The Office star slams 'anti-Christian' The Last of Us episode
"When we are in need, he will provide." These were the haunting words immortalised by The Last of Us Episode 8, and arguably, what is the most harrowing entry in HBO's first season of the video game adaptation.
Those who'd played Naughty Dog's 2013 game of the same name knew some of what was coming, but as the snow fell and the Infected were cast to the back of the story, no one expected March 5's "When We Are in Need" to be quite as bloody as it was.
As an important part of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel's (Pedro Pascal) story, it cemented the duo as adoptive father and daughter, while putting the pieces in place for THAT bullet-riddled finale. Not everyone was a fan, and now, The Office's Rainn Wilson has slammed The Last of Us.
Why has Rainn Wilson slammed The Last of Us?
For those who need a reminder, the big talking point was Scott Shepherd's David - a Cordyceps-obsessed preacher and cannibal who took an unhealthy shining to Ellie. After failing to recruit Ellie to his cause, David tried to rape her but was brutally stabbed to death during their final showdown.
Taking to Twitter, Wilson made allegations of an "anti-Christian" prejudice and then extended his complaints to the wider scope of Hollywood. Wilson asked, "Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?"
In the replies, Wilson defends himself by saying, "Also, I'm not even a Christian." Others were quick to point out how this isn't always the norm, with the likes of The Walking Dead's Hershel, Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli, and Mel Gibson in Sings as noble Christian characters.
The Last of Us is listening to your criticisms
It's true that the religious zealot trope has been used repeatedly (we're looking at you, Stephen King), but in HBO's defence, it was recreating David from the game. Although it went a little deeper into the realms of religious nutjob, cut audio lines from 2013's game made this much more of a theme for David.
While most were fine with the gratuitous violence of Episode 8, there was one major complaint. We know The Last of Us is trying to show the remnants of society are the real danger to the human race with the likes of Paula and David, but for some fans, they want more infected.
Showrunner Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann have teased there will be more Infected in Season 2. Beyond that, we're warned that the next run of episodes could be wildly different from the source material. Given how much some hated The Last of Us Part 2, that might not be the worst idea.
