Those that have not performed “The Final of Us Half II” could have felt a bit baffled on the finish of the HBO adaptation’s sophomore season. After a complete season following Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) on their quest to kill Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) in Seattle, the season 2 finale rewinds in its ultimate moments and exhibits what Abby was as much as on the time that the pair from Jackson first arrived within the metropolis.
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It is a nod to how issues are paced within the sport, which does the very same rewind and has gamers transfer via the identical few days they simply performed as Ellie, however this time from Abby’s perspective. And provided that “The Final of Us” season 2 treats this second like an enormous reveal, it appears to be signaling that the present might be following the identical mannequin, with at the very least half (if not all) of “The Final of Us” season 3 following Abby and her surrounding characters throughout the identical timeline as season 2 covers for Ellie.
Writing that every one out, it sounds fairly difficult, regardless that the thought of a “Rashomon”-style rewind and perspective change has been a standard cinematic software for a lot of a long time. It is also admirable for the present to remain loyal to this distinct narrative construction from the supply materials. Regardless of all that, HBO is taking an enormous threat with this obvious perspective change for season 3, and never simply because Abby is not precisely the preferred character within the fandom. Displaying the identical three days from two completely different views again to again is one factor when all of it happens seamlessly, however given the manufacturing schedule of status TV like “The Final of Us,” this live-action model might wind up extra complicated than poignant.
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The hole between seasons might actually harm The Final of Us
The ability of a “Rashomon” story is the power to check. That is a bit completely different on this case as Abby’s journey throughout these three days in Seattle covers virtually solely completely different terrain than Ellie’s, however the level stands: Absent main retreads, “beforehand on” moments, and flashbacks, loads of the importance of how these two characters orbit one another could seemingly be misplaced because of the hole between seasons.
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There’s additionally the matter of viewer curiosity. It is no secret that many gamers of the video games disliked taking part in as Abby as a result of they considered the character as a real villain after her homicide of Joel. That perspective was principally stoked by misogyny, hateful transvestigation, an absence of media literacy, and on-line grifters, however even with out all that, taking part in as Abby is supposed to be uncomfortable at first. The intention of the sport — and we are able to debate all day how successfully it accomplishes that intention — is to place you within the sneakers of a vengeance-driven zealot after which push you to unwind that fervor by seeing a special facet of issues.
Once more, the facility there’s within the immediacy of the comparability. Most individuals do not rewatch exhibits proper earlier than a brand new season comes out, which signifies that if season 3 principally consists of Abby’s story, it might really feel extra like an impartial story with not one of the characters followers have come to know and love, fairly than an intentional juxtaposition to Ellie’s journey.
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Regardless of the problem, The Final of Us season 3 might nonetheless be nice
Briefly, splitting up Ellie and Abby’s tales between seasons is an enormous threat. Had season 2 been given the manufacturing capability for 10 episodes as an alternative of seven, it is seemingly that it might have labored in each characters’ tales on the identical time, leaping backwards and forwards in a extra conventional method, or swapping to Abby for the ultimate batch of episodes. The selection not to try this is clearly very intentional — the artistic staff desires the distinctive impact of the arduous swap. And whereas that could be more durable to tug off on TV than it was within the sport, it’s potential that season 3 might completely nail it.
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One of many advantages of doing issues this manner is holding every season comparatively self-contained so far as the core themes and story being instructed. Season 2 is about Ellie scuffling with grief, loss, and rage within the wake of shedding somebody she had a sophisticated relationship with. Abby’s story, with out stepping into spoilers, is about institutional loyalty and the breaking factors individuals attain earlier than doing the proper factor. By standing agency on these concepts, season 3 might be a unbelievable story in its personal proper, particularly with Dever within the driver’s seat.
Catch-up montages and intentional dialogue can do so much to fill within the gaps in individuals’s reminiscence. However even nonetheless, it is a big swing from HBO, and solely time will inform if “The Final of Us” season 3 can pull it off.
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