Sooo... It finally happened - The Last of Us Season 2

SPOILERS FROM THE LAST OF US SEASON 2 AND THE LAST OF US PART II VIDEOGAME.

The second episode of The Last of Us' second season is notable for depicting one of the toughest moments in both video games, and while this doesn't clear up all the doubts regarding the way its events will be portrayed, I respect the courage with which they've allowed everything to unfold so far.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've always respected the HBO series' ability to balance the original work with new elements created to make it work better in a television format. While many have found this a source of controversy, I generally respect all the creative decisions made, and I consider the casting of Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal as Joel and Ellie, respectively, to be brilliant,
regardless of how different they appear physically from their virtual counterparts.

As if that weren't enough, The Last of Us Part II is a much denser work, with controversial details that are difficult to adapt, and much deeper and more painful themes than the first part.

Of course, I have my reservations about several specific aspects of the show, and I understand that there are elements that may seem superfluous (like Abby's muscles) that ultimately end up playing an essential role in the experience.

However, I think the way Joel's death was handled was masterful, and it could easily stand as one of the most brutal moments in all of television, on par with Ned Stark's beheading at the beginning of the second season of Game of Thrones, or, why not, that scene where Dr. Melfi was abused in The Sopranos.

I still think the tragic event would have been more effective if it had happened in the first episode, and structurally, making us empathize with Abby from the beginning could be counterproductive. But in part, I still give it the benefit of the doubt, considering that these variations from the source are what elevated the first season to another level.