When You're Lost in the Darkness
- Episode aired Jan 15, 2023
- TV-MA
- 1h 21m
Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel and Tess are tasked with a mission that could change everything.Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel and Tess are tasked with a mission that could change everything.Twenty years after a fungal outbreak ravages the planet, survivors Joel and Tess are tasked with a mission that could change everything.
Featured reviews
I heard about it everywhere... Until I was amazed by the very high rating on IMDB... I immediately went to HBO to start the saga and catch up. Before everyone hits me with their spoilers!
There's a lot to say about this pilot episode... Starting with the beautiful narrative that opens it and the script's notorious commitment to character development. The explanation of the origin of the infection in the first few minutes was a masterstroke that opened up space for the unfolding of the plot and the relationships of the characters.
The protagonists Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) - exported from Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian - were maestros in acting. Not to mention all the creative output led by directors Craig Mazin (from Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (The Last of Us).
Even if you don't know the story through the franchise, you'll still realize how absurd the quality of this work is. Art direction, photography, composition and color granding were strengths in portraying a pandemic collapse capable of destroying all of humanity. Combined with the soundtrack that also deserves its credit for the feat.
We see a strong gaming legacy in this series. How dealing with emotions and deep human connection changes an entire narrative. This footprint completely transformed the modus operandi of the old zombie clichés and their hyper predictable dramas.
Undoubtedly, a mandatory stop for fans of the game and also of a good post-apocalyptic series. It's still too early to say, but I believe this is one of the best adaptations ever made on film. The fidelity to the game is fantastic!
Depending on the outcome of this first season, this could be the beginning of a new era in film adaptations from the game industry.
As soon as I heard about the potential of the series, I went to watch it. At this point, if you haven't, you should! It's a beautiful show, worth every second!
And when I tell you this episode was spot on for conveying exactly that feeling, I'm not exaggerating. Everyone involved did a fantastic job, the atmosphere is immaculate, the cinematography is beautiful and the score underlines every scene beautifully. I played the games and I know what will happen, but my heart was beating so fast while watching this. A first episode that couldn't have been better. Can't wait for the next episode.
But lets face it, this is Sony's legacy, this is HBO's bar level, this is Neil Drukmann masterpiece in videogame, this is Craig Mazin's chance to prove Chernobyl was not an accident, this is a very well assembled cast, this is Gustavo Santaolalla, 2 time Oscar academy winner, soundtrack. And it shows.
Hopefully, this will get more people into realizing how superb a storytelling can be in fully playable, action videogames. This show should only help the whole industry into getting its long due respect.
The pilot hits every box, and I can't wait till next Sunday.
The prologue was fantastic! Insanely well done! It felt like a movie and that gut-wrenching moment had me almost in tears!
The rest of the episode stays faithfull to the unique vibe and atmosphere the game gave us! The casting is also PERFECT!! I almost can not believe how well the actors captured the unique traits of the characters! Very believable!
So far this looks to be the best video game adaptation EVER!!
Did you know
- TriviaMerle Dandridge portrays Marlene, a character she also portrayed in the video games. This makes her the only actor to play the same character in the show, the first game, and its sequel. Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, and Jeffrey Pierce also star in both games (as Ellie, Joel, and Tommy respectively) and in the show, but unlike Dandridge, they will be playing different characters than the ones they originally played in the games.
- GoofsThe song playing in the background of the Lone Star pawn shop is "I Can't Believe You're Back" by Jad Mhanna which was released in 2018. Not 2003.
- Quotes
Host: And that's your biggest worry?
Dr. Schoenheiss: Yes, any kind of virus, but mostly probably something similar to influenza.
Host: Because of air travel?
Dr. Schoenheiss: Through the air. Coughing...
Host: I'm sorry. I meant people. On planes. That was something you described in your book.
Dr. Schoenheiss: Yes, a new virus in Madagascar, say, could be in Chicago within a matter of weeks. And we end up with a global pandemic. "Pan" meaning "all". The whole world becomes sick all at once.
Host: And, Dr. Neuman, you're also an epidemiologist. I presume the prospect of a viral pandemic keeps you up at night as well.
Dr. Neuman: No.
Host: No?
Dr. Neuman: No.
Host: [Joking] All right, well, that's our show.
Dr. Neuman: No, mankind has been at war with the virus from the start. Sometimes, millions of people die, as in an actual war. But in the end, we always win.
Host: But you - just to be clear, you do think microorganisms pose a threat.
Dr. Neuman: In the most dire terms.
Host: Bacteria.
Dr. Neuman: No.
Host: You like saying no.
Dr. Neuman: Yes.
Host: Not bacteria. Not viruses. So?
Dr. Neuman: Fungus. Yes, that's the usual response. Fungi seem harmless enough. Many species know otherwise. Because there are some fungi who seek not to kill, but to control. Let me ask you, where do we get LSD from?
Host: [Joking] Where do you get it from?
Dr. Neuman: It comes from ergot, a fungus. Psilocybin? Also a fungus. Viruses can make us ill, but fungi can alter our very minds. There's a fungus that infects insects. Gets inside an ant, for example, travels through its circulatory system to the ant's brain, and then floods it with hallucinogens, thus bending the ant's mind to its will. The fungus starts to direct the ant's behavior, telling it where to go, what to do, like a puppeteer with a marionette. And it gets worse. The fungus needs food to live, so it begins to devour its host from within, replacing the ant's flesh with its own, but it doesn't let its victim die. No, it keeps its puppet alive by preventing decomposition. How? Where do we get penicillin from?
Host: Fungus. Dr. Schoenheiss, you're in distress.
Dr. Schoenheiss: Fungal infection of this kind is real, but not in humans.
Dr. Neuman: True, fungi cannot survive if its host's internal temperature is over 94 degrees. And currently, there are no reasons for fungi to evolve to be able to withstand higher temperatures. But what if that were to change? What if, for instance, the world were to get slightly warmer? Well, now there is reason to evolve. One gene mutates and an ascomycete, candida, ergot, cordyceps, aspergillus, any one of them could become capable of burrowing into our brains and taking control not of millions of us, but billions of us. Billions of puppets with poisoned minds permanently fixed on one unifying goal: to spread the infection to every last human alive by any means necessary. And there are no treatments for this. No preventatives, no cures. They don't exist. It's not even possible to make them.
Host: So, if that happens?
Dr. Neuman: We lose.
Host: [Quiet pause] We'll be back.
- SoundtracksTomorrow
Written by Curt Frasca, Sabelle Breer, Avril Lavigne
Performed by Avril Lavigne
[5 minutes in, this song plays on the radio while Sarah makes breakfast]
Details
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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