The Last of Uson HBO is generally a pretty close adaptation of the video game. While the show does get the chance to explore some scenes in more depth (likeBill & Frank’s story in season one), most plot beats are a like for like recreation, sometimes right down to shot choice. Butseason two seems to be taking more liberties.
It started with thecasting of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, who lacks the typical physique.Joel’s infamous death scenewas also tweaked togive Dina more narrative prominence.Dina’s Jewishness also seems to have been removedby the casting of Peruvian-American Isabela Merced. Now, fans are concerned that Dina’s sexuality is being changed, but things might not be as simple as they seem.
Dina’s Sexuality Will Be A Longer Story In The Last Of Us
The show has already established Ellie and Dina as lovers, with the classic dance scene where they share a first kiss featuring in the season premiere. However, the most recent episode changes their dynamic slightly.Rather than the scene showing the pair entering the weed farm to relax, we instead see them sleeping side by side in a tent, where Dina confesses some complex feelings.
“You’re gay, I’m not”, Dina says, while asking Ellie how good she is at kissing compared to other girls. “I’m just curious, I wanna know if I’m good at it.” Some fans are annoyed at this rewrite of Dina’s sexuality, which makes her seemingly less confident in who she is attracted to, or perhaps changes it entirely. In the game, Dina was bisexual, having previously been in a relationship with Jesse before moving on to Ellie, admittedly with some light crossover. This relationship with Jesse is still present in the show.
Some feel Dina is having her sexuality erased, turned into a straight girl who simply kissed Ellie once before the pair remained friends. But given the show has made Dina more important, not less, this seems unlikely. Instead, it may be that the show is establishing a slowburn element to their romance, including an arc where Dina learns more about herself and embraces her sexuality. We don’t see this in the game, and much like the character study afforded to Bill and Frank, this might be an area the show can distinguish itself from beinga live-action recreation of the game.
It also gives the show the chance toaddress one of the game’s biggest queer criticisms. In the game, Ellie and Dina explore a gay bookstore and seem to have no idea about the concept of the gay community, the Pride flag, or the existence of queer culture, despite many touchstones like Jurassic Park surviving into the new dystopia. Having Dina question her sexuality could be a foil for this scene, or one like it, being revisited under a new light.
What’s clear is that Ellie and Dina’s connection will be crucial across season two, and likely season three as well, and however you feel about Dina’s admission, her story is far from over.
