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How Queer Love Grounds ‘The Last of Us’ Above All Else — Despite The Online Backlash
Ellie and Dina's relationship in "The Last of Us" Season 2 shows the heart of the series has always been grounded queer stories, despite backlash.
It’s a notable expansion from the game, and the kind of narrative detour your average post-apocalyptic show wouldn’t dare devote an entire episode to. But the refreshing care the writers have placed in naturally developing Ellie and Dina’s relationship, in juxtaposition to all the ensuing ripples of violence following Joel’s death, shows that queer love is the grounding force at the center of “The Last of Us” — and always has been. But while this season of “The Last of Us” has been overshadowed by some of the online vitriol, it would serve the writers and HBO well to continue expanding upon and complicating Ellie and Dina’s relationship — along with the new queer characters being introduced — beyond the template of the original game.
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