Polygon.com / 12.06.25

The Last of Us season 2 writer says ridiculed dad' line just popped into his head

There are no shortage of reasons why The Last of Us season 2 has proven controversial, but many of those criticisms have a common root: the script. As dissatisfied fans tell it, the protagonist of the show is an immature and incompetent interpretation of Ellie, the character portrayed in the Naughty Dog games. Theres one moment in the show in particular that was so emblematic of that tonal discrepancy, fans turned it into a meme. And now, showrunner Craig Mazin has given some insight as to how he and his collaborator Neil Druckmann arrived at the oft-ridiculed dialogue. In early episodes of season 2, Dina, Ellies love interest and companion during her journey to seek revenge, is shown repeatedly throwing up. At first, it seems as if Dina is having a human reaction to witnessing gory carnage that could twist anyones stomach. Later, it becomes clear that Dina is pregnant with the baby of a former lover, Jesse. Dina reveals this piece of information after the duo pass through a pharmacy,...
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