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Spoilers follow for The Last of Us season two, episodes one and two HBOs The Last of Us showed viewers in season one that it would lean heavily on the source video games for major plot points and general direction of the season while expanding on the universe, and season two has followed that to the most extreme end possible. Episode two sees Tommy and Maria lead the town of Jackson Hole against a massive wave of Infected, the likes of which we havent seen in the show (or video games) yet. This was a complete invention for the show, one that gives the episode Game of Thrones vibes, or calls to mind a battle like the siege of Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Its epic in scale, with the overmatched defenders showing their skill and bravery against overwhelming odds; there is loss and pain but the good guys eventually triumph. That mass-scale battle is paired with the most intimate and brutal violence weve seen in the entire series so far, as Joels actions finally catch up with him. His death at the hands of Abby and her crew of ex-Fireflies from Seattle is truly upsetting, even if you know it is coming and that in the twisted world that Joel and Abby inhabit, it was a form of justice. Of course, it was pretty obvious after the first five minutes of episode one that this is where Abbys journey would take her, but it sure happened fast. You could say the same thing about when Joel dies in the video game, but ever since the HBO series was announced Ive been wondering about just how Craig Mazin would choose to tackle the events of the second game and Joels death. Part of me wondered if we wouldnt know for sure Joel was dead until near the end of the season, or if we might not find out Abbys motivations until much later. But after two episodes, we know that Abbys dad was the doctor Joel killed at the end of season one to save Ellie, a fact that makes her disturbing lust for vengeance more understandable to the television audience. In the game, on the other hand, players didnt find that out until much later a move that cast Abby in the role of "villain" that made Ellies own desire for revenge more relatable for the player Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO But what works in a game doesn't necessarily work in a more passive adaptation. I do think there was a way for the writers to save the full reveal for Abbys motivations for later, but I didnt really bump on how things played out here. Similarly, I wasnt really bothered by the introduction to Abbys crew and her desire to find Joel that happened at the beginning of the season premiere. But I do know a number of people who played the game feel like this has robbed the show of some mystery and changed the momentum in a way that didnt work for them, and I can appreciate that argument. For anyone who hasnt played the games, though, Im sure that seeing the co-lead character killed off in the second episode of the season was a bit of a shock, no matter how much it was hinted at particularly after Joel went out of his way to save Abby from certain death. In another world, you could imagine that blunting her need for revenge, or at least having her forgo the extended torture of a helpless Joel. But shes clearly captivated by the opportunity in a way that even her friends are a bit horrified by. Ellie being there to find Dina unconscious and then forced to watch Abby deliver the final blow is the cherry on the disaster sundae that is this episode. Its even harder to swallow when you consider their last interaction was Ellies extreme rebuff of Joel at the dance the night before. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO Its truly a wild choice for such a high-profile show, even though there was nowhere else for it to go. Pedro Pascal has been everywhere the last few years, and The Last of Us could have been his signature role. Joels death doesnt fully diminish that, but obviously even if we see him in flashbacks in this season and the next, it wont be the same as him leading an episode. To let such a marketable and popular star go must have been a tough pill for HBO to swallow, though chances are that the network knew from the beginning of negotiations that would have to happen. Regardless, its a move up there with the death of Sean Beans Ned Stark in terms of subverting audience expectations about who is going to lead the show going forward. Thatll fall to Bella Ramsey for the rest of the season. I will say that Mazin and director Mark Mylod did a great job of balancing the many stories and cast members in this episode. Kaitlyn Dever gets her first extended amount of screen time and captures Abbys barely-contained ferocity in a way that feels like a great tribute to the game source material, despite the fact that she is not nearly as physically ripped as Abby is in the game. Her scenes with Joel and Dina are absolutely chilling, even before she has Joel on the ropes; big credit to Pascal and Isabela Merced, again, for showing a major range of emotions as they help Abby escape from the Infected only to be betrayed. Kaitlyn Dever in HBO's The Last of UsPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO Ramsey, meanwhile, shares a lot of time with Young Mazinos Jesse as they go on patrol and frantically search for Joel; back in Jackson, Gabriella Luna and Rutina Wesley as Tommy and Maria keep Jackson from falling to the Infected. Its a lot of threads to tie together, and the fact that this episode includes the biggest battle weve ever seen as well as Joels capture and death without feeling overstuffed is a testament to the writers, directors and cast. Speaking of that Infected battle, I wasnt fully sold on it when I saw teases in the trailers for this season, but it was a thrilling delight. I loved seeing the preparations Jackson put into place, like the oil barrels coming down from the walls and the flamethrower brigade surrounded by snipers up on the buildings. Of course, all the best-planned defenses fail once the Infected get through the wall and all hell breaks loose, and the show successfully had me questioning whether the town would make it even though the idea of it fully falling seemed like a deviation too far from the game. It definitely fel like a response to the criticisms of a relative lack of Infected action in season one, but it worked, and the juxtaposition of the disaster befalling Jackson at large as well as the smaller-scale loss of one of its most important citizens added another layer to the grief. Infected Score: 11/10 The showrunners say season two will have more Infected than season one lets see if theyre sticking to their word. Tommy taking down a Bloater with a flamethrower in front of a Mailboxes Etc. store? Barrels of oil lighting a field of Infected on fire? The extremely creepy reveal of the live Infected buried and laying in wait under a field of frozen ones that emerged and chased Abby right into the path of Joel? Jacksons guard dogs coming to the rescue to keep the horde from overtaking the town? This was the most epic action weve seen out of the show yet, on a scale that we didnt get in the games. Itll be hard to top this battle.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-two-through-the-valley-recap-well-that-happened-020017596.html?src=rss
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Star Wars Celebration is heading back to Los Angeles for the first time since 2006 to mark the franchises 50th anniversary in 2027. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, then simply called Star Wars, first hit theaters in 1977 and the rest is history. The location was announced during the closing ceremony of this years event, which took place in Japan. Star Wars Celebration 2027 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from April 1 to April 4, 2027. This years Star Wars Celebration brought a ton of announcements and previews into upcoming developments for the franchise. We finally got a real look at Star Wars Zero Company, a single-player turn-based tactics game expected to be released in 2026. ILM also revealed a bit more about its Meta Quest mixed-reality experience (which its calling a playset), Star Wars: Beyond Victory, and it was confirmed that Ryan Gosling will star in a film called Star Wars: Starfighter, per The Hollywood Reporter. And of course, there will be a Fortnite collaboration. With the Galactic Battle season beginning May 2, Darth Jar Jar is coming to Fortnite. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/the-next-star-wars-celebration-will-be-held-in-la-in-2027-for-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-first-film-194628408.html?src=rss
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Nintendo surprised us with a little blast from the past this weekend, uploading a 34-year-old Super Nintendo commercial featuring Paul Rudd to its YouTube channel and its released a sequel for the Nintendo Switch 2. Rudd appears in the Switch 2 promo wearing the same outfit he wore back in 1991, but this time hes playing Mario Kart World with some celebrity friends over the new GameChat social feature. Its a charming callback to the original SNES ad, which itself is deliciously 90s and a real treat to revisit in 2025. Commercials today just dont hit the same. Nintendo has steadily been drumming up the hype for the Switch 2s arrival since it was announced at the beginning of April. The company recently held a livestream to share a more in-depth look at Mario Kart World, which launches on the same day as the new console, revealing some of the new courses, items and assistive features like Smart Steering. Weve still got some time to wait before its all here, though. Pre-orders for the Switch 2 open on April 24, and the console will be available starting June 5. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-shares-a-vintage-snes-commercial-starring-paul-rudd-as-he-reprises-the-role-for-switch-2-171316112.html?src=rss
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