WARNING TO SHOW-ONLY FANS: I’M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR PLOT POINT IN ‘THE LAST OF US PART 2’. THE SPOILERS WILL FLOW.
At the 2020 Game Awards, Laura Bailey won the Best Performance award for her marvelous turn as Abby Anderson in The Last of Us Part 2. The instant she wins, you can tell it’s not just surprising for Bailey — she also has a fleeting expression of “Oh, God, please. I don’t want to go through this silly shit again.” And rightfully so because she’d only been the recipient of one of the most misguided, ridiculous online hate campaigns ever.
So, if you’re still here and somehow missed the big SPOILERS disclaimer, here we go. Abby absolutely obliterated Joel to kick off The Last of Us Part 2. I mean, that golf club she was swinging probably never had so much force put onto it. It’s one of gaming’s most shocking, horrifying moments. And, honestly, I hated Abby throughout my first playthrough of The Last of Us Part 2. You’re supposed to react strongly and have that fire in your soul. That’s the purpose of meaningful storytelling! But, in addition to all the endlessly tiresome conversations about TLoU2, that animosity would transfer to Abby’s vocal (and mocap) star, Laura Bailey.
let any season 2 ‘the last of us’ feelings remain pointed toward the realm of fiction, thank you
It was a particularly dark time for “gamer discourse.” Which is impressive considering how many conversations end in bad-faith interpretations, insults, and/or slurs anyway. So, here we are again. Kaitlyn Dever as Abby will likely lead Joel to a horrific end in Season 2 of The Last of Us. And already, Dever has articulated an understandable nervousness in portraying the character. In an interview with ScreenRant, Dever had this to say regarding “feedback” from the internet.
“Well, it’s hard not to see those things on the internet. It’s hard not to stop myself from looking at it every once in a while, especially going into this, for sure. And I want to do this character justice and make the fans proud by bringing her to life in this kind of way.”
Please, internet. I’m not even saying you can’t be angry when the moment comes and goes. But be normal. Harassing the people behind the characters always has been and always will be completely unhinged and, frankly, cowardly behavior. Yes, you love The Last of Us. Yes, the muscle lady beats the ever-loving hell out of one of your favorite characters. But if you find yourself being upset enough to harass Dever (or, somehow, Bailey again), ask a few questions first.
“Am I overreacting?” “Is this a productive way to spend my time on this Earth?” “Should I seek a therapist?” Then, upon asking yourself said questions, close your laptop or put your phone down. Go for a walk. Eat some ice cream or something.
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