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There’s no two ways about it: the energy has been utterly sucked out of HBO’s The Last of Us television series.
After the original won multiple awards, it’s remarkable how much bad casting and sloppy storytelling has killed the momentum of this adaptation. We feel for Kaitlyn Dever – a very competent actress – because she already faced an uphill battle as Abby.
Nevertheless, here are the first photos from the set of Season 3, which is being shot without series creator Neil Druckmann’s guiding hand. He’s turned his attention back to dev Naughty Dog full-time, as it works to wrap up PS5 game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Of course, these pictures alone are not entirely without controversy. They show the Seattle section of the game starring Abby and Lev, the latter of whom is played by Kyriana Kratter.
In the game, Lev is a transgender boy, and some have criticised HBO for casting a girl in the role.
But there’s no doubt Kratter looks great – like she’s stepped straight out of the game – sporting Lev’s iconic shaven head and Seraphite coat. She looks spot-on to us.
The big question here is: can this show be rescued? While Season 2 commands a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, it’s got just a 32% rating from viewers. That’s down dramatically from the first season’s 86%.
It sounds like Season 3 will be the last instalment anyway, and that’s probably the right decision for now – at least, until a third game comes out.