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Death threats against The Last of Us Part II voice actor reveal the worst of us

Aaron Mamiit
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The voice actor behind the character of Abby in The Last of Us Part II revealed on Twitter that she was getting death threats, further showcasing the toxicity surrounding Naughty Dog’s divisive game.

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Laura Bailey, who also voiced Mary Jane Watson in Marvel’s Spider-Man and will voice Black Widow in Marvel’s Avengers, posted screenshots of messages that she received for what Abby did in The Last of Us Part II.

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Man. I try to only post positive stuff on here… but sometimes this just gets a little overwhelming. I blacked out some of the words cuz, ya know, spoilers.

Side note. Thank you to all the people sending me positive messages to balance it out. It means more than I can say.❤️ pic.twitter.com/kGyULWPpNu

— Laura Bailey (@LauraBaileyVO) July 3, 2020

Without revealing any spoilers, The Last of Us Part II features a dark and controversial storyline that aims to leave a deep emotional impact to players. Integral to this goal is the character of Abby, who acts as the main antagonist to Ellie. Unfortunately, it appears that some people are not taking the story well, and have vented out their frustrations against Bailey.

The people behind the threats apparently think that Bailey is actually Abby, and that she herself was behind the actions of the character in a video game. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn summed up the confusing mindset that these people have against Bailey for simply doing her job as a voice actor.

I get being bummed when something happens to a character or story you love that that you don’t like, but this is outlandishly lame. It seems people are confusing fiction with reality in reality AND in fiction. Grow up. https://t.co/80mdjpl7od

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 3, 2020

Among the other people who have expressed support for Bailey amid the abhorrent threats are Ashley Johnson, the voice actor of Ellie, and Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog’s VP and creative director.

If you don’t like something, it’s okay to just not like it. It’s okay to disagree.
This? This is unacceptable. You do not threaten someone’s life, their child’s life or their family’s lives. Period. https://t.co/e9sQS0HeLl

— Ashley Johnson (@TheVulcanSalute) July 4, 2020

As the people that propagate this kind of hate would say, how stunning and brave! I hope these gamers get the mental help they so clearly need. Unfortunately this is now the cost of making popular entertainment that challenges conventions. Laura doesn’t deserve any of this. ❤️ https://t.co/kHzXddZzIB

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) July 3, 2020

Meanwhile, amid all of the controversy, The Last of Us Part II has been a massive commercial success, setting a new launch sales record of 4 million units in its first three days. The game has claimed the title of fastest-selling first-party PlayStation 4 exclusive ever, taking the crown from Marvel’s Spider-Man.

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Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
The Last of Us finale makes a subtle change from the game to set up season 2
Joel holds the surgeons at gunpoint in The Last of Us' finale.

HBO viewers were rocked Sunday night by the finale of The Last of Us, which brought the iconic ending of Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed game to life in live-action. It was an extremely faithful adaptation, with no huge deviations from the source material. However, a key change was made that will help the show more gracefully transition into its adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.
Note: Spoilers for The Last of Us TV show and The Last of Us Part II video game to follow.
At the climax of The Last of Us Season 1's final episode, we see Joel annihilate most of the Fireflies and doctors at the Salt Lake City hospital as they prepare to operate on Ellie to get a cure, which would have killed her in the process. It's a chilling sequence that hits the same dubious, morally horrifying notes as it did in the game, and little is changed.
We see Joel kill the surgeon about to operate on Ellie after he picks up a scalpel and says he won't let Joel take her. Joel shoots him in cold blood, but does not kill the nurses assisting him. As he walks out of the room with Ellie, a shot lingers on the face of the now-deceased surgeon, punctuating Joel's massacre.

That may sound like a small cinematic altercation, but that lingering shot is very meaningful to those of us that played The Last of Us Part II. In the original game, we don't think much about Joel's victim; he's just some nameless doctor. In Part II, however, we meet that doctor's daughter, Abby, who's on a quest for revenge. What's a thoughtless action for Joel becomes deeply personal for someone he's never met.
By adding in that extra shot, the finale more confidently sets that up. Even if casual viewers don't know it yet, the groundwork is being laid for something that will be very important in the next season and makes it clear that the show knows where it's going.
The finale further teases what's to come with a smart bit of casting. Eagle-eyed fans may notice that one of the nurses during the scene is played by Laura Bailey, who portrays Abby in The Last of Us Part II. It's likely just the show paying tribute to the game's cast (as it did in episode 8 with Troy Baker, who voiced Joel in the video games), but it's also another way to tease what's to come in the next season. Abby is coming for Joel. Prepare your golf balls.
Of course, when Naughty Dog released The Last of Us in 2013, it didn't yet know that this doctor would play such a pivotal part in the sequel's story, so not as much focus was put on him in the game. The developers retroactively tried to correct this with a retelling of the sequence from Abby's perspective in The Last of Us Part II and updated models in the game's remake.
Showrunners Craig Maizin and Neil Druckmann have the benefit of knowing this moment's importance from the start and not being locked to Joel's third-person perspective. They can now take the time to linger with a shot like this, emphasizing what Joel has done and laying the groundwork for what comes next. It's a short and subtle shot that slightly deviates from the original game, but it's also something that could only be done in this TV show and will certainly be hugely important for the show as we head into season 2.
The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.

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AMD has just announced a particularly well-timed bundle. If you're a fan of The Last of Us, be it the game or the show, you might find this deal worth picking up.

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