The Last of Us (HBO series based on the PS3 game)

[sweeterthan]

What tropes are you referring to? This episode was very faithful to the game, any changes were pretty minor this time.

i never played the game.

Spoiler: the strong female being sexually assaulted and the preacher rapist are both hollywood tropes. hbo loves to uphold them. i don’t care if it was true to the game or not. it’s definitely a me problem.

[versusreality]

iirc, he is not a preacher in the game. just a creepy dirty man. I'd also argue that Ellie isn't a strong female in full until this episode. she had the potential to be, but was always held down up until this point. his actions/words unleashed what she had bottling up inside.

[ickyvicky]

When Ellie Spoiler: swiftly grabbed the cleaver and stabbed the dude in the neck - that was wicked.

And why Spoiler: the horses always gotta die, lmao. The Walking Dead vibes haunting there.

[ickyvicky]

[sweeterthan]

i found this article about the last episode that mentions tropes but they say Ellie is

Spoiler: the murder girl trope

https://www.primetimer.com/features/...ap-ellie-david

I agree with the points made about that trope but the piece glosses over Spoiler: the assault theme of the episode.

i don’t agree that this had to happen to Ellie for her to be considered strong. she’s already strong Spoiler: and that’s why she not only survives up until episode 8 but she kills her attacker. i also think my personal view of rape culture comes into play. while other people accept it, i cannot.

there were also a few articles about the sam and henry episode and the race tropes of that episode. one article even mentions episode 2
Spoiler: saying tess’s death is unnecessarily sexually violent. i was definitely disturbed by her last moments and hated it for obvious reasons but i was also disturbed for unknown reasons and i think i agree. they wouldn’t skew a male character’s death to look like a last kiss. i asked my husband what he thought and he’s says it’s the fungus being drawn to each other. i can kinda see that but we know she doesn’t die that way in the game. as mentioned before i never played it so i’m not attached to any outcomes from that origin. But i am sensitive to sexual violence and the ways hollywood uses it to be shocking.

i’ll edit my post if i can find this article again. i debated even posting here about it again because it feels like i’m the only one mulling this shit over. i was glad to find a few articles that seemingly have the same questions i do about why they did it like that.

[bobbie solo]

gut punch.

[versusreality]

stuck to their guns for the finale, which made me happy

now they're probably going to screw up season 2

[allegate]

I don't understand the doctor's logic: "we think that if we harvest the fungus from her brain then we'll all become invisible to the fungus" except she clearly wasn't invisible so how'd that idea come about? She had two obvious bite marks so even if she wasn't conscious to debate the idea they should have seen "oh that's a dumb idea" right there. And if she were awake she could talk about, oh, I don't know, the weird bendy girl zombie that tracked her down? It just seems flawed unless I missed something in that scene that explains why that might be a good plan.

[versusreality]

I'm not sure about the logic, but I do know that every action has a consequence....*vague remark intentionally*

[Jon]

I don't understand the doctor's logic: "we think that if we harvest the fungus from her brain then we'll all become invisible to the fungus" except she clearly wasn't invisible so how'd that idea come about? She had two obvious bite marks so even if she wasn't conscious to debate the idea they should have seen "oh that's a dumb idea" right there. And if she were awake she could talk about, oh, I don't know, the weird bendy girl zombie that tracked her down? It just seems flawed unless I missed something in that scene that explains why that might be a good plan.

Immunity, not invisibility.

The cordyceps in Ellie's brain give off a hormone (chemical messenger) that make other cordyceps think she's "one of them" or already infected. That means she's not invisible to something infected wanting to attack her, but her body is immune to further cordycep infection once she is attacked.

The doctor wants to remove her brain, multiply the cells, and then (hopefully) produce the hormone (chemical messenger) which can be given to everyone.

[sweeterthan]

I loved the last episode tho i did have a hard time believing the giraffes would be so friendly in the apocalypse. my thing about their plan for ellie is they’re doing this in the most horrific place. do they have refrigeration? how would they store her tissue and not let it die? this is a complicated process that seems like it would require the sophistication of a sterile lab and a team of scientists. it’s sketchy as hell to think they could do it in an old hospital and achieve any success while letting her die.

i’m also not usually a fan of gun battles but joel plowing through is probably my favorite ever.

[otnavuskire]

I loved the last episode tho i did have a hard time believing the giraffes would be so friendly in the apocalypse.

Also that they'd survive the winters in Salt Lake City. It would be way too cold for them.

[elevenism]

@sweeterthan

people LIKE giraffes.

[Wretchedest]

stuck to their guns for the finale, which made me happy

now they're probably going to screw up season 2

I haven't seen this yet but I really think they can only fix part 2 it's pretty messy and self indulgent

[october_midnight]