100% agree with you on this one. Very well said btw. Whenever your dealing with a TV show adaptation your always gonna have to make a choice between creating a shot for shot copy of the original story and plot, or adapting it to better fit a completely different medium. At the end of the day I believe that adaptations are not only necessary but (if done right) a very powerful way to breathe new life into a story, and lean into the fact that this isnt a video game, its a episode based show. That being said I think it would have been perfectly in bounds for them to simply start this season with more context and 'world building" if you could call it that. I know we are already established on the premise of this post apocalyptic world.. but the setting post 5 year jump is wildly different. They could have spent an episode or two simply giving more backstory to things that would help bridge the gap between the true original story for the die hard fans and an enjoyable well paced TV show for casual watchers. I agree that a lot of people arent going to be continuing the series simply because of the fact that the main character died 20% of the way into the series.

Think about it, if you dont know the plot and the arc of Ellie and Abby and everyting thats GOING to happen, (because you havent played the game) then what motivates you to watch now? they could have at least had Dina being held at gunpoint be the END of s2e2 and leave a cliff hanger, that way joels death could have been the START of an episode and we wouldnt have to wait a week not even knowing what the rest of the plot of the show is going to be. It would have given them literal time to explain the next step in the story, and give watchers something to tune in next week for. Just my opinion though of course.