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The Last of Us Episode 204’s Queer Scenes Brought To You By Two Queer Actors and a Queer Director
If you thought that just because I write a weekly recap of The Last of Us with Nic means I don’t have anything more to say about it, you’d be mistaken. FOR EXAMPLE, this week, Isabela Merced did an interview where she talked about the love scene between Ellie and Dina, and she said it felt as tender as it looked to us as an audience. She said, “Bella and I were just so comfortable with each other. And also, we both have experience in queer relationships — you can just tell when a girl hasn’t kissed a girl before. You can just feel it.” And I think that’s really true. This comfort and understanding shone through the scene, and Isabela said they even added some extra kisses and moments while they were filming, which added to the natural feel of the whole episode.
Now, I don’t think you HAVE to be queer to play queer characters; I think especially for characters who having a coming out arc, sometimes the “straight” actors who feel drawn to that role should take it, because they might end up realizing they’re queer themselves, e.g. Dom Provost Chalkley, Kat Barrell, Chyler Leigh. But I DO think when you have two characters who are meant to show physical comfort with each other, especially right off the bat, having queer actors does elevate the scenes. While Dina wasn’t necessarily all-in on her queerness from the jump, she was physically and emotionally comfortable with Ellie, and that’s clear from Isabela’s performance. Queer people being involved also makes it feel a little more special, to me at least. Even though there are plenty of straight actors who have given us truly epic queer scenes on television in the past, there IS something undeniably special about the fact that these Ellie and Dina scenes were created by two queers actors and a queer director (Kate Herron), because they get it, they understand the importance and meaningfulness and nuances of it in a way that not even the most well-meaning straight person could.
And Kate Herron does get it and spoke to Out about episode 204 and how she loves working in the sci-fi genre and finding relatable stories amidst unrelatable worlds.
About the music store scene specifically, Herron says, “The Last of Us world is very harrowing. It’s very violent and you don’t get many moments, even just them finding a music shop where there’s no infected. It’s like we just get to be normal people just for this little moment in time, which I think is very beautiful.”
And don’t we deserve a little beautiful?
More News to Click(er) On
+ Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson will star in Jane Schoenbrun’s new film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
+ Ella Purnell and Ariana Greenblatt to star in a slasher comedy called Hot Ted, written by queer screenwriter Grace McLeod
+ The official trailer for Honey Don’t has Aubrey Plaza in a plain white tee leaning on a door jamb and dear god I got gayer just watching it (also her seemingly naked in a bed but for some reason the leaning got me)
+ Ts Madison has a new podcast called Outlaws that will spotlight powerful voices from the LGBTQ+ community, including Chappell Roan
+ Actress Martha Warfield talks about coming back to comedy and acting and returning to the screen out and proud in her 70s
+ Lily-Rose Depp and 070 Shake spent a date night at a Lakers game last week (and it always makes me laugh when we use people’s stage names in sentences like this but, alas, tis the job) https://people.com/lily-rose-depp-070-shake-date-night-lakers-game-11727155
+ Lorde is reading “a lot of queer writers” and is feeling her “gender broadening a little bit”
+ ICYMI, check out what the queer folks were wearing at the Met Gala
+ Related, Megan Thee Stallion snuck her phone inside and gave reviews of the food served at the Gala
+ To follow up on last week’s Pop Culture Fix about Airyn De Niro, Laverne Cox saw that she mentioned her as a woman that has inspired her over the years, and was very honored
+ I’ll leave you on this: meet the “lesbian Mr. Rogers” of TikTok
Here’s Melanie Scrofano’s new TV show. I don’t see anything gay yet, but I have hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjD0hm9pkA0
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