(450-word review) Undoubtedly the weakest episode so far. Anyone who goes as far as to call it a near-perfect/phenomenal piece of television is taking the piss more than ever before with the previous ones; at least they were more understandably regarded that way. Have some self-respect.
It was an interlude for Joel and Ellie to grow closer/develop their relationship, which is good; they're the draw. I didn't have a problem with that; give me more of them together alongside strengthening their bond. Their final moment before the ending was fantastic. That's the stuff right there.
However, because of that, I thought there was little excitement. Besides the Joel/Ellie development, mostly everything else (in-between) was the slow pacing. Yes, there was their skirmish, not to mention there was also the introduction of Kathleen, an original character for the show, not in the game, and her posse, including whatever's under the building. But none of it was compelling, almost to the point of seeing them as generic. Joel and Ellie are where the investment is. And while those scenes were undoubtedly the highlight, it's an exaggeration to consider that sufficient.
The jump to these new characters was a little jarring. More importantly, I'm not interested. Yes, they've only been in one episode, but that should be more than enough to capture interest. One would hope that Kathleen and her group's involvement in the show will be worthwhile, for however many episodes they're in, but the 'original character for the show' aspect isn't that hopeful.
Neither is the supposed intent by the writers to make you question Kathleen's character/leadership. Especially if we're also supposed to find her scary: much less if the next episode reveals she became the leader because of being associated/close with a previous leader rather than being qualified to lead. Are we supposed to find her terrifying because she's soft-spoken and doesn't come across the part, in which case, why are we supposed to question her?
As a character, she's underwhelming, further amplified by Melanie Lynskey's performance, or more the writing/direction; yes, she's only been in one episode so far with barely any screen time. But the opposite could've already been achieved despite that. Don't bother bringing that up as a counter-argument to her character's underwhelmingness from the get-go.
The next episode will supposedly "redeem" her character: revealing her backstory, what led to her current position, and whatnot; it'll have its work cut out. Can the writers turn their rocky start around in their favor? I'm uncertain.
But at least we got more bond-building with Joel and Ellie's relationship. That made this episode worthwhile. Hopefully, the next one will accomplish more in the excitement/investment department.
It was an interlude for Joel and Ellie to grow closer/develop their relationship, which is good; they're the draw. I didn't have a problem with that; give me more of them together alongside strengthening their bond. Their final moment before the ending was fantastic. That's the stuff right there.
However, because of that, I thought there was little excitement. Besides the Joel/Ellie development, mostly everything else (in-between) was the slow pacing. Yes, there was their skirmish, not to mention there was also the introduction of Kathleen, an original character for the show, not in the game, and her posse, including whatever's under the building. But none of it was compelling, almost to the point of seeing them as generic. Joel and Ellie are where the investment is. And while those scenes were undoubtedly the highlight, it's an exaggeration to consider that sufficient.
The jump to these new characters was a little jarring. More importantly, I'm not interested. Yes, they've only been in one episode, but that should be more than enough to capture interest. One would hope that Kathleen and her group's involvement in the show will be worthwhile, for however many episodes they're in, but the 'original character for the show' aspect isn't that hopeful.
Neither is the supposed intent by the writers to make you question Kathleen's character/leadership. Especially if we're also supposed to find her scary: much less if the next episode reveals she became the leader because of being associated/close with a previous leader rather than being qualified to lead. Are we supposed to find her terrifying because she's soft-spoken and doesn't come across the part, in which case, why are we supposed to question her?
As a character, she's underwhelming, further amplified by Melanie Lynskey's performance, or more the writing/direction; yes, she's only been in one episode so far with barely any screen time. But the opposite could've already been achieved despite that. Don't bother bringing that up as a counter-argument to her character's underwhelmingness from the get-go.
The next episode will supposedly "redeem" her character: revealing her backstory, what led to her current position, and whatnot; it'll have its work cut out. Can the writers turn their rocky start around in their favor? I'm uncertain.
But at least we got more bond-building with Joel and Ellie's relationship. That made this episode worthwhile. Hopefully, the next one will accomplish more in the excitement/investment department.