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THE LAST OF US Finally Gave us the ‘Battle of Winterfell’ We Deserved

This post contains major spoilers for The Last of Us season two, episode two. Technically, it also contains spoilers for Game of Thrones‘ “The Long Night,” but that doesn’t count.

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The Last of Us just delivered a heart-wrenching, tense, terrifying, action-packed episode, one of the best in television history. This episode had everything you could ever want. It combined world-class spectacle with a deeply human story, great writing, and incredible performances. It featured an all-out assault on a fortified outpost—located in the cold and snowy north—by a massive horde of fast-moving, violent, zombies entirely under the control of a master that threatens every living being on the planet. Every plot and character development made sense, both in a vacuum and for the show’s bigger story. It also featured Bella Ramsey! And, most importantly, you could f***ing see what was happening.

So, while it took six years and a totally different show, HBO finally gave us the “Battle of Winterfell” we deserved.

Not everything that happens on TV is about Game of Thrones. Not everything that happens on HBO is, either. But it was impossible to watch The Last of Us’ absolutely stunning episode and not see the obvious connections between the infected attack on snowy Jackson, Wyoming, and the White Walker attack on snowy Winterfell. Cordyceps was the Night King, the Infected its wights. The commune was the Stark castle with giant walls that couldn’t hold against the living embodiment of death. The Last of Us even put those who couldn’t fight this true existential threat underground, same as Game of Thrones.

Only, unlike Tyrion’s illogical plan, Jackson’s leaders didn’t lock up their vulnerable with corpses destined to transform into undead soldiers. Maria didn’t send the kids and elderly into a cordyceps fungus garden. Nor did Tommy foolishly lead a cavalry of the town’s best warriors to die outside Jackson’s walls the way Jon Snow handed Dothraki over to the Night King for literally no reason. Everything that happened during the infected attack on Jackson made sense.

The town both failed and succeeded for logical reasons, not because it “looked cool.” There was no deus ex machina to save the day, either. Jackson barely held on. Meanwhile, Ellie couldn’t save Joel on The Last of Us season two, the antithesis of Game of Throne‘s “The Long Night,” where every single person who sat around the fireplace the night before survived. Yes, everyone who was there for Brienne’s emotional knighting lived through the White Walker attack. Clearly, Jackson’s supplies didn’t include plot armor.

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Am I still really this bitter about an episode of TV that aired six years ago? So much so that my response to watching an all-time great episode of television, on an incredible series, has me complaining about Game of Thrones?

Is that a joke? Of course, I am. I’m going to be bitter about it if I live 600 more years. In fact, I hope someone teaches me Melisandre’s magic. I want to keep writing this exact article for centuries. I will never tire of being angry that Game of Thrones botched the most highly-anticipated showdown in TV’s history, a battle thousand of years in the making… Especially when it should have been amazing. It took 55 days and more than 750 people to film that one episode. And while it undoubtedly featured some incredible acting and sequences, it was a big, anticlimactic, nonsensical dud.

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At least it seemed that way. How can any of us be totally sure when nearly two months of filming and millions and millions of dollars of production were all hidden by near-total darkness?

Forget the great writing. Forget the incredible visuals, perfect pacing, true terror, standout acting, genuine emotion, and actual logic. The fact The Last of Us actually let us see its zombie horde attack made it the good version of Game of Thrones‘ “Battle of Winterfell.”

Hopefully, that’s a sign The Last of Us won’t completely fall apart during its final season, too.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He thinks about how Game of Thrones ended every day of his life. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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THE LAST OF US Just Delivered One of the Greatest Episodes in Television History

This post contains major spoilers for The Last of Us season two, episode two.

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Sometimes an episode of television knocks you on your ass. It doesn’t always take much. A single scene or memorable performance can do it. Just as stellar filmmaking, really great writing, or amazing visuals can leave a major impact on viewers. But the very best episodes in history, the truly special ones, give you everything you could ever want from an hour of television. Some installments are so good that they elevate the entire medium. That’s what The Last of Us just delivered in season two’s stunning second episode. It was TV at its absolute best in every way.

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“Through the Valley” is not the first time a TV show has ever pulled off a surprise, horrifying zombie attack. Nor is it the first time such a sequence was ever done that well at that kind of blockbuster scope. HBO itself has done it before with “Hardhome.” The very fact that the infected assault on Jackson, Wyoming, in The Last of Us season two can really only be compared to Game of Thrones‘ iconic episode is enough to make it an all-timer.

Like “Hardhome,” spectacle alone cannot elevate an episode to standing among TV’s best ever. The Last of Us reached that rarified air because it did everything else just as well. The writing is crisp and honest, full of great, meaningful characterization and plot development from start to finish. That’s true of moments both big and small. Abby’s monologue to Joel is emotional and powerful. As is watching a bitten man silently show off his bite wound before handing over his gun for his own execution.

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The episode also creates real tension and terror because it invests in its characters first. It then uses impeccable pacing, expertly build towards the action, so it not only means something when it arrives, but we feel the weight of what’s happening. It starts with the casual reports of Infected nearby. And that small piece of news leads to a mobilization that feels like the possible beginning of the end for everyone we care about. And when that terrible storm finally rolls in, it really does feel like the end of the world is coming for them.

Then it does.

The attack on Jackson also works so well because this episode of The Last of Us season two seamlessly lets us experience it in two very different ways. We see this nightmare in the macro, as thousands of cordyceps zombies besiege hundreds of frightened citizens. But we also engage in the personal side by going through the attack with Tommy. We’re with him on the wall, fighting on the main street, and when at his side when he’s trapped by doors he ordered barred. Because we’re with him, we feel the same terror everyone in the commune is feeling. It’s like both watching a boxing match and fighting in it at the same time, all without ever being disoriented. As a result, we feel the same pain as those who survived this major The Last of Us battle at episode’s end.

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If the Battle of Jackson—which is even more impressive since it’s a wholly original sequence that does not happen in The Last of Us Part II—was the entire episode it would have been a crowning achievement for the medium. You just can’t film a better, more epic, more tense, more logical war sequence. It was perfect. And yet, somehow, all of that happened while The Last of Us season two was also adapting one of the most infamous, shocking scenes in video game history. The siege on the commune is interwoven with Joel’s last day alive. We see him save Abby from certain death amid a brutal storm (another amazing action sequence), all so he could walk into his own execution.

The two stories that make up this episode are separate, yet in total harmony with the other. They’re two halves of one story. Each has its own story and focus, but the shared terror of both elevates the other. They work together to create a sense of unimaginable dread and death. Then they deliver both.

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But great writing and great filmmaking still need great performances, and this episode is overflowing with them. The Last of Us season two, episode two features an incredibly nuanced performance from Gabriel Luna, who conveys the raw human emotion of the commune attack. He says so much without speaking while Tommy fights for his town’s existence. Kaitlyn Dever shines in a different way. The humanity and pain of her monologue to Joel make it impossible not to see her character’s human side, even while she’s doing something we’re desperate for someone to stop. Pedro Pascal is just as good at the famously brutal scene. His Joel faces death with the steely determination that helped him save the life of his eventual murder. The way he gives Ellie one final look will stay with us, just as it will stay with her.

Then there’s Bella Ramsey. She’s been giving memorable, iconic performances on HBO shows for years. Yet here she gives the performance of her life. Ellie’s futile pleading for Joel’s life takes an already heartbreaking moment and makes it almost too much to bear. It’s literally hard to watch her scream and threaten and grieve, yet it’s impossible to turn away from someone giving a performance that good. It’s an immensely talented artist at their best giving us something truly special.

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Truly special is the only way to describe this entire hour of television. The Last of Us just delivered an all-timer, an episode few TV shows have ever have reached. It knocked us on our ass, and it’ll be a long time before we can get up.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who thought this episode was pretty, pretty, pretty good. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Did THE LAST OF US Pull the Trigger Too Fast on a Major Moment from the Game?

This post contains major spoilers from The Last of Us season two, episode two, and also for The Last of Us Part II video game.

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Even if you knew the fate of Joel Miller in The Last of Us Part II you couldn’t have known how HBO’s adaptation was going to handle that infamous moment. You couldn’t even be sure the series would actually do it. While the show was very faithful to the source material in season one, it still made some meaningful changes to the story. Also, Pedro Pascal is a huge, talented star. TV networks like to keep those type of performers around on hit shows for obvious reasons. So even if The Last of Us was ultimately going to kill Pascal’s Joel off same as his video game counterpart, it seemed very possible—maybe even likely—his death would happen late in season two. There was even a chance it wouldn’t happen until season three. Instead, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann recreated Joel’s shocking death scene in The Last of Us season two’s second episode.

It was a bold decision that mirrored the game, where Abby also killed Joel very early in the story. The question is whether or not Joel’s death was the right decision for HBO’s The Last of Us show.

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No matter how stunned you might be after watching the brutal murder of Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller, the character’s death in The Last of Us—Part II is even more shocking. The show’s second season began with Abby’s backstory in Salt Lake City. However, the game doesn’t initially tell you who Abby is and who she’s looking for in Jackson. And, just like in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation, Joel also saves her life shortly before she clubs him to death. That makes her actions even more surprising. Joel’s murder really comes out of nowhere with almost no warning.

It’s upsetting, emotional, and totally effective. Joel’s death, while absolutely startling in every way, is true to both the world and the story of The Last of Us. He made a choice at the end of the first game—the same one he made at the end of season one—and every action has consequences. And in a wasteland overrun by cordyceps and desperate survivors, consequences often mean death. In this story, anyone can die at any time.

On top of being a great, iconic video game moment, it was also brave storytelling decision for The Last of Us series. The first game, like season one of HBO’s adaptation, is centered around Joel and Ellie. Killing off one of them at the start of the sequel is not what anyone expected. It’s also not what some fans wanted, even if they objectively found the sequence completely logical, perfectly executed, and incredibly emotional. How could anyone “want” that after becoming fully invested in Joel and Ellie’s lives? It’s so devastating because it’s so painful, both in the game and on the show.

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Just because the death of Pascal’s Joel was a faithful adaptation (with minor changes), both in timing and in execution, doesn’t necessarily mean it was the right choice for The Last of Us. Television is a totally different medium from video games. Watching a show is different from actively playing a game. They’re very different experiences with different expectations and appeal. Pedro Pascal is also not a video game character. He’s an A-list celebrity, one of the best, most popular actors working today. He is/was a huge part of The Last of Us‘ enjoyment. And it’s not like the show has massive, sprawling cast. This isn’t Ned Stark getting beheaded. Joel and Ellie have been the core of this entire tale.

None of that is a knock, in any way, on Troy Baker’s incredible voice acting as Joel in the game. It’s just a reflection of the difference between live-action and animation. Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker is a lot more famous than his Joker for a reason. And it’s not as though everyone loved seeing Baker’s Joel killed off so early in The Last of Us Part II, either. Some people absolutely hated that, just as some surely hate what just happened on the show.

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HBO, Mazin, and Druckmann had the chance to undo a divisive story choice. It would have probably made a lot of viewers happy if they had. Instead, they didn’t hold back. They delivered the exact same shocking Joel death as The Last of Us Part II. Was that the right thing to do? Was it smart? Would the show have benefited from at least waiting?

Only you can answer that. It either worked for you or it didn’t. And your answer might even change by season’s end when you see how the story plays out. But what will always remain true is that the death of Joel Miller on The Last of Us was a brave and honest development in a story that thrives on authenticity and raw emotion. And in a world full of monsters, both fungus and human alike, people can and do die all the time—even main characters.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who already misses Joel. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Who Is THE LAST OF US’ Eugene? Here’s What We Know About the Weed Farmer and Firefly

We need to have some fun in the apocalypse, don’t we? Eugene certainly thought so. He was secretly harboring a huge weed farm in an abandoned 7/11 just outside of Jackson. This piece of information instantly makes us love Eugene. Is there a better place for a weed farm than a 7/11? We think not. Join us as we break down this oft-mentioned figure from the games who was married to a therapist, growing weed on the side, and seemingly left an impression on many people in town. (Also, he was killed by Joel in The Last of Us series, so there’s that.)

Who Is The Last of Us‘ Eugene?

We first hear about Eugene in The Last of Us season two, episode one. Joel’s therapist Gail, played by Catharine O’Hara, lets us know that Eugene was her late husband. Sometime in the last year, Joel shot and killed Eugene. But it’s not that he did it, according to Gail, it’s how he did it. We know Joel can be ruthless, so we bet there’s a lot to the story of what happened between him and Eugene when he killed him.

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Gail also mentions that Eugene could always procure the best weed. And now, thanks to The Last of Us season two, episode two, we know how. Eugene was keeping a huge weed farm secret from Jackson, he didn’t think Maria would approve. But Jesse knows about the 7/11 emporium because Eugene was his first patrol partner. Jesse appears to harbor a great affection for Eugene and speaks of him with considerable respect. He also shares that The Last of Us‘ Eugene was a Vietnam veteran and ex-Firefly, but he didn’t want to kill people anymore. The mention of Fireflies has Ellie tense, and we bet we know why.

This is the second time Eugene has come up in first two episodes of The Last of Us season two, so we bet he’s going to figure into the story of the season in some important fashion.

Eugene in The Last of Us Games

Eugene is a character from The Last of Us—Part II game. However, he doesn’t have nearly as much story as he does in the series so far. Eugene’s wife, for example, is a purely series creation, and Gail doesn’t appear in the games. Additionally, Joel does not kill Eugene in the game, so that important connection is created solely for The Last of Us series.

In The Last of Us—Part II, it’s Dina who is closer to Eugene and not Jesse. But it’s not yet clear if this relationship exists in the series. Dina shares that Eugene taught her about electronics, which we actually see Joel do on The Last of Us show.

Like on the show, Ellie finds Eugene’s dog tags and learns that he was a Firefly who served with Tommy. The HBO series has not mentioned Tommy’s relationship with Eugene so far. The Last of Us—Part II game also goes deeper into Eugene and Tommy’s time as Fireflies than the series does. It describes how they killed and even slow-tortured people. Ellie meditates more about the brutality of Tommy and Joel in the context of Eugene in the game than she does in the series.

RELATED ARTICLE

THE LAST OF US Season 2 ‘Spoiled’ an Abby Twist, Here’s Why

Additionally, in the game, Eugene left his family to join the Fireflies, whereas in The Last of Us series, it seems like he found Gail after he left the Fireflies. Additionally, it doesn’t seem like Gail and Eugene have any children in the show, unlike in the game.

Eugene still has a huge weed farm in the game, but it’s in his basement, not a 7/11. And we like the 7/11 much better. In all, it feels like The Last of Us series’ Eugene will become a much more fleshed-out and lovable character than he was in the games.

Eugene’s Future on The Last of Us TV SeriesHBO/Sony/Naughty Dog

We know that Joe Pantoliano will play Eugene on The Last of Us season two. This is no small casting, so it seems likely we’ll see Eugene in more than just a photograph as the series continues. We like basically everything we’ve heard about Eugene so far, so it will be fascinating if we do get to see him and learn more about how exactly Joel killed him and why.

The Last of Us season two continues to air on HBO and Max, Sundays at 9 p.m.

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THE LAST OF US Hits Us with a Major Death in Season 2’s Second Episode

If you’ve played The Last of Us—Part II game, or even just read up on it a little, then you’ve probably known that a major character death was coming to HBO’s The Last of Us series. But what none of us could know was when such a death would hit us. When The Last of Us announced Abby’s casting for season two, we knew the death was at least approaching us. But even with all this forewarning, none of us could have expected that such a major loss would arrive in episode two of season two. It feels decidedly too early. But those are the stakes in a dystopian world. And, as so often happens, the human element is scarier and less predictable than the one created by the monsters.

.cls-2{fill:#9d342c}The Last of Us Brings Us Joel’s Death in Season 2, Episode 2

Joel was fated to die right from the start of The Last of Us series. No matter how beautifully Pedro Pascal played Joel, or how beloved the character, his death was sealed by The Last of Us‘ games, and nothing could change that. Still, we kind of expected to have more time with Pascal’s Joel. After all, he is one of the two main characters on the series. But it was not to be. After almost no scenes between Joel and Ellie in episode one of the season, episode two of The Last of Us season two dives right into recreating The Last of Us—Part II‘s fated sequence. Abby falls into a nest of Infected, and Joel just happens to be at the wrong, or maybe right, place at the wrong, or maybe right, time to save her life.

Regardless of the moral valence of the moment, Joel rescues Abby from the Infected, and without knowing it, seals his fate.

How Does Joel Die on The Last of Us Season 2?HBO

After Joel and Dina rescue Abby, they are still surrounded by Infected on all sides. Abby suggests they return to the lodge where she and her team of Fireflies are staying. With little choice, Joel agrees to go with Abby, although he almost changes his mind when he sees Jackson burning from afar. The irony of this The Last of Us moment is that Joel would probably have succumbed to death by frostbite before he reached Jackson, so he was in a truly no-win, or in this case, no-life scenario.

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When they return to the cabin, Abby introduces her guests to the Fireflies. They, of course, know instantly who Joel is. They put Dina to sleep using some kind of chemical, and then Abby reveals to Joel that she is the daughter of the doctor/surgeon Joel killed in Salt Lake City. Joel doesn’t bother to deny that he murdered 19 Fireflies, but insists that Abby just get his death over with. She, however, has other plans. She shoots Joel in the leg to stop him from running away, but orders that her team tourniquet it so he doesn’t bleed out.

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The long and the short of it is that in The Last of Us season two, episode two, Abby basically slowly bludgeons Joel to death with a golf club. She only ends it when Ellie rushes in and stabs him right through the throat with a piece of metal. Ellie watches Joel die, but the Fireflies don’t kill her.

Joel’s Death Changes in Some Significant Ways From the Games

Joel’s death on The Last of Us season two is fairly similar to his death in The Last of Us—Part II game. The one major difference is that Joel is with Tommy, not Dina, during the sequence, and Ellie is with Dina not Jesse. In the games, Joel and Dina don’t have the kind of father-daughter relationship that the series sets up for them. So it wouldn’t have made that much sense for Dina to be with Joel. Meanwhile, in the show, Dina loves both Joel and Ellie and works to help them repair their relationship. Having her there in this harrowing moment will no doubt serve as a way to bring Dina and Ellie even closer together. The fact that Dina spent Joel’s last living moments with him will also no doubt be a huge burden, but also a gift of a sort, for both of them.

As for Tommy, this change means a certain amount of guilt will not sit on his shoulders. But he’ll no doubt feel lost without having gotten the opportunity to say a real goodbye to Joel.

Will We See More of Joel on The Last of Us Season 2 After His Death?

The biggest question that now remains is whether Pedro Pascal’s Joel will return to The Last of Us season two for more episodes and scenes despite his death. We certainly hope so because we feel this was a very sudden way to lose Joel. It was definitely impactful and striking, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye yet. Trailers for the series do give an answer of a sort, so, those interested can take a closer look at what we might receive. Hopefully, we haven’t seen the last of… Joel yet.

The Last of Us is now airing on HBO and Max on Sundays at 9 pm.

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THE LAST OF US Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: New Revelations and Questions

The second episode of The Last of Us season two is a doozy. We thought the premiere of the show’s second chapter was emotionally intense, but we see now that it merely lulled us into a false sense of security. In the first episode of The Last of Us season two, the stakes were mainly about the relationships between our main characters. (Although there were hints of coming darkness.) But in The Last of Us season two, episode two, everything ratcheted up 10 notches. Now the lives of many are at stake, and the hits just keep on coming. We highly suggest you watch this episode from start to finish, but if you want to think about it just a little bit more, here’s our full recap of The Last of Us season two, episode two.

New Revelations From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2Jesse Is Fine with Dina and Ellie Getting TogetherHBO

We stan Jesse, and we do so even more after this episode. Even though he and Dina have been romantically entangled on The Last of Us, he seems totally fine with Dina getting together with Ellie, who is his close friend. We love this kind of allyship and this strong idea of friendship. There’s no jealousy in Jesse, and he doesn’t bat an eye that Ellie and Dina are queer. He just gives Ellie flack like he would for anything else. As we said, we stan.

Seth Apologizes For Calling Ellie and Dina a Slur in The Last of Us Season 2’s Second Episode

In The Last of Us season two, episode two, Seth apologizes for calling Ellie and Dina a terrible slur at the New Year’s party. It does feel like Seth genuinely feels bad, and not wholly like Maria is making him apologize, so we give him that. But we’re glad to see that Ellie doesn’t just let him off the hook and immediately forgive him. That kind of slur doesn’t just come from nowhere. We want to like Seth, who is geniusly played by Robert John Burke, but he’s going to have to show us he’s really changed.

HBOInfected Are Hiding Under the Snow and Other Dead Infected

Oops. In episode one, Ellie discovers that Infected are getting smarter. And now we see some evidence of that in situ. According to Jesse (and as Abby discovers first-hand), Infected have been hiding under the snow and using the dead bodies of other Infected as insulation. That means no one knows precisely how many Infected are hiding in the hills and mountains surrounding Jackson. It’s not a great situation.

The Town of Jackson Is Attacked in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2

At least some of these Infected come together to attack the town of Jackson. And it really does feel like the Infected have managed to create an organized army. From their infiltration of Jackson using their vines to the very coordinated feeling attack on its gates, the Infected aren’t just running blindly at walls anymore. Gulp!

Joel Saves Abby’s Life From Infected

In what we call dramatic irony, Joel actually saves Abby’s life from a horde of Infected in episode two. In fact, it’s a scene taken right out of The Last of Us-—Part II game (with a few small changes). Abby takes a tumble down a hillside, away from the lodge where she and her Firefly crew have taken refuge, and ends up trapped in a seemingly never-ending mob of Infected. Joel helps Abby escape as the Infected claw and paw at her, makes sure she’s alright, and shares his horse with her as they gallop to safety.

Abby suggests they head to the lodge where she’s staying. And with the Infected surrounding them, Joel and Dina don’t have much of a choice. Joel sees Jackson burning from a distance, but knows he’d probably die before he made it back. But, alas, the choice he makes is little better.

HBOThe Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2 Reveals Abby Is the Daughter of the Firefly Doctor That Joel Killed

When Abby has Joel and Dina back in the lodge, surrounded by the rest of her Firefly team, she reveals her animosity toward Joel. The Fireflies knock out Dina with a chemical, and Abby shoots Joel in the leg. He almost immediatly comes to the conclusion that they are Fireflies and doesn’t lie to Abby when she asks him where he last saw Fireflies. Salt Lake, Joel tells her, and dread begins to set in.

Abby reveals that her father was the Firefly doctor/surgeon that Joel murdered while rescuing Ellie in Salt Lake City. In total, Abby explains that Joel killed 18 soldiers and one doctor. Abby, at 19, saw the dead body of her father after Joel’s rampage and vowed revenge. And that’s exactly what she’s looking for in The Last of Us.

Abby Has Been Living in Seattle with a Firefly Militia

Abby also reveals that despite the huge losses suffered in Salt Lake City, the Fireflies still have a strong militia in Seattle. It turns out that Abby and her team joined that militia and have been a part of it for the last five years of the time skip. She notes her commander, Isaac, follows a code, “Don’t kill people who can’t defend themselves.” But for Joel, she’s willing to break that code.

HBOJoel Is Dead

Even though we knew at some that, at some point, Joel’s bill would come due, seeing it happen so soon into The Last of Us season two’s story has us stunned. In The Last of Us season two, episode two, Abby kills Joel with a golf club, as she does in the game, bludgeoning him to his death. Ellie rushes in during the last of Abby’s attack, but is overwhelmed and is forced to watch as Abby lands the killing below, shoving a pipe right through Joel’s neck. It’s a truly devestating scene.

New Questions From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2What Will Ellie Do Now That She Has Seen Abby Kill Joel?

Now that Joel’s death has come to pass in The Last of Us season two, episode two, what will Ellie do next? She knows that Abby killed Joel. And Dina, who is presumably still alive, got to learn a little bit more about Abby and her crew. She doesn’t get to hear that they’ve come from Seattle, but she does learn they are Fireflies and sees a W.L.F. patch and wolf symbol on one of their backpacks. That will likely be helpful in Ellie’s probably search for Abby. What will Ellie do after Joel’s death does feel a bit rhetorical. She’ll definitely go searching for revenge.

HBOWhat Will Happen to the Town of Jackson After the Intense Infected Attack?

Jackson was absolutely overwhelmed by Infected during the big attack in The Last of Us season two, episode two. What will become of the stronghold now? We know none of our major players died, but many certainly did. And the town’s walls and protections are now severely compromised. We’re really sad to see the community meet this fate.

How Many Infected Are Hiding in the Snow?

Jackson was certainly attacked by many Infected. But was the town attacked by ALL of the Infected? Just how many more Infected are lying in wait beneath the snow? We’d hate for anyone to find out.

HBOWill We See More of Pedro Pascal’s Joel on The Last of Us Season 2?

The biggest question of all is, will Pedro Pascal’s Joel return in The Last of Us season two now that he’s dead? Well, trailers for the series certainly do give an indication. But in what capacity and for how long will we get to see Pascal’s Joel again on The Last of Us season two? Those are questions we don’t have answers to. We can only cross our fingers he’ll be back. It’s too soon to never see Joel again!

HBO

The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9pm on Max and HBO.

Previous recaps: Episode One

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DOCTOR WHO Introduces Another Frightening God From the Pantheon of Discord

Throughout the Fifteenth Doctor’s era, Doctor Who keeps introducing members of the Pantheon of Discord, a collective of powerful gods, within its expansive universe. From the return of the chilling Toymaker to Maestro to last season’s big bad Sutekh, the Doctor has faced a lot of dark villains who love a deadly game. The defeat of Sutekh seemed to close the chapter on this saga; however, it is not quite over yet. Season two’s second episode, “Lux,” introduces us to another major Pantheon god in Doctor Who.

In this episode, we meet a ‘50s-era cartoon character called Mr. Ring-a-Ding. He’s a Cuphead-esque figure whose animated shorts are popular among moviegoers. But, one night in 1952 in Miami, a moonlight source beams into this character while on screen. It causes him to cross into the real world, and the people in the theater seemingly vanish. The Doctor and Belinda arrive a while afterwards to use this place as a landing spot for his vortex indicator (a.k.a. vindicator) to help build a “fishing line” of sorts to May 24, 2025. It will help them return to that specific time so Belinda can reunite with her family and start her new gig.

BBC

Now, why in the world would the Doctor, who presents as a Black man and is aware of this, and Belinda, who is of South Asian descent, be in Florida in 1952? The TARDIS does frequently take the Doctor where they need to go and we see that it bounces to that year. So I guess he didn’t have a ton of choice there. But still. Anyway, it is 4AM and the plan is to only stay briefly to allow the vindicator to gain some juice. But a weird locked theater complete with a mysterious caretaker pulls them into a Scooby-Doo mystery. 

This theater is where they meet Mr. Ring-a-Ding, who is a rather diminutive cartoon who has come to life. He keeps repeating lines from the series, including “don’t make me laugh.” The Doctor asks repeatedly why they shouldn’t make him laugh and questions who this cartoon really is. Mr. Ring-a-Ding finally does his laugh and it is the same melody that the Toymaker hid in all screens. The Doctor realizes that this character is a harbinger of the gods of chaos. Mr. Ring-a-Ding fully drops the act and reveals that he is Lux Imperator, the god of light and the “dazzle at the heart of the Pantheon.” 

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What Happened to the Toymaker in DOCTOR WHO? His Ending Sets up a Major Mystery

The Doctor and Belinda narrowly escape him and end up in the projection room thanks to Reginald Pye, the caretaker who is playing films to feed Lux each night. He does this because Lux gave him a film reel that allowed him to dance with his deceased wife. Meanwhile, the people who were in the theater were turned into images on a reel and trapped. Lux enters the room and begins a line of questioning with the Doctor. Just like the other gods, Lux must answer the Doctor’s questions and play the game fairly. Lux says the Doctor is “the one,” the Enemy of the Toymaker, decomposer of Maestro, and the killer of the god of death. 

A series of strange events takes place following Lux turning Fifteen and Belinda into cartoons. One unexpected part of them attempting to come back to reality and battle this Lux guy from the Pantheon includes meeting Doctor Who fans. The Doctor and Belinda believe for a moment that they are not real and perhaps characters on a TV show. It’s a random little meta moment in the midst of their adventure. Through this process, the Doctor knows that a swath of light to break the theater’s darkness can stop Lux. The character uses film strips to pin the Doctor down, intending to steal the light of his Time Lord energy to become bigger and stronger. Ya know, to destroy Earth and the universe and all that jazz.

James Pardon/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

The Doctor hints to Belinda that it is nearly daylight and, with the help of Mr. Pye, they burn all the film, causing an explosion and bringing sunlight into the theater. Lux feeds and grows so much that he becomes infinitely large and invisible among the stars. The people in the theater come back and are finally free. Belinda decides that she wants to spend time with the Doctor after their vulnerable moments together.

We don’t know if this is the last that we will see Lux in Doctor Who as a Pantheon god. But we know that all of these harbingers of more bad things to come have something to do with Mrs. Flood. She conveniently shows up on the scene when Belinda and the Doctor leave in the TARDIS. She tells a few people that the Doctor’s “show” is a limited run that will end on May 24. Uh oh. What happens on that date that changes everything? And who is Mrs. Flood in Doctor Who? Let’s see what happens as the season progresses.

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Peter Dinklage Meets Kevin Bacon in Latest THE TOXIC AVENGER Teaser (Exclusive)

We already know from the first few teasers for Macon Blair’s reimagining of The Toxic Avenger that the movie is funny. We also know it’s gory. But we didn’t realize just how of-the-moment it would be in terms of social commentary. In the latest teaser trailer for the upcoming horror comedy, we see what predicament eventually leads to The Toxic Avenger‘s hero, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), becoming the titular mutated marauder. He has a medical issue, and his insurance won’t cover it. That is wildly relatable if you ask us.

Just as the previous teaser for The Toxic Avenger was a fake commercial that gave way to scenes from the movie, this teaser trailer starts as a commercial for a new medicine. It then fades into the scene of Winston getting the bad news that he has a terminal something-or-other in his head. Winston goes to plead with his company’s CEO, Bob Garbinger (Kevin Bacon) for help. Garbinger says “of course,” but then once Winston leaves tells his underlings to fire him. Badda-bing, badda-boom, the Toxic Avenger. I’m sure we’re missing some bits, but it’s only a 60-second teaser!

Legendary/Cineverse

In addition to the teaser trailer for The Toxic Avenger, the movie’s official synopsis is as follows:

When a downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze, is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, he’s transformed into a new kind of hero: The Toxic Avenger. Now, Toxie must rise from outcast to savior, taking on ruthless corporate overlords and corrupt forces who threaten his son, his friends, and his community. In a world where greed runs rampant… justice is best served radioactive.

The Toxic Avenger also stars Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Julia Davis, Taylour Paige, Sarah Niles, and David Yow. It hits cinemas in the U.S. August 29, 2025.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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Watch Every Dylan G. F-Bomb in This Hilarious SEVERANCE Supercut

Some performers turn swearing into an art form. A few of those who have a place in the Upper Echelon of Coarseness are Al Pacino’s Tony Montana, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer, Mark Wahlberg’s Sergeant Dignam, Isiah Whitlock Jr.’s Clay Davis, Susie Essman’s Susie Greene, Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold, Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen, Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito and Nicky Santoro, and most Samuel L. Jackson characters. Now another has proven he is worthy of joining this illustrious cadre of crassness: Zach Cherry’s Dylan G., Lumon’s waffle party-loving refiner who really knows how to maximize the versatility of the word “f***” in Severance.

And if you don’t think he’s f***ing great at cursing, this supercut of every time the Innie has dropped an F-bomb on Severance can serve as formal application into the club pop culture’s all-time best swearers.

Almost all of us will go through life having no idea how our Outie and Innie might be different. My Nerdist colleague Matt Caron has no such worries. Our long-time video editor is exactly the same person at work as he is out of work. How do I know? He uses his free time to…. edit videos. (He also talks about Dune just as much at work as he does at home. And yes, he also makes Dune videos all the time.)

Matty C.’s latest creation is a supercut of Dylan G. swearing during the first two seasons of Severance. The “really f***ing smart” macrodata refiner knows how to drop an F-bomb from every direction on any target. The Innie simply cannot miss. More than that, he can land one in unexpected ways at any time. With Cherry’s severed character there’s no part of speech safe from becoming part of his vulgar arsenal.

Apple TV+

Which f-bomb stands as his best? That’s like asking which note is Beethoven’s greatest. But I think this supercut makes clear the ORTBO was Dylan G’s curse-filled Ninth Symphony.

At least it is for now. Because while we have no idea what to expect from Severance‘s third season, we know it’s going to include a whole lot of Dylan G saying “f***.”

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Will DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 2 Feature a DEFENDERS Reunion? And Who Else Could Join?

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In the season one finale of Daredevil: Born Again, Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) has tightened his grip on New York City. He’s declared martial law, outlawing all vigilantes. At the end of episode 9, “Straight to Hell,” Daredevil (Charlie Cox) says that to fight Fisk, he needs an army. And we think that army will be mostly made up of Matt Murdock’s former allies from The Defenders series. And possibly not just the characters from the original series. We think some additions are in order as well. Matt (and Frank Castle) are going to need some help in the upcoming war from other New York heroes. We examine the likelihood for each original Defender (and potential new Defenders) who might join the fight in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter)Marvel Television

When Jessica Jones ended, our titular character decided to stay in New York City, as a superpowered P.I. True, she’s not technically a vigilante and certainly not a masked one. But we doubt that Mayor Fisk would make that distinction. Especially given her past as an ally of Matt Murdock in The Defenders. If any previous Marvel Netflix character seems the most likely to join Daredevil: Born Again season 2, it’s Krysten Ritter as Jessica.

Luke Cage (Mike Colter)Marvel Television

When we last left Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, he had taken over Harlem’s Paradise nightclub. So it’s unclear just how much vigilantism the bullet-proof man is doing these days. But a declaration of martial law in his home city might make Luke Cage take up the hero game again. This is possible even if he’d quit in the years since his show ended. In the pages of Marvel Comics, Luke Cage became Mayor of New York after Fisk. We could easily see Daredevil: Born Again season 2 setting that up quite nicely and bringing this Defender back.

Iron Fist/Danny Rand (Finn Jones)Marvel Television

No member of the Defenders wants to come back as much as Finn Jones as Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist. It’s not out of pocket to say that of all the Netflix Marvel series, which culminated in The Defenders, it’s the least popular. But everyone deserves a chance at redemption, so we’re not against Born Again doing right by martial artist superhero Danny Rand. Maybe since the end of Iron Fist, he’s become a “Hero for Hire” with Luke Cage? That’s not a terrible outcome for his character.

Echo/Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox)Marvel Television

Daredevil made a cameo appearance in the Echo series, and it seems Alaqua Cox should return the favor. Of all the MCU characters, who has more reason to be involved in a story involving Fisk than Maya Lopez? We don’t think that Echo is likely to get a second season at this point. So maybe we need to use Born Again as a way of getting Maya back into the mix, and giving us another Maya/Fisk confrontation. No one makes sense to return for Born Again season 2 more than Echo.

Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal)Marvel Television

He wasn’t a part of the original Defenders series, as Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) is just not a team player and never agrees with Daredevil. But the Punisher’s been too much of a key player in Born Again to stay out of the fight next season. We’re not sure how well the Punisher is going to play with others, but we feel he needs to be part of any army that Matt is building. Seeing how season one played out, we’re confident that Frank will return.

Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac)Marvel Television/Disney+

We haven’t seen Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Steven Knight/Jake Lockley since the end of Moon Knight, and there’s been nothing official since the end of that series. Oscar Isaac has a very busy movie schedule, and he might not be down to play his character on someone else’s show. But of all the newer Marvel Disney+ characters, aside from Echo, none fit more into Matt Murdock’s world than Moon Knight does. We’d love to see the Mister Knight persona join Matt in kicking bad guys’ heads in with some billy clubs.

Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland)Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Of all the MCU characters who should be affected by the events of Born Again, none fit the bill more than Spider-Man. Peter Parker was (sort of) name-dropped by Mayor Fisk in episode two of the series, and we know he’s out there, fighting crime with a mask on. Sadly, an appearance from Spidey is extremely unlikely, as Marvel Studios can only use the character in 30-minute animation on TV. And even if they could use Spidey, Tom Holland coming back for a TV series seems unlikely. But he should be there. Or at least mentioned.

Marvel Television

The Defenders series on Netlfix wasn’t exactly a high point for those characters, so we’re hoping Daredevil: Born Again allows them to come together again for a better story. We’d love to see them reunited take New York back from Fisk, and maybe bring new allies along with them.

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