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Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The Last of Us<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0season 2 was well-received as a season of television, but it was disappointing as an adaptation of the video game. With\u00a0<\/p>\n Somehow,\u00a0The Last of Us<\/em>\u00a0managed to pull a\u00a0Game of Thrones<\/em>\u00a0in just its second season. Critics and show-only viewers seem to still be enjoying it, but as a fan of the source material who\u2019s used to a much better version of the story, I was very underwhelmed.<\/p>\n Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross, the original writers of the game, conspicuously left the writing staff of the TV series soon after the fan backlash to season 2. They both made diplomatic public statements about leaving the show to give more time and attention to other projects, but\u00a0Druckmann specifically threw shade at season 2 in a recent interview.<\/p>\n Druckmann said, \u201cMy hope for season 3… is to make sure it\u2019s as deeply faithful as season 1 was, because I feel like that is the gold standard for this kind of adaptation.<\/p>\n <\/em>\u201d He\u2019s acknowledging that season 1 nailed it, which it did, but season 2 was a step down, which it was. But how can season 3 avoid season 2\u2019s mistakes and recapture season 1\u2019s greatness?<\/p>\n Making\u00a0The Last of Us<\/em>\u00a0season 3 better than season 2 is a lot easier said than done. Craig Mazin has to actually figure out a way to turn this crazy, ambitious, groundbreaking video game into a TV show \u2014 and now, he has to do it alone.<\/p>\n For starters, I think he should follow Druckmann\u2019s advice: stay faithful to the source material. Since he no longer has Druckmann or Gross there keeping him in check, Mazin needs to remember that this isn\u2019t really his story; he\u2019s retelling someone else\u2019s story, and he needs to stay true to that.<\/p>\n He can make the TV show his own, of course, but it\u2019s an adaptation above all. He can deviate from the source material like season 1 did, but he shouldn\u2019t actively betray its themes and intentions like season 2 did.<\/p>\n Mazin can expand on interesting concepts that the game didn\u2019t have time to explore, like Isaac\u2019s mentorship of Abby and the rift in Owen and Mel\u2019s relationship, but he shouldn\u2019t go against what makes those dynamics compelling.\u00a0Ellie being excited about becoming a dad\u00a0completely deflates the tension; if she\u2019s not worried about the baby or angry about the secret, then it flattens one of the game\u2019s best twists.<\/p>\n The same thing will happen in season 3 if Owen is excited about raising a kid with Mel, and he\u2019s not constantly taking off-site assignments to get away from her. Season 1\u2019s Bill and Frank episode is one of the best episodes of television I\u2019ve ever seen, and a perfect example of what this show can do that the games couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Mazin can use that freedom to tell the origin story of\u00a0the Seraphite prophet, or adapt the saga of Boris Legasov, or go back and show how Lev and Yara became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the Seraphites and eventually decided to run away. But make sure it still fits with the story you\u2019re telling; don\u2019t put in any expansions that undermine the things you\u2019re expanding on.<\/p>\n In theory, the town council meeting where Jackson\u2019s residents vote on whether to send a revenge party after Joel\u2019s killers is a neat idea for a scene to give us a deeper insight into Jackson\u2019s democratic process and get a wider range of perspectives. But in execution, it just became an excuse for Mazin to vocalize all the themes of the story before the story even got going.<\/p>\n One of the most egregious things that\u00a0The Last of Us<\/em>\u00a0season 2 did was dumb down Ellie\u2019s character. In the game, she\u2019s blinded by vengeful rage, but she\u2019s still a tactical genius. In the TV show, she sets off on a cross-country journey without medical supplies, she throws a tantrum when she doesn\u2019t get her way, and she survives by sheer luck.<\/p>\n Mazin wrote 19-year-old Ellie to be just as immature and impulsive as 14-year-old Ellie; he can\u2019t do the same to Abby. Abby is smart, resourceful, and has incredible courage under fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n In\u00a0The Last of Us Part II<\/em>, Ellie and Abby kill dozens of people on their respective quests. But in season 2, Ellie only killed one person on purpose, and made sure to clarify that the others were accidents. Season 3 shouldn\u2019t tone down the brutality of the game; it should lean into it, because that violence and moral ambiguity are what make this world so compelling.<\/p>\n From a writing standpoint,\u00a0The Last of Us<\/em>\u00a0season 3 needs to let subtext be a thing. Don\u2019t just have every character tell the audience exactly how they\u2019re feeling at any given moment. Trust the viewers to pick up on subtle cues in the actors\u2019 body language or in the disingenuous things they say.<\/p>\n Leave some room for nuance. In season 2, Ellie and Jesse are always angry at each other \u2014 it\u2019s not believable that they\u2019re actually friends; they seem to despise each other. You need to allow for a more well-rounded dynamic.<\/p>\n Throughout Abby\u2019s section of the game, Mel is disturbed by Abby\u2019s actions and quickly growing resentful of her closeness with Owen, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re at each other\u2019s throats in every single scene. There\u2019s still room for them to joke around with each other and confide in each other, despite this undercurrent of growing resentment.<\/p>\n If anything, that resentment shines through more when they\u2019re trying to act like everything\u2019s normal between them and they make awkward small-talk and force laughs at each other\u2019s jokes. Mazin tends to lay out all this stuff in dialogue, but\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/em> \u2014 Alex Tuch<\/strong>, Buffalo Sabres Forward<\/p>\n Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming<\/strong>. After yet another brutal defeat \u2014 a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche \u2014 it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who\u2019ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo\u2019s record now at a dismal <\/p>\n Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink<\/strong><\/p>\n The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with <\/p>\n The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long<\/strong>. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what\u2019s been painfully obvious: <\/p>\n The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both <\/p>\n As Tuch<\/strong> stated, “There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now.”<\/em> The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it\u2019s time for ownership to act.<\/p>\n The Roster Shake-Up: Who\u2019s Safe and Who\u2019s Not?<\/strong><\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly every player on the roster is at risk<\/strong>. Tage Thompson<\/strong> and Rasmus Dahlin<\/strong> are the clear exceptions, both standing out as cornerstones of the franchise. But for everyone else, it\u2019s now or never. No one\u2019s job is safe, especially after this latest stretch of embarrassment.<\/p>\n The Sabres need to shed their past<\/strong> \u2014 and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It\u2019s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable<\/strong> for this team’s continued failure. It\u2019s no longer about potential or promises \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering results<\/strong>, and if you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019ll be part of the problem.<\/p>\n Buffalo\u2019s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?<\/strong><\/p>\n So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams<\/strong> will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres\u2019 defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by \u2014 it\u2019s time to build a playoff-caliber team<\/strong>, and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n This won\u2019t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally<\/em> start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.<\/p>\n Can the Sabres Turn It Around?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no sugar-coating it \u2014 the Sabres\u2019 current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear: the status quo cannot continue<\/strong>. The front office and coaching staff need to make bold, immediate changes. The future of the Buffalo Sabres depends on it.<\/p>\n The time for change is now \u2014 and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II. The Last of Us\u00a0season 2 was well-received as a season of television, but it was disappointing as an adaptation of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n