When asked if the showrunners were nervous about adapting the controversial aspects of “The Last of Us Part II,” Mazin explained that the writing process for the show has never been geared towards anticipating potential audience reactions, positive or negative, as the goal is to remain authentic to the characters and the storyline. Narrative decisions that were never a part of the source material have always been a part of the writing process, a key example being Bill and Frank’s episode, which added unfathomable depth to the series’ ethos. That also applies to season 2, which might include character fates that diverge from the games, meaning “anyone can die at any moment”:
“Anybody that has played the game and then watched the first season knows that sometimes we do exactly what happened to the game and sometimes we do something wildly different … If you are planning on running a series for as long as it can, you put plot armor on your main characters until such time the actors are asking for too much money or their Q score goes down or the ratings go down, and then you kill them. That’s not what we do or what HBO does. So anyone can die at any moment, as far as I’m concerned.”
This is a bold creative choice given how strongly people feel about “The Last of Us II” and its themes, which have elicited intense emotions and divisive opinions in the years since its release. Mazin also addressed the anxieties surrounding potential backlash, saying he’s hopeful that decisions audiences initially disagree with will start to make sense over time. To prove his point, he explained how some folks were wary of Ellie’s characterization in earlier episodes, but eventually warmed up to this rendition when she naturally developed a bond with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and revealed her vulnerabilities in an organic, nuanced manner.
Stay tuned for more news about season 2 after the strikes conclude.
Source From: www.slashfilm.com
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