The creator of The last of us, Neil Druckmantalked about some perceived differences between Joel games and the one that appears in the hit TV series HBOincluding the idea that Pedro Pascal’s performance seems to be “softer” than his in-game counterpart, being “softer”.
These comments come just as the sixth episode of The Last of Us Season 1 premiered on February 19 to rave reviews, continuing the immense momentum established by previous episodes.
Existing fans of the franchise have repeatedly praised that The Last of Us series manages to stay true to the original story while taking a few creative liberties that help it adapt better to the television medium.
One of those differences is in its overall level of brutality, as HBO’s The Last of Us is far less violent than the games, and that change is also reflected in how its protagonists, and Joel in particular, are portrayed.
Note: You will see spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 6 from now on. In the latest episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us” podcast, Druckmann suggested that while the show’s Joel may seem “softer” than the games’ Joel, that’s not necessarily the case.
Expanding on this position, the creative director posited that the panic attacks Joel experienced from Pascal in episode 6 aren’t out of place, just something that wasn’t really feasible for an interactive medium.
A player-controlled camera that’s “far enough” from the protagonist hasn’t allowed the audience to see “what’s happening on Joel’s face”, so the games have relied on dialogue as their primary method of sprucing up their traits and establish development. of the character.
As a result, while the events of Episode 6 were originally portrayed as making the game’s Joel “more distant” in his many conversations with Ellie, the live-action adaptation indulged in close-ups whenever the creative vision hit him. intimate moments,” Druckmann explained.
The Last of Us creator concluded that Joel’s panic attacks on the show were one of those attempts to portray the character in a more subtle way, making the most of the television medium and avoiding some of the more boring dialogue. grosser from the original screenplay.