{"id":8968,"date":"2023-03-10T19:38:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T00:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/?p=8968"},"modified":"2026-03-11T19:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T23:47:10","slug":"night-of-the-living-mushrooms-hbos-the-last-of-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/night-of-the-living-mushrooms-hbos-the-last-of-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Night of the Living Mushrooms: HBO’s The Last of Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This blog has long enjoyed horror trash, including the zombie subgenre<\/a>. Aside from one early standout episode (more on this later), The Last of Us<\/em> was nothing we haven’t seen before; just another zombie show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It ultimately amounted to little more than an episodic road trip through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, fighting off the monster and\/or bandit of the week. It was fancy Walking Dead<\/em>, for snobs who would never be caught (un)dead watching the long-running AMC horror-tinged soap opera — but with a luxe budget, overqualified guest stars (typically booked for one episode max), and an air of pretentious nihilism in place of camp melodrama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Last of Us<\/em> was not even the best post-apocalyptic show on HBO, with that distinction clearly belonging to Station Eleven<\/em> — and if you broaden your definition a little, Watchmen<\/em> and The Leftovers<\/em>. It’s not even a standout in the realm of prestige TV anti-heroes, especially considering how HBO itself pioneered the art with Tony Soprano<\/a>, Omar, and Al Swearengen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the “standout episode” above, I am referring to “Long, Long Time”, starring Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman as two men finding love and companionship after the end of the world. Criminally, a guest star of similar clout, Melanie Lynskey, was not afforded the same attentions. She played a thinly-drawn despot, who might have made a passable temporary antagonist on The Walking Dead<\/em>. Worse, her character’s death was played for comedy, or as a kind of just-desserts moral justice, which is just insulting to the audience’s intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Melanie
Melanie Lynskey as the disposable despot of the week, in The Last of Us<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Last of Us<\/em> might be notable if it was comprised of more self-contained short stories like “Long, Long Time”, with room for real character studies. But across a scant nine episodes, the plots are boringly repetitive: each ad hoc society our heroes encounter always turns out to be a malevolent dictatorship, and the featured guest star always dies at the end. With only one real banger of an episode, The Last of Us<\/em> is like an album with one hit single, and the other tracks are all skips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, spare me the pedantic debates over whether or not the fungi creatures in The Last of Us<\/em> qualify as zombies. This is a distinction without a difference, and a zombie by any other name is a zombie. This line of overly-literal thinking would also disqualify 28 Days Later<\/em> and The Crazies<\/a><\/em> from the canon, which is just silly. Call it Night of the Living Mushrooms<\/em> if it makes you feel better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Last of Us briefly enjoyed the prestige TV glow in 2023, but to non-gamers, it’s just another zombie show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,424],"tags":[2220,2239,930,1075,90,2240,2243,2242,2241,2244,1693,756],"class_list":["post-8968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-default","category-tv","tag-2220","tag-bella-ramsey","tag-dystopia","tag-hbo","tag-horror","tag-melanie-lynskey","tag-murray-bartlett","tag-nick-offerman","tag-pedro-pascal","tag-the-walking-dead","tag-tv","tag-zombies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/last-of-us.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa9lhB-2kE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1612,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-day-of-the-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":0},"title":"The George A. Romero Zombie Cycle Part 3: Day of the Dead","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"February 18, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Day of the Dead (1985) is the third episode in George A. Romero's continuing tale of civilization's collapse in the event of a global zombie epidemic. This and the big-budget Land of the Dead (2005) are tied for the worst entries in the series. What makes the first two (Night\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "1 Star"","block_context":{"text":"1 Star","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/1-star\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Day of the Dead","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/day-of-the-dead-1985-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/day-of-the-dead-1985-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/day-of-the-dead-1985-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/day-of-the-dead-1985-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/day-of-the-dead-1985-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5674,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/jim-jarmuschs-the-dead-dont-die-is-an-unaffectionate-homage\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":1},"title":"Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die is an unaffectionate homage","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"January 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I guess it shouldn\u2019t be surprising that Jim Jarmusch would make a zombie movie, since he\u2019s already cycled through idiosyncratic interpretations of westerns (Dead Man), vampires (Only Lovers Left Alive), samurai (Ghost Dog), and thrillers (The Limits of Control). But unlike these, The Dead Don't Die reads as an unaffectionate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "3 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"3 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/3-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Dead Don't Die","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dead-dont-die.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dead-dont-die.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dead-dont-die.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dead-dont-die.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/dead-dont-die.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1628,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-part-5-diary-of-the-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":2},"title":"The George A. Romero Zombie Cycle Part 5: Diary of the Dead","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"February 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"This is not an opinion you're likely to find anywhere else on the internet, but we are prepared to argue that Diary of the Dead is one of the best of the entire George A. Romero zombie cycle. It sports the best special effects, is the least repetitive or trigger-happy,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"2 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/2-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Diary of the Dead","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/diary-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/diary-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/diary-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/diary-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/diary-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1597,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-part-1-night-of-the-living-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":3},"title":"The George A. Romero Zombie Cycle Part 1: Night of the Living Dead","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"February 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"I haven't had the pleasure of seeing what is now recognized as the first zombie movie ever made: White Zombie (1932), starring none other than Bela Lugosi. But arguably, George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) is the actual zombie urtext. It preceded the first of its four\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"2 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/2-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Night of the Living Dead","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/night-of-the-living-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/night-of-the-living-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/night-of-the-living-dead-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/night-of-the-living-dead-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/night-of-the-living-dead-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1605,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-part-2-dawn-of-the-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":4},"title":"The George A. Romero Zombie Cycle Part 2: Dawn of the Dead","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"February 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Zombie godfather George A. Romero waited more than a decade to create Dawn of the Dead, the first sequel in his zombie cycle that would eventually number five (soon to be six) installments. Night of the Living Dead was marketed under the tagline \"They won't stay dead,\" which beautifully told\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"2 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/2-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dawn of the Dead","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/dawn-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/dawn-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/dawn-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/dawn-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/dawn-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1623,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-george-a-romero-zombie-cycle-part-4-land-of-the-dead\/","url_meta":{"origin":8968,"position":5},"title":"The George A. Romero Zombie Cycle Part 4: Land of the Dead","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"February 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"George A. Romero's sporadic zombie flicks are sometimes decades apart in production, but nevertheless form a chronological sequence telling the story of the downfall of society from every angle. Night of the Living Dead (1968) is set in the early days, with a few random civilians trapped in a farmhouse.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "1 Star"","block_context":{"text":"1 Star","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/1-star\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Land of the Dead","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/land-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/land-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/land-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/land-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/land-of-the-dead-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8971,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8968\/revisions\/8971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}