a young Jodie Foster in her raw, in-the-moment truth. We believe Joel and Ellie are actually experiencing the events...