The Last of Us Season 1 Wrap-Up

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Title: The Last of Us S1 Wrap-Up

Released: 2023

Series:  The Last of Us

Previously: Season 1 is over, and we are not OK!

The first season of The Last of Us might be over, but we’re still not done thinking about it! (And talking about it, and obsessing over it, etc.) Which is why we’re revisiting all of the stand-out moments that made us laugh, cry, shriek in terror, and did we mention CRY?

But first! A drinking game. (For drowning the sorrows that the show gives you. But, like, responsibly.)

The Official FYA The Last of Us Season 1 Drinking Game

Take a sip whenever:

• An actor you recognize is introduced
• You’re marveling at how sad this mushroom zombie show is
• You spot good material for a Pedro Pascal fancam
• For gamers: you’re watching with a non-gamer and you want to say something spoiler-y SO BADLY
• For anyone familiar with Alberta: you recognize a set location
  • Make it a double if it’s somewhere you regularly visit

Take a drink whenever:

• Someone says any of the following words:
  • cordyceps
  • clicker
  • Bloater
  • FEDRA
  • Fireflies
• Someone talks about music
• Someone tells a punny joke
• Joel gives Ellie an order
• Joel uses an asshole voice
• Ellie is amazed by an ordinary-in-2003 item
• Ellie asks to use a gun
  • Make it a double when she actually gets to use one

Take a shot whenever:

• Someone gets infected
• Someone kills an infected
• Someone promises to stay awake
• Someone says they’ve never asked for anything other than what they’re asking for now

Chug for the duration of:

• Something scary happening that you don’t want to (re)watch

Pour one out… down your throat (i.e., finish your drink) whenever:

• A character who you care about dies

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Here are the Season 1 highlights of The Last of Us, according to The Two of Us (Stephanie and Mandy). We’ve narrowed down our top picks, but the winners will be up to YOU!

Best Joel/Ellie Moment

1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”

1.4 “Please Hold To My Hand”

1.6 “Kin”

1.8 “When We Are in Need”

Mandy W. and Stephanie: BABY GIRL 😭😭😭

Best Guest Star in a Single Episode

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.3 “Long, Long Time”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.6 “Kin”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”
• 1.8 “When We Are in Need”
• 1.9 “Look for the Light”

Mandy W.: This might be the most difficult category?! I could make a case for practically everyone, so I’m going with a personal fave who has a very low chance of showing up again (and therefore ineligible for future seasons – hoping to see everyone from 1.6 again!): Storm Reid!

Stephanie: Um, making me pick is inhumane and why are you doing this to me?

Mandy W.: I mean, technically, we’re doing this to ourselves.

* They both appeared for like a second in 1.4, so we’re going with the spirit of the category, and also our arbitrary rules lol.

Best Guest Star in Repeat Episodes

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.2 “Infected”
• 1.4 “Please Hold To My Hand”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.6 “Kin”
• 1.9 “Look for the Light”

Mandy W.: UNSUNG SHERO THERESA SERVOPOULOS. Putting respect on her name because Joel Miller sure as hell won’t!

Stephanie: Mandy’s right; no notes.

Saddest Death

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.2 “Infected”
• 1.3 “Long, Long Time”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”
• 1.9 “Look for the Light”

Mandy W.: RIP Henry and Sam! Those last few minutes of that episode were utterly devastating.

Stephanie: Sarah and Henry/Sam both just stayed with me.

Biggest Feels (Non-Death or Otherwise Mentioned)

1.3 “Long, Long Time”

1.6 “Kin”

1.8 “When We Are in Need”

1.9 “Look for the Light”

Mandy W.: Only one of these moments has spawned LEGIONS of dedicated shippers and fanart upon fanart. ‘NUFF SA(I)D.

Stephanie: It was instant tears with those damn strawberries, because in a world without the infected, Bill’s fears are honestly the real terror that keeps me up.

Scariest Villain

Mandy W.: I thought Kathleen would run away with this category after her speech about kids being destined to die, but then David… really dragged the bar to the depths of hell.

I’ve also been increasingly not joking about putting Joel on the villain list, and now ESPECIALLY after 1.9. I could also argue for Marlene, who didn’t see her best friend’s orphaned baby even ONE TIME in 14 years?!?!? (It’s fine that Marlene wasn’t parental, but to have ZERO PRESENCE in Ellie’s life?!?! JAIL.)

Stephanie: If this were the game it’d have to go to the infected because they caused ALL my stress, but since they aren’t quite as prevalent in the show (of which I heard the showrunners have taken the frequent note and plan to self-correct, lol) I’m gonna have to go with David too, because his part in the game AND the show broke me.

Scariest Moment

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.2 “Infected”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”
• 1.8 “When We Are in Need”
• 1.9 “Look for the Light”

Mandy W.: David almost got my vote again over the tendril kiss, but the visual creepiness won out.

Stephanie: Tendril kiss, *barfs* Also I feel like I should’ve known the internet would find a way to sexualize the Bloater (see: all the “I want a big boy” fan edits on TikTok), but I guess my mind still has some innocence left in it.

Best Quote/GIF

1.2 “Infected”

1.3 “Long, Long Time”

1.4 “Please Hold To My Hand”

1.5 “Endure and Survive”

1.6 “Kin”

1.8 “When We Are in Need”

Mandy W.: I have a soft spot for the “Well, I didn’t shit my pants” because I loved the line so much that I asked Steph to GIF it, despite less than optimal GIF-ing conditions. But I’m split between Antifa Bill and Commy Tommy.

Stephanie: The “Asshole tone” was a “new” line only in the show and really made me laugh, as someone who often struggles with sarcasm and “monitoring” their tone.

Best Music Cue

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.3 “Long, Long Time”
• 1.4 “Please Hold to My Hand”
• 1.6 “Kin”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”

Mandy W.: “Long, Long Time”, except I’m choosing Frank’s version to be chaotic.

Stephanie: I think “Take On Me” will hold more weight in future seasons, so I’m going purely on the “holy shitballs that was awesome” vibes I felt when Depeche Mode popped on and we closed out a first episode that wildly exceeded my expectations.

Best Game Nod

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.2 “Infected”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.9 “Look for the Light”

Stephanie: That driving scene was such a huge love letter recreation to the game and gamers. Everything about the clickers was just spot-on perfect.

Best Adaptation Change

• 1.1 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”
• 1.3 “Long, Long Time”
• 1.6 “Kin”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”

Stephanie: Obviously Bill and Frank were the runaway surprise, but I also loved that we saw Jackson this season.

Best Set Design

• 1.2 “Infected”
• 1.5 “Endure and Survive”
• 1.6 “Kin”
• 1.7 “Left Behind”

Mandy W.: I’m obviously biased and inclined to choose my city Edmonton, which was the set for Boston, but I also loved Canmore as Jackson. No matter which choice gets the most votes, ALBERTA WINS. (You can read about all the filming locations here.)

Stephanie: I geeked out at basically every new scene with how crazy cool everything looked, and after watching the Making Of special I have even more respect for the set designers. Taking city streets and putting down so many practical set pieces for bombed-out is quite a feat, but they literally created that cul-de-sac from the ground up in a parking lot, even using a real truck to plow through all those cars AND real fire (with some CGI fire, but still), so I gotta give it to that one.

Best Will Livingston Pun

(Dis?)Honourable Mentions

• 1.4 No Pun Intended: Volume Too
  • It doesn’t matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
  • What did the mermaid wear to her math class? An algae-bra.
  • I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
  • Why did the scarecrow get an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.
• 1.7 No Pun Intended: This Otter Be Good
  • What did the triangle say to the circle? You’re so pointless.
  • How does a computer get drunk? It takes screenshots.
  • What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator.
• 1.9
  • People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow.
  • What did the green grape say to the purple grape? Breathe, you idiot.

Mandy W.: These are all… so, so bad. I actually do like This Otter Be Good, and hereditary diarrhea is the sentimental fave for a breakthrough Joel and Ellie moment. BUT throwing in a cannibal joke in the episode right before the actual cannibals showed up 💀

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What do y’all think of our picks? Are there any egregious snubs that were overlooked? Or anything else about Season 1 that you want to share? Have your say in the comments below!

Thanks for hanging out with us for the past nine weeks! And now our long wait until Season 2 begins, SOB.