The first season finale of The Last of Us was excellent for a number of reasons. Strong performances, once again, from our two leads – along with some great work from Merle Dandridge in her return as Marlene and Ashley Johnson (the video game’s Ellie) as Ellie’s mother, Anna.* A story that was unafraid to […]
Tag: Bella Ramsey
The Last of Us – When We Are In Need Review
My god, is Bella Ramsey a great actor. That’s what I found myself saying over and over to myself following the close of this week’s The Last of Us. After starting the series off as the closed-off counterpart to Joel – a character we knew far more about than we did Ellie, Ramsey has gotten […]
The Last of Us – Left Behind Review
We all knew this was going to end in tragedy, right? I mean, it’s not like we weren’t prepped by the preceding six episodes – along with Ellie’s vague mentions of the mall from early in the season. But, as has been the case with each tragic ending we’ve experienced, it certainly doesn’t get easier […]
The Last of Us – Kin Review
Unresolved trauma has a way of sneaking up on people when they least expect it – sometimes decades after that first blush of pain was inflicted upon a person. When it comes to Joel, hit after hit have built up a massive wall around the man – no surprise there for anyone who has been […]
The Last of Us – Please Hold My Hand Review
After last week’s emotional tour de force, The Last of Us made the right move in taking a beat before fully diving into the next confrontation for Joel and Ellie. Now, I’m sure there will be some people who want the series to be more of a go, go, go narrative arc, but this is […]
The Last of Us – Infected Review
Well shit. I didn’t expect that. Perhaps it’s years of conditioning from The Walking Dead and/or Game of Thrones, to expect that a named actor (in this case, the great Anna Torv) wouldn’t be dispatched with this quickly in a show. Sure, I knew that ultimately, The Last of Us was a buddy story about […]
The Last of Us – When You’re Lost in the Darkness
Before I get into the review of the premiere of The Last of Us, some housekeeping notes. If you listened to our recent Pop Culture Maniacs podcast on video game adaptations, you might know that I am not a gamer. I don’t play video games (outside of the occasional Mario Kart race) and I don’t […]
His Dark Materials – Malice Review
The second season of His Dark Materials has reached its penultimate episode with its main characters coalescing in Cittàgazze. The forces for and against freedom continue to make movements for the upcoming war with the Angels making their first appearance since the last war. The Witches have arrived in Cittàgazze and save Lyra and Will […]
His Dark Materials – The City of Magpies Review
His Dark Materials has returned for a second season. “City of Magpies” was a much stronger start than the first episode of Season One. Lord Asriel has opened a portal to the City in the Sky. His actions have started a massive chain of events. The witches believe that this is the start of the […]
His Dark Materials Season Two: What to Expect
His Dark Materials is coming back for a second season. The first season was a critical success, especially for its casting, production values and special effects, but the audience reaction was a bit more mixed. As a fan of the novels it seems like a good time to explain what can be expected. Season One […]