Joel sneaks less in The Last Of Us show because '55-year-olds can't crouch' that long

HBO’s The Last of Us is already a roaring success, even after just one episode. The series promised to be a faithful retelling and that’s evident to see - although a few classic moves from the game have been omitted.

The Last of Us is currently the highest-rated TV show of all time on IMDb and critics have branded the show “the greatest video game adaptation ever made” in a series of rave reviews. Fans are in agreement, praising the ‘perfect’ opening episode - although I think we’re all still recovering from that devastating scene. There is so much to look forward to in the weeks ahead but if you were hoping to see Joel do his trademark stealth crouch, I have bad news for you.

Take a look below to see what’s in store this season on The Last of Us.

In an interview with Polygon, showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed that Joel doesn’t crouch quite as much as he does in the game. If you’ve played the game, you’ll know that Joel spends a lot of time essentially crab walking everywhere. Need to be stealthy? Crouching time. Need to loot supplies? Crouching time. The problem is, it’s not good for the ol’ knees.

Mazin told Polygon, “Joel’s walking in a crouch [in the game] so much that he would have, like, these massive quads, right? 55-year-olds can’t crouch for more than like three minutes! Tops! And then their back gives out.” Mazin went on to explain that the series is “embracing frailty.”

He added that in a game, there is a healing mechanic if you get shot. “You get shot once in reality,” he said. Joel cannot afford to mess up and when he does, that has a real effect on his body. Mazin said this pulls people into the “immersion” that differs from the type of immersion offered in video games.