Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 81

Ryan Reynolds Pitched an R-Rated STAR WARS Project to Disney

The recently wrapped Andor on Disney+ was the most adult Star Wars content we’ve ever seen in nearly fifty years. However, we wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s R-rated. It came close a few times with its adult themes, but did not cross the line into adults only. But if you ask Ryan Reynolds, he thinks it’s time. We’ve learned (via The Hollywood Reporter) that while appearing on The Box Office podcast recently, Reynolds said he pitched Disney an R-rated Star Wars project. However, unlike his most famous R-rated project for Disney, Deadpool& Wolverine, he wouldn’t actually star in it but would instead produce it. Here’s what he had to say:

I pitched to Disney, I said, ‘Why don’t we do an R-rated Star Wars property? It doesn’t have to be overt, A+ characters. There’s a wide range of characters you could use.’ And I don’t mean R-rated to be vulgar. R-rated as a Trojan horse for emotion. I always wonder why studios don’t want to just gamble on something like that. I’m not saying I want to be in it. I’d want to produce and write or be a part of behind the scenes. Those kinds of IP subsist really well on scarcity and surprise. We don’t get scarcity really with Star Wars because of Disney+, but you can certainly still surprise people.

Twentieth Century Studios/Lucasfilm

Because of Ryan Reynolds’ success with Deadpool & Wolverine, one might imagine Disney and Lucasfilm would hand him the keys to the Death Star. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Star Wars has been a “family brand” since its inception. And Lucasfilm might feel nervous dipping its toes into purely adult content.

But then, no MCU film boasted an R-rating until Deadpool & Wolverine, and that made all the money in the world. Maybe Ryan Reynolds producing it could soften the blow. Surely, there must be a great Star Wars horror pitch out there just waiting to happen. Lucasfilm has teased zombie Stormtroopers in Clone Wars and Ahsoka, so maybe it’s time to make something like that happen. If anyone could get away with it, it’s Ryan Reynolds.

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HBO MAX Removes POWERPUFF GIRLS as More Cartoon Network Offerings Leave Platform

HBO Max (formerly Max, formerly HBO Max) once promised to be a hub for Cartoon Network series on streaming. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery even shut down the nostalgic website CartoonNetwork.com, which allowed users to watch full episodes of Cartoon Network favorites like Teen Titans GO!, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and more. Now, folks clicking onto the site are directed people to (HBO) Max to watch their favorite Cartoon Network series. Setting aside that the Cartoon Network website was a piece of internet history, the concept that fans can instead watch CN offerings on HBO Max seems to be becoming less and less true by the day. Among other shows, we’ve seen Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!,  The Flintstones, and Scooby Doo! leave the platform. And now, a true Cartoon Network heavy hitter left HBO Max. On May 26, one of Cartoon Network’s biggest hits, The Powerpuff Girls was removed from HBO Max.

Interestingly enough, The Powerpuff Girls is about to make its glorious return to Saturday morning on-air TV. But folks looking to watch it a little bit more on demand are going to have to wait and see where the series ends up. It seems like HBO Max held the license to stream The Powerpuff Girls through May 27, but seemingly chose not to renew the famous animated series. It does feel like , and looking to focus on more prestige offerings aimed at older audiences.

Cartoon Network

In all honesty, we’ve always felt that this was the right focus for the streamer. So, we can see how streaming The Powerpuff Girls might run contrary to that mission for HBO Max. However, in the recent past, HBO Max made many changes in opposition to this new/old mission. And, in doing so, they aggregated a good deal of series that people love that are now caught up in the upheaval of change. Thankfully, many shows are finding new homes on Tubi or the like. Netflix even saved Sesame Street just a little while ago. But there’s still a bit of a sour taste left behind.

Those who mourn Cartoon Network and love the animated offerings collected on HBO Max should prepare for the streamer to remove more than just The Powerpuff Girls, though. There’s a whole laundry list of expiring HBO Max licenses (which we saw via Comicbook.com) that will likely go the way of the other animated series we’ve noted. You can take a look at the full rundown below.

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Cartoon Network Website Shut Down, Warner Bros. Discovery Redirects Users to MaxThe Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries – April 1Baby Looney Tunes – June 1New Looney Tunes – June 1Tom And Jerry Tales – April 1Tom And Jerry – May 1The Tom And Jerry Show – July 1Jonny Quest – April 1The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries – April 1A Pup Named Scooby Doo – April 1Yogi Bear – May 1The Flintstones – May 1The Jetsons – May 1The Smurfs – May 1Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo – May 1Be Cool, Scooby Doo – May 1Scooby-Doo And Guess Who – May 1The New Scooby-Doo Movies – June 1Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated – June 1What’s New Scooby-Doo – August 1Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! – September 1The Scooby-Doo Show – September 1Apple & Onion – February 11The Powerpuff Girls – May 27Courage The Cowardly Dog – August 1Adventure Time – October 1Squidbillies – January 11Robot Chicken – May 10Home Movies – May 27Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Seasons 1-11) – May 27Samurai Jack – May 27Harvey Birdman – August 31Moral Orel – August 31Black Dynamite – August 31Sealab 2021 – September 1The Brak Show – September 1Superjail – September 1.youtube-embed{padding-bottom:56.25%!important;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.youtube-embed a,.youtube-embed iframe{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute}.youtube-embed iframe{border:0}.youtube-embed img.youtube-cover{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;height:100%;width:100%;cursor:pointer}.youtube-embed img.play-button{width:66px;position:absolute;left:46%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;cursor:pointer}@media only screen and (max-width:499px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:45%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:425px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:44%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:375px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:43%;width:56px}}@media only screen and (max-width:345px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:42%;width:50px}}.youtube-embed .progressive-img{-webkit-filter:blur(10px);filter:blur(10px)}.youtube-embed .progressive-img.loaded{-webkit-filter:none;filter:none;-webkit-transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;-o-transition:filter 1s ease-out;-moz-transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out,-webkit-filter 1s ease-out}.youtube-embed .kskdDiv{display:none!important}

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The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday Get Their Own DOCTOR WHO Barbie Dolls

The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday make an adorable TARDIS team. It’s so nice to see them hug and embrace each other and they have the same fun-loving and adventurous energy. Although Ruby is no longer in the TARDIS full-time with the Fifteenth Doctor, you can keep these two together forever with these Doctor Who Barbie dolls. 

Ncuti Gatwa himself couldn’t contain his excitement about seeing his likeness in the form of a doll. He’s more than Kenough for his Doctor to have a Barbie doll. “Barbie is iconic, so to see a Barbie iteration of the Doctor was emotional, surreal, incredible and I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I hope kids out there are able to enjoy the doll and see themselves in it and think ‘I can do anything.’”

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The Barbie doll duo are rocking very recognizable looks by Ruby Sunday and the Fifteenth Doctor. Now you just have to make a TARDIS for them to live in.

Mattel Creations

They are both currently on sale for $55 each via Mattel Creations, Amazon Prime, and Target, so run and grab yours as soon as you can. What a wonderful item for a Who fan to add to their collection.

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David Tennant Wanted to Be Reed Richards in the MCU

When you mention the name David Tennant to most fans, a couple of very famous roles come to mind. First, there’s obviously his turn as Doctor Who’s Tenth Doctor and, most recently, the Fourteenth Doctor in the 60th Anniversary specials. Other fans who are not familiar with the Whoniverse may recognize him as Crowley from Good Omens or perhaps Kilgrave from Jessica Jones. But, if David Tennant had it his way, he would have loved to be Reed Richards in the MCU and star in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. 

He revealed this during the fan question portion of a panel at MCM Comic Con in London. “In terms of superheroes, I don’t know, I did slightly have my eye on Reed Richards, and unfortunately, it looks like they’ve gone in a different direction,” he said jokingly, “although if it has to be someone, I’m happy for it to be Pedro Pascal, frankly.”

Of course, the crowd was fully in support of David Tennant as Reed Richards, which could possibly happen someday. You never know with the MCU.

Marvel Studios/Bad Wolf Studios/Disney+

But, for now, Tennant gave lots of praise and support to Pedro Pascal. And how can you not love Pedro? Now we just need David and Pedro to get on a podcast together and be awesome.

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MAGIC: THE GATHERING Reveals 3 New FINAL FANTASY Cards (Exclusive)

One of the biggest collaborations to ever hit gaming is coming our way when Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY releases on June 13, 2025. We know everyone feels excited about this partnership. After all, Magic: The Gathering is one of the biggest (and first) modern trading card games, and Final Fantasy is one of the most popular and beloved video game franchises to ever grace our consoles. It just makes sense that the two are finally meeting in a passion-fueled, Easter egg-filled, and truly beautiful collection. Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY is slowly sharing all of its cards with fans around the world, and today, it’s Nerdist‘s pleasure to help them out on this important quest. Join us as we exclusively reveal three new cards from the Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY set: Battle Menu, Combat Tutorial, and Fight On!

If those names aren’t enough to get you super hyped for what’s to come, let’s dive into what we know about these Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY cards and, of course, take a look at the gorgeous card art.

We Reveal 3 New Cards From the Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY SetWizards of the Coast

Get ready, Final Fantasy fans, these three cards are not messing around when it comes to featuring homages to characters, weapons, spells, and other incredible hat tips to the world of the games—all in Magic: The Gathering‘s signature style, of course. Let’s begin with a deep dive into Battle Menu.

The Battle Menu Magic Card Homages an Iconic Piece of Final Fantasy Wizards of the Coast

Every good video game needs a battle menu. How else will players know what options they have for their characters in the midst of a great battle? Over time, Final Fantasy‘s classic battle menu has become something of an icon in the video game world. It’s been transformed into posters, enamel pins, and even t-shirts by devoted fans. So, of course, it’s only fitting that this battle menu receives its own card in the Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY collection.

As a direct homage to Final Fantasy, this Magic: The Gathering Card directly recreates the game’s battle menu in its description. Attack, Ability, Magic, Item—fans can envision this in-game text as soon as they see those words. But, of course, now, when players “scroll” over the list, they’ll find Magic: The Gathering options in play. Much like making a decision on a battle menu in the games, Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY‘s Battle Menu card gives players the power to really change the game.

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Of course, the gorgeous Battle Menu Magic card art brings even more Final Fantasy magic to the table than just a reference to its menu. Battle Menu features characters from Final Fantasy VI. On it, we see Relm wielding her iconic paintbrush, Cyan with his deadly katana, Gau going feral, and Terra, our main character, looking poised and ready for battle. And she’d better be because our Final Fantasy VI favs are fighting the Humbaba boss monster from Final Fantasy VI. In the card, we see that this demon’s claws and teeth are ready to snap.

The Combat Tutorial Card Brings Humor to the GameWizards of the Coast

Who doesn’t need a good old combat tutorial? One character that definitely does is Final Fantasy X‘s Tidus. As we see on this new Magic: The Gathering card Combat Tutorial, Final Fantasy‘s Lulu has some choice words for him. “Clueless, aren’t you? Good thing I’m here.” We can hear the oft-quoted words in her derisive tone just looking at this Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY card.

The Combat Tutorial Magic card art also directly homages one of the earliest battles in Final Fantasy X. You can check out the battle itself below.

In the Magic card version of this Final Fantasy scene, Tidus is fighting a Water Flan in Besaid and laughing because it takes zero damage from physical attacks. Meanwhile, Lulu is facepalming in the background. She is a powerful magic user, and it’s only magic that can harm the Water Flan. Good thing she’s on your side. We really love the look of this card and how it brings some of Final Fantasy‘s more humorous aspects to the world of Magic: The Gathering. It can’t be serious, boss battles all the time!

The New Fight On! Magic Card Truly Captures the Heart of the Final Fantasy FranchiseWizards of the Coast

Our final exclusive new card reveal from the Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY collection is for Fight On! The card shares the following Final Fantasy quote, which is one of our favorites. “Just hang in there! Someday we’ll look back at these hard times and laugh.” And hopefully, if you use Fight On! to win a game, your friends will be able to look back at your stunning victory and laugh with you.

This card is truly a stunning one. In Fight On! Aerith is healing Yuffie with a Cure spell to help her get back in the action. Meanwhile, in the background, Cloud uses his signature Buster Sword to fend off the Materia Keeper, a large insect-like boss monster found in the caves of Mt. Nibel. That’s a lot of gameplay to get into one card, but it just goes to show you how deeply this collection understands both parts of its collaboration. We feel like the Fight On! Magic card also perfectly captures the spirit of endurance, friendship, and courage that exemplifies Final Fantasy.

The Magic: The Gathering – FINAL FANTASY collection will release on June 13. You can learn about its many products here and then go ahead and pre-order the set today.

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MAGIC: THE GATHERING—FINAL FANTASY: All the New Reveals.youtube-embed{padding-bottom:56.25%!important;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.youtube-embed a,.youtube-embed iframe{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute}.youtube-embed iframe{border:0}.youtube-embed img.youtube-cover{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;height:100%;width:100%;cursor:pointer}.youtube-embed img.play-button{width:66px;position:absolute;left:46%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;cursor:pointer}@media only screen and (max-width:499px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:45%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:425px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:44%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:375px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:43%;width:56px}}@media only screen and (max-width:345px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:42%;width:50px}}.youtube-embed .progressive-img{-webkit-filter:blur(10px);filter:blur(10px)}.youtube-embed .progressive-img.loaded{-webkit-filter:none;filter:none;-webkit-transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;-o-transition:filter 1s ease-out;-moz-transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out,-webkit-filter 1s ease-out}.youtube-embed .kskdDiv{display:none!important}

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THE LAST OF US Botched Season 2 Finale by Staying True to the Video Game

Some of TV’s most iconic shows ever ended seasons with great, memorable cliffhangers. That includes series like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Dallas, Friends, The Simpsons, Game of Thrones, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Severance. But you know what great show doesn’t belong on that list? HBO’s The Last of Us, which ended an otherwise great season with a wholly unsatisfying, wholly frustrating finale. And it did so for an unlikely reason: it stayed true to The Last of Us Part II video game.

HBO

The Last of Us spent its second season building towards a showdown between Abby and Ellie. That was the entire arc of the main character’s story. Then, when we finally got to that shocking moment, the series decided to stop rather than offer any resolution. It left us hanging on the fates of both Tommy and Ellie. That’s inherently frustrating but not inherently bad. All good cliffhangers leave viewers desperately wanting to know what happens next. Only, the very best still offer a type of resolution to their story. As an example, Ross accidentally saying Rachel’s name at the altar revealed he was not really over her, the major question of that season.

The fun and excitement of a great cliffhanger is not that it ends in the middle of a conflict. It’s that it creates a whole new one. “Now that we finally know this, what’s next?” Now that Mr. Burns actually pulled off his horrible plan, who did something about it? Now that the Borg turned Picard into one of them, what will happen to him? The Last of Us did not give us that kind of cliffhanger. It just stopped in the middle of the scene that was supposed (and eventually will) resolve the season’s main story. “Abby points a gun at Ellie” isn’t an ending.

And yet, that’s only partially why the series season two finale is such a disappointing non-conclusion. Before the credits rolled, the series went back to “Day One” in Seattle. That’s when Ellie and Dina arrived in the city. This time we saw Abby overlooking the W.L.F. forces at an abandoned football stadium. Clearly season three is going to show us why she seemingly defected from the militia right before its big invasion of the Seraphites. So not only did the show not give us any kind of resolution, it also told us we won’t even get one when the show returns. Instead we’re going backwards to follow someone who isn’t the main character. The Last of Us is going to instead completely upend its point-of-view to make Abby the center of the show, at least initially.

Naughty Dog

All of this comes straight from the The Last of Us Part II, which also leaves players hanging in the middle of the encounter between Ellie and Abby. In the game, Abby shows up at the theater, attacks Tommy, kills Jesse, and pulls a gun on Ellie. Then, instead of showing what Abby does, the game forces players to go back and play as her. (Which they briefly do at the start of the game before she kills Joel.) This is when they finally learn why she went to Jackson. This sequence is how we find out who Abby is, her relationship with her friends, and why she not only matters but is no more of a villain than Joel or Ellie.

On HBO’s series, that was the first thing we learned about her. That change was made for very good, logical reasons laid out by the series’ showrunners. The butterfly effect of that change has proven to be….less good. When the game goes backwards in that big moment, you know Abby has a connection to the Fireflies Joel murdered in Salt Lake City, but you don’t know her dad was the doctor who was going to (possibly) save mankind.

HBO

Why a mysterious, skilled young woman spent years looking for vengeance against a main character, a person players and viewers both loved, is an infinitely more interesting question than why she quit W.L.F.. Yet HBO is hoping we really care about the answer to that in season three. But does anyone really care that much about W.L.F. and the Scars? They’re interesting, but they’re also just two factions in one city. This kind of turf war is going on everywhere, and the outcome of them all is meaningless. It didn’t matter to the world at large in Kansas City or Boston and it doesn’t matter in Seattle.

Those places only mattered because we cared about Ellie and Joel. For us to care about why Abby left W.L.F. we need to care about her as much as those two. And if we ever hope to care about Abby, we have to spend time with her… which means waiting longer to find out what happened in that theater, the thing we will always care more about than anything else Abby does.

HBO

That’s where HBO’s The Last of Us really screwed up its season two finale by staying true to the video game. In The Last of Us Part II, you leave that theater and go back in time to play as Abby all the same. But you do that for ten hours. It’s ten hours of playing a great game before you return to the present and get a resolution.

HBO’s The Last of Us isn’t even going to start filming season three until 2026. There’s almost no way it debuts before 2027. In case you forgot, it’s 2025. Even if it started filming right now, this isn’t 1995. The show won’t be back after a brief summer hiatus. We have to wait at least two and very possibly three years for the show to come back. When it does, we’ll first watch a totally different story with a totally different main character just to get back to this cliffhanger.

HBO

Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Not just for people willing to wait, but for those who won’t. Some frustrated viewers will simply spoil the scene for themselves. Because unlike gamers who had to get back to this cliffhanger by playing a fun game (for, again, just ten hours), answers are already out there for fans of the show. Knowing they can just look up an answer in ten seconds rather than wait for literal years will be a lot less frustrating.

So many adaptations go wrong when they distance themselves from source material that was so great it was worthy of being adaptated in the first place. But TV—especially modern prestige TV with its interminable gaps between seasons—is not a video game. It’s a totally different medium with a totally different timeline offering a totally different experience. So while The Last of Us stayed faithful to its source material during most of season two, this cliffhanger was one the show shouldn’t have played around with.

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THE LAST OF US SEASON 2 Finale Deaths, Explained

The Last of Us season two finale was a brutal entry into the world of the HBO show, and that means there was no shortage of deaths in the episode. Of course, our greatest death came to us early in The Last of Us season two, when Abby killed Joel without mercy. But that doesn’t mean the character endings we experienced in the final were any less brutal. So who lived? Who died? And most importantly, did your favorite characters make it through The Last of Us‘ season two finale? Let’s find out together as we break down all the deaths in The Last of Us season two’s last episode.

.cls-2{fill:#9d342c}Ellie Kills Owen When He Reaches for His Gun in the AquariumHBO

Ellie hunts Abby to the Seattle Aquarium in The Last of Us season two finale, but instead, she finds two of Abby’s Firefly friends, Owen and Mel. Charing at them, gun blazing, she then demands that they reveal Abby’s location to her after overhearing them discussing Abby’s plans, and Owen pretends to agree to her demands. But at the last minute, Owen leaps for his gun instead of showing Ellie where Abby’s location is on the map. Ellie shoots him dead without thinking, leading to his death.

Ellie Inadvertently Murders Mel, Leading to the Death of Her BabyHBO

Alas, even though it’s clear Ellie did not want to kill Mel when she shot Owen, she couldn’t control her bullet. Ellie knicks Mel’s neck, sending blood gushing from the pregnant woman’s neck. Mel’s death in The Last of Us season two is truly harrowing. As she begins to die, she begs Ellie to cut her baby out of her and try to get it a chance at life. Ellie picks up her knife and pleads with Mel to help her make the cuts, but Mel, still asking if the baby is out and muttering nonsensically, dies before they get the chance. Ellie kills both Mel and the baby in her quest for revenge on Abby.

Jesse Meets His EndHBO

We are SO sad for Jesse to have died. Jesse was a beautiful character on The Last of Us season two, and he had a strong moral compass and a real sense of goodness to him. We were also totally looking forward to the gorgeously queer vision of Dina, Jesse, and Ellie raising Dina and Jesse’s child together in an unconventional, but lovely family. But it was not to be.

During the final scenes, Abby shot Jesse on sight when he and Ellie charged into the theater after they heard Tommy yelling. Jesse’s death was quick and unceremonious, a sad end for one of our favorite characters on The Last of Us. But the show’s MO is to be incredibly brutal, and so we can’t say we feel surprised. RIP Jesse! We miss you already.

Is Tommy Dead After The Last of Us Season 2 Finale?HBO

But what about Tommy? Abby attacked Tommy in The Last of Us season two’s finale, but he appeared to still be alive after Jesse’s death. Still, Abby pulls the trigger toward the end of the scene, and we can’t quite tell who she shoots at. Tommy isn’t dead yet on The Last of Us, but we wouldn’t say things are looking particularly good for him.

Ellie Does Not Kill Nora, Confirms the FinaleMax

One death that doesn’t happen in The Last of Us season two’s finale is that of Nora. In episode six, Ellie chases Nora, Abby’s friend, into a room full of Infected spores. Ellie then proceeds to torture Nora with a pipe in an effort to get information about Abby’s location. In The Last of Us season two finale, we learn that Nora isn’t dead, though. Ellie mercilessly tortured her and left her to become an Infected. It’s a fate worse than death.

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In much happier news, we’ll conclude this The Last of Us finale deaths piece by noting that one character we can leave off the death roll is Shimmer. Not that Ellie asked, but Jesse confirms in the episode that Shimmer is alive and well. Phew! In The Last of Us—Part II game, Shimmer does actually die in Seattle. We’re not sure if Shimmer’s dispensation here means that her death is now off the table or not. But we’ll take it for now. We don’t think we could take horse death on top of everything else.

The Last of Us season two is now airing in full on HBO and HBO Max.

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

At last, we have made it to The Last of Us season two’s finale episode. We’ve greatly enjoyed the season as a whole, but we admit, The Last of Us season two finale had us scratching our heads just a little bit. It feels like the episode sets up a whole second half of the season, but instead, we have to wait for season three to arrive to know more. Although the ending comes as a bit of a jarring final note, there is still a lot we loved about the episode. So without further ado, here is our The Last of Us season two finale recap and our biggest revelations and questions from episode seven.

New Revelations From The Last of Us Season 2 FinaleEllie Tells Dina That Abby Attacked Them Because Joel Killed Her Father and the Fireflies, Leaving Their Relationship TenseHBO

After Ellie returns from killing Nora, she comes clean to Dina about a part of the story she hadn’t shared yet. She reveals that Abby didn’t just randomly kill Joel, but that she and her friends hunted Joel down on a quest for revenge for Abby’s father and the other Fireflies that Joel killed in Salt Lake City. Ellie also reveals that a cure may have been on the table if Joel hadn’t acted as he did.

Dina, understandably, takes this news hard and tension forms between her and Ellie on The Last of Us season two’s finale. Although Dina does give Ellie her bracelet as a good luck charm, it’s unclear where the two stand at the end of the season and what their releationship will be like moving forward.

Ellie Admits That It Wasn’t Hard for Ellie to Torture Abby’s Friend NoraHBO

Ellie also confesses to Dina that it wasn’t hard for her to torture Nora in pursuit of Abby. She tells Dina, “I just kept hurting her.” And that it was easy for her to do. She also reveals she didn’t kill Nora in the end, just left her to turn into an Infected. In The Last of Us‘ universe this is about the coldest fate you can offer to someone. Ellie’s confession cements that she is becoming everything Gail said she might and more. We just hope she’s able to get off this destructive fate before it hurts her and the people around her.

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THE LAST OF US’ Scariest Moment Began as a Quiet Baseball GameEllie Finds Owen and Mel in the Seattle Aquarium Instead of Ellie and Kills Them BothHBO

Nora gives Ellie two words after enough torture, “Whale” and “Wheel.” While looking for Tommy, Ellie sees an aquarium with a whale on it that also has a ferris wheel in the distance. Of course, she takes off in pursuit of Abby and revenge.

But when Ellie finally arrives at the aquarium, she doesn’t find Abby, only her friends Owen and Mel. Ellie threatens them and in the end, ends up shooting Owen for making a move for his gun. Unfortunately, her shot also knicks Mel in the neck and Mel is pregnant. Mel begs for Ellie to cut her baby out, but can’t explain how to do it as she dies. We’re left with a truly harrowing scene of Ellie sobbing over the dead woman and her dead baby, still in her belly. This finale scene truly shows where Ellie’s journey of revenge has taken her.

Abby Is to be the WLF’s Leader After Isaac, But She Defected Before The War Between the Scars and WLFHBO

We also learn that Abby is the right-hand woman of the WLF leader Isaac. And Isaac has it in his head that Abby will lead the WLF after his eventual death comes. However, we also glean from Isaac and from Owen and Mel’s discussions that Abby has defected from the WLF for some reason, vanishing with her crew on the eve of battle.

Abby Kills Jesse in The Last of Us Finale

In the end, Ellie doesn’t find Abby but Abby finds Ellie in The Last of Us season two’s finale. Abby, who clearly has learned her friends have been murdered and seems to believe Tommy and Jess are to blame, charges into the theater where Ellie, Tommy, Jess, and Dina are staying. She shoots Jesse dead immediatly and has her gun aimed at Tommy during the final scenes of The Last of Us season two. She shoots her gun one more time, but we don’t know who gets the bullet.

Dina Is Hurt But Alive, the Last Time We See Her on the The Last of Us Season 2 FinaleHBO

The last time we see Dina, she remains alive on The Last of Us season two’s finale. She appears to be in the backroom resting her leg when Abby bursts in.

The Last of Us Season 2 Finale’s Final Scene Takes Us Back to Abby’s “Day One” in Seattle HBO

After Jesse’s death scene and Abby and Ellie’s long-awaited meeting in the finale, The Last of Us season two offers us yet another flashback. It takes us back to Abby’s “Day One,” the day that Ellie and Dina first arrived in Seattle earlier in the season.

The WLFs appear to be preparing for war, and Isaac wants to talk to Abby. It seems in The Last of Us season three, we’ll learn that something in this conversation made Abby suddenly want to defect from the Fireflies… But it’ll be a long time before we know for sure.

New Questions From The Last of Us Season 2 FinaleWhat Is Dina’s Fate?HBO

We mentioned that Dina is alive, but will she stay that way? Abby is angry and out for new revenge, while Dina is incredibly injured and unable to really flee. If Abby finds her in the theater, will she kill her too?

Is Tommy Dead? HBO

Similarly, Tommy still appears to be alive at the end of The Last of Us season two. But will he stay that way? He’s definetly a physical threat to Abby, so she might just be inclined to get rid of him.

How Will Jesse’s Death Impact Ellie and Dina’s Relationship?HBO

Now that Jesse is dead, everything is different on The Last of Us. Ellie and Dina’s relationship was already strained at the end of the finale. But will the death of Dina’s ex and the father of her baby be too much for Dina to take? For all that Dina said she was making her own choices, Ellie absolutely drove them to Seattle. Will Jesse’s death and whatever happens next tear Ellie and Dina apart?

Will The Last of Us Season 3 Focus on Abby? HBO

It feels like The Last of Us season two’s final scene is setting us up to pivot into Abby’s point of view. Will we have a full season from Abby’s perspective? Or maybe just one episode? Only time will tell.

The Last of Us season two has now aired all of its episodes, so if you were waiting to watch, now is the time.

Previous recaps: Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five, Episode Six

The post THE LAST OF US Season 2 Finale Recap: New Revelations and Questions appeared first on Nerdist.

THE LAST OF US Reframed a Great Video Game Scene and Made it Even Better

The majority of The Last of Us‘ season two finale came straight from its source material, including that incredibly frustrating ending. But the episode delivered its best, most emotional sequence by reframing a scene from The Last of Us Part II. HBO’s adaptation made a small but powerful change to Ellie’s showdown with Mel and Owen, turning an already devastating encounter into a truly devastating tragedy.

HBO

Just like on HBO’s series, in The Last of Us Part II, Ellie finds Owen and Mel arguing at the abandoned Seattle aquarium. And just like on the show her plan to make them reveal Abby’s whereabouts turns deadly. The original scene sees Owen reach for Ellie’s gun. Mel then attacks Ellie with a knife after Ellie shoots him. But Ellie is too strong, overpowers Mel, and stabs her in the neck, killing her instantly. That’s when she returns to a mortally wounded Owen to find out where Abby is. But with his dying breath, a barely audible Owen mutters, “She’s…she’s….(inaudible).” The game’s closed caption literally says (inaudible), but if you listen closely you can make out what he tells Ellie. Mel was pregnant.

It’s too late. There’s nothing Ellie can do to save the baby. Overcome with grief for what she’s done, Ellie has a full panic attack. She only regains her senses and can stand when Tommy and Jesse arrive. They then bring a devastated Ellie back to the theater where Abby soon attacks them.

Naughty Dog

It’s an incredible, important scene in the video game. It continues the horrible cycle of violence that will soon result in Jesse’s death. And HBO delivered an even better, more tragic version of that already painful scene by making making Mel the focus of her own sad death and adding a brief glimmer of lost hope.

Every Firefly—both in the game and on the show—who helped Abby get her revenge on Joel was responsible for the consequences of their actions. But of all the people who aided Abby, the show’s version of Mel was the most sympathetic. She struggled with Joel’s death. She didn’t even want to knock Dina out with a mild sedative. Ariela Bare’s version of the character had a softness and compassion to her that so many others involved in this never-ending violence often lacked. (Joel’s screams haunted Nora, yet she was still glad he died.) Mel’s humanity—something so many living in this zombie wasteland lack—was on display during her last moments as she tried to save her child.

HBO

On the show, Ellie instead shot Owen in the neck, killing him instantly. But while this version of Mel likely never would have attacked Ellie, she didn’t have a chance anyway. The bullet traveled right through Owen and sliced Mel’s carotid. The trained medic knew immediately what that meant, and instead of worrying about saving herself she used her final moments to try and save her baby. She began instructing Ellie, who (just as in the game) didn’t even realize Mel was pregnant, what to do.

Mel remained calm throughout, making what she was saying even sadder. But her words grew softer as she kept telling Ellie what to do. As did the brief, frustrating moment of hope her instructions introduced. Ellie’s inability to do anything made each passing second worse as the life faded from Mel. If that wasn’t terrible enough, a dying Mel didn’t know what was happening. She died thinking Ellie had saved her baby. A comforting thought for her. A horrible one for both Ellie and viewers.

This brutal moment was HBO’s The Last of Us at its very best. This is the kind of change great adaptations make. They take great scenes and moments and make them better. Centering the death of Mel and her baby around them, rather than Owen and Ellie, made the scene far more powerful both on its own and in the larger context of the show.

HBO

In lieu of Dina’s news, in lieu of what will soon happen to Jesse, and in lieu of what gamers know will happen in season three, this is truly a major moment in Ellie’s life. Ellie has always killed monsters and human enemies. Here she killed the most innocent of creatures. And having her have to face Mel—a sweet soul who lost both her and her baby’s lives because she allowed a quest for vengeance to corrupt her—-made the consequences of Ellie’s own actions land with even more gut-wrenching impact.

Ellie’s hatred led to this moment, just as Abby’s hatred led to the death of her friends. The murder of an expecting mother is exactly the type of horrible thing that happens when you set out to do something horrible. And having to hear a dying mother with her dying breath futilely try to save her child’s life was as horrible as it gets.

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All the Easter Eggs and DOCTOR WHO Callbacks in ‘Wish World’

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The Rani is back and things are completely awry in Doctor Who’s universe. Season two’s penultimate episode sets up perhaps one of the most dire situations that’s ever happened in the universe. And, through this strange and frightening turn of events, the show continues to honor its decades-old roots while also tying into its recent past. There are quite a few Easter eggs and callbacks in Doctor Who season two, episode seven, aptly titled “Wish World,” and we have them below just for you. While some are more overt than others, it will give many fans more to explore in the show’s deep history. 

What Happens in Doctor Who‘s “Wish World” Episode?

First, let’s break down the episode a bit. The Doctor and Belinda wake up in a very different version of Earth that’s very 1950s sitcom-esque with a twist. They don’t seem to remember who they are, instead living a very traditional life as a married couple with a daughter.

However, in this world, when people have doubts, they are disrupted by coffee mugs breaking. Women are “good little wives and mothers,” men work and cannot compliment another man, and anyone who doubts the system could end up imprisoned. There are only a few people who have strong enough doubts to reject the system yet stay under the radar, like Ruby Sunday. The most frightening part is that Conrad is always on some screen and people treat him like he’s Jesus. Gross.

Maxine Howells/BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf

We eventually discover that the baby kidnapped by the Rani is actually Desidirium, the god of wishes. And that baby is unfortunately in the care of Conrad, who created this wish world and runs it like a god. The baby god’s power combined with the Vindicator made this power possible and also brought the Doctor right into her clutches. The Rani (well, Ranis, I guess) want to use the Doctor’s all-consuming doubts to rip open the fabric of reality (and kill everyone) to find the One Who Is Lost.

Whew. Now, let’s get into the Easter eggs and callbacks that we see in Doctor Who’s “Wish World.” 

Poppy From “Space Babies” 

In this world, the Doctor and Belinda’s daughter is Poppy, whom we’ve seen before. She was one of the space babies from an adventure that Ruby and Fifteen went on early into their time together. In fact, Poppy is the captain of Babystation Beta.

Strangely, we also saw Poppy briefly on the streets when Belinda was searching for the Doctor in Africa. Why did this sweet little face stick in the Doctor’s mind? We don’t know yet but apparently the concept of her being real matters, which the Doctor yells at the end of the episode. Let’s see how this Doctor Who callback plays into the finale.

The Doctor as John Smith 

Sometimes, the Doctor goes through an experience that forces them to forget that they are the Doctor. The Doctor also goes undercover and needs to seem like an unassuming human or keep his true identity a secret. In this episode, the Fifteenth Doctor is caught in Conrad’s wish world and doesn’t remember who he is. So, he goes by John Smith, the most boring and perhaps most common name ever.

This is the latest of several times that the Doctor used this specific name. The Tenth Doctor used John Smith a few times, including in “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” when he had to hide his Time Lord essence in a fob to prevent a collective from using his life force to prevent their own demise. In that two-parter, he became a teacher at a school who fell in love.

BBC Studios

He also used the moniker to introduce himself to his former amnesiac companion Donna Noble to protect her mind, to a man who thought he was a Time Lord in “The Next Doctor,” and to his former companion Sarah Jane Smith, who didn’t recognize his new form, in “School Reunion.” That guy really loved playing a teacher. 

The Second Doctor cheekily calls himself John Smith in “The War Games,” after several failed attempts to get others to address him as Doctor. The Eleventh Doctor had a card with the First Doctor’s face on it and “John Smith” as the name. And the Twelfth Doctor uses John Smith as his moniker when he poses as a caretaker at Coal Hill School in “The Caretaker.” There are other instances for sure, but these are a few memorable ones. 

Conrad’s Story About All the Time Lords Dying 

Throughout the first part of the episode, Conrad entertains (??) people by telling the story of the Doctor, written by a guy with a familiar last name. (More on that next.) A big chunk of his tale involves the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords.

That comes from the Ninth Doctor era. This incarnation was fresh off of the Time War, a battle between the Daleks and the Time Lords that he believed killed all of his people and his planet. Discussing the Time War and how that feels incredibly different now with new revelations about the Doctor’s true heritage is a post of its own, but this is where the idea came from. 

I.M. Foreman

The story that Conrad is reading, Doctor Who and the Deadly Wish, is written by I.M. Foreman. In Doctor Who’s very first episode, the Doctor parks his TARDIS in a junkyard owned by someone with this same name. This is where Susan gets her fake last name from to use at school.

While we never get into who Foreman is in the TV series, the Interference Doctor Who books does give this character a backstory. In those stories, he’s a Gallifreyan monk who is not a Time Lord but has the ability to regenerate thanks to some sketchy bio-engineering by Rassilon (more on him later). At some point, he came to Earth and crafted this space, which the First Doctor eventually uses. What a clever Doctor Who Easter egg.

The Doctor Working for UNIT

Funny enough, the Doctor’s job in his wish world is with UNIT. But, instead of it being the powerful intelligence agency that we all know and love, it is the Unified National Insurance Team. However, this is far from the first time that the Doctor has been on UNIT’s payroll. The Third Doctor found himself exiled and stuck on Earth, so he worked with UNIT to defeat baddies. We later see the Seventh Doctor team up with the organization too.

The Tenth Doctor also worked with UNIT briefly while his former companion Martha Jones was under their employ. More recently, UNIT is a major part of Doctor Who and the Doctor’s life, with people like Rose, Donna, and Mel working there in some capacity. 

The Doctor and Belinda’s Townhome Number 11

Okay, so this one might just be a reach in my mind. But, when Belinda has a great moment of doubt, she runs out of the front door and looks back at the house. We see the number 11 as plain as day over the door. In “The God Complex,” the Eleventh Doctor is stuck in a weird space hotel with a force that entices people to go into rooms containing their greatest fears.

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All the DOCTOR WHO Modern Era Seasons, Ranked

For the Doctor, that room is number 11, which contained the crack in reality that had haunted him for a while. And what does this episode have? The Doctor causing a break in reality that allows for Omega to return. This Doctor Who Easter Egg is worth exploring, even if it is not intentional.

Omega: The First Time Lord

Speaking of Omega, he’s a Classic era character that’s likely to come back in this season’s finale. The episode explains him a bit as the first Time Lord and the most terrifying one of all. He’s a galactic engineer who harnessed great supernova power to make time travel possible. Now, the one who was lost for so long is back, thanks to the Rani. 

Ruby’s “73 Yards” Time  

While speaking with a group of disabled doubters, Ruby vaguely recalls that she’s been in 2025 before and it was nothing like their current reality. We see flashes of her from last season’s “73 Yards,” which took her through several decades in a world without the Doctor. 

Rogue’s in Hell Dimension BBC Studios/Bad Wolf Studios/Disney+

Rogue lives… or at least we think he does! Last season, we saw the Doctor and Rogue begin to fall for each other. Of course, the Chuldurs’ plans ruined this love story, which ends with Rogue getting yeeted to another dimension that’s impossible to locate. Well, he somehow gets a massage to the Doctor via the television in this episode.

He says the Hell Dimension around him is threatening to end and to remember that “tables don’t do that” before essentially admitting to loving the Doctor. That weird bit of advice is what begins to spark the Doctor’s serious doubts and leads to him being in the clutches of the Rani. 

It is not clear if Rogue’s dimension is still there at this point. Hopefully, he can find a way to get out of there. 

Seal of Rassilon 

One of the first things that the Rani points out to the Doctor is the Seal of Rassilon. In the Classic series, it is a symbol used by the Time Lords and created by Rassilon, a founder of the Time Lord civilization along with Omega. The Seal of Rassilon’s symbol had many uses, including acting as an identifier of Time Lords and warding off evil. Time Lords often wear it on badges, robes, and, for the Seventh Doctor, it was on his TARDIS key.

It appears throughout the show’s classic and modern history. It’s on the outside of the infamous TARDIS blue diary about River Song and the Eleventh Doctor’s adventures as well as a few TARDIS interiors of previous Doctors. The Rani would obviously have a connection to the Seal of Rassilon as a Time Lady, which is why it is in the Bone Palace.

Rani and the Doctor’s Dance in Persephone 

The Rani grabs Fifteen and wraps him up in a dance, asking him if he remembers their dance in Persephone as fire raged on. This doesn’t tie back to anything we’ve seen on screen, but it is just a general reference to the Doctor and the Rani having more run-ins and a deeper relationship than what the series was able to explore.

This all sets up an explosive finale that will hopefully give us more ties to the show’s roots.

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