What’s it rated? TV-MA
When? 2023
Where’s it showing? HBO Max
We’re now halfway through the first season of this video game-based zombie TV series, and if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? This very compelling drama has continued to improve exponentially after the first two so-so episodes. By the third, I was hooked, and now I find myself anticipating the next episode every week.
The story follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor who agrees to transport a feisty young woman—Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey)—across the zombie- and marauder-infested country to a team of scientists. Ellie is somehow immune to the virus that turns others into zombies, so she just might hold the key to preventing the spread of the disease.
There are heart-pounding moments of zombie action, but what makes the show sing are the small human moments between characters. There’s nothing like a zombie apocalypse to separate the good humans from the bad ones, and the antagonist comes in the form of Kathleen (a terrific Melanie Lynskey), who leads an army of bad guys trying to horde all the remaining resources. The stakes feel dire, and we want Joel to succeed. Very compelling stuff! (10 50-min. episodes) Δ
This article appears in Weddings 2023.