HBO’s The Last of Us is full of references and easter eggs from the game. Yet there are also differences between the two, which in many ways, however, make sense.
The Last of Us television series is destined for success. The production, while spanning a few threads, is so faithful to the original that it leaves fans of other games yearning for an HBO show based on their favorite franchise. We have also published a graphic comparison of the two productions, which is really impressive. Despite this fidelity, the show’s direction made it appealing to viewers who had never encountered the world of Joel and Ellie before..
The TV show has invited new audiences into the story, but its creators haven’t forgotten about the game’s already established community. Thus, the show brings something of interest to even the most ardent fans of the franchise. The show is filled with many threads and details related to the game. Discovering all the references and differences, especially the small ones, is really satisfying.
We ourselves find many nods to those involved in adaptation. There were also some inconsistencies, which, however, have very reasonable explanations. Below, we present some of the most exciting facts and references from HBO’s already famous production..
birthday card for joel
An interesting detail is related to Joel’s birthday card, which Sarah wanted to give to her father. In the prologue of the original game, we can see it right after the heroine wakes up: she is resting on the piece of furniture in front of the bed. When the girl takes it, she realizes that she forgot to give it to Joel the day before, now it’s too late.
The creators of the series remembered this letter. In the scene where Sarah wakes up in the morning of September 26, 2003, she can be seen resting in the closet as the camera briefly pans around the girl’s bedroom. It is important to note that Joel’s daughter also forgets it, because it is not among the gifts (the film and the watch) that he gives her in the evening. So everything is in order.
The map is very recognizable, so there is no doubt that both instances display the same element.. You can recognize it by the green dinosaur printed on it.
Pillows in Sarah’s room
Sarah’s room is colorful and girly, but it looks a bit different in the show and in the game. The heroine’s oasis in the show is slightly smaller than the one in the game, but in both cases , the main object is a large wooden bed. Curiously, the authors partially recreated the bedding, especially the pillows, decorated with the characteristic butterflies. There is no doubt that they were inspired by those seen in the game, they are practically identical..
It’s worth pointing out that the butterfly theme is repeated throughout the first episode. Another example is when Ellie is taken to Joel’s apartment before escaping the area. In the game and in the show, the girl spends her time looking out the window, but only in the show there is a toy butterfly hanging above the window. Details like this happen very often.
sarah’s t-shirt
Sarah Miller is a huge Halican Drops fan. His room is decorated with a huge poster and he sleeps in the band’s shirt. The writers of the series dressed Nico Parker in an identical T-shirt, which can be seen at the start of the first episode. But that’s not all.
It’s a multi-layered easter egg, which you can see by looking at what’s on the back of the t-shirt.. There is a list of cities that were part of the Halican Drops tour. When we first released The Last of Us we still can’t make the connection, but these cities also include the ones Ellie and Joel will visit on their journey. Pittsburgh, Boston, Salt Lake City and Jackson are just four of them. The fifth is Colorado, although of course that’s the name of a state, not a city. Boulder would be the right town, since that’s where the heroes end up during the adventure, but let’s not be picky. Boulder is in Colorado, after all.
Finally, one more nice touch. Although Sarah’s shirt on the show is in tatters, the place names are still legible.. The same goes for the tour date – it’s different from the game. The prologue action in the original game takes place in 2013, which means the Halican Drops went on tour in 2012. This regularity is maintained in the HBO production, which is why the jersey is dated 2002.
Roadside building on fire
During the Night Escape, the heroes walk past a burning building. On the show, Joel’s brother notices Jimmy’s farm being engulfed in flames. In the game, in turn, the building belongs to a certain Louis. You might wonder why the creators made such a small change, but it makes sense. It has to do with the person who originally lived next door to the Millers..
In the game, Joel’s neighbor is Jimmy Cooper. He only shows it once in a scene, and it’s pretty brutal. Jimmy, infected and enraged with cordyceps, breaks into the Millers’ house at night, and the protagonist of The Last of Us, having no other choice, kills him.
In the show, Jimmy disappears and Joel’s neighbors are the Adler family. All in all, it’s a pretty cool change, especially as we see the sick old lady turn into a viable killing machine due to the infection. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Cooper was eliminated. Therefore, we believe it was resolved in another way. Jimmy was located on a farm outside the city limits.. Following this clue, the name change cannot be accidental, and it makes sense.