Playing ‘The Last Of Us Part II’ Traumatized Me -The HBO Series Might Finish The Job
I’m admittedly not great with the horror genre, but have made a few notable exceptions over the years I will proudly hang my hat on. I can handle 80’s and 90’s Stephen King, The Silence of the Lambs, or MGM+’s FROM, and I can even make it through a zombie video game with a rich backstory like “The Last of Us”.
It’s sequel, on the other hand, “The Last of Us Part II” cranked up the violence, suspense, shock, and horror to such extremes, I can’t believe I made it through the entire game, which I’m sure gave me nightmares, so I am beyond terrified for the second season of the HBO adaptation.
I don’t want to ruin it by revealing spoilers for viewers who only know Joel and Ellie’s story from television, but the loud-mouthed and irreverent part of me wants to scream out to the unsuspecting masses: “Do you people even know what’s coming?!?“
Season 1 covered the bases of most zombie apocalypse stories. It’s about the collapse of society, a return to basic survival instincts and rudimentary violence. The brave, well-intentioned protagonists must defend themselves from the un-dead, as well as their un-civilized counterparts who have completely relinquished basic human decency and respect for life. It’s about our most admirable and valiant qualities like love, sacrifice, and protection finding a way to exist in chaos and destruction.
The second video game, however, dives deep into the cesspool that is violence, revenge, and pure unadulterated savagery. The plot blindsides you right off the bat with devastation, and while you’re still reeling from the gut-punch, makes it clear that’s not even the worst of it while you’re holding on for dear life to a roller-coaster you desperately want to get off of. We meet new and terrifying characters, and watch the ones we know and love change beyond recognition.
It’s unclear just how far HBO will delve into that plot with this latest season, but they have shared they’ll have to tackle the game sequel over multiple seasons. I’ll have to work up the courage to watch with the lights on, feeling like a Greek theater-goer who already knows how the brutal story ends. I think that knowledge actually make it worse for me, but I’m so invested in this franchise that it’s too late to turn back now.
If developer Naughty Dog decides to bless us all with a third installment of the game, I’ll have to take the risk and trust them with my sanity once more.
