#thiswasinsane

Ok wow, so many thoughts

Abby's new introduction;

It was fine. Honestly I think it would have been better if they'd kept it as it was in the games, it becomes clear why abby does what she does and I dont think we needed this introduction type scene to establish her or her character. But the scene wasn't bad or anything. But I don't think it was needed and wouldn't have made a difference if it wasn't there.

The stalker in the mall;

The tension in this scene was brilliant, the way they shot Ellie moving between shelves and the stalker in the background was great, and the aftermath of the attack and having it discussed at the council was really cool and established a new type of enemy and gave an insight into how things are handled at Jackson. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Dina;

So glad we're seeing a lot more of Dina, in her conversations with Joel and her interactions with Ellie. The way they're writing her character is great and i think represents the game Dina wonderfully. I like that she's got more scenes than she does in the game and we're getting to know her, her relationships, and her feelings for Ellie early on. Perfectly cast aswell.

Abby;

We didn't see much of Abby in episode one, and while I was orgionally dissapointed with the casting, not because I don't think Kaitlyn Dever is a good fit but moreso because she isn't the same build as Abby. It might not seem like a huge thing especially for those who haven't played the games. But when Abbys brute strength and build was something that was so emphasised in the games and also so dragged through the mud for ridiculous reasons, it was a shame not to see them stand firm with it and cast someone who fit that. However I can already see how brilliant Dever is going to be so my hopes are high.

The dance scene;

It was brilliant, some parts were shot for shot with the videogames and I loved that, they also kept the music the same which was nice. The set was stunning. I was slightly disappointed that they changed some of the Ellie and Jessie conversation dialogue as I thought it was funnier in the game but it was still good.

Dina and Ellies scene here was beautiful, Ramsey and Merced are incredible and they performed this scene amazingly. I loved their interaction and the Seth scene was also brilliant. Honestly just 10/10 I was worried about this scene as a fan of the games and was not dissapointed.

Other little bits I loved;

We see Ellies relationship with other characters that we dont see as much in the games. I loved her sniper scene with Tommy and her interactions with Jessie and other people like Kat on the patrol. Also her interactions with Dina where amazing and builds both their characters in an amazing way.

Her alteration of the bite mark from the stalker - her conversation with Tommy and the stalker scene show how crucial it is that Ellies immunity is kept under wraps. And its clear that while she does joke about it with Tommy. She is also terrified and scared of what would happen if it got out, as she cuts through the bite marks to make it look like a different injury. Same with the chemical burns under her tattoo.

The employee board in the mall - great homage to the games there (in the games the dogs employee of the month date is the code to unlock a safe)

Joel - Joel Joel Joel, poor Joel. I love that it's established that he's going to therapy and trying to desperately claw for his relationship with Ellie. It's so clear how Joel sees Ellie as a daughter and the way he says things like "I never should have allowed her to move into the garage etc" really establish how far their relationship has come in the five year cut between season 1 and 2, even if it's in a rough patch right now. I also like that they haven't fully established why Ellie is acting the way she is for TV audiences yet. Looking forward to how they deal with that. Also love Joel's relationship with Dina, and how she's also trying to get them back on friendly terms.

The bottle throwing - another great game homage