Some rambly thoughts on how the show is going so far, presented in no particular order:
I'm still enjoying my time with this and am curious to see where things are headed, even though Isaiah and Ellie's scenes are about the only ones that really make me feel like I'm watching something titled LTROI. The rest is quite far removed from the spirit of the original story, but I can still enjoy it for what it is. Mostly. Speaking of Isaiah and Ellie, I would say that they're the strongest part of the show. It might count as blasphemy around here, but I'd even go so far as to say that Madison Taylor Baez is pulling off a stronger performance than Leandersson and Ceylan did. Of course, it goes without saying that Ellie and Eli are very different characters and Ellie's actor has more varied material to work with, so maybe it's unfair to compare them in that way.
Thoughts about some specific things from E03 and E04:
- The scene with the woman at the hospital in E03 seems like an obvious set-up for a Virginia's death-type situation, what with the bandages conveniently protecting her from the sunlight streaming in. I will be entirely unsurprised if it's reincorporated later.
- Zeke is the real MVP of the story. Honestly. I also thought that his and Ellie's reunion was genuinely touching.
- I enjoyed the break-in scene in E04 showcasing a somewhat darker side to Eleanor (her recklessness about getting what she wants and her controlling attitude toward Isaiah).
- I'm not sure if I think the semi-frequent, direct references to the original (e.g. the Cube showing up in the magic show) are endearing or if they make me want to roll my eyes. I think part of the issue is that since they've changed all the rest of the dialogue (and, well, everything else), when a direct reference like that does appear, it sticks out like a wink to the viewer instead of fitting in with this new story of theirs they want to tell. An example is "I flew". In the film, it's a serious answer to the question (even though Eli certainly knows that Oskar won't take him seriously). In the show, it's a jokey way for Ellie to brush off a question, since she didn't actually fly (and hasn't been shown to be able to). Keeping the same line but in a different context makes it stick out, in a bad way. I dunno. I should probably just view them as respectful homages to the original and let them slide.
- I don't know what to make of Matthew's motivations. Becoming infected without the drawbacks is what I'm guessing he was after the whole time, but I also get the impression that he genuinely cares about Peter in at least some sense. That storyline is probably the worst one, though. I don't care for that kind of body horror and the like. Also, Jesus Christ, the CGI on those chimpanzees is awful. Claire and Peter's performances and interactions are alright, though.
One detail I'm very curious about is how much they'll show of Liz's (Ellie's mother's) death, beyond what they've implied so far (that being that Ellie killed her).
Also, I'll make a prediction for the season finale. Based on what Bichir has said about wanting to keep going for "many" seasons (bleurgh), I'm betting that Ellie will be cured to some extent (to allow for a second season while avoiding the issue of an aging child actor), but they won't find the vampire that bit her and Peter (to leave enough unresolved plot for a second season).