What ‘The Last of Us’ Season Premiere’s Final Moments Really Mean

These tensions look successful play 2 successful Jackson, Wyoming, wherever dozens of survivors of the Cordyceps plague person built a somewhat harmless and unchangeable existence. Joel’s member Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and his woman Maria (Rutina Wesley) helped found the settlement; Ellie, present an effectual combatant and sharp-shooter, helps support it. But it has besides go a microcosm of America successful the aboriginal aughts.

“One of the problems with Jackson,” says Mazin, “is that they’ve go a spot complacent. They consciousness harmless capable that idiosyncratic tin get drunk astatine a enactment and commencement tossing retired homophobic slurs, to repetition the benignant of shitty small sins that [people] utilized to consciousness escaped to perpetrate erstwhile the satellite was not successful an apocalypse.”

Re-creating those shitty small sins—or challenging them—on tv comes with complications. After HBO aired the “Long, Long Time” episode, the homophobic backlash was swift. Most of it seemed to travel from a vocal minority—the occurrence was the series’ most-watched to day erstwhile it aired—but they were mighty capable to seemingly review-bomb the occurrence and instrumentality to the net with “gay agenda” allegations.

Offerman won an Independent Spirit Award for his performance, and erstwhile helium accepted helium gave his effect for what to accidental erstwhile radical ask, Why did you person to marque it a cheery story? “Because you inquire questions similar that,” Offerman said. “It’s not a cheery story, it’s a emotion story, you asshole!”

At slightest immoderate of this comes from gamers who are inactive upset astir the LGBTQ+ practice successful The Last of Us games. The Last of Us Part II, connected which the show’s 2nd play is loosely based, was considered groundbreaking erstwhile developer Naughty Dog released it successful 2020. Its queer representation, which extends beyond Ellie and Dina, was a large woody successful a mean that has been pushing backmost against inclusivity since astatine slightest the days of the archetypal Gamergate.

At the aforesaid time, Part II’s inclusion of Lev, was besides not wholly well-received by the queer community. Some derided the game’s usage of Lev’s deadname. Some said the game, and its predecessor, fell into the “bury your gays” trope, sidesplitting disconnected its queer characters excessively willingly. Others, similar Kotaku’s Riley MacLeod, noted that “Lev isn’t needfully a analyzable character, but helium besides doesn’t conscionable locomotion astir being trans similar truthful galore trans characters successful media do.” The show’s creators wouldn’t corroborate if Lev would marque an quality this play but said viewers would apt spot him connected the amusement and that helium would beryllium a trans character. Just earlier the show’s 2nd play premiere, HBO renewed The Last of Us for a 3rd season.

Ian Alexander, who played Lev successful the game, told WIRED successful 2021, “I wholly recognize people’s frustrations [about the deadnaming scene]. Obviously, the writers person the champion intentions and wanted to bring authentic representation, and they mightiness person missed the people a small spot with that.”

Attempts to amusement radical successful each their complexity, though, mightiness mean occasionally missing the mark. The Last of Us offers analyzable and messy queer characters and authorities alternatively than relying connected trite stereotypes. And messiness means sometimes radical volition consciousness uncomfortable.

Sunday night’s occurrence marks the show’s archetypal breath-holding infinitesimal of the season; it won’t beryllium the last.