Inglewood_B
OG
“Use it to protect Tess…” still hit the same without Bill and Frank’s excellent adventure.
HBO The Last of Us (Season 2, 2025)
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“Use it to protect Tess…” still hit the same without Bill and Frank’s excellent adventure.
Inori
NAWF
I was gonna say something similar. All of that was lead up to the letter to drive home that newfound connection that Joel forges with Ellie as a protector
Inglewood_B
OG
Yeah… like I been saying, I did like how it came back around eventually.
Inori
NAWF
Nah bruh there was plenty of world building in that one episode.
Showed Frank and Tess came up with the music codes to communicate
Showed there are trade routes and people doing commerce back and forth
Showed there are raiders and the infected arent the only things people need to be worried about
Showed that theres a reason everybody aint walking around with automatic weapons(ammo is scarce for those guns)
Showed some more insight into how the infection spread
it also showed one reason that folks are fighting to survive for(Love)
If you cant see this episode moved the plot along further iono what to tell ya
I don't think it does at all without any context. We'll agree to disagree.
Inglewood_B
OG
First 3 of those were made kinda clear in the first episode
Last one sounds profound when you say it, but people doing that now, not even in a post apocalyptic world.
Made for great TV tho. But I’ll stop beating this dead horse. I haven’t been disappointed with any of these episodes.
loud-ninja
Here to point out the illogical
Look at it this way. They went into bill's backstory to show how bleek the world is now. That most people need some kind of companionship. Bill was like joel. That is what the episode was about.
Joel lost his heart when his daughter was killed. Bill hated everyone until he met frank. He had something to live for. Frank saved bill from hisself. Bill saved frank from everything else.
Bill considered themselves protectors. That is why when ellie was reading the end of the letter, joel took it from here. Bill told him to keep tess safe.
Joel was gonna go back to his not caring ways after he lost tess. The bill story was too show how strong companionship can be. Joel now has someone new to protect. He has purpose again with ellie.
This was done like a novel. I have read books where they spend a chapter on a minor character just to kill them in that same chapter. It is too set the stage, and mood on things to come.
loud-ninja
Here to point out the illogical
but, if you didnt like the episode that much, it is what it is. I felt like that too when I was watching it. But when i got a better understanding, it actually was done very well.
Inori
NAWF
That whole story was necessary for that letter to slap like that.
It was all allowable and excusable imo. No gripes other than the relationship seemed awkward and forced. Like I don't know how two dudes normally fall for each other.... But book seemed more annoyed then attracted to homie. But whatever, they were lonely, and the point was that they were companions for a long time together and died I'm guessing in each other's arms
It was poetic, and told a great story.
It was all allowable and excusable imo. No gripes other than the relationship seemed awkward and forced. Like I don't know how two dudes normally fall for each other.... But book seemed more annoyed then attracted to homie. But whatever, they were lonely, and the point was that they were companions for a long time together and died I'm guessing in each other's arms
It was poetic, and told a great story.
IP360
Doctorate & Ph.D in Bootyology
I mean again, I can admit this sounds wild crazy to type.... But if you watch interview with the vampire... That shit is believable because them dudes had chemistry and the way the story was told you could understand the seduction involved even if you didn't go that way...
Like in that show, the break down was clear as fuck.... Watching it, you could only have a "damn, hate it had to be you bro"..... Like.... You saw how he got in that dude head.
With last of us though.....
I was confused as fuck that they liked each other when homie was playing the piano song all wrong. It just didn't seem like they was vibing on that level.
I'm guessing my point is, if you gonna write a gay romance... Be respectful to them people and make it a believable romance. Cuz when it doesn't make sense... People always gonna complain it was forced
Like in that show, the break down was clear as fuck.... Watching it, you could only have a "damn, hate it had to be you bro"..... Like.... You saw how he got in that dude head.
With last of us though.....
I was confused as fuck that they liked each other when homie was playing the piano song all wrong. It just didn't seem like they was vibing on that level.
I'm guessing my point is, if you gonna write a gay romance... Be respectful to them people and make it a believable romance. Cuz when it doesn't make sense... People always gonna complain it was forced
I think it's supposed to come off a little awkward considering Bill was a closeted man aka a man who's not entirely comfortable with his sexuality. He was basically a hermit as well
Lmao fr. This wasn't 'for the gheys' it was about mfs finding love in a hopeless place
He was definitely off
Lou Cypher
The Tokin' White Guy
I knew well before this show premiered that HBO would have another instant classic on their hands. Even with that being said, they still managed to blow my mind with how well the 3 episodes that have been released so far have been made.
The way they opened it up was perfect. In our real lives, everyone is finally settling down and seemingly things are normalizing after the COVID shit, but the way they built up the fear of fungi possibly evolving and setting something off was perfect. I follow a mycologist named Paul Stamets and he's done podcasts explaining the behavior of different fungi and he's completely blown my mind on numerous occasions. I highly recommend looking up videos from him if you want to go down a rabbit hole some day, he makes fungi sound completely terrifying at times but also explains how in some ways we are completely reliant on fungi and tons of different benefits they provide not only to the ecosystem but also when ingested by humans depending on the species. I swear to god shit is mindblowing.
Anyway, the way they set the possible fear of something bad happening was perfect, then when they brought us to day one the way they captured the terror and mayhem and confusion of the collapse of society was perfect and completely believable to me. You could understand or really see how if things got so out of control a government would get to a certain point where it wouldn't matter about saving anybody at a certain point and they would say fuck it and just bomb everything hoping to stop the spread even if innocents died, they wouldn't be able to add to the spread. Whether or not that would work, as long as people in charge were safe, I absolutely believe they wouldn't hesitate to do something like that. Then the new way of life after the collapse. The fucked up things people would have to see on a daily basis. The "jobs" that would need done so you could be paid with basic goods to get through the next day or two and the new rules of life. Money would be pointless and things return to a bartering system. They did it all perfectly.
Episode 2 was great. Not much to say, It sucked seeing tess die after only 2 eps but the episode set us on the journey to escort Ellie and gave us the first bump in the road of what im sure will be many.
Episode 3. I know everyone has their own opinions of the gays and what at times may seem like the lifestyle is being forced upon us in whatever media we consume. I didnt expect this episode at all and no homo when I say this, but that was one of the most touching love story's I've ever seen on television. Ever. Honestly, it may have been the best. It didn't matter the story was of two gay men. Exchange those characters with a hetero couple and it would have been just as effective. If Joel and tess weren't the main characters of the story and this just so happened to be how their story played out, it would have been just as touching. With the setting of the world completely falling apart and being alone in your own stronghold, no matter how much someone doesn't care to be around people and say they are fine on their own, companionship is necessary at some point and he by happenstance finds that. Someone he can love and share life with. Through the tough days where they may not see eye to eye but can compromise and sacrifice because in the end he didn't want to lose that. Them managing to meet tess and Joel in a world where they constantly have their guard up to anyone outside but can finally give themselves some normalcy and relax like they did before the world went to hell. At a time where it shouldn't have happened, he found someone he could grow old with. When it got to their final days and his partner told him what he wanted his final day of life to be like, you could feel that sadness nick Offermans character felt. Someone he's loved for years and cared for telling him he can't live another day in pain from a sickness that causes him to be a burden. The struggle of understanding you wouldn't want them to be in pain any longer but you don't want them gone no matter how much extra care they may need because he didn't want to be without them. Then we had to watch him fulfill every request for his final day no matter how much it hurt. He put on a smile and did his best to make sure it was as perfect as his partner could have hoped for. Then at the very end when they both knew the last step was about to take place, we see him decide he isn't going to live without them. Wherever or whatever happens they'd get there together and they both drink the medicated wine. Shit was beautiful, no homo. In a world completely in chaos a story like theirs was never supposed to happen but it did. I loved the way the writers made the scene of Joel finding his friends dead and making it a really heavy moment but found the letter and had Ellie read it aloud. Although Ellie read it, you could totally hear/feel it coming from Nick Offermans character and with all the heaviness the episode gave us they'd ease up things with the humor in the letter, even if it only lasted a couple seconds. It was just one of the most well done story's to hit you in the feels that I've seen in a long time and I wouldn't be surprised if that episode alone gets the crew all kinds of nominations or awards. Im sure the characters being gay will help them with that because the gays love that shit and run the awards, but like I mentioned, if you replaced those two with a straight couple, I believe that story would have been just as effective and touching. I didn't expect an episode like that at all and it really makes me wonder what chances they're going to take with the material in the future. So far they are knocking it out of the park.
The way they opened it up was perfect. In our real lives, everyone is finally settling down and seemingly things are normalizing after the COVID shit, but the way they built up the fear of fungi possibly evolving and setting something off was perfect. I follow a mycologist named Paul Stamets and he's done podcasts explaining the behavior of different fungi and he's completely blown my mind on numerous occasions. I highly recommend looking up videos from him if you want to go down a rabbit hole some day, he makes fungi sound completely terrifying at times but also explains how in some ways we are completely reliant on fungi and tons of different benefits they provide not only to the ecosystem but also when ingested by humans depending on the species. I swear to god shit is mindblowing.
Anyway, the way they set the possible fear of something bad happening was perfect, then when they brought us to day one the way they captured the terror and mayhem and confusion of the collapse of society was perfect and completely believable to me. You could understand or really see how if things got so out of control a government would get to a certain point where it wouldn't matter about saving anybody at a certain point and they would say fuck it and just bomb everything hoping to stop the spread even if innocents died, they wouldn't be able to add to the spread. Whether or not that would work, as long as people in charge were safe, I absolutely believe they wouldn't hesitate to do something like that. Then the new way of life after the collapse. The fucked up things people would have to see on a daily basis. The "jobs" that would need done so you could be paid with basic goods to get through the next day or two and the new rules of life. Money would be pointless and things return to a bartering system. They did it all perfectly.
Episode 2 was great. Not much to say, It sucked seeing tess die after only 2 eps but the episode set us on the journey to escort Ellie and gave us the first bump in the road of what im sure will be many.
Episode 3. I know everyone has their own opinions of the gays and what at times may seem like the lifestyle is being forced upon us in whatever media we consume. I didnt expect this episode at all and no homo when I say this, but that was one of the most touching love story's I've ever seen on television. Ever. Honestly, it may have been the best. It didn't matter the story was of two gay men. Exchange those characters with a hetero couple and it would have been just as effective. If Joel and tess weren't the main characters of the story and this just so happened to be how their story played out, it would have been just as touching. With the setting of the world completely falling apart and being alone in your own stronghold, no matter how much someone doesn't care to be around people and say they are fine on their own, companionship is necessary at some point and he by happenstance finds that. Someone he can love and share life with. Through the tough days where they may not see eye to eye but can compromise and sacrifice because in the end he didn't want to lose that. Them managing to meet tess and Joel in a world where they constantly have their guard up to anyone outside but can finally give themselves some normalcy and relax like they did before the world went to hell. At a time where it shouldn't have happened, he found someone he could grow old with. When it got to their final days and his partner told him what he wanted his final day of life to be like, you could feel that sadness nick Offermans character felt. Someone he's loved for years and cared for telling him he can't live another day in pain from a sickness that causes him to be a burden. The struggle of understanding you wouldn't want them to be in pain any longer but you don't want them gone no matter how much extra care they may need because he didn't want to be without them. Then we had to watch him fulfill every request for his final day no matter how much it hurt. He put on a smile and did his best to make sure it was as perfect as his partner could have hoped for. Then at the very end when they both knew the last step was about to take place, we see him decide he isn't going to live without them. Wherever or whatever happens they'd get there together and they both drink the medicated wine. Shit was beautiful, no homo. In a world completely in chaos a story like theirs was never supposed to happen but it did. I loved the way the writers made the scene of Joel finding his friends dead and making it a really heavy moment but found the letter and had Ellie read it aloud. Although Ellie read it, you could totally hear/feel it coming from Nick Offermans character and with all the heaviness the episode gave us they'd ease up things with the humor in the letter, even if it only lasted a couple seconds. It was just one of the most well done story's to hit you in the feels that I've seen in a long time and I wouldn't be surprised if that episode alone gets the crew all kinds of nominations or awards. Im sure the characters being gay will help them with that because the gays love that shit and run the awards, but like I mentioned, if you replaced those two with a straight couple, I believe that story would have been just as effective and touching. I didn't expect an episode like that at all and it really makes me wonder what chances they're going to take with the material in the future. So far they are knocking it out of the park.
Stomp Johnson
Smooth.
Some of y'alls reactions to Ep. 3 reminds of my initial reaction when settling into the Season 2 DVD set of The Wire.
Also knowing how the video game story unfolds definitely helps me understand why this ep was important to events that happen later.
If y'all that haven't played Part I wish to remain unspoiled on how shit goes down, then I recommend that you'd at least listen to the after episode podcasts to fill in the blanks.
- Who are these dusty whiteboys?
- Where's the rest of the Barksdale Crew?
- This shit feels off, why they had to change it?
- Why these niggas spend the whole episode tryna catch a damn fly? Nothing happened.
Also knowing how the video game story unfolds definitely helps me understand why this ep was important to events that happen later.
If y'all that haven't played Part I wish to remain unspoiled on how shit goes down, then I recommend that you'd at least listen to the after episode podcasts to fill in the blanks.
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VIBE
Do More. Be Legendary.
Great catch. Ergot is a fungi that infects meadows, grasses, forests etc..so 100% did infect the wheat. In the beginning, there was the expert talking about fungi and he specifically mentions ergot.
Fun “fact”: it’s thrown out there at the what might’ve sparked the Salem witch trials was ergot poisoning..caused mass delusion and anger. Interesting theory..
