Fall Finales: The Last of Us - Season One

So I have finally finished, The Last of Us. The post-apocalyptic drama based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog. Set in 2023, twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society. A little like the last few years us humans have lived.

Following Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian), a smuggler tasked with escorting the immune teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.

Also featured in season one Nico Parker as Joel's daughter Sarah, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, Anna Torv as Joel's partner Tess, Gabriel Luna as Joel's brother Tommy, Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Montreal Woodard as brothers Henry and Sam, and Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce as resistance leader Kathleen and her second-in-command Perry.

This is the first HBO series based on a video game, The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023. Running for nine episodes I have avoided spoilers since mid March.

So it technically should have featured in my Summer Slack Streaming Blog series. However I had another 33 series to conclude over our summer.

The first season has received acclaim from critics, who praised the performances, writing, production design, and score; several called it the best adaptation of a video game. 

Across linear channels and HBO Max, the series premiere was watched by 4.7 million viewers on the first day—the second-biggest for HBO since 2010—and almost 40 million within two months; by March, the first six episodes averaged over 30 million viewers. 

After the first few episodes, the series was renewed for a second season. Not a big surprise really.

You can stream The Last of Us on Binge, along with the all other HBO titles. HBO and Showtime have both been off to a strong start for 2023 with Succession and Yellowjackets now replacing both Your Honour and this series.

Album of the Weekend - Offical Music Videos

Album of the (Easter) Week (end) - CUB SPORT {Jesus at the Gay Bar}

Fall Finales: Class of '07 - Season One

Class of '07 is the latest Australian comedy television series. Well The Last King of The Cross is crime drama, Wellmania is a comedy series and Love Me is drama. Man O Man there is some Aussie content around right now. MAFS is like so yesterday!

Created by Kacie Anning, and starring Emily Browning, Megan Smart, and Caitlin Stasey. The eight episode comedy series landed on Amazon Prime Video on St Patty's Day 2023!

An apocalyptic tidal wave hits during the 10-year reunion of an all-girls high school. The group has to find a way to survive on the island peak of their old high school campus, while dealing with old high school drama.

The all-female ensemble comedy series was filmed in and around Sydney. It kicks off with Zoe (Emily Browning) appears on Australian dating show The Match. 

When she is rejected she goes on a rant against the man rejecting her culminating in her releasing a dove which accidentally defecates in her open mouth. The moment goes viral leading Zoe to cut herself off from society for 6 months staying on an isolated property her father owns.

When water suddenly starts bursting from the ground Zoe seeks higher ground and accidentally stumbles across her ten year high school reunion. The other women believe that Zoe's warnings about the flash flooding are another example of her dramatics and ignore her with disastrous consequences.

It's an environmental class reunion special with loads and loads of great music. So much great music is featured in this Aussie title.

I am not sure this was set out to be a miniseries or something we may see Amazon return to for a second run. However it was one of the most random series I have watched in a while.

It had its funny moments, whilst Emily Browning is always delightful. 

If you do need a local (easy to binge) series this Easter, Class of '07 streams right this second on Amazon. This is my second Amazon series in a little bit. Swarm was also slightly odd-way. So leave your brain at the door, get ready for poo and bowel movement jokes, shit gonna get real. Literally.

A brand new Easter Feature Album, landing Friday too! Until then, bring on the long weekend y'all!

Album of the Week - Offical Music Videos

Get Outta da House Cinema 2023 - John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is the latest pre-Easter blockbuster. Grossing $244 million worldwide and become the fifth highest grossing film of 2023, thus far! With a wet week ahead, limited competition, I think the fourth chapter will 100% hit $300 million by the next time I check.

The sequel to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, comes well before the whole COVID thing hit in 2019. So I kinda should have had a quick recap before heading into the close to three hour action, shot em up.

This is the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise. Keanu Reeves returns as the titular character, alongside Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane. and incredible singer, turned kiss ass action hero, Rina Sawayama.

In Chapter four , John Wick sets out to get revenge on the High Table and those who left him for dead.

The film heads to filming locations in France, Germany, New York City, and Japan. Both Japan and Germany are damn epic with some monster action sequences. Sometimes right in the middle of dance floors.

No spoilers here, however a chapter five is unlikely for a bit...

Spin offs however are on the cards. Reeves and McShane will reprise their respective roles as Wick and Winston in the upcoming film Ballerina.

Set for a 2024 release,  Ballerina, a spin-off to the John Wick films set between the events of Chapter 3 and Chapter 4.

Also in development is a spin-off television series entitled The Continental, which will feature younger versions of several John Wick characters. This will likely stream in Australia on Stan. This will be a huge TV title!

Now to the star rating. With its long ass duration, it's getting marked down. The action sequences, Rina Sawayama were awesome.

So that said, the film gets 3.5 Stars. Not the best of 2023, however 100% not the worst either. If you are asking who is Rina Sawayama? Take a look/listen below.

Album of the (NEXT) Week - DMA's {How Many Dreams?}