One more proof of the incredible documentation and analysis work carried out by the team for its brutally honest representation of certain realities that are often kept hidden or taboo subjects.
It has not even finished its first season, but in the eight episodes that The Last of Us carries on his back It has managed to give us goosebumps on several occasions. From the opening scenes set on the first night of the Cordyceps outbreak with Joel (Pedro Pascal) tragically losing his daughter Sarah, to the death of Tess (Anna Torv), the story of Bill and Frank, Kansas City and of course, the newly released eighth episode. A chapter that, without a doubt, has made us really scared.
We don’t know what the world would look like in the apocalypse, but the representation that makes The Last of Us of a planet that has been surviving its own fall for 20 years does not leave aside any possible reflection: restrictions and abuses of power, factions and alliances, fear, betrayal, hunger, coverage of basic needs.
Throughout the eight episodes already broadcast of the series and hand in hand with the story of Ellie and Joel We have been able to know different types of survival. Some -like that of Bill and Frank, the old couple in the woods or the disconnected community in which Tommy now lives- more idyllicand others -such as the Boston quarantine zone or the chilling Kansas- much more hostile. But if one of them has managed to remove things from the inside, that is undoubtedly the sectarian community that presented us ‘In our lowest hours’ (1×08).
A community ravaged by cold and fear and completely indoctrinated by a leader, David (Scott Shepherd), who has proclaimed himself a pastor and who, a priori, is completely harmless. Those who have already seen the episode know that none of that. After revealing that his main source of food was spent, deceiving his family, by murdering people and resorting to cannibalismthe community leader who introduced us to the series in the penultimate episode of its first season also turned out to be a sexual offender.
With ‘In our lowest hours’ (1×08) The Last of Us has managed to make our hair stand on end again, but, in addition, It seems that he has nailed it when it comes to reflecting the reality of a sect. This has been confirmed by some Reddit users through their interesting testimonials such as former members of “high control groups”, as they call them, who have felt deeply identified with the portrait made by the HBO series.
“My wife, my two children, and I left a high control group in 2016. The rest of our family has avoided us to this day,” begins the story of one of them, in which he assures that he has already fallen in love with his day with the video game “My adult daughter and I have been watching every episode. Last night she turned to me and said, ‘David is speaking like the leaders of our religion!’ The cult controlled our behaviors, information, thoughts and emotions.”
“They encouraged us to think only what they wanted us to think. We should not afflict the members who had left or died,” the viewer continues, referring to David’s behavior in the series.
David’s interpretation was spot on. Only he has the answers, only he can save them. Only certain can be allowed to know what is going on. I think it is the best paper that has ever existed to explain how the leaders of a sect work and act.
He is not the only one who thinks so and, in fact, among the supportive comments you can find some more testimonials: “From one survivor of one sect to another, I appreciate you having the courage to make this post,” another Reddit user comments. , “From the way he interacted with his inner circle, with the others in his group, how he tried to manipulate and bombard Ellie into joining him, and how he reacted to Ellie’s outright refusal, David was portrayed with a disturbing level of authenticity. There were moments that gave me goosebumps because they reminded me of my own experiences with the group I was in. […] I wish I could have been as resilient as Ellie was in those moments.”
A new proof that the team led by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in the HBO series has done an incredible job of documentation and analysis to represent every detail and that it also helps to honestly represent certain realities that are often maintained. hidden or are taboo topics.
