The Cast of Us: HBO's "The Last Of Us" Recapped

Season 2 of The Last of Us has officially come to a close, and Ben and Brian are joined by John Siracusa to talk about Seattle Day 3, the season overall, and (in a very special extended spoiler slot) how we think Season 3 can turn out. We’ll see you in a few years! <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with John Siracusa.</p>

Who’s ready for a nice calm break from the chaos of Seattle? Casey Liss joins Ben and Brian for an all-flashback episode where we finally get the context for Joel and Ellie’s falling out that we’ve been missing up until now. Grab your Walkman and a cassette, we recommend listening to this one with your eyes closed in a lunar module. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Casey Liss.</p>

Seattle, Day Two. This week’s episode is designed to get Ellie from one place to another, both physically and emotionally. Bella Ramsay’s performance finally pays off after weeks of setup, which has Ben and Brian very excited for the rest of this season. Plus, what’s the difference between a culty Seraphite and a fair-weather Seraphite? What happens when the video game makes you push the Square button? <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton.</p>

Seattle, Day One. It’s time for a pretty big conversation about the Seraphites and the WLF, but we also get some incredible recreations of jaw-dropping moments from the video game. Plus, how warped are the records in the record store? Does U-Haul still exist in the apocalypse? How will the rest of the season be structured? <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton.</p>

How could somebody describe S2E3 of The Last of Us as a “filler episode”? Sometimes, a chance to catch our breath and mourn is a good thing. Ben and Brian are surprised by one character’s redemption arc, grateful for some beautiful Western cinematography, and extremely excited about a scene in a tent, for some reason. No, F is not for Fleetwood Mac. Plus, what could Washington need to be liberated from? <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton.</p>

This episode of The Last of Us is the emotional equivalent of a barrel of gasoline being thrown at the audience and set on fire. We hope you’re doing okay and that this conversation can help you process some of your feelings, because your hosts certainly needed this. Plus, Seth makes a mean steak sandwich and a wire fence is the second worst villain of the episode. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton.</p>

The Last of Us is back with Season Two, and so is The Cast of Us! Despite how much we want to talk about the entire second game, Tiff, Ben, and Brian will keep each episode spoiler free for those who haven’t played The Last of Us Part II. How faithful is this first episode to the video game? How are they going to deal with the non-chronological nature of the story? How many White Stripes songs exist in the apocalypse? Tune in to find out! <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

It’s been ten years since we first had this debate, and now that the non-gaming public can also experience the end of The Last of Us, we get to have this debate again. Long time listener first time caller John Siracusa is our very special guest for the final episode of The Cast of Us Season 1. Thank you all for your support these last nine weeks, and we’ll see you when Season 2 comes out. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with John Siracusa and Tiff Arment.</p>

It’s a meaty one this week, folks. Is David actually religious? How have on-screen creeps evolved? Is that really how penicillin works? Is the horse okay? Ben, Tiff, and Brian tuck into a heaping helping of analysis and… Venison. We promise it’s venison. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

Listen, if you’ve played The Last of Us, then the title “Left Behind” emotionally prepared you for what would happen on Sunday’s episode, but HBO did some narrative and structural magic tricks to heighten the tension. Grab your tissue boxes and a book of puns, because you’ll need them both. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

Ben, Tiff, and Brian celebrate President’s Day by celebrating communism! Jackson, Wyoming is a thriving post-apocalyptic community, but Joel resents how it makes him feel about the people around him. We get a scene lovingly recreated from the video game, some hilarious jokes about contractors, and lots of implications for what a second season of the HBO show would look like. Finally, after the Spoiler Horn at the end of the episode, we address an audience member during a heated debate about The Last of Us Part II. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

We all knew it was coming, but Henry and Sam’s story is just as heartbreaking in the HBO show as it was when we originally played The Last of Us in 2013. Along the way, Kathleen and Perry’s original story gets woven in, and it all leads to an explosive climax. A lot happens this week, but it’s impossible to call this episode bloated. Plus, are you a wimp for using aim assist? <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

Special guest Merlin Mann, who is outstanding in his field, joins Ben, Tiff, and Brian in their recap this week. Pedro Pascal was great on SNL, Melanie Lynskey is great in everything, and we don’t know how syphoning works, but we know it works. Plus, a new way of looking at popcorn. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Merlin Mann and Tiff Arment.</p>

Remember when Tiff, Ben, and Brian speculated that each episode of The Last of Us would have a flashback to 2003? Well, this episode has one of those. What happens in that flashback may or may not make all three of us cry on the podcast; you’ll have to listen to find out. Break out your Linda Ronstadt songbook and pour yourself a glass of wine. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

Ben has some incredible follow up about flour, which leads us right into our Jakarta interlude before jumping right back to Boston. Tiff, Ben, and Brian learn more about the cordyceps than the video game ever taught us, while Joel learns even more about himself and his relationship to Ellie than he ever knew. Plus, prepare your appetite for the Mushroom of the Week! <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

It’s 1968, and two epidemiologists discuss viral infections on ABC. It’s 2003, and just two years after 9/11, a zombie outbreak stops the world in its tracks. It’s 2023, and three friends that love video games, TV dramas, and podcasting started a new show recapping HBO’s The Last of Us TV series. Whether you’re here for creepy zombie chase scenes or arguments about a car battery, this TV show is for people who love guns and emotions. <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton with Tiff Arment.</p>

In advance of the debut of The Last of Us on HBO, Ben and Brian discuss their histories with the video game and their excitement at the cast and crew of the show before analyzing the first teaser trailer. Finally a Mushroom of the Week is crowned. See you all next week! Recorded December 12, 2022 <p>Ben Rice McCarthy and Brian Hamilton.</p>