1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Warning, This podcast coun take spoilers for the Last of 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Us Part one video game, as well as a discussion 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 1: of the finale of the Last of Us show. Hello, 4 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: my name is Jason Concepcion and I'm Rosie Night and 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: welcome to x ray Vision, the Crooked media podcast where 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: we dive deep to your favorite shows, movies, and pop culture. 7 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 2: On this episode, in the previously on, we're talking about 8 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: that actually very shocking exit of Marvel Studio's EP Victoria Alonso. 9 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: In the airlock, we are finishing our Last of Us 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: Part one video game finale explainer, which is going to 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: be very interesting in the wake of the finale of 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: the show. 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: Yes, we're very excited to have this conversation. 14 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: And in nerd out Page pitches us on the Netflix 15 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: series CeNSE eight. Oh, there's a big fandom for that one. 16 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: Of course. If you want to jump around, check the 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: show notes for timestamps coming up. Previously on, news dropped 18 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: just as we were going to record that executive producer 19 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: Victoria Alonso is exiting Marvel Studios. This from the Hollywood 20 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: Reporter story quote Victoria Alonso, the longtime high profile Marvel 21 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: Studios executive whose time of the company dates back to 22 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: the first iron Man has left the studio. Multiple sources 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,119 Speaker 1: to The Hollywood Reporter. The reasons for the exit are unclear, 24 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: but she parted ways with Marvel on Friday, sources say. 25 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: The article continues. Alonso joined the studio in two thousand 26 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: and six as chief of Visual Effects and post Production 27 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: and helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a co producer. 28 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: In two thousand and eight Ironman twenty one, she was 29 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: promoted to President Physical and Post Production, Visual Effects and 30 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: Animation Production. The article continues further quote her departure comes 31 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: in the shadow of ant Man and The Last Quontumania's 32 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: poor showing of the box office and among critics and fans. 33 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: Your thoughts, Rosie Night, I was surprised. 34 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is not like, it's not like Figgy leaving, 35 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: but it's basically the second most shocking exit that there 36 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 2: could be. Victoria's been around. If you watch the YouTube 37 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: world premieres of the Marvel movies, which I always do, 38 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 2: you she will always be there. She's been a big 39 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: champion of directors like Ryan Coogler, Chloe Jao. She's been 40 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: really pushing for diversity. She is a gay woman she 41 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 2: spoke out about the Don't Say Gay bill. But yeah, 42 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: I find this very interesting because she has done a 43 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: huge amount. She's definitely one of the hands that has 44 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 2: shaped the MCU as we know it, like as the 45 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: article mentioned, she's been at Marvel Studio since pre you know, 46 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 2: the Iron Man. But after the initial shock, it also 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: was something that made sense to me when I thought 48 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 2: about the recent issues that Marvel has had with VFX, 49 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: with the critiques of the way the VFX looks, but 50 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: more importantly, in my opinion, the issues they've had with 51 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: the treatment of VFX workers across the globe, and especially 52 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 2: like the stuff that we talked about before the burgeoning 53 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 2: Visual Effects union that Vulture reported on earlier this year. 54 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: So to me, my gut says, it's probably in the 55 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: realm of all of that, though we don't know, as 56 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 2: they mentioned the X, it kind of hasn't been confirmed 57 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: why she left. But yeah, it was surprising and then 58 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: less surprising when I really started to think about it. 59 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is all obviously conjecture, but you know, on 60 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: our text chain, I thought the same thing. The critique 61 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: about the quality of the images in Marvel Cinematic Universe 62 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: movies dates back years like literally you can find articles sixteen, 63 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, why do Marvel movies 64 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: look like shit? Why do Marvel movies look ugly? Why 65 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: is the color palette bad? Why does it look muddy? 66 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: And then has only continued in recent years with you know, 67 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: critiques about the CGIs CG that does make sense? It's 68 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: mess blah blah blah, it's blanned. Many many criticisms of 69 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: ant Man in the Wasp fall along this similar vein, 70 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: And then you look at Victoria Alonzo's title and it's 71 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: very clear those things fall directly under her purview. And 72 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: when you couple that with the strongly negative stories about 73 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: the way that the kind of working conditions that the 74 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: VFX workers have to deal with, and I think you know, 75 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: any media company of any kind of scale, and certainly 76 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: one of Disney size, is very concerned about negative stories. 77 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: And at some point it's probably is enough. And on furthermore, 78 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: you know, there's also the angle that like, hey, if 79 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: you continue to like treat the VFX workers like this, 80 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: you're gonna make them form a union. And if they 81 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: form a union, we're gonna end up spending a lot 82 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: more money on these fucking movies. And I think that 83 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: that is potentially an angle as well. You know, I 84 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: just think, you know, you know, when people are saying, 85 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: you're a you're a movie studio, you make you make movies. 86 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: It's a visual medium, and yeah, visual medium. And when 87 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: people for seven years have been saying, why do these 88 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: movies look like shit? And that's your job, I would 89 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: imagine at some point, like those stories accrue and people 90 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: start asking questions. Add on to that, you know, the 91 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: much talked about kind of bottom falling out of various 92 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: streaming companies. Uh, you know, financial statements, Disney stock tanking, 93 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: lots of people getting laid off left and right. Politically speaking, here, 94 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: you know, there's tons of below the line regular workers 95 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: who are going to be you know, losing their paychecks. 96 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: Here is a high profile executive. It probably plays pretty 97 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: well too, like if you want to be cynical about it, 98 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: but I agree with you. I think this probably if 99 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: I had to guess, and we don't know, but if 100 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: I had to guess, it's it has to do with 101 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: the constant criticism and perhaps and perhaps acknowledged criticism of 102 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: the VFX and the fact that you know, the treatment 103 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: of the VFX trades people is essentially backing them into 104 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: a corner to the point that they're going to form 105 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: a union, which again is going to is going to 106 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: cost Disney and other studios a lot of money. If 107 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: that Indie doesn't. 108 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 2: Great for the workers, less great for the corporations, as 109 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 2: is always the way with the union. 110 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: No, Mickey, No, don't Mickey. Are you okay? Mickey's going 111 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: to be at the Disneyland with his pockets turned. 112 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: Down pennies and dust pennies. 113 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: Anybody's any changed Mickey's my sandwich. 114 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: But yeah, I think I think you summed it all up. 115 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 2: I also think like something that you keyed into that 116 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 2: I don't necessarily know. As we say, most of these 117 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 2: reports are very unspeculative because that's not the nature of journalism, 118 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 2: but we are here to talk about it in the 119 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 2: context of the wider world as we know it. I 120 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 2: also think like we are in a dicey financial time, 121 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 2: and I think that all of these studios are trying 122 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 2: to save money, and I think that these movies cost 123 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 2: an unbelievable amount of money, and yet they're still not 124 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 2: paying people well enough to make them, and this is 125 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 2: just a yeah, it's a confluence of drama. Maybe we'll 126 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: be wrong, Maybe I'll turn out that the Victoria chose 127 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 2: to leave of her own varition, But well, we'll surely 128 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 2: find out more. 129 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: So, pay is one issue, and an important one. But 130 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: to me, you know, the weight of all those stories 131 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: made clear to me that it's it's kind of less 132 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: about paying, more about time and the amount of things 133 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: they're asked to do in a certain period of time. 134 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: And I think when you really look at that, that 135 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: calls into question if indeed this firing is because of 136 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: this issue, that would cause you to think about planning. 137 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: Can we not plan this better? Can we not organize 138 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: this better so that people aren't working around the clock, 139 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,439 Speaker 1: and in working around the clock getting really pissed off, 140 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: and in getting pissed off either refusing to work with 141 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: us anymore or unionizing to the point that our bottom 142 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: line gets fucking hammered. It seems to me that that 143 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: would be a reasonable it's a reasonable assumption to make. 144 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm going to be very interested to see if 145 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: this kind of begins, like a domino effect of changing 146 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 2: the way that these movies are made even slightly because 147 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: I think a lot about the fact that they were 148 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 2: doing reshoots fam Man and the Wasp three weeks before 149 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,959 Speaker 2: it came out in LA and we know that one 150 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 2: of the biggest critiques, Like you say, it's about these 151 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 2: eighteen hour days, it's about three months with no days off, 152 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 2: But it's also about you know, the term that they 153 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 2: use pixel fucking where Marvel will come back to you 154 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 2: a week before the movie is meant to come out 155 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 2: and say, hey, we need you to change this one 156 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 2: tiny thing, or actually, we need you to redo the 157 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 2: whole ending, and basically this is what it needs to 158 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 2: look like, So can you do that? So I think 159 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: there is a need for a more sustainable version of 160 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 2: how they make these big blockbuster movies, not just superhero movies, 161 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 2: like any kind of big spectacle CG movies. I also 162 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 2: think they need to reconsider the way that they use 163 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 2: and the amount that they use like CG in these movies. 164 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 2: I think that's beginning to stop people from connecting in 165 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 2: the way that they are presenting these stories. So, yeah, 166 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 2: I'll be interested to see, but I was not expecting 167 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: this on my bingo coot of things that would happen 168 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty three certainly not. 169 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:19,199 Speaker 1: Up next the airlock. Get ready to show off your 170 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: love for your favorite podcast, including x ray Vision with 171 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: the Cricket Store. Whether you're looking for a codify row 172 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: water bottle or a stylish camera print friend of the 173 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: pod hat, We've got you covered. And the best part, 174 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: the Cricket Store gives back with every ordered support organizations 175 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: making a real difference across the US. 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Now we're stepping out 180 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: of the airlock and into the final chapters of the 181 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: Last of Us video game to continue and end our 182 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: Last of Us video game coverage, and this conversation is 183 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: really going to be about the differences between the emotional 184 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: impacts of the ending of the game versus the show. 185 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: I think one of the things that really we took 186 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: away from from the conversation in our discord and kind 187 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: of reading the kind of conversation on the internet and 188 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 1: also watching the show and just taking stock of our 189 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: own hearts, was that the show it's very hard to 190 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: come away with anything else than being strongly pro jole 191 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: at the end of the Last of Us. And that 192 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: is a really starkly contrast with I think the game, 193 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: which even even the most like you know, like pro 194 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: Joel reading of the events at the end of the 195 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: game paints him in a much grayer light than he 196 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: is in the show where he and and I think 197 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: one of the things that that really interests us is like, 198 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: why is that the case? Why is that the case? 199 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 1: So that's what this conversation is going to be about. 200 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: So let's start with the last kind of big two 201 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: movements at the college, where Joel and Ellie go initially 202 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: to look for the fireflies before running into some of 203 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: David's raiders and getting into the whole cannibalistic Hulla Blue 204 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: over at Silver Lake, and then finally the final movement 205 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: at Salt Lake. I think the first thing I would 206 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 1: say is that this the video game. We gave Marlene 207 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 1: a lot of shit, We gave the fireflies a lot 208 00:12:55,280 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: of shit. And and I came away from my play 209 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: of the game and my rewatch of the cinematics over 210 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: the last week really feeling how long the fireflies had 211 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: been at this trying to find a cure. We go 212 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: to the college, you know, and you know, when we 213 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: go to the college in the show, there's a lot 214 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: of monkeys around. You see some kind of like scattered 215 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:24,559 Speaker 1: you know, boxes and some stuff pinned up on the 216 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: what but you really don't know what it is. In 217 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: the game, you're interacting with all this stuff, and one 218 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: of the things you see is like an X ray 219 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: of a person's brain showing the progression of the fungal growth. 220 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: And then you get all those MP three recorders with 221 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: scientist with a scientist, one scientist in particular, talking about 222 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: the kind of arduous process budding that their heads up 223 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: against this concrete wall of trying to find this cure. 224 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: And I thought that really was important context for the 225 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: emotional reveals that happened at the end of the game. 226 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I totally agree. I think that one of the 227 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 2: most interesting things on replaying it and on thinking about 228 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 2: the different narrative form of the game and the TV show. 229 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 2: One the TV show, you're in there for you know, 230 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 2: nine hours, let's say, as an estimation, right in the game, 231 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: you are there for forty fifty hours with these characters, 232 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 2: with these people and you learn things in a completely 233 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 2: different way. I think the Salt Lake City University section 234 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 2: is a great example because in the show we really 235 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: just go there so they can understand that the fireflies 236 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: have moved on. You see the map, Oh, it looks 237 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 2: like it's going to Salt Lake City, you know. But 238 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 2: in the game, you're exploring, you're seeing that this was 239 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: a place that people lived, that they worked, that they 240 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: dedicated time to, that they had to leave, And you 241 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 2: even get like a moment you pull the great clip 242 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 2: from one of the MP three's where it's like one 243 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: of the doctors is considering what to do with the 244 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 2: monkeys they've been testing on and he chooses to let 245 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 2: them go. He doesn't want to kill them because they've 246 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: made this sacrifice. Even that gives more humanity to the 247 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 2: fireflies and the doctors and this kind of empathy we 248 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 2: never get to see from them in the show. Also, 249 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 2: they're missing for a lot of the show, whereas in 250 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: the game, the fireflies are a constant and whether it's 251 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: you other people talking about them. And I just think 252 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 2: that there's something really interesting about thinking about ways that 253 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 2: we get information in stories, because I do think that 254 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: finding you know the firefly pendance and learning the different 255 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 2: firefly names, and also then finding out there's different stories 256 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 2: of these characters through MP three recordings, whether it's Marlene 257 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: or whether it's you know this doctor. It gives you 258 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 2: a much more interactive and holistic sense of who they are. 259 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: I think that we didn't have time and also is 260 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 2: impossible to do in a game. In a TV show, 261 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 2: no one wants to see Joel going around listening to 262 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 2: multiple MP three is. It doesn't make it doesn't make sense. 263 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 3: It's just a hokey way to see that one is 264 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 3: doing doing exposition, like nobody wants that, right, But like 265 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 3: in the game, it actually works so well and it 266 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 3: feels it adds more texture and grit, And I think 267 00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 3: that is something that I really. 268 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 2: Took away in terms of how we end up in 269 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 2: the game feeling a lot more compromised about what Joel does, 270 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,800 Speaker 2: Whereas in the show, even people who were like, wow, 271 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 2: that's kind of fucked up, you're still like, well, what 272 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 2: would the fireflies do? And how do we know that 273 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 2: it is? Here? We get so much more of an 274 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 2: idea that this is an ongoing project, that they might 275 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 2: actually have an idea about what they're doing well. I think. 276 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: It comes down to I think the difference in emotional 277 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: impact of the game verst Show comes down to for 278 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: me one main thing, and that is in the game 279 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: I was I never ever doubted that this would result 280 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 1: in the cure, that Ellie undergoing this deadly surgery to 281 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: remove pieces of her brain would absolutely result in the cure. 282 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: And part of that is one the kind of, as 283 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: we've said, video game logic of you know, the. 284 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 2: Acceptance of super science. 285 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, the logic of the genre, right, Like, you play 286 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: a video game and it absolutely makes sense to you 287 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: that you are the hero that is that is going 288 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: to save the world like that, That is just kind 289 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: of what the genre is, right. And also, as you said, 290 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,199 Speaker 1: this kind of the humanity of the fireflies, and a 291 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,400 Speaker 1: word that keeps coming up, and a notion that keeps 292 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: coming up in these last two chapters with everything with 293 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: the Fireflies is sacrifice. Like that voice memo you mentioned, 294 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: the doctor says of the monkeys, you know, uh, everybody 295 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: wants to kill you, guys, I say, screw that, who 296 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:38,639 Speaker 1: made a bigger sacrifice than you? Right? And then shortly 297 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: after that he gets bitten by a fucking tainted monkey 298 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: made choice came for me the way, but it just 299 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:57,239 Speaker 1: gives you, like, think about, uh, the emotional toll that 300 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: this person must have taken to get to a place 301 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: where here's all these monkeys potentially infected with this deadly 302 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: virus that has absolutely devastated the globe and caused untold 303 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: heartbreak and pain and trauma, and you're sitting here injecting 304 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: them with cordysips fucking twenty four hours a day. It's 305 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: horrific to the point where a scientist is just like, 306 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: I can't after that, I can't do anymore, Like. 307 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 2: I'm not done to you, I can't kill you. 308 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: And that really brought it home, like, like, you know, 309 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: when we talked about the show, and we talked about 310 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: the kind of like slap dash project the Fireflies is 311 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: put together. 312 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 2: Mad scientist in his lab with his lap this. 313 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: Felt most definitely not that, you know. And then there's 314 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: a second MP three recorder in which the doctor has 315 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: apparently been left behind, probably because he got bitten by 316 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: the monkey. It is as the fuck it's stay there now, 317 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: and he's talking about you know, he's just kind of 318 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 1: like talking as a kind of last will you know, 319 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: into another voice recorder, and he is the frustration of 320 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: it all has finally gotten to him as he's nearing 321 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: the end of not just this project, but it's probably 322 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: his life. And he says, a giant waste of time 323 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: talking about this project to find a cure. If you're 324 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: looking for the others, they all return to Saint Mary's 325 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: Hospital and in Salt Lake City you'll find them there, 326 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: still trying to save the world. He says, like very 327 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: very bitterly. And then you get to Salt Lake City 328 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 1: with that hanging over you. Of I was gonna say, 329 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: the fireflies have really, really, really been trying to crack 330 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: to do this, and what's the missingredient? It's Ellie. 331 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: Well. Also, I think the other thing that's really great 332 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 2: in that moment with those two MP three's is you 333 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 2: have the man who understands the sacrifice, who thinks it's 334 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 2: worth it. 335 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: Then you have the. 336 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 2: Person who's more along the lines of Joel. This in 337 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 2: Joel's mind, that MP three in the game, it can 338 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 2: justify everything that he's worried because they're like, it is 339 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 2: a giant waste of time. These little moments add so 340 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 2: much to that kind of internal battle. 341 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: You're so right, it's not just a leap that he 342 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: makes nothing. 343 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's that kind of those little narrative beasts. 344 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 2: And I just want to say, like this, if you've 345 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 2: listened to us talk about the show, you don't need us, 346 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 2: since we love the show. Like I think they did 347 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 2: such a brilliant job of adapting it, and I actually 348 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 2: love the choices that they make. Even though I was 349 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 2: shocked by how kind of less morally gray and like 350 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,959 Speaker 2: bleak the ending felt, I still really think they did 351 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 2: a great job, and I think adapt I think the 352 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 2: game is incredibly hard, But in terms of this specific decision, 353 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 2: it's these little moments that teach you so much about 354 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 2: Joel and the journey he's on, and kind of you 355 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 2: can pick up and foreshadow the things. Even in that 356 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 2: moment where the doctor talks about the monkey and says, 357 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 2: like who's made a great sacrifice than you? That's all 358 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 2: Ellie's gonna make the greatest sacrifice of all. There's so 359 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 2: much great for shadowing, and it really puts you in 360 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: the position where at the end you're kind of going 361 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 2: back through everything and you're like, wait a minute, like 362 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: what happened? Would why would he do this? Whereas, like 363 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 2: you said, in the show, you know, especially people who 364 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 2: hadn't played the game, they were just like, yeah, Joel 365 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 2: was right, yeah, Like why wouldn't he do that? Whereas 366 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 2: when in the game, it's like it's a shadow of 367 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 2: the Colossus level turn, like you do not see it 368 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 2: coming and you do not get a choice, and also 369 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 2: unbe real. Joel is a brutal person in this game. 370 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 2: We've talked about it a lot. He kills so many people, 371 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: even though him and Elie build this relationship. I think 372 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,160 Speaker 2: this is another thing on the show versus the game. 373 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 2: In the game, there is I feel like the world 374 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 2: is a lot more full of distractions and other people. 375 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 2: The show is so brilliantly focused on Joel and Alli's 376 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 2: relationship that you don't question it. But again, in the game, 377 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: I've killed five hundred people by the time I get 378 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,199 Speaker 2: to that, Like, what one more little girl? If it 379 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 2: means you can save the world, do you know? And 380 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 2: that's I think why those choices feel so much heavier. 381 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 4: And so. 382 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: A lot of our you know, obviously, our our finale 383 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: episode was heavy on the criticism of Marlene and I 384 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: and I want to just I stand by everything that 385 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 1: I said about Marlene, and I think a lot of 386 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: my disappointment of Marlene and the frustration and what she 387 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: did is because what she's setting out to do with 388 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: the Fireflies are trying to do is such a lofty 389 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: and noble goal and it's so worth doing, you know, 390 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: finding a cure for this vicious disease that has totally 391 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:56,479 Speaker 1: devastated the humanity, bringing democracy back to a country that 392 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: has been shattered and is being ruled by you know, 393 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,960 Speaker 1: people desperate people with guns like that is that is 394 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: a worthy and lofty goal, and she was going about 395 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:11,200 Speaker 1: it in such a competent fashion. And then you get 396 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:15,360 Speaker 1: to the game version of Marlene. And when the first 397 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: thing I noticed is when Joel has is he wakes 398 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: up in the room with Marlene after being captured by 399 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: the fireflies, and they get captured in a slightly different ways. 400 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: They almost drown after kind of trying to move through 401 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: you know, like a tunnel. And immediately and this cut 402 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,400 Speaker 1: just a part of the performance, you know, Tory Baker's 403 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: performance in merl Dandrews's performance. But there's immediately a kind 404 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: of warmth between Joel and Marlene, like she is so 405 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: relieved that he's there, she says, I pretty much. She 406 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: talks about how first how hard it was to come 407 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 1: across the country, how many people the lost, and she's 408 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: really sad about it. She says, I pretty much lost everything. 409 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: Then you show up and somehow we find you just 410 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,399 Speaker 1: in time to save her. Maybe it was meant to be. 411 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: And then she goes on to say, as Joel realizes, like, 412 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: what's going to happen, he says, but but Cordyceps is 413 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: in the brain. She's like yeah. And then he's like, 414 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 1: you know, why are you letting this happen? And then 415 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: she says something that I think really told me why 416 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: she's doing this right, And there'll be further things that 417 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,640 Speaker 1: will back up. I think her choice why it's it's 418 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,159 Speaker 1: not the right choice, but I understand why she made it. 419 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 1: And she and she said, you know, Joel says, why 420 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: are you letting this happen? Letting this happen? Which I 421 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: think is important, even Joel right by saying that he's 422 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 1: not saying why are you doing this? No, he even 423 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: Joel in this moment is recognizing that there are other 424 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 1: forces at work, that there's this entire firefly organization that 425 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 1: is agency in and of itself. Right, she's a leader, 426 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: but not the leader. And there's you know, political considerations 427 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: going on here. And then she pretty much confirms that. 428 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: She says, because this isn't about me or even her, 429 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: there is no other choice here. And when you think 430 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: about the desperation in that scientist's voice, melos how long 431 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: they've been at this, how they were she says, like, 432 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: we thought we were done, We thought we're never going 433 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: to find it, like and then and then Ellie shows up. 434 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: And you've got all these scientists that have been working 435 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: for years to try and crack this code, and you've 436 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: got all these soldiers that have been supporting them, some 437 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: of them dying, getting infected, dying to raiders, et cetera, 438 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: in the hopes that one day they'd be able to 439 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,879 Speaker 1: find the missing ingredient and and and be able to 440 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: manufacture a cure, and then it falls into their laps. 441 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: I don't think Marlene had the clout to say, hold on, wait, 442 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: don't do this surgery, Let's do some other stuff first. 443 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: I think the doctors. And there's gonna be other evidence 444 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: that is going to bear out what I'm saying, But 445 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: I think the doctors had been like, we have taste 446 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: down every fucking dead end street, We've pulled on every thread, 447 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: We've done everything. This is the only way. And I 448 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: think Marlene had there was nothing she could do. I 449 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: don't think she could have stood in the way of 450 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 1: any of these people that wanted desperately to do this surgery. 451 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 1: And that, to me is the difference between game Marlene 452 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 1: and show Marlene. 453 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's such a great point. And the 454 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 2: other big thing I think, which is again is just 455 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 2: one of those ultimate conundrums of adapting a game to 456 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 2: a show, is especially if you have someone like Neil 457 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 2: Druckman who's such a brilliant storyteller who wants to expand 458 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,679 Speaker 2: and add these parts of the law in the Cannon. 459 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 2: I think one of the things that I found interesting 460 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 2: about adaptation was the confirmation of a very popular fan 461 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 2: theory and kind of this expansion on why Ellie was immune, 462 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 2: which was that her mother got bitten and kind of 463 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 2: like a blade origin story, right, and now she's a 464 00:26:55,840 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 2: day walker, I mean, And what I think is so 465 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 2: interesting about that is because we know that Marlene knows, 466 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:08,679 Speaker 2: and because in the room in the hospital where she 467 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 2: tells Joel about the surgery. She is the one who 468 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,919 Speaker 2: expands on how Ellie is immune. In the game, it's 469 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 2: a voice memo from a doctor who kind of says, 470 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 2: like Marlene was right, the girl's infection is like nothing 471 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 2: I've ever seen. IMP want to note the cause of 472 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 2: her immunity is uncertain, as we've seen in all past cases, 473 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 2: and he sort of goes on to talk about why 474 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 2: it probably would have worked by making Marlene complicit in 475 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 2: not only the knowledge that Ellie was likely always immune 476 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 2: or had a potential to be immune, but then having 477 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 2: her be the reason. Yeah, the person who shares the 478 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 2: reason to Joel, Oh, she's immune, it's because of you know, 479 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 2: she's probably been immune since birth. It gives Marlene a 480 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 2: much more sinister edge. In the game, there is kind 481 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 2: of this reveal that Marlene has been protecting Ellie because 482 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 2: she knew Ellie's mother and it's all through love. And 483 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 2: when she tells Joel, I do understand what's going on 484 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 2: in the game, she says, I was Ellie's mum's best friend. 485 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 2: I'm paraphrasing, and you know I've looked after her since 486 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 2: she was little. I always promised to look after That 487 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: feels like a plea of somebody going through grief going 488 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 2: through something the same. In the show, it feels like 489 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 2: she's trying to sell Joel something because she wants to 490 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 2: use Ellie for this purpose. And I think even though 491 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 2: I love the acknowledgment of how Ellie's immune, and I 492 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:28,160 Speaker 2: think it's actually a really important addition, because I think 493 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 2: for a lot of people that could have been almost 494 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 2: like a plotthole if it wasn't wasn't explained in the show. 495 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 2: I do think it gives Marlene a more sinister edge 496 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 2: that makes it harder to empathize with her or feel 497 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 2: like she's doing things in an altruistic way, or yeah, 498 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 2: it gives her more. It feels like she has more power, 499 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 2: more agency. It feels like she was the one who 500 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 2: told the doctor, oh, this is what happened with Ellie. 501 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 2: It feels like she is the one who wanted Joel 502 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 2: to go there. It loses, like you said, that feeling 503 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 2: you get in the game of this kind of momentum 504 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 2: that overtaken Marlene and any plan she had. She doesn't 505 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 2: want Ellie to die in the game, but there's no choice, 506 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 2: and also, who would you know? It's the greater good here. 507 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 2: Marlene just in the show is kind of just like, well, sorry, 508 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 2: we're gonna put her in surgery and nothing you can 509 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 2: do about it. And it's just it doesn't It hits 510 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 2: in a more villainous way. 511 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: I think to your point when when you stack what 512 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: you're saying on and I think you're exactly right when 513 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: you stack that on top of the kind of way 514 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: the conversation that Marlene had with Ellie early in the 515 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: shows that seemed to suggest that Marlene had been like 516 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 1: pulling some strings in terms of like getting Ellie placed 517 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: at FEDRA. She's been keeping her eye on her all 518 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: these kind of things. It makes it seem like much 519 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: more of a plot. And then you get to the 520 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: end and the kind of alacrity with which she is, 521 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: you know, like hustling Joel out the door to do 522 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: this thing, feels it feels a lot more like she 523 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: is driving these events, unless that that they are happening 524 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: to her now, you know oftentimes in and that's not 525 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: worse or better, it's just different and it makes Marlene 526 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: a different character. But I think that's exactly the thing 527 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: you're you're you're talking about. Like even the way she 528 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: says you know, in the in the game, she says 529 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: almost pleading with Joel. She says like she's not going 530 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: to feel anything, like don't like and and the way 531 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,800 Speaker 1: it lands is like she's almost soothing herself about it, 532 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: because as she said, there's no there's no choice. I 533 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: don't have a choice in it. But then when she 534 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: says the way she says to Joel like in the show, 535 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: like don't worry, I didn't tell out. Yeah, yeah, she's out. 536 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: She won't know what's happening. The fact that she then 537 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: shortly thereafter says, well, what would what choice would she 538 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 1: make Joel? It makes her a hypocrite. And again that's 539 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 1: not worse or better or any it's just like a 540 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: different way to tell the story. And I would argue, 541 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: if you have Paeder Pascal as your lead role, you 542 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: definitely want the audience to be like Joel, go get 543 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,959 Speaker 1: them like doing the right thing, like you want you 544 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: just want to root for that guy. But that's why 545 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: the game version is a lot more, is a lot greyer, 546 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: because you can sense, you know, texturally, how hard everybody 547 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 1: has been working to make this happen, to find a cure, 548 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: and how this all these people who are experts in this, 549 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: unlike the way we felt about the doctor, who again 550 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: is like where did this fucking guy come from? You know, 551 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: like we've seen all the infrastructure now through the voice meamos, 552 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: through the different hardware. You're creeping around the you know, 553 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,320 Speaker 1: the college campus, and then you're you know, you're moving 554 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: through the Salt Lake City laboratory and hospital, and you're 555 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: seeing other stuff, and you get the feeling that these 556 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: people kind of know what they're doing. Now well after Marleon, 557 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: let's Joel go. Still a bad decision, obviously, but I 558 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: think one that plays a little bit differently in the game. 559 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: She says, don't waste this gift, Joel, and you could, 560 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: as many people in the discord talked about, like, you know, 561 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: part of the reason that she lets him go in 562 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 1: the show is because she's grateful to him, and I 563 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: think that's right, and I think that's a direct translation 564 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: for the game, and I think it's you understand it 565 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: more in the game, and it's also that you know, 566 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: there's big things afoot, like let's get this guy out 567 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: of here. And then so as Joel has made his break, 568 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: he's killed a couple of fireflies and he's creeping around 569 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: like being pursued by them. He then finds another voice memo, 570 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 1: and I think this voice memo is really important for 571 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: what because it absolutely locks in the kind of like 572 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: supporting evidence of the competence of the Firefly doctors. And 573 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: it lets you know like how thoughtful they are actually 574 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: about this thing, even though they are rushing to do it. 575 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: And the doctor voice memo goes quote, Marlene was right. 576 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: The girl's infection is nothing like I've seen the cause 577 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 1: of her immunity is uncertain. And I'm going to read 578 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 1: all this jargon because I actually think it's important that 579 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: they put this in here. As we've seen in all 580 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: past cases, the antigenetic titers of the patient's cordyceps remain 581 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: high in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Blood cultures taken 582 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: from the patient rapidly grow cordyceps in fungal media, and 583 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 1: the lab will stop here. This is one of our 584 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:28,360 Speaker 1: critiques right of the show, was like, why don't you 585 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: start with blood tests? Why don't you do all these others? 586 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: They've done it, they tried it, Yeah, they've been trying it. However, 587 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,560 Speaker 1: it continues White blood cells, including percentages and absolute counts, 588 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 1: are completely normal. There is no elevation of pro inflammatory cytokines, 589 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: and an MRI of the brain shows no evidence of 590 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: fungal growth in the limbic regions, which would normally accompany 591 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: the prodrome of aggression and effective patients. We must find 592 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: a way to replicate this state under laboratory conditions. We're 593 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: about to hit a milestone in human history equal to 594 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 1: the discovery of penicillin. After years of wandering in circles, 595 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: we're about to come home, make a difference, and bring 596 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: the human race back into control of its destiny. All 597 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: of our sacrifices in the hundreds of men and women 598 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: who've bled for this cause or worse will not be 599 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:14,719 Speaker 1: in vain. Now, imagine that kind of emotion amongst the fireflies. 600 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: Who's going to be able to tell them no, Like, 601 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 1: I just don't think Marlene could have done it. I 602 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: don't think she could have done it. 603 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 2: I also think this like is a really great way 604 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 2: to set up the weight of what Joel's choice means 605 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 2: devestating because you hear this and you already there's hundreds 606 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 2: of people who have sacrificed their lives for this, let alone, 607 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,360 Speaker 2: all the millions of people who've already died from corterceps. 608 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,839 Speaker 2: That for some reason just brings it home so much 609 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 2: harder that when Joel takes Ellie out and kills the 610 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 2: fireflies and kills the doctor, you feel that weight of oh, 611 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 2: that could have saved millions of lives. Yeah, you, And 612 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 2: I have to say, Look, I've always been a slight 613 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 2: Joel apologist, just because I do think I think that 614 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 2: there is something very interesting and analogous here about like 615 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 2: real life testing on humans and that like an agency 616 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,200 Speaker 2: that Ellie wasn't given. So I always found this to 617 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,759 Speaker 2: be less of a villainous decision and more of this 618 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 2: really interesting complex question about who gets to live who 619 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:21,120 Speaker 2: gets to die. But in the game, the weight is there. 620 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 2: In the show, as we said, you know, I feel 621 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 2: like you really come out of this like it probably 622 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 2: wasn't gonna work. And even if it was, like they 623 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 2: didn't sell you on how hard it was, you felt 624 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 2: like you were in this kind of junk together surgery. 625 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 2: There was no blood tests, there was no conversation, and 626 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 2: I understand that they kind of they they distilled a 627 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 2: little bit of that science into what Marlene says to Joel, 628 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,239 Speaker 2: but I don't necessarily think it hits that same way. 629 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,600 Speaker 2: And when you hear the way that the doctor feels 630 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 2: about what they could do a milestone in human history 631 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 2: equal to the dissol of pens. 632 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, like, and then to have Joel. 633 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 2: Ignore that and just kill everyone that's very hardcore. That 634 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 2: is like a brutal And again, this is that different. 635 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 2: It's not necessarily a narrative storyline. You have to pick 636 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 2: up the recorder, you have to hear these These are 637 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 2: things that build on top of the experience that you're having. 638 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 2: Plus again, like we said, the nature of being in 639 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 2: Joel's person and being the person who has to kill 640 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,279 Speaker 2: all these things, that's very different from just watching it 641 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,439 Speaker 2: on the screen. So that makes it feel a lot 642 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:32,279 Speaker 2: heavier too. But I do think it's a really interesting 643 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 2: change because by this point you are so in, you know, 644 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 2: you're so in on Joel and Ellie's journey, on the 645 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 2: sacrifices they've made together so much the show that it 646 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 2: felt so much easier to do in the game. You're like, well, 647 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,439 Speaker 2: I get it, but there's lots of butts in the show. 648 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 2: I feel like it's more just like a j'all did 649 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 2: what he had to do? No, but you know, but 650 00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 2: the game is always this huge well he could all that. 651 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 2: There's a lot more questions, and I think it comes 652 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 2: from these really brilliant little narrative devices like the memos. 653 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,799 Speaker 1: And you know, there's another part of this conversation too, 654 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: and you hear the question a lot regarding both versions 655 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,799 Speaker 1: of the story game and show, Okay, your perspective on 656 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: how you feel about Joel's choice is going to be 657 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: different depending on whether you're a parent or not. Right, 658 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 1: you hear them a lot like if you're a parent, 659 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: it absolutely makes sense in both versions, and I agree 660 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,200 Speaker 1: with that. But I also think that there's a really 661 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: interesting thing that you're kind of talking about, and I 662 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,399 Speaker 1: think it's it, And I'm fascinated in how this part 663 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:41,359 Speaker 1: of the conversation never or rarely comes up. I don't 664 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 1: want to say never rarely comes up, and that is 665 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: you are the parent of a child who is infected. 666 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 1: You're watching them waste away and turn into this like 667 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 1: aggressive killer zombie, you know, or you've watched that happen 668 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: to someone you love, And what would you feel if 669 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: you learned that there was a cure. But then someone 670 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: came along and for that cure to happen, right, a 671 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: surgery would need to be performed on someone, and that 672 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:18,399 Speaker 1: surgery would probably kill them. But everyone, like your child 673 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: would be cured, your friend's children would be cured, future generations, 674 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 1: for all time to come. There would be a cure. Right, 675 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:31,320 Speaker 1: And then you hear that not only is that person, 676 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: that immune person lost to the people who are trying 677 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,359 Speaker 1: to find the cure now, but all the knowledge, the 678 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:42,879 Speaker 1: hard earned scientific and medical knowledge of how to do this, 679 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: has been wiped out by like one guy. People would 680 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: hate that guy one hundred percent. They would be like, 681 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:55,320 Speaker 1: that's a kill that guy. That guy's a criminal. He's 682 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: causing my child to get sick and die, Like I 683 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 1: hate that guy. Yeah, that's a part of this too 684 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: that I think definitely, it is much more kind of 685 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:06,680 Speaker 1: like textual in the game version. 686 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. I also think you bring up an interesting point 687 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,440 Speaker 2: even before you get to Joel killing everyone. Right, If 688 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 2: you're asking this question, you're saying, if my child was Ellie, 689 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 2: what would I do? I mean, I have nieces and 690 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 2: nephews and I probably would definitely have done what Joel did. 691 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 1: Absolutely, let's flip it on its head. 692 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:26,440 Speaker 2: And talk about what if, like you said, you had 693 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 2: an infected child, but to cure that child, all you 694 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 2: had to do was kill one person in a surgery 695 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 2: to create a cure. Even on that base level, if 696 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 2: we take it outside of a million people, that is 697 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 2: basically a really interesting reflection of Joel's choice, and Joel 698 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 2: chooses to kill many people to save Ellie. If Joel 699 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 2: was infected and he had a choice to kill somebody 700 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 2: or force somebody through a surgery to save Ellie, he 701 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 2: would probably do it. So I think it's a really 702 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 2: interesting kind of raises edge that they balance on him. 703 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:15,160 Speaker 1: Marley X ray Vision will be back and we're back. 704 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 1: So as Joel is kind of creeping around, continuing to 705 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 1: kill fireflies left and right, you overhear some of this firefly, 706 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,319 Speaker 1: the fireflies talking to each other and one of the masks, 707 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:26,680 Speaker 1: who is this guy? And another answer is he brought 708 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 1: the kid all the way from Pittsburgh. Marlene insisted on 709 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 1: questioning him herself. This little snippet of dialogue again, it 710 00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 1: opened another crack into like Marlene's actions, and that is, 711 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: if you buy in two, Marlene is is does not 712 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 1: have the clout to stand in the way of this 713 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 1: the decision to perform the surgery on Ellie. Everybody's gung 714 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 1: ho for it. There's even if she said no, don't 715 00:40:55,719 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: do it, that people would just do it anyway. And 716 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,800 Speaker 1: and if she did that, like her life would probably 717 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,319 Speaker 1: be in danger. But the way I read this line 718 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,799 Speaker 1: is that I think she's kind of protecting Joel here, 719 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:12,719 Speaker 1: Like obviously she's protecting Joel and letting him go, but 720 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:18,280 Speaker 1: by not letting anybody else talk to him, that seemed 721 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:22,239 Speaker 1: like she's kind of like hanging her neck out for 722 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:26,480 Speaker 1: Joel a little bit, like she she kind of like, uh, 723 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 1: she kind of like hung herself out there to try 724 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 1: and get Joel out of there safely considering what do 725 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:33,319 Speaker 1: you do for her. 726 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:36,240 Speaker 2: It's definitely very interesting because one of our biggest critiques 727 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 2: was like, why would they like Billy club them? Surely 728 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 2: they would know they were coming right in the show. 729 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:44,359 Speaker 2: But it's really funny how in the game there's kind 730 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:48,120 Speaker 2: of this. It almost feels more like Mollye's like paranoia 731 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 2: to protect Ellie and Joel and to kind of keep 732 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 2: their mission a secret is why she doesn't kind of 733 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:57,359 Speaker 2: let everyone know. I also like think this is really 734 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,959 Speaker 2: good world building because as we know, they're constantly having 735 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:06,359 Speaker 2: to recruit fireflies because they always die. And I kind 736 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:09,400 Speaker 2: of like the idea, right, I just kind of like 737 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:12,359 Speaker 2: the idea that these are just some new guys, so like, 738 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:15,120 Speaker 2: why the fuck would they know because they're just hanging around, 739 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:16,799 Speaker 2: like and it's they're not going to be there for 740 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 2: very long. But yeah, it's definitely very interesting replaying it 741 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 2: how differently these little moments play when you have this 742 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 2: much more decompressed amount of time to kind of explore 743 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 2: and feel the world. I mean that whole that the 744 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:34,560 Speaker 2: finale of The Last US is it's the shortest episode 745 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:36,959 Speaker 2: of the season, so it really like. 746 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:41,240 Speaker 1: And in terms of dialogue, I mean it feels ripped. 747 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:43,840 Speaker 1: I haven't done a line by line. I'm sure somebody has, 748 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 1: but it feels essentially ripped from the game. You know 749 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:51,920 Speaker 1: that the final twenty minutes is basically, you know, almost 750 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,040 Speaker 1: directly for the game. So Joel makes it into the 751 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:58,240 Speaker 1: surgical theater. First of all, there are fireflies posted outside 752 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:04,359 Speaker 1: the door. He manages to flank them and he kills him. 753 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,399 Speaker 1: And then when he gets in there, the surgeon says, 754 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 1: I won't let you take her. At which point in 755 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:13,080 Speaker 1: the show, Joel just shoots him. Uh, and then he continues, 756 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: this is our future. Think of all the lives we'll save, 757 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:20,600 Speaker 1: and then Joel shoots him. Now part of why this 758 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: is shocking, and we've said this before, but for me, 759 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:27,160 Speaker 1: you know, video games are it's about agency, it's about interactivity, 760 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:29,719 Speaker 1: it's about immersion. You are the character. I am Joel 761 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:35,200 Speaker 1: when I'm playing this game, and after spending X amount 762 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 1: of hours depending you know, your mileage may vary depending 763 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:40,160 Speaker 1: on how hard the game was for you. But after 764 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:43,840 Speaker 1: spending hours and hours after work, but you know, before 765 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 1: going to work during a break, you know, stealing minutes 766 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 1: and hours here and there and here and there, working, 767 00:43:52,239 --> 00:43:56,000 Speaker 1: you know, arduously towards this goal of delivering Ellie to 768 00:43:56,080 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 1: this place where we can save the world from this 769 00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 1: virus talks. Suddenly have that choice taken from you and 770 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:05,080 Speaker 1: you have to pull this guy. That's another part of 771 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:09,719 Speaker 1: the emotional impact of the game that is slightly different. Again, 772 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: not better or worse, but just it. It's because you 773 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,839 Speaker 1: were taking part in this story and you and at 774 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:20,040 Speaker 1: least from my perspective, I'm thinking, like like any other 775 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: video game, be it Halo or BioShock or whatever, like, Oh, 776 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:24,400 Speaker 1: I'm going to save the world. Now, we're going to 777 00:44:24,480 --> 00:44:27,040 Speaker 1: do it, yep, And instead I go on a murder spree. 778 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:31,239 Speaker 1: And that is a It's a really shocking and powerful 779 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: subversion that I think also is strangely one of the 780 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:45,120 Speaker 1: most It's one of the It depicts violence in a 781 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:48,800 Speaker 1: way that really asks you to think about what it costs, 782 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:51,319 Speaker 1: even though obviously this is a video game. These are 783 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:55,600 Speaker 1: not real people dying. But I've it's rare that I've 784 00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:58,680 Speaker 1: played a game in which you kill people where I've 785 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: felt the deaths as much as you feel them in 786 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:03,840 Speaker 1: this game, and you really feel it in that moment 787 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 1: when Joel, you as Joel, shoots this doctor and you 788 00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:09,799 Speaker 1: have no choice but to do it. They're not even 789 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: to spare him or don't spare It's like kill the guy. 790 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think that's such a great point, especially because 791 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:20,759 Speaker 2: it's the lesson that they took from the game and 792 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 2: put into the show that I love the most. If 793 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:27,320 Speaker 2: the game made you feel the weight of the deaths, 794 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,359 Speaker 2: which it especially does by the time you get here, 795 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:31,680 Speaker 2: if you didn't before because you were shooting, I have 796 00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 2: to say when I first played it, I definitely was 797 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,239 Speaker 2: more just like I'm getting through it, I'm playing the game. 798 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 2: When I started replaying it for the show and for 799 00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 2: the pod, it kind of blew my mind from the 800 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:47,680 Speaker 2: very beginning how many people you kill and not Federate agents, 801 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:50,160 Speaker 2: not infected, but at the beginning, for you, the first 802 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 2: people you kill are just henchies, like random guys that 803 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:56,800 Speaker 2: you have to shoot in the head. And even in 804 00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:00,279 Speaker 2: that moment and that brutality, I felt that way eight 805 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:03,359 Speaker 2: And what I love. If there's one thing, I mean, 806 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:05,520 Speaker 2: I love so much about the show, but the one 807 00:46:05,560 --> 00:46:08,480 Speaker 2: thing I think is so brilliant and so responsible and 808 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:12,080 Speaker 2: so interesting is how they took that and translated it 809 00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:15,279 Speaker 2: even in these changes that we're talking about, and the 810 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,360 Speaker 2: way that we feel like maybe the weight of Joel's 811 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:21,880 Speaker 2: choice feels a little less or a little less complex 812 00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:27,120 Speaker 2: in the finale especially, but throughout you feel when he 813 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:30,600 Speaker 2: kills someone, and in the finale they show you the 814 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 2: faces of the people that he kills. 815 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:35,359 Speaker 1: I thought that was a really smart decision to do that, 816 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:39,239 Speaker 1: to really pay homage to the game. So the way 817 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 1: the game depicts violence and makes you complicit in the violence, 818 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:45,800 Speaker 1: like that that last scene where you shoot the doctor, 819 00:46:45,800 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 1: that last moment in the surgical theater in the game. Again, 820 00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:52,440 Speaker 1: like all of that is scripted. That could be a cutscene, 821 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: but it's not. It makes you pull the trigger mm hmm, 822 00:46:56,800 --> 00:47:00,520 Speaker 1: without any ability to choose not to put the trigger. 823 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 1: You have to. You have to kill them. You have 824 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:04,000 Speaker 1: to aim it at him and shoot them, and you 825 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 1: can't do anything else. 826 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 2: And the only way you cannot do it is by 827 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 2: not playing the game, not finishing the game. 828 00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 1: It's you mentioned Shadows of the Classes. It is like that, Yeah, 829 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:16,279 Speaker 1: that Shadows of the Classes. I think one of the 830 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:21,080 Speaker 1: brilliant things about that game is you're killing these big, huge, 831 00:47:21,120 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 1: peaceful creatures. And because of the way the mechanics of 832 00:47:24,520 --> 00:47:27,880 Speaker 1: that game, where you have to just press the button 833 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:29,799 Speaker 1: again and again and again and again and again and 834 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:35,439 Speaker 1: again and again, it's making you really have to kill 835 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,200 Speaker 1: this like you are doing it. It's you you're doing 836 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:40,440 Speaker 1: You could just like stop doing it, but you won't 837 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 1: because if you have to kill this thing, why, I 838 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:45,000 Speaker 1: don't know. They're peaceful and they just start sitting there 839 00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:47,879 Speaker 1: happily playing in a field, and you decide to climb 840 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,000 Speaker 1: up their head and kill them. It's it was like 841 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:51,520 Speaker 1: that kind of emotional impact. 842 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:54,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it has that twist where it's like you 843 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 2: think you're the hero and then you discover that you're 844 00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:58,839 Speaker 2: the villain, you know, and then I feel like, as 845 00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:01,440 Speaker 2: I've said, Joel is not less sssorily a villain. But 846 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:05,280 Speaker 2: in the game you do realize that in that moment 847 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:07,319 Speaker 2: where you shoot the doctor, you look at what you've 848 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:12,680 Speaker 2: done and you think, whoa, I have been complicit, I 849 00:48:12,719 --> 00:48:15,160 Speaker 2: am Joel and I have just like gone through and 850 00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:17,640 Speaker 2: gone down a hospital, which is why I think the 851 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 2: way that they shot the finale and had that kind 852 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:24,680 Speaker 2: of Joel disassociating was very again I'll say the word responsible, 853 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:27,279 Speaker 2: because I think in the way that we live now, 854 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,759 Speaker 2: in the reality of gun violence is like, if you're 855 00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:33,280 Speaker 2: going to have a character come out of that feeling 856 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,719 Speaker 2: vaguely heroic, you can't actually make the violence heroic or 857 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:40,279 Speaker 2: righteous because it's just too analogous to real life. So 858 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,759 Speaker 2: there's like a real interesting balance you have to strike there. 859 00:48:44,080 --> 00:48:47,680 Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean those to me Shadow Cossus, Last 860 00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:50,839 Speaker 2: of Us, those are like those two biggest unexpected twists 861 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:53,600 Speaker 2: where you think you're going to save the world you 862 00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:56,840 Speaker 2: think you're doing the right thing, but the reality is 863 00:48:57,280 --> 00:48:58,280 Speaker 2: that was never the plan. 864 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:03,120 Speaker 1: When Marlene in fronts Joel in the parking garage, she 865 00:49:03,280 --> 00:49:05,839 Speaker 1: could shoot him, like in the in the show, you're 866 00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:10,040 Speaker 1: wondering why she doesn't. Here she takes her guns off him. 867 00:49:10,080 --> 00:49:12,560 Speaker 1: She puts them up in the air, almost as if 868 00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:15,160 Speaker 1: just you know, to make that plea to him, think 869 00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:17,359 Speaker 1: about all the people that have died, who will die, 870 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:19,160 Speaker 1: you can, And she says, you can still do the 871 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 1: right thing. Here she won't feel anything. And so when 872 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:25,680 Speaker 1: it cuts to the car and you don't know what 873 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,040 Speaker 1: happened and then you see that he just guns her down, 874 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:34,600 Speaker 1: it really, it really hits. And then of course that 875 00:49:34,760 --> 00:49:38,799 Speaker 1: end conversation is basically the same as the show. And 876 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:44,240 Speaker 1: I think when you get to that point and Joel 877 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:49,680 Speaker 1: lies right to you know, right to Ellie's face, I think, 878 00:49:49,719 --> 00:49:51,719 Speaker 1: first of all, you know, this is a somewhat of 879 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:55,200 Speaker 1: a function of the fact that like CG phases her 880 00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:58,239 Speaker 1: a lot less expressive than human faces. Right Whereas when 881 00:49:58,320 --> 00:50:03,200 Speaker 1: when Pedro does it, you feel the anguish how much 882 00:50:03,239 --> 00:50:06,239 Speaker 1: he wants to protect her from any from any and 883 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:08,520 Speaker 1: all threats, and how important that is to him. How 884 00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:10,440 Speaker 1: much he loves her, how much he means to her 885 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:15,000 Speaker 1: in terms of a lifeline that has like helped drag 886 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:18,920 Speaker 1: him out of decades of trauma and pain. You know, 887 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,120 Speaker 1: it's a lot to put on a person. And it's 888 00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:24,799 Speaker 1: almost like his lie to her is a way of 889 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:27,960 Speaker 1: him kind of realizing that that's a lot to put 890 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:30,040 Speaker 1: on a person. So I'm going to take that responsibility 891 00:50:30,120 --> 00:50:31,759 Speaker 1: off of He doesn't. 892 00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:33,399 Speaker 2: Want to feel the guilt. I don't watch a. 893 00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:35,480 Speaker 1: Huge Yeah, that's a huge part of it. I don't want, 894 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:37,640 Speaker 1: you know, like, don't worry about like. Whereas in the 895 00:50:37,680 --> 00:50:43,040 Speaker 1: game it plays more as first of all, you know 896 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:47,320 Speaker 1: again cg faces. It feels more like he lies stoneface 897 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,520 Speaker 1: directly to her and I and it plays, at least 898 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:56,040 Speaker 1: to me, more like I did a thing that I'm 899 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:58,680 Speaker 1: kind I'm ashamed of that I did. That we were 900 00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:01,160 Speaker 1: going to save the world. But because I love you 901 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:04,600 Speaker 1: so much, I've decided that the rest of the world 902 00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,720 Speaker 1: can go fuck itself, and every child born from now 903 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:10,319 Speaker 1: until the end of time can go fuck itself if 904 00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:14,040 Speaker 1: they get bitten by accordyceps. Just as long as I 905 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:16,960 Speaker 1: can have you in my life, Like I'm going to 906 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:21,400 Speaker 1: be that selfish and I'm going to lie to you 907 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:25,120 Speaker 1: about it because I'm kind of ashamed that I did that. 908 00:51:25,480 --> 00:51:29,240 Speaker 1: But it's worth it and that's a very human response. 909 00:51:29,280 --> 00:51:33,239 Speaker 1: But it's also a much grayer and different response. Yeah. 910 00:51:33,239 --> 00:51:36,560 Speaker 2: I think there's this great quote that Sauw pulled from 911 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,040 Speaker 2: a New Yorker article about like adapting The Last of Us, 912 00:51:39,040 --> 00:51:41,920 Speaker 2: where they're talking about how drugman's own daughter was born 913 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:45,200 Speaker 2: during the original games development and the intensity of his 914 00:51:45,280 --> 00:51:47,960 Speaker 2: emotions as a new father helped shape the Last of Us, 915 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:50,840 Speaker 2: which became He said, an exploration of that charge question, 916 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:53,680 Speaker 2: how far will the unconditional love of a parent feels 917 00:51:53,719 --> 00:51:57,000 Speaker 2: for their child go? I just think that's all summed 918 00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:59,920 Speaker 2: up in that final moment. It's like, that's the bleakest, 919 00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:04,319 Speaker 2: the most far reaching question. It's not even but in 920 00:52:04,360 --> 00:52:08,960 Speaker 2: the game especially, it's not even the killings that's been 921 00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:14,400 Speaker 2: done then, it's the continued lie. It's the taking away 922 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:18,879 Speaker 2: the agency you already weren't given and not and being 923 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:21,960 Speaker 2: so obsessed with protecting your child that you actually end 924 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:24,799 Speaker 2: up putting them in greater danger. Because, like you said, 925 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:27,640 Speaker 2: we all know, like that's not the that's not the 926 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:28,759 Speaker 2: end of the fireflies. 927 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:34,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, they're still They're still around. They are gonna make 928 00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:39,360 Speaker 1: themselves heard. Any final thoughts now on having finished the 929 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:41,000 Speaker 1: game yet again. 930 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:45,160 Speaker 2: I still just kind of blows my mind that they 931 00:52:45,200 --> 00:52:47,160 Speaker 2: they went that way with that. I think knowing that 932 00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 2: Drugman's kid was born makes a lot of sense in 933 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,320 Speaker 2: kind of that drive, but to me, it just it 934 00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:57,239 Speaker 2: still blows my mind. It's kind of this extrapolation of 935 00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:01,120 Speaker 2: the Lone Morph and Cub story, but it has much 936 00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:04,680 Speaker 2: less of a hero's journey. It kind of I find 937 00:53:04,719 --> 00:53:10,000 Speaker 2: it really interesting how there's this almost a vengeance plotline 938 00:53:10,040 --> 00:53:12,719 Speaker 2: in the nature of like Joel losing Sarah, but it's 939 00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:17,279 Speaker 2: not specific. In usual vengeance storylines, you will have a 940 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:21,000 Speaker 2: certain person you need to take down, but Joel's grief 941 00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:24,799 Speaker 2: and his revenge for losing Sarah kind of encompasses the 942 00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:30,080 Speaker 2: whole world and ends with this horrific final betrayal where 943 00:53:30,120 --> 00:53:33,080 Speaker 2: he makes that choice for Ellie and then takes away 944 00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:35,960 Speaker 2: this kind of choice and hope for a cure. 945 00:53:36,560 --> 00:53:41,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. I came away feeling that, you know, the game 946 00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:44,600 Speaker 1: again is a masterpiece, still a masterpiece of the genre 947 00:53:44,640 --> 00:53:46,239 Speaker 1: and well worth picking up if you haven't played the 948 00:53:46,239 --> 00:53:50,560 Speaker 1: remastered version. And I think that what makes it so 949 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:56,919 Speaker 1: great is Truckman and Company managed to find this thing. 950 00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:00,520 Speaker 1: You know, our perceptions, our lives are about our own 951 00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:03,959 Speaker 1: personal perspectives on things, right, and they managed to put 952 00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:08,759 Speaker 1: us so put us so tightly in the one perspective 953 00:54:08,960 --> 00:54:12,680 Speaker 1: in which Joel is kind of a hero, even though 954 00:54:12,719 --> 00:54:16,160 Speaker 1: it's gray, right, he's kind of a hero. Outside of 955 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:19,640 Speaker 1: that one thin like slice, this little crack through which 956 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:25,840 Speaker 1: like light shines through. Outside of that, Joel is the 957 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:32,360 Speaker 1: guy who consigned the world to like you know, endless years, 958 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 1: if not forever, of the barbarity and sickness and possibly extinction. 959 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:42,560 Speaker 1: Like he killed everyone. He killed the world, and it's 960 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:46,680 Speaker 1: tragic and it's heartbreaking for all the people who have 961 00:54:46,719 --> 00:54:50,000 Speaker 1: been trying so hard to find a cure. And that 962 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:52,719 Speaker 1: is an incredible achievement to put you so tightly into 963 00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:58,279 Speaker 1: the perspective of these two people who love each other 964 00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:00,600 Speaker 1: so dearly that they're willing to just be like fuck 965 00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:02,320 Speaker 1: the world, like we want to stay together. 966 00:55:02,840 --> 00:55:03,000 Speaker 4: Yeah. 967 00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:05,960 Speaker 2: I also think it's like incredibly brave. That's one of 968 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:08,400 Speaker 2: the things that I think as a storyteller, right, like 969 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:12,960 Speaker 2: we're used to these stories where to shock someone for 970 00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:15,280 Speaker 2: an ending to be bleak, like especially say like Horror, 971 00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:18,600 Speaker 2: everybody dies, that's your bleak, Like, oh, it's gonna leave. 972 00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:22,480 Speaker 2: But how often do you get put in a story where, 973 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:25,960 Speaker 2: especially in a game, you are the driving force of 974 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:30,760 Speaker 2: the game. You believe you have agency, you kill multiple people, 975 00:55:30,840 --> 00:55:34,080 Speaker 2: you use a gaming format that is used every day. 976 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:38,320 Speaker 2: You shoot people, you aim, you do headshots, you stealth. 977 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:42,520 Speaker 2: They took these things that we recognize and use for 978 00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:46,719 Speaker 2: fun in other games, and by the end they're like, 979 00:55:46,760 --> 00:55:49,360 Speaker 2: oh no, no, don't you understand, Like people who kill 980 00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:54,480 Speaker 2: five six hundred people casually, they're not heroic. They basically 981 00:55:54,480 --> 00:55:56,640 Speaker 2: turn around to you and say, you thought that that 982 00:55:56,840 --> 00:55:59,319 Speaker 2: was what a hero did. No, that that's not how 983 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:02,400 Speaker 2: a hero behead And here is the proof because this 984 00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:05,560 Speaker 2: is the choice he made. I think it's very I 985 00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:08,680 Speaker 2: think it's extremely meta, and I think it is kind 986 00:56:08,680 --> 00:56:12,080 Speaker 2: of this still. I think it gets better and ages 987 00:56:12,120 --> 00:56:14,359 Speaker 2: better every year as we kind of deal with the 988 00:56:14,360 --> 00:56:19,160 Speaker 2: realities of gun violence and the way that people use guns, 989 00:56:19,239 --> 00:56:22,520 Speaker 2: especially in America. I just think it's a really brave choice, 990 00:56:22,520 --> 00:56:26,160 Speaker 2: and I live to make a story that shocks people 991 00:56:26,239 --> 00:56:29,120 Speaker 2: that much, but in a way that leaves like leaves 992 00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:32,239 Speaker 2: you with a feeling. It doesn't shock you with an 993 00:56:32,239 --> 00:56:35,520 Speaker 2: exploit of action of violence, even though Joe's very violent. 994 00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:38,960 Speaker 2: It shocks and unsettles you because you're complicit in the violence. 995 00:56:39,120 --> 00:56:39,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 996 00:56:39,520 --> 00:56:40,720 Speaker 2: I just think it's very brave. 997 00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:47,280 Speaker 1: The same here up next nerd Out. 998 00:56:52,200 --> 00:56:54,279 Speaker 2: In today's nerd Out, where you tell us what you 999 00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:57,040 Speaker 2: love them why, or a theory you're excited to share, 1000 00:56:57,040 --> 00:56:59,600 Speaker 2: which we've had a lot of page pictures us on 1001 00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:03,600 Speaker 2: the net flick show Send Sate, which was canceled way 1002 00:57:03,640 --> 00:57:04,080 Speaker 2: too soon. 1003 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:08,319 Speaker 5: Hello, My recommendation for this week is a bit more mainstream. 1004 00:57:08,640 --> 00:57:10,480 Speaker 5: You may have heard of it, but if you haven't 1005 00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:13,080 Speaker 5: or haven't gotten around to watching it yet, I highly 1006 00:57:13,120 --> 00:57:17,040 Speaker 5: recommend Netflix's original series sense Eate. After listening to your 1007 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:20,320 Speaker 5: discussion on the necessity of diversity and storytelling this week, 1008 00:57:20,360 --> 00:57:22,240 Speaker 5: it was definitely a show that came to mind, has 1009 00:57:22,280 --> 00:57:25,800 Speaker 5: got a lot of great representation, but is underappreciated. It's 1010 00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:27,920 Speaker 5: a story of eight people in their late twenties with 1011 00:57:28,000 --> 00:57:33,440 Speaker 5: the exact same birthday when they are suddenly born as suensates. Fundamentally, 1012 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:37,320 Speaker 5: the birth activates a cerebral connection among eight people across 1013 00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:40,600 Speaker 5: the globe and to a cluster, so we get a 1014 00:57:40,600 --> 00:57:44,000 Speaker 5: diverse cast of eight main characters. It's got a lot 1015 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:46,480 Speaker 5: of great sci fi storytelling and what's created by the 1016 00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:49,440 Speaker 5: Waikowski sisters from the matrix theme, so you know what 1017 00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:52,280 Speaker 5: delivers on the sci fi and yeh, the show with 1018 00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:55,920 Speaker 5: eight main characters is a lot, but every story is 1019 00:57:56,080 --> 00:58:00,120 Speaker 5: very rich. They have their own arcs and voices. We 1020 00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:04,080 Speaker 5: have four non white characters, four men for women, one 1021 00:58:04,400 --> 00:58:07,000 Speaker 5: being a trans woman played by a trans woman written 1022 00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:11,520 Speaker 5: by trans women, so that's great, and also other LGBT characters, 1023 00:58:11,920 --> 00:58:15,000 Speaker 5: and they are from seven different countries and the scenes 1024 00:58:15,040 --> 00:58:18,880 Speaker 5: are filmed on location, so it's incredibly beautiful. The main 1025 00:58:18,920 --> 00:58:22,280 Speaker 5: themes of the show are identity and connection. Has a 1026 00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:24,840 Speaker 5: lot of great action scenes and some humor, but the 1027 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:27,840 Speaker 5: best part is seeing how the different sensates connect with 1028 00:58:27,880 --> 00:58:31,120 Speaker 5: each other and accept each other. Each one struggles with 1029 00:58:31,160 --> 00:58:35,160 Speaker 5: their identity, especially as they awkwardly navigate new abilities such 1030 00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:39,880 Speaker 5: as telepathic ish communication or visiting and being able to 1031 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:42,400 Speaker 5: take on skills and languages of the other sensates in 1032 00:58:42,440 --> 00:58:46,400 Speaker 5: their cluster. The first season is especially fun as they 1033 00:58:46,400 --> 00:58:50,240 Speaker 5: discover themselves and their other selves, and they also discover 1034 00:58:50,560 --> 00:58:53,920 Speaker 5: more clusters of sense hs which they can still communicate 1035 00:58:53,960 --> 00:58:58,080 Speaker 5: with but don't possess their abilities. We ultimately get an 1036 00:58:58,080 --> 00:59:01,840 Speaker 5: evil corporation hunting the sensates as well. The show doesn't 1037 00:59:01,840 --> 00:59:06,240 Speaker 5: shy away from topics such as religion, sexuality, sexism, transphobia, 1038 00:59:06,280 --> 00:59:09,480 Speaker 5: and homophobia. I think they tackle these with a lot 1039 00:59:09,520 --> 00:59:12,960 Speaker 5: of care and sincerity too. But warning, it does have 1040 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:15,560 Speaker 5: a lot of graphic sex and violence. If you don't 1041 00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:18,040 Speaker 5: want to see a used dildo in pride colors, this 1042 00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:21,720 Speaker 5: isn't for you. Unfortunately, it was canceled after season two. 1043 00:59:22,560 --> 00:59:26,200 Speaker 5: Look Netflix cancels another diverse show, so we won't be 1044 00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:29,560 Speaker 5: getting any more. But pians. We're so upset about the 1045 00:59:29,600 --> 00:59:32,760 Speaker 5: cancelation that they started a petition and we're able to 1046 00:59:32,760 --> 00:59:35,800 Speaker 5: get a two hour finale. Finale was a bit rush, 1047 00:59:35,880 --> 00:59:39,960 Speaker 5: but at least we got one. Overall, sense it is ambitious, compelling, 1048 00:59:40,120 --> 00:59:43,040 Speaker 5: and if nothing else, an incredible journey. Thanks for listening, 1049 00:59:43,400 --> 00:59:44,360 Speaker 5: Thanks page. 1050 00:59:44,440 --> 00:59:46,479 Speaker 2: If you have theories or passions you want to share, 1051 00:59:46,680 --> 00:59:49,560 Speaker 2: hit us up at x ray crooked dot com. Instructions 1052 00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:51,280 Speaker 2: as always are in the show notes. 1053 00:59:53,560 --> 00:59:57,600 Speaker 1: Well that is it for us, Rosie any plugs. 1054 00:59:58,240 --> 01:00:02,960 Speaker 2: You can find me talking about all this cool stuff. Oh, 1055 01:00:03,040 --> 01:00:07,040 Speaker 2: I'm I'm starting newsletter that's just gonna be like recommendations 1056 01:00:07,080 --> 01:00:09,280 Speaker 2: because I get a lot of requests for recommendations and 1057 01:00:09,280 --> 01:00:11,240 Speaker 2: I don't have time as much as I wish I 1058 01:00:11,240 --> 01:00:14,560 Speaker 2: did to always respond. So that's called Rosie Recommends. It's 1059 01:00:14,600 --> 01:00:18,680 Speaker 2: at Substack. You can subscribe to it now, and letterbox 1060 01:00:18,840 --> 01:00:21,720 Speaker 2: and Instagram are my only social media and I'm Rosie 1061 01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:22,640 Speaker 2: marks at both. 1062 01:00:25,920 --> 01:00:29,720 Speaker 1: Catch the next episode of Extra Vision Friday, March twenty fourth, 1063 01:00:29,760 --> 01:00:32,120 Speaker 1: or episode four of The Mandalorian and where we're bringing 1064 01:00:32,160 --> 01:00:35,080 Speaker 1: you two episodes a week, two big episodes a week. 1065 01:00:35,320 --> 01:00:39,760 Speaker 1: Wherever you get your podcasts Wednesdays and Fridays, it's extra 1066 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:42,240 Speaker 1: Vision two times a week in your gear holes. 1067 01:00:42,840 --> 01:00:45,320 Speaker 2: And if you like seeing us with your eye holes 1068 01:00:45,440 --> 01:00:48,560 Speaker 2: and watching the odd YouTube, you can subscribe to us there. 1069 01:00:48,840 --> 01:00:50,880 Speaker 2: There are full episodes of the show now. Delond does 1070 01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:53,560 Speaker 2: a brilliant job putting them together, and you can follow 1071 01:00:53,640 --> 01:00:57,160 Speaker 2: us at xrvpod on Twitter. We're always having fun celebrating 1072 01:00:57,200 --> 01:01:00,080 Speaker 2: the stuff we love. Plus check out the Discord. We 1073 01:01:00,200 --> 01:01:02,760 Speaker 2: love sha Discord because it's a ton of fun, a 1074 01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:05,160 Speaker 2: bunch of amazing fans that talking about all kinds of 1075 01:01:05,160 --> 01:01:07,959 Speaker 2: cool stuff and Jason and ipop him once in a while. 1076 01:01:08,280 --> 01:01:11,560 Speaker 1: Five star ratings, five star reviews. We need them, we 1077 01:01:11,680 --> 01:01:13,720 Speaker 1: gotta have them, you gotta give them to us. Here 1078 01:01:13,840 --> 01:01:19,600 Speaker 1: is one from Shower with Friends, The dopest podcast, Perfect Chemistry, 1079 01:01:19,680 --> 01:01:21,720 Speaker 1: Love the convos, best recaps of the game. Love love, 1080 01:01:21,760 --> 01:01:22,240 Speaker 1: love this show. 1081 01:01:22,320 --> 01:01:24,840 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, Thank you with Friends, thank your 1082 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:25,920 Speaker 2: Show with Friends. 1083 01:01:25,960 --> 01:01:28,920 Speaker 1: Thank you absolutely. X ray Vision is a Crooked Media production. 1084 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:30,720 Speaker 1: The show is produced by Chris Lord and Sol Rubin. 1085 01:01:30,760 --> 01:01:33,520 Speaker 1: The show is executive produced by myself and Sandy's Rhard 1086 01:01:33,560 --> 01:01:37,680 Speaker 1: Are editing and sound designers by Vacilla's Photopoulos. Dylon Villanueva 1087 01:01:37,680 --> 01:01:40,560 Speaker 1: and Matt de Group provide video production support. Alex Rella 1088 01:01:40,600 --> 01:01:43,840 Speaker 1: for handle social media. Thank you Brian Vasquez for the music. 1089 01:01:44,240 --> 01:01:55,480 Speaker 1: See you next time. Well, maybe in all that research. 1090 01:01:55,160 --> 01:01:58,240 Speaker 5: To turn into just keep starting, we'll find something. 1091 01:02:01,800 --> 01:02:04,840 Speaker 4: Hey, Mike, uh yeah, this is up for Marine and I'm 1092 01:02:04,840 --> 01:02:06,480 Speaker 4: just over here, you know, trying to find a care 1093 01:02:06,520 --> 01:02:10,480 Speaker 4: for the the codies and spiders. And I gotta tell you, Mike, uh, 1094 01:02:10,720 --> 01:02:14,240 Speaker 4: I really don't like what they're doing. Uh W with 1095 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:16,920 Speaker 4: regards what we're doing, I'm not gonna try and sugarcoat 1096 01:02:16,920 --> 01:02:18,840 Speaker 4: of Mic, I'm doing it too, but with uh, with 1097 01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:21,560 Speaker 4: regards to the to the animal testing that we're doing 1098 01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:24,240 Speaker 4: over here, Mike, it's really terrible. And I'm gonna and 1099 01:02:24,320 --> 01:02:26,560 Speaker 4: I'm gonna tell you something on this voice record of 1100 01:02:26,600 --> 01:02:28,480 Speaker 4: Mic that uh, that nobody else knows in that. So 1101 01:02:28,520 --> 01:02:31,480 Speaker 4: I'm gonna let the monkeys go, Mike. I'm supposed to. 1102 01:02:31,680 --> 01:02:33,640 Speaker 4: I'm supposed to off the monkeys, Mic. 1103 01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:34,480 Speaker 1: Uh. 1104 01:02:34,520 --> 01:02:36,880 Speaker 4: They are riddled with cordy SEPs and different strains of 1105 01:02:36,880 --> 01:02:39,800 Speaker 4: the two Mike. They're fucking dangerous, uh, little beasts. But 1106 01:02:39,880 --> 01:02:41,760 Speaker 4: you know what I'm gonna do, Like, i'm'a let 'em out. 1107 01:02:41,840 --> 01:02:43,480 Speaker 4: I'm'a let 'em out of the cage. And you wanna 1108 01:02:43,480 --> 01:02:45,320 Speaker 4: come out of this old cage, buddy, you can. We 1109 01:02:45,440 --> 01:02:47,000 Speaker 4: open up the window. You can get out of here 1110 01:02:47,000 --> 01:02:47,400 Speaker 4: a little bit. 1111 01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:47,520 Speaker 1: R