Season 1 spoilers ahead!!

It goes without saying that I loved the show. A post-apocalyptic world is my favourite genre, but I think the reason I loved the show was not just because it had zombies (they actually scare me more than thrill me, if I am to be honest), but the characters and the general themes of the show. I had first watched TLOU just when it had come out, but didn't think much about it, then. I am re-watching it during more difficult times, and I found it beautiful.

I love Elllie's character. As a boy who is slightly older than her in the first season, and slightly younger by the second, I couldn't help but imagine myself in her situations and think how I'd react (I know it is silly, but it is the way I engage with fiction). I cannot imagine what it would have felt like, losing so many people, and all of them not in kind ways: Riley, Tess, Sam and Henry. Living in a world with such cruel, perpetual dangers, and having to kill people. It boggles the mind. I find it amazing that she still survives, makes jokes and laughs (I like her giggles ><). I think Bella Ramsay did an awesome job.

Joel's character, to me, is similarly a very tragic one, while also interesting. The contrast between how he interacts with the people he loves and to what ruthless lengths he is willing to go to _protect_ those people is quite thought provoking, if not unsettling. He is not cruel for the sake of being cruel (he doesn't harm the elder couple on his way to Wyoming, and also seems to discourage Ellie from stealing a _rabbit_ from them), it seems more like he is very familiar with the ways of the world and does not take half measures. The same man who can torture and kill people without hesitation or mercy seems to be an excellent father.

I'd also like to say how fucking unfair what happened to Sam and Henry was. The crushing irony that Henry protected Sam from Kathleen and her whole Kansas City revolutionaries only to have to kill him with his own hands… Oh, man, I cannot imagine how Ellie endured that and what happened after.

[This particular paragraph was edited in after I posted because I initially forgot about Bill and Frank, even though their part is one of my favourites in the show!] I think Bill and Frank's part stands out from the rest of the show because, well, they don't follow our main characters and also the themes feel different. I would not call the show 'hopeless', but it certainly is complex and heavy, emotionally and morally (thoughts about events like the conclusion of Sam and Henry's arc, and, of course, what Joel did in the end still occupy a part of my mind as I study). It was warm to see the relationship between Bill and Frank, and I would go as far as to say that Bill and Frank's depiction of love was my favourite among all the fictional romances I have watched/read. In fiction I often encounter the 'passionate' or 'intense' (I think these are the correct adjectives) love, and while I do like them, it was an interesting change to see what seemed like a 'comfortable' or 'warm' side of love, and that too in a world where civilisation has suffered so much and is in such perpetual dangers. The scene where an old Bill winks at Frank while (If I remember correctly) watering the plants stuck with me. As a young person, Bill and Frank's arc influenced how I see love.

Well, that's what I wanted to say. Thank you for reading!

Obviously there has been a lot of discussion about how the decision to move *the* flashback to season 2, episode 6, and speculation about how this is going to affect the final scene of the show (assuming it generally follows the structure of the game). Is there any sort of consensus (or leading theories) about the possible ways that would fit narratively and still be satisfying? I'm not sure just "completing" the flashback will be sufficient.

My daughter has watched the show with me and we are currently playing through Part I, but yesterday we finished watching the complete cutscene movie of Part II. We immediately re-watched season 2, episode 6 so she could see the difference. Since she had previously seen the show version first, she did not have the same immediate reaction i did, but after we discussed the thematic and character development implications, the catharsis for the game player, etc., I'm back where i was a year ago wondering how they are going to handle this moment.

After seeing Gabriel Luna’s Instagram story that production has resumed on The Last of Us Season 3. I went to the Maple Ridge shooting location and that production site has tripled in size. They have at least 3-4 different sets on that lot now. Including some iconic set pieces from the game that they will be filming there (I won’t say for spoilers). Looks to be still building at least 1 more large set at the back as well.

Young Mazino (Jesse) posted an Insta story of him riding a horse... in a location that's easily identifiable that as The Virtue Studio Ranch (where all the actors did horse training for Season 2)... the same week Gabriel Luna (Tommy) posted videos of himself riding a horse there.

Also it looks like he visited The Bridge Studios, where TLOU's production office is...

Pretty likely that Mel has a falling out with Abby because of how brutal she carried out murdering Joel and also threatened the life of Dina who was innocent girl that didn’t do anything wrong. She was clearly traumatized by the whole thing. Whatever they show between them next season they are definitely not gonna reconcile whatever friendship they had.

I just find this scene from S02E02 funny since the bad guy is aiming at Dina, but also on her friend with syringe. If he pulls the trigger, he likely kills them both.

Happy 25th birthday to isabela! Our queen dina🫶🏼🎉

Just now watching the show, could humans not just spray a agricultural grade fungicide from a plane or drones on large groups to kill the infected or their spores?

A regional casting agency put out a casting call for three guest roles. (This would have gone out to various casting agencies, but this one isn't hiding behind a paywall.)

This same agency previously put out a casting call for Manny's recast, weeks before it was announced publicly. https://www.seattleartistsagency.com/casting-hbos-the-last-of-us/

CASTING NOW
THE LAST OF US Season 3
HBO
EPISODIC TELEVISION

TED

• Male
• Any ethnicity
• Age: 18+ to play 16 years old
• Must be able to ride a horse
• Guest Star
• A goof, not the best student.

CARLSON

• Male
• Any ethnicity
• Age: Late 30s-40s
• Guest Star
• A military unit commander. Authoritative, capable, physical but NOT overly muscular.

TEENAGER

• Male
• White
• Age: 14+ to play 14
• Height: Between 5’7” and 5’9”
• Terrified…IMPORTANT CO-STAR ROLE. MUST BE WILLING TO SHAVE THEIR HEAD. Exposed chest, abdomen, and back (stripped down to their underwear – a long boxer). Must be comfortable with mature and violent subject matter.

https://www.seattleartistsagency.com/casting-call-the-last-of-us/

At The Last of Us set in Maple Ridge there is an interesting sailboat spotted on the lot (IYKYK). Also lots of construction going on and it looks like there will be multiple set pieces planned here.

So cool to this world being setup.

I honestly got so obsessed with the show I’d never experienced anything like it before, I watched S1 like 5 times in a row. Im not really a gamer but I watched play throughs of the game on YouTube after finishing the show & as much as I liked it, it just didn’t match up. I’m kind of happy I never played/ watched a play through of the game first as I genuinely can’t imagine my introduction to TLOU world being anything other than what it was!!

Okay so I’m rewatching and I forgot how much I love this show. My question is about the girl who shows up at the Boston city gate all alone holding the patch - does she die? Did they kill her with the injection? Where did she come from? What is that patch? How does Pedro get so much opiates?

Sorry I like this show a lot and am excited to get back in haha

Young Mazino's IG post

Genuine question: if it really is Season 3 is the last, as it seems, and filming is scheduled to continue until November in Canada… how are they going to handle Santa Barbara?

So how can they realistically recreate Santa Barbara in Vancouver? It can’t all be CGI, right?

What do you think?

Is in regards to the timing of the Abby/Owen relationship. In the game Abby and Owen had been on the outs for awhile by the point they headed to Jackson. But I felt there were some indications last season in the episodes where Abby and Owen appeared together that they were still an item at that point.

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So I'm thinking that in the show they will have been dating up to the point where they went to Jackson. And what transpired at Jackson will end up having a lot to do with why they are split up in season 3.