we HATE him... | FANS REACT to THE LAST OF US on HBO - Episode 8 (SPOILERS)

Thanks to my friend Mac (@moose-corner) for joining me for episode 8 of The Last of Us on HBO "When We Are In Need".
Thanks for all your comments and support so far!! We are thrilled to be reaching so many fellow tlou fans.
This watch-through contains SPOILERS for the entire The Last of Us series.
Intro: 00:00-03:33
Episode Reaction: 03:34-33:31
Discussion: 33:32-45:50
Follow me on TikTok for TLOU content: / tlouexplained

[@tlou_explained]

howdy everyone! this is just a friendly reminder that our post-reaction commentary is always an immediate response to the episode and is just our raw thoughts without having had time to sit and reflect and read up on behind-the-scenes stuff, etc. At the beginning of next week's reaction we will talk more about episode 8 after we have had more time to process. We appreciate your comments and you bearing with us while we react to some very intense/sensitive material.

[@Saphthings]

First and foremost your personal enjoyment and entertainment to a series that's clearly very important to you is the highest priority. While I do actually appreciate seeing your immediate reaction and then a fully baked review later, either way you never have to apologize to us for being genuine! If that's how you react that's how your react!

[@sharpgirl72]

I second that @Saph things

[@cheska2803]

The religious aspect is canon in the game. There was originally more scenes discussing that. They were left out but the banner with "he shall provide" was up in the boss fight scene so it's included in the lore.

[@clover2739]

Plus I’m sure during the infected fight with David near when you first meet him, it’s not focused on but you can hear him saying a prayer

[@jamesmcinnis15]

(Maybe) Fun Fact: The ‘religious cult’ aspect was originally in the game. People who datamined the original game found additional dialogue for David that discussed the faith element.

[@jamesmcinnis15]

I can see why they would want to include this in the first place. As much as this story revolves around Joel and Ellie, it’s really an examination of ALL humanity in the apocalypse. David is 100% a person who exists in the world today, and he would still exist at the end of times.

[@Corvo-zs7dx]

@@jamesmcinnis15 Oh damn I didn't think actually lines relating to that was in the game. I just thought that aspect was in the game because the "When We Are In Need" sign was in the game.

[@KevinCSmith-ue8ck]

If you watch Screen Crush’s breakdown of the episode, he lays out how this entire episode can be interpreted as a religious allegory, with David being Satan. Pretty convincing and worth a watch.

[@dolcegal100]

Also I seem to recall (and saw another reactor say the same) that in the game, I believe when you're fighting the clickers et al with David, you hear him pray at times. Not in cut scenes but during actual gameplay.

[@27Tulips]

I think the giant “When we are in need HE will provide” sign that’s in the game and the show displayed that there was some aspect of religion involved. The show format was able to expand that backstory.

[@KillJoy5950]

The simple line of “I got you baby girl” just made tears flow uncontrollably

[@SirSpitsAlotable]

Something I like is that David didn’t purposefully let Ellie know they ate people. It never really made sense to me in game that he would chop up a human infront of the girl he’s trying to convince to stay with him. It being unintentional feels more realistic.

[@JozyMozy]

Here I am, beaming at two of the most contagiously enthusiastic people on YT, because they can't help but respond "F*ck you!" or make gagging noises every time David speaks. Y'all are the best.

[@AriDrag]

Hi! A friend told me I needed to watch this reaction, I played Joyce, poor little Hannah’s mum. I think one of you said I was male coded? If that’s the case, um you nailed it! Lol I am trans masculine and my character subsequently was serving “I’m not gay, I’m a Christian. I promise.” vibes 😂. Glad you’re enjoying the show.

[@tlou_explained]

omg!!! welcome! I actually said your character was "Mel-coded", Mel being a character in part two! You did a great job in the show :))

[@AriDrag]

@@tlou_explained haha oh! Yes a lot of people said that to me on Instagram!

[@kildeer]

omg yessss, tlou continues to become gayer and gayer 👏 Joyce absolutely has repressed trans person vibes, i knew my trans ass was picking *something* up, i just didn't know what

[@AriDrag]

@@kildeer haha yeah that long jean skirt isn’t fooling anyone.

[@JohnPablob]

​@@AriDrag You served a damn fine performance! Very subtle (considering you didn't have more than a one-liner and a half) but it definitely radiated that "Oh jesus we're all in a madhouse pretending its okay to eat thy neighbor :)"

[@ethicaltechnical]

One thing about it going to far is it paid off Joel warning Ellie in the earlier episode that people were the most dangerous and they had more than robbing and killing in mind and also the tragedy that the moment David shows his true intentions, Ellie is going to lose the last of her innocence, either through his actions or by hers. Then the catharsis of her killing him was fully realized. And I LOVE the symbolism of her "emerging from hell" all by herself and then Joel saves her emotionally. It literally took 30 seconds to make you cry right at the end. This show is just next level.

[@gatangela2008]

i will say that to be fair, the way they did it subtly was amazing and very well built, but it left enough unsaid that a huge group of people didn't catch it or denied it, and i feel like in the show they wanted to cement it in stone like "no: here's what he wanted to do, and that's fucked up. and this is what he gets for it" and i will say, as a R victim myself, the stabbing scene felt cathartic in a way that i cannot express in words; same way that joel being there not to save her, but to catch her and ground her after she's out of it because of the experience.

[@kaleyrose47]

I don’t understand the people who are complaining that the show isn’t violent enough. I think we can all agree we’ve all become numb to excessive violence anyway-and that’s not the point of the story-the important thing is the character development, so when violence does occur, it’s more impactful. A few things if I may: I have never personally experienced SA, but regardless, I felt every amount of anger, rage, terror, disassociation and shock that Ellie was experiencing. Her face after she realizes she’s killed David and is capable of that was haunting, as well as her screams. Bella did a brilliant job at portraying Ellie’s trauma response as well, and Pedro did a beautiful job delivering Joel’s lines with such a tenderness and love. Lastly, I love that Joel, without any context of what actually happened, no questions asked, immediately validates and comforts his terrified, traumatized daughter. I think that’s what everyone deserves immediately after any trauma. I hope Pedro and Bella know the impact that the end scene has had, I love them so much and I hope they both get Emmy noms for this show-it’s just so freaking good! Sorry for the rant, thanks for reading! ❤

[@tomv2063]

You can’t satisfy everyone, if the show included violence everytime, some people would get bored and criticize for lack of story-telling and Vice versa. But honestly, I think it’s pretty well-balanced. Seeing that hoard of infected in episode 5 was enough to keep me satisfied.

[@Reece_Hart]

I really didn't think David could get any creepier or gross but they found a way. Him saying he was a maths teacher for kids around Ellie's age and that he always had trouble controlling his anger makes him so much worse

[@underscorerm1678]

I saw someone on TikTok thanking and praising the writers, directors, and Bella Ramsey. As someone who suffered the same circumstance, they didn't know how much they needed to witness THAT scene. How important it is that Joel in this episode wasn't written as the hero/savior but as the person who comforts Ellie afterward, how important it is that Ellie was able to save herself - to be done with it without anyone stopping her -- and how significant this episode is for those people who have been in the same situation - to see someone being able to do what they wish they could've done back then. I'd just assume that they know the game because they kinda know the changes from the source material, but it just hurts my heart and blew my mind at the same time. I got excited because I know the game so well that I was just cheering for Ellie the whole time, but this episode is way deeper to me now.

[@leotoxin]

This one hit me way harder than in the game. Scott (David) and Bella’s acting was on another level this episode. As a man, the scene at the end with Ellie and David made my blood boil. I’m not a father at the moment, but putting myself in the situation and knowing someone trying to take advantage of my child like this, no matter what age, makes me want to commit certain actions. In the game, Joel walks in sooner and sees Ellie killed David. Ellie even says “he tried to…” and Joel cuts her off by saying “oh baby girl” implying he’s aware of what happened and what Ellie HAD to do. In this episode it seems Joel doesn’t really know who David is or his intentions. I wonder if Ellie will even tell him what happened or if it’s a trauma she will avoid talking about, similar to Joel’s Sarah trauma.

[@Hairofthewolf]

James was really adamant about killing Ellie or even letting her go alone before they brought her back by pretexting "she would be another mouth to feed", but he didn’t seem very violent or malicious… which makes me think that maybe he was trying to have her go the easier way versus being with David and/or the human butcher shop.

[@myrghifarry2381]

thats what i thought too, he doesnt look angry when hes being persistent about killing ellie, but more of like frightened

[@jonathanross149]

Especially if you are a director, the official podcast is very useful in understand why the showrunners made their choices.

[@hessu275]

This is the most engaging and thrilling episode so far. Bella is perfection as Ellie and Scott Shepherd did a fantastic job as David. Pedro gave a really emotional moment with Bella in the end, the softness in his voice when he said "It's me"

[@olgabahirkina1286]

I didn't think they could make David creepier than in the game, but they did, and adding the backstory of teacher/preacher is one way to do that. How many kids did he abuse while he was a teacher? And now it's even worse, he is openly terrifying Hannah and no-one can do anything about it, not even her mom.

[@NestorCustodio]

IMO, him being a religious leader *is* a sensible change in that it explains how someone like that could become the leader of a community as small as that enclave. You would normally expect a group that small to either be run democratically (by communal vote) or by a democratically elected leader (a popularity contest you can't imagine this guy winning). Someone that meek wouldn't normally be in charge, and you never really question it in the game because you're more focused on the moment-to-moment gameplay and the driving question is "who's the bad guy right now?", whereas on a show they needed to come up with a way to make such a setup more sensible. The alternative would've been to make him a hyper-assertive, more physically imposing guy, and I think that would've undermined this story beat in several ways.

[@Chyort2]

The religious aspect is meant to make him seem like a good guy as well as controlling his "Flock" They didn't do the scene where David had the gun hidden so they had to make people who didn't play the game think that maybe he's trustworthy, those of us who played it know what's coming, but for the ones who hadn't, they didn't get the whole him showing her she can trust him with the gun.

[@silence864]

I think you are right. I haven't played the game and in this episode, I thought of David as a good guy until *slap*, was mind blown by the 'crazy man with little girl' twist, didn't realize they were munching humans until obviously 👂 and was traumatized by his actions (that hand going down to unzip his pant... Uggggh) in last scene. Poor Ellie.... Good thing Joel was there for her. And in that Ellie David hand over hand scene, I was literally screaming like "No Ellie, what the f*ck are you doing?!!??!" So, my point is, people who are watching this show after playing the game can't get same experience as us, those who haven't played the game. My comment is already long, still P.S. Do you think David would like that cannibal joke from ep 7? (Foreshadowing in this show is epic!)

[@mhayburn4846]

Steven Weinberg famously said, "With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion." This is why people using faith to manipulate others is a trope, but it's a trope rooted in most of human history. I can see from a psychological perspective as to why the show added this. It highlights how manipulative David is. The slapping of the girl, then helping her up and presenting himself in the loving father roll, is classic abuser manipulation. His gaslighting of Elle as well. The writers couldn't use the game play of relying on David as an NPC to highlight what a manipulative scum bag he is. Also, a line in the game stated that David was going to make Elle his "latest play toy." So, I think the sexual violence was more than implied.

[@tlou_explained]

I think the line in the game was "she's David's newest pet"🤢 it was definitely implied in the game, but was made much more explicit in the show

[@mhayburn4846]

@@tlou_explained Good call out, I was struggling to remember the quote. I just just remember the implication and my skin crawling.

[@produccionesmonotipo9801]

What I liked about the "preacher" role in this case is because I think there's actually a subtle subversion within it. I don't think he truly believes in God, I think he plays that role for the people, but his big revelation really came from Cordyceps-- not the Lord. Also... I initially thought that there was a clicker at first, but I think that it was the deers antlers maybe bumping against something.

[@fivestarguy100]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the captioning in the episode calls it an "Infected Snarl" or something like that. At least I remember seeing that when I watched it. So it's not entirely out of the realm of belief.

[@zonkvervonk]

I haven't played the game in years, but wasn't the religion part of David's character hinted at? Or at least an analog to the cult leader vibe he gave. I honestly don't mind the religious leader creep trope, especially since it's used in this very popular show that's calling out so many societal things as well. As for the SA, as an afab person who's also a SA survivor, I actually like that they made it clearer in the show, because it was a little too vague in the game. In the game, after the winter section, Ellie was displaying symptoms of PTSD after an assault, but since all we got from her fight with David in the game was him choking her out on the floor, it was never clear and some people used that to cast doubt on what David's true intention was; that he was just a cannibal and he just wanted to kill Ellie. (But Ellie already faced death and it didn't leave her numb like that. So what did David do to her that we didn't see? Because all I saw was his hands around her neck.) I like that his intention was clear in the show. Though I don't like that it triggered me so much I didn't even get to enjoy the "baby girl" part afterwards. But seeing Bella Ramsey act it out so well, Ellie's rage and anger and fear, hurting David again and again to try and make it hurt less, try and undo what she experienced, it was something else. Personally, I would like to be able to do what Ellie did as well. Watching her get through that alone with her own anger was cathartic for me. This is gonna sound freaky and maybe bad but that scene felt like a spiritual adaptation of my own experience and I'm glad I get to see it end, not really in a happy way, but at the very least with Ellie saving herself, persevering, surviving, and having Joel to comfort her at the end. Not a lot of survivors get that, especially young survivors. And the scene wasn't written in a very gratuitous way like other depictions of SA I've seen. It wasn't depicted a "sensual" thing, despite David saying he liked the fighting, and they made sure the scene can't be sexualized or misinterpreted in any other way. Ellie's retaliation wasn't glamorous nor did it even feel victorious. No one who goes through that thing ever feels victorious, no amount of hacking and stabbing and yelling will make it feel okay, even though you wish if you stabbed and screamed enough times it would. Ellie survives, she kills her abuser, but it's still not a happy ending. It's the best ending you could hope for after that experience, but you can't undo that experience. As a survivor, that is the most respected and represented I've felt in scenes like these. And I'm glad it exists in the show. And that they wrote and executed it well. Anyway, another great reaction

[@tomv2063]

Yeah they were going add religious aspects to the game but they left it out. The banner, “He shall provide”, is still there. I don’t mind tropes as long as they work well and I think it really did here. He did give off good guy vibes here and there but then made me question it again and again. Sure you don’t religion for that to work but it does make things more extreme and honestly I could imagine someone like him these days.

[@Thomas-no9wy]

In case it hadn't been mentioned yet, the clicking during the deer section was the antlers rattling by the deer. Doesn't matter much, but figured I'd say something in case anyone was wondering.

[@catenystrom6506]

Pedro delivered that line "It's ok, I believe him" sooooooo well, it was fucking perfection

[@nessew7835]

The group was religious in the game, there are a lot of flyers and a few notes in the game.

[@pleasantdemoss3548]

I think the changes they made to David and how far they went with everything makes a lot of sense when presenting the story to a television audience. We’ve got one episode to get through this, people need a buy in for why anybody would follow the meek camp councilor and how you convince people to go along with *it*, and you make him disgusting because this is a really big thing for Ellie. The situation makes her commit extreme violence, and it’s justified, and it brings her closer to Joel in terms of the things they’ve both done to survive, but there’s that anger and going past just killing him. I think this really helps set up the second game, and really a lot of the changes they’ve made throughout the season have been setting up the second game. Ellie is this smart, funny, brave kid that will do anything for the people she loves, just like Joel has for her. She has to meet a world full of violence with violence of her own.

[@Eveliane]

Bella is doing amazing, I can’t wait to see her in season 2. I had my reservations, but with last episode and this one, I’m very confident in her ability to portray the anger, grief, and trauma she would need for season 2. David’s death should feel so cathartic and rewarding, but it’s not, it feels so authentically traumatizing. I’m not happy he’s dead, I feel broken about everything Ellie had to go through.

[@SunChaoJun]

Joel not interrupting Ellie at the end makes some logical sense since David locked the building and he wouldn't have had a way to get in until Ellie got the keys from David (other than breaking into a burning building)

[@NoxNovak]

I like the religious approach, because it makes more sense than just being a cannibal community. Because eating people must fuck you up, mentally so... I remember the cannibal group in The Walking Dead, those people had a twisted mind and acted psychopathic, which fits better to the whole "non-religious cannibal" trope, or so I see it. Having a religious grip over people seems quite fitting and it makes sense some groups would be based on religion after the world ends. And this is just one of them. I'm not tired of this trope, because it feels very much human... as dark as that sounds. I didn't think it was a bad choice.

[@graceouterspace]

Agree with this - so many people in the US are deeply controlled by Christianity and it makes sense that it would be used to control people in the apocalypse.

[@graceouterspace]

Also I like the parallel to the Seraphites.

[@NoxNovak]

@@graceouterspace Yeah, as I mentioned, this is just one of the many religious groups that a post-apocalyptic world would sprout. And man I can't wait for season 2!

[@lemonrain2741]

That cannibal joke from Left Behind now gives me the chills.

[@AzraelTK]

It was ellie first human kill, she killed an infected in episode 3. And I hope the actor of David doesn't get a lot of hate mail, because hate the character, not the actor But I loved that ellie didn't come out of the building an was like "yay I survived, close call but I'm fine" like a lot of other series and movies portray SA, where it doesn't cause trauma in any way or shape. But yes they made the hebephile side of David way more explicit.

[@Brandyn77]

The sound you heard when Ellie was hunting were deer antlers not a clicker

[@KillJoy5950]

I honestly think Riley didn’t show up to her rendezvous so the fireflies went check in her, the probably pulled up as she was turning and that’s how Ellie was discovered

[@sweetsolitude99]

I think this too. Or they showed up right after Ellie had to shoot her

[@Hawkeyevodka34]

As a dude, I was caught off guard by how difficult the David scene was for y’all. Like, I knew it was traumatic for Ellie but I didn’t pick up on how visceral it could be for the viewer. Thank you both for sharing your perspective and helping me think differently about the episode.

[@alexanderriley2979]

It was hard watching this episode, especially knowing the awfulness that would happen. I hope everyone made it through okay and has someone there in case they're not. As usual, your discussion was illuminating and I appreciate it.

[@moose-corner]

Thanks for the positivity and comment! Hope you're doing well too!

[@Rolenz]

The religion thing is a trope for a reason. Religion in any form is almost always born out of the need to control and conform the masses, and was the first basic version of "law".. Do bad thing, get refused entry into afterlife or sent to bad bad place to suffer. Do good thing and be rewarded. It plays on the simplest of human emotion. People flock to it because it gives them a false sense of comfort and righteousness for their actions as they can say they do things "in the name of" some deity or if it goes bad, blame it on the bad version of their religions deity or demon. An easy way to not take any responsibility for their own lives. In Davids case, he obviously uses it to manipulate and appease those that he is trying to control. It does not matter if he´s actually religious or not. Power over others brings benefits. Just notice how his portion at the table when eating is about 3 times that of the others, with his "closest" allies like James also getting a larger portion. The sad part is that if you remove your feelings from the equation and look back through history, people are simple animals, pack animals that will flock behind someone who has "power" to lead. In this case it is desperation to survive and Davids ability to manipulate rather than pure strength.

[@CrowTRobot]

I really appreciated your discussion afterward. SA is important to handle delicately, something that we historically haven’t done super well. My partner is a survivor and I’ve seen her relive the horror firsthand. Thank you for this. It’s important.

[@vincefavaro1267]

For some random reason when Joel finally opened his eyes it reminded me of when Sandy Cheeks opened her eyes when SpongeBob & Patrick woke her up during her hibernation lol. It’s beast mode Joel time

[@jonathanross149]

Ellie's distraction was important. It removed half of the raiders.

[@DwindleDwellandDwarf]

One big distinction between David in the games and the books is the level of their “success.” David’s camp in the game is almost flourishing with their full acceptance of cannibalism. The group are larger and strong, and better fortified. To me, the shows version of the camp is on the verge of starvation and collapse. I feel that using David as this pious preacher helps carry the “poor, humble, and good” man that he first portrays himself to be to Ellie. The Game version of David is able to hide his perversions behind the success of the silverlake. They allow him to have his “newest pet” because his guidance allows them to live a certain standard of living. Without that success, this version of David has to rely on “faith” to hide is moral failings. You can’t question him because you are questioning god if you do. While I do agree that it is an overused trope, I do think it helps show a more insidious and manipulative version o David. He is grooming her from the moment they meet, trying really hard to make her perceive that “he is one of the good ones.” That he can save her from others. That he alone can protect her and be good to her. She is special, she isn’t like the others. She is like him. Blah blah blah. He is using every bit of manipulation and charm that he has to prove and convince her. “Don’t you know how good I am?” I think he probably gets off on secretly being this evil person while portraying a man of god. I do agree that I think that final line was a little too much, (especially since there was no trigger warning) but what I think to does is show the audience that non of what they saw if David was real. He would do that to Ellie, and he has done it before to others. They bookended their interactions with the least true version of david at the beginning, and the most true version of him at the end.

[@randommusings48]

Do you know why he kept asking for her name in the show? Is it some sort of power grab?

[@DwindleDwellandDwarf]

@@randommusings48 I am not sure, but I would assume it is to help gain her trust. People like hearing their name used a lot. It’s a trick in the used car salesman handbook for sure. Haha 😂

[@MattMuirhead]

I like to think James (Troy), knowing who and what David was, wanted to kill Ellie as a mercy. He clearly had reservations about David from the beginning. He suggested to David to let her go - you can see the look in his eyes when David responded to bring her back. When he raised his run to shoot her after bringing down the horse, I like to see it as Troy saving Ellie one last time before he was killed off.

[@BaronSCameron]

The "He shall provide" banner is in the game. They were a religious cult in the game as well.

[@bushpusherr]

I didn't know intimacy directors were a thing, thanks for elaborating on that!

[@aoife3052]

38:47 personally on the platform I watched it on; not hbo, had an SA and SV warning and i just assumed that every other place had it! Weird.

[@rennijo]

As someone who often is triggered by those kinds of scenes, I actually wasn't bothered by this one. It's fairly quick, just explicit enough that the less keen members of the audience can still keep up and it ends with her saving herself. I think, for where her story has to go, we did need to see that she is fully able to be as brutal as she needs to be in order to survive, but that she doesn't stop when he's dead. She doesn't just kill him and I think that'll make it more believable when we get to the second season.

[@kelley5816]

Your reviews are always so enjoyable to watch. I love these candid conversations each week. 💕

[@ezraseventyr]

TW: GROOMING, ABUSE AND R*PE. As an afab survivor of grooming, abuse and r*ape I actually appreciate the change of Davids intentions being this explicit in the show. Because I've talked to so many people who have played the game that outright deny that David was a pedophile. I've straight up experienced gaslighting and that people invalidate my trauma, telling me that I'm delusional for even suggesting it. And it made his death that much more cathartic to watch. Because I had a "David" in my life that abused me for two years between the ages of 12 and 14. I've always related to this section of the game. Did both the game and the show trigger my PTSD? Yes. But for me, the show felt in many ways more respectful as well as cathartic to my own experiences of childhood abuse. And I also loved that Ellie saved herself and that her reunion with Joel was centered around her emotional turmoil after the fact. I like that better than how it is in the game.

[@tlou_explained]

I'm so sorry that happened to you

[@saralouisedawson320]

These keep being uploaded while I am on my way home from night shift and I KNOW I am going to stay up to watch them and it kills me 😅

[@aurelianutube]

They've definitely turned the creepy volume way up for David, in the show. Like him saying he was a teacher who had a hard time because he was violent. Then he says that when his victims struggle was his favorite part and there is no fear in love. Jesus, huge creepy goosebumps! I kind of appreciated the extra focus on the religious part as a way to show what people may lean on in times of need, but also as providing a big loophole for a psychopath. For David, keeping his people slightly starving was in his advantage as they were easier to manipulate. Notice how most people in his group were skinny and frail, sort of the visual definition of meak. Bonus interpretation: when David slapped the girl without a father, it was him discarding her thinking he will soon "have" Ellie. Mazin did a crazy good job of getting into the minds of the show's characters.

[@lemonrain2741]

Your KZbin is the full on fan zone for me! Love it

[@jonathanross149]

I just found out they filmed Ellie and Joel reuniting before the death of David. Bella is a true talent.

[@CrowTRobot]

This episode makes my stomach turn but I love Ellie’s agency and anger, just as shown in the game. Your reactions are so good!!

[@lycra_bustier]

you guys are too much fun and I look forward to these every week.

[@TomTomson81]

Another low point for Ellie and a turning point for her. Here the animal in Ellie came out with her overkill and the experience she had to make. Almost r*p*d and eaten. Here she experiences for the first time the worst abysses in man. I think if you've seen Ellie's past reactions to losses, there wasn't much anger involved. She swallowed Sam's death completely. Here in her outburst really everything came out, which was not seen before. She will not be the same anymore. The episode is also important for the future. It shows what Ellie is capable of. A dark side in her that people like David recognize. I also think it's cool that the torture scene actually showed us explicitly how Joel has proceeded over the last 20 years. This was the first time it was really shown why everyone was afraid of Joel in episode 1. A nice Tess callback from Ellie in the conversation with David. "Your (our) luck had to run out sooner or later." were Tess's words shortly before she had shown him her bite. The father of the girl Joel killed will always be with her. I'm sure she enjoyed the meal. That's macabre. 😁 Of course, the rest of the people didn't realize what was going on in the end. The weather is shit and cold. They will sit in their houses and scrape the remains of the girls daddy out of their teeth. And here is Troy Baker (Game Joel) James. I didn't think that one day I would have to see Ellie kill Joel. There will be properly another timejump. At the beginning of the next episode they will already be in Salt Lake City. Also, we'll see Ashley Johnson, who was Ellie in the game.

[@iamatn3317]

I like that they did reveal that David was much more sinister because it shows what a fraud he is and how selfish he is which makes his death much more satisfying in a way? The creator said that this whole show is about “love” whether it be good or evil. Unfortunately David was after evil. But when he dies it’s more of a sigh of relief that he wasn’t able to hurt anyone else especially since they’re is no institution to lock him up in.

[@izumolee6714]

Joel at less than 50% not even being able to take out 3 grown men at full strength just emphasizes how much of a bad ass he was & still is if provoked. Your reactions to every time David is on screen really showed how well Scott Sheppard portrayed him. Made David even more creepy & unsettling.

[@jonathanross149]

Ellie distraction got rid of 3 of the 6 Joel had to face.

[@p16r]

Is it just me or is David's belief about cordyceps protecting its children and securing its future supposed to be a parallel to the fourteen words?

[@brie1026]

It's not just you, Mazin confirmed it on the podcast 😉

[@p16r]

@@brie1026 Thanks! This comment actually made me listen to the podcast finally! :D

[@brie1026]

@Prathamesh Kowarkar ❤️❤️ Hope you enjoyed!

[@kennbelandres5184]

YASS Been waiting for this!!

[@PLOffical]

Your reaction is so similar to me when seeing David and it’s went off the scale in the feels department and I was excited that some nuggets from the game came to life with a happy smile and cheer similar to yours,btw the “excited for violence” is a mood

[@kildeer]

David being a teacher for kids Ellie's age pre-fungus is fucking horrific to think about

[@brewdaly1873]

Oh my god! Joel saying "It's ok baby girl"! Fuck it's such great writing and Pedro delivers it in such an amazing way.

[@laputa1943]

Love you guys, I can't wait to see your review.💕

[@joeokabayashi8669]

It makes sense that Ashley, playing Ellie's mom, and showing Ellie's birth in the last episode will make for a dramatic arc completion for this first season.

[@jonathanross149]

The infected are needed in the game more. Basically, to give the player something to do. The show replaces a lot of infected moments with human drama.

[@Venom-lr3sq]

the show is still, now officially lacking in showing the infected.

[@jerpusmaximus]

​@@Venom-lr3sqThey've already established in the show that infected are largely in the cities.

[@ccycloo5254]

Finally!!!! Love you both!

[@JADTO]

It was interesting bc he never found God. He found cordyceps but used God to control his flock

[@ebichuman84]

First reaction video I've seen with a TW. Honestly was expecting the show to have one given how much more visceral the moment is in the show.

[@oscarschmidt_]

cleaning my glasses with you guys

[@Tensen01]

The Clicker was just the Deers antlers hitting against branches, Also, Deer calls soemtime sound similar to clickers.

[@tlou_explained]

bruh I literally had deer living in my backyard while growing up and never knew this!! what a clever story device, I was convinced a clicker was lurking

[@fenhorn]

No, I didn't skipped the intro :)

[@wolfval6825]

how do u know i skipped the into :o , thats scary

[@josephcwylie2429]

When Joel tells you to pipe down, you pipe down

[@HeyItzJD]

Totally love your perspective into this episode and the deviations from the game. I know that the show is ending soon and that means your reaction series will too, but hopefully in the long wait between now and season 2 you'll do a revisit playthrough of the first and second game now with the tv series to compare.

[@moose-corner]

That could be a fun idea! We are definitely talking about other TLOU content we can visit after season one is finished. Wether that's playthroughs or in depth comparisons. We are also toying with the idea of visiting other series. All TBD, just to say it's on our mind!

[@Samlevine91]

I might be in the minority from what I've seen online, but I believe both TV and games Ellie do have a violent heart. Bellas version definitely more so, but still she is violent all the same. Rewatch the series and you'll see how she always gravitates towards violent solutions the easiest being wanted a gun and always brandishing it when she finally does. Even during FEDRA days she was known as a troublemaker

[@BlueX78]

😂 love your reaction to seeing troy baker!!! Epic!!!

[@rx7dude2006]

Ellies first kill was Riley.

[@Hatake0217]

I never understood in the game why they followed David as blindly as they did. They expressed doubt, but never went against his orders. Even when it was obvious that he cared too much about getting Ellie and it being for his own sick, selfish desire. So I'm actually glad they added the religious aspect It's also not out of left field as Neil Druckman has stated before that part of David's ideology is belief/faith, which is where the "Everything happens for a reason" line comes from

[@clover2739]

In the game there was a religious aspect to David but it’s something that you can easily miss. I think with the show like they do with most things, they focused on stuff like that more that was more hinted to I get why they didn’t make that part at the end with David’s intentions as subtle, of course most people would know what he was implying but I’ve seen people tend to gloss over it or not even understand it so they don’t see how horrible he is. I think adding those parts that add a bit more make his intentions way clearer so no one can excuse it. I think it depends but before the episode came out most of the people I seen online who were fans if the game were hoping that they didn’t hold back on that part and make it clear instead of trying to humanise him. Even though it is really horrible to watch. But yeah, I think they should’ve had some sort of trigger warning at the start at least.

[@jonathanross149]

12 minutes in: Seeing your reaction to Joel is leaning his head on Ellie...You all are going to really cry at the end of this.

[@rjcwell770]

Realizing David was a teacher before all of this really makes his character that much more despicable. What a gross human being.

[@AdrianTCanto]

Guys, actually David in the game also has the cult leader vibes and even the way he talks and the words like, "oh lord" and even the Final boss we can see during fight the walls with passage of the bible like in the show. The only difference in the show is that is more fleshed out and explicit like in his perspective. And the group was never showed in the game. So it is totally fine not feeling good about it but its still faithful adaptation of the character. And also, the fungus do have those traits he told Ellie. Its the miscelia. Of course he was delusional and a narcissist but everything else he said was true about Ellie. Just not as like him but more like Joel. And in the game we never see why he is like that with religion but in this show we see the truth, he DOES NOT believe in God, but uses it for his sick purpose.

[@alexanderriley2979]

Not to unnecessarily quibble, but in the game we do see and overhear other people after Ellie breaks out from the kitchen into the outside after taking out buddy boy and tricking David. Some people have gotten tired of David's antics (apparently he's done other things and not been subtle enough about it) and are going to try to call a meeting and vote him out -- after they kill the infected girl David brought back that's now running around loose, so possible change, but not soon enough. So game David is in a worse position for keeping hold of leadership. And it's possible he knows the end is nigh...which probably contributed to him locking Ellie in the restaurant for the final confrontation, because he was likely dead either way -- kicked out of the group and unable to survive on his own or Ellie would get him...or other worse outcomes. Just adding what I know.

[@tlou_explained]

good thing I'm planning to play the game again once the show has finished airing because I don't remember that! granted it's been awhile since I played it all the way through.

[@AdrianTCanto]

@@alexanderriley2979 in the show there is pretty visible and hear the fear of all his people. You can see the mind games he's planted and people didn't loved him but fear him. When he's not around you can se people making rumors for the meat because just a few people knew and even James served as good exposition from it. He and the other guy who got Ellie knocked out was going to kill her and knowing David's order. In James's eyes we feel he is trying to replace David or that idea from the game about new voting for a new leader. There is a deleted scene about David and James keeping secrets from each other. And James alone with Ellie in the cage staring eyes trhough each other and trying to bargain. In the game is just more exposition from a player perspective. The perspective is about Ellie and Joel. So every essence from the original its present, in the show we see less hints about his men doubting him but we do see that James started it. Now James in the game is richer as a character. They cutted away those scenes because they though they didn't needed. So its the same in different ways. And David in the game was trying to kill Ellie in the end because she was "a bad girl who needed punishment and not accepting David's wishes and come around"... a creep pedophile killer. And of course those type of people don't last very much with conspiracy around. "Fuck David!" A line from the game by his men. But the show is more like a "do it!" In both media those story elements was present but in "another language" because its not just TV or Videogame, something can work better in one media or another. Ironically in the show is more exposition about his group and how he is cruel and sick narcissist. But in the game the exposition is just less information and now we know why they were so tired of his ways. Some people pretend that nothing happens. The women and their children for example. In the game we see and hear a woman talking to David about taking the kids and find shelter. Could even be like Hannah's mom or whatever. And in the show is more realistic about the numbers of his soldiers haha and Joel killed the father. Sorry for the long novel, but in the game he is more mysterious and in the show... more dangerous and terrifying monster just to add more lore in his character and I LOVED IT!

[@AdrianTCanto]

@@tlou_explained yeah of course, and this is a game worth replaying haha. But in the game we do not have that part of conversation about his "flock" with Ellie but I think its still awesome how they did it so amazingly in both media.

[@johncarolina4950]

i'm a big fan of the game and show, but this show was made explicitly for millions of people who haven't played. The explicitness I feel is catering to those people to help them understand.

[@tlou_explained]

I think it's also catering to the folks who did play the games but definitely missed its true message

[@cameronharris5408]

The religion aspect was in the game

[@Ladco77]

Joel Miller starring in Dad Rage. I'm a middle aged man. No kids of my own, but I swear when I heard Ellie's screams, that triggered every paternal defense instinct I had. They did a great job in the game, but there's just no replacing a live performance and Bella is absolutely amazing. If she and Pedro don't win some awards for this season, there is no justice.

[@thenotoriousgryyn342]

The Last Of Us is going to be added to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights this coming season, it should be a popular haunted attraction. Even though they'll habe The Infected, Fedra, and Raiders for scares, I think the biggest monster would be David.

[@lycra_bustier]

I think the religious element was a way to help contract a story that took us 18 hours in a game into 1 hour in a show

[@jeronwashington1536]

Troy Baker that plays Joel in the game, did a great job playing James on the show

[@Orokovet]

well the religious elements with davids people was all in the game too, but it was all dialogue you find outside of the cutscenes. David talks about Ellie shaking his faith and his people following him out of some hierarchy type of morality and views. they just never bound it to the bible or made it obvious

[@datdudeinred]

20:58 best part of the reaction.. & also 26:09😂

[@Debrutsideno]

7:00 I think the clicker sound is actually the bucks antlers hitting the branches.

[@DanyFakingRebels]

i love the reaction girls cheers from Argentina , I'm a fan of the story, when the trailer for the second part of the game came out, don't hesitate and get the same tattoo as Ellie I saw her playing the guitar and don't hesitate, I love her, I obviously subscribed, I love her talks, after the reaction, I'll send you a hug

[@user-uy9tw2zb6g]

The first one killed by Ellie was a dude in a cap with a cut face. All the previous ones were killed in self-defense.

[@clover2739]

I’m not sure if you picked up on it… but I’m pretty sure they made that little girl eat her own father without her knowing 🤢

[@loganberkheimer1857]

Yeah, dad rage Joel is not something that I ever want to be in the way of

[@RGlennDigz]

alright!! here we go!!!

[@davidma22]

I get where you're coming from about the religious aspect, but being from Canada you might not be able to appreciate that it's not a trope. People like that exist and they have a lot of influence in the US. So that kind of character resonates with US audiences more because we have to see people like that in positions of power every day.

[@kevjohn2006]

Soo this will be edited... I don't care about spoilers for the game because if I ever play the game it will be YEARS in the future. But I do 💅 about game spoilers. And I've recently realized that they are both in the same..! I watch a LOT of reactors. You are the SMARTEST (sucks to be you) and therefore are doing the most spoilers. Lol

[@nrhisback]

Really enjoying these videos, I just wish I knew if there would be spoilers or not! 😂

[@WhileIvySleeps]

If only they mentioned it multiple times in the beginning of the video 😂

[@Saphthings]

Ha, I'm the commenter that prompted that intro about being spoiled. Just passing by the say its entirely my fault for not taking the warnings and having my own presumptions! I'm watching this reactions and just sort of skipping the outro and etc because I love your reaction to this series too much and am willing to risk it! xD I really appreciate the analysis, the thoughtfulness and the vibe you two have! And can't wait for the content after this series too!