I’m Not Afraid of Zombies. I’m Afraid of Men
Hordes of the undead aren’t the biggest threat to women in the apocalypse
Trigger warning for mentions of violence against women and sexual assault.
Earlier this year, HBO released its adaptation of the 2013 video game The Last of Us to universal acclaim; currently, the show is the second most-watched on the platform, behind House of the Dragon. The game and series tell the story of Joel and Ellie, a grumpy old smuggler and a fourteen-year-old girl, as they traverse across the United States in an effort to bring a cure to a planet that has been ravaged by a fungal infection. Over the course of their journey, the pair become closer, with Joel becoming a surrogate father to the orphaned Ellie.
Generally, I’m not a huge fan of dystopian fiction as it usually fills me with a gut-wrenching existential dread, but I wasn’t about to turn down a chance to see Pedro Pascal play yet another reluctant father figure. So, every Sunday at nine on the dot, I am faithfully watching. And every Sunday night, my heart is ripped out of my chest.
This show does an excellent job of showcasing humanity’s last desperate attempts at finding connection and building something meaningful in a world where that no longer seems possible, beautifully demonstrating our…
