The Last Of Us Episode 1 Review - 9 Ups & 1 Down

HBO have clearly been taking notes from the Duffer Brothers.

Eschewing the traditional hour-long HBO format, When You're Lost in the Dark's runtime clocked in at 81 minutes. The bumper length of the episode proved to be an inspired choice, with the blockbuster vibe lending to an aura more suited to a feature film than a television pilot.

As the episode unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that such a runtime was the only way to do the story's jaw-dropping opening sequences adequate justice. Nothing is rushed in director Craig Mazin's offering, but perhaps even more refreshingly, nothing meanders along at a mind-numbingly stale pace, à la large portions of The Walking Dead. The show's pacing is textbook and executed to sheer perfection - an early testament to the the mind-boggling array of artistic talent behind an interpretation of such monumental potential.

The importance of such an enviable accolade cannot be overstated. The more poe-faced, traditional critics may dismiss this epic saga as "just a video game" but The Last of Us possesses such an inimitably layered and complex story of love and loss that the narrative simply cannot be rushed.

The patient, yet unerringly confident, manner of the show's early direction would indicate that HBO are firmly in the driving seat on this matter.