theguardian.com
The Last of Us" Season Two Slowdown Raises Concerns
The Last of Us" season two's pacing has slowed significantly since Joel's death, focusing on Ellie's revenge quest and subplots, leading to criticism and concerns about audience engagement, especially considering the year-long delay before season three filming begins.
- How does the inclusion of musical interludes and subplots affect the overall narrative pacing and audience reception?
- The show's current arc lacks the intensity of previous episodes, focusing on character development and subplots rather than driving the main narrative forward. This creates a significant gap between the impactful death of Joel and the promised focus on Abby in season three, which is not expected to begin filming until next year. This lengthy delay exacerbates audience concerns about the pacing of season two.
- What are the potential long-term consequences of the delayed production of season three on the show's overall success and audience retention?
- The delay in filming season three, combined with the slow pacing of the current season, creates a significant risk of audience disengagement. The extended break between seasons may diminish the impact of the storyline and cause viewers to lose interest before the narrative reaches its potentially powerful conclusion involving Abby. The inclusion of musical interludes, while potentially meaningful within the context of the game, may be alienating viewers expecting a primarily action-oriented story.
- What is the primary cause of the perceived slowdown in "The Last of Us" season two, and what are its immediate effects on audience engagement?
- The Last of Us" season two has slowed its pacing since Joel's death in episode two, focusing on Ellie's journey to Seattle for revenge and featuring meandering subplots. This has led to criticism of pacing and the inclusion of musical interludes, such as Ellie playing "Take on Me" and "Future Days.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The headline and opening paragraph immediately set a negative tone, focusing on the shock and negativity of a specific scene (Ellie playing guitar). This framing primes the reader to perceive the following criticisms as justified and to view the show in a primarily negative light. Subsequent sentences maintain this negative focus, using words like 'dismal', 'dragging', and 'hopeless'. The structure consistently emphasizes shortcomings rather than strengths.
Language Bias
The review employs loaded language throughout. Terms like "almost too much to bear," "emotional husks," "dismal review-bombers," "meandering side plots," and "grunts in a succession of corridors" express strong negative opinions rather than objective observations. Neutral alternatives would include phrases like "challenging scene," "intense emotional response," "critical viewers," "secondary storylines," and "navigates a series of corridors.
Bias by Omission
The review focuses heavily on the perceived pacing issues and lack of plot progression since Joel's death, neglecting to explore potential thematic or character development reasons for these choices. The analysis omits discussion of possible intentional narrative techniques, such as creating suspense or building character relationships, which may be contributing to the perceived slow pacing. The positive aspects of the show, such as acting, cinematography and the emotional impact of certain scenes, are largely ignored in favor of criticism about pacing.
False Dichotomy
The review sets up a false dichotomy between the current slow pacing and the promised intensity of future seasons, implying that one must be at the expense of the other. It fails to acknowledge that a period of reflection or character development can be a valid narrative choice, even in a high-action story. The review presents the show as either 'great' (Joel alive) or 'dragging' (Joel dead), ignoring other potential qualitative evaluations.