The Last of Us continues to reign supreme in the world of streaming, with HBO Max’s critically acclaimed adaptation of the legendary video game looking destined to be the crown jewel of next year’s award season.
Come tomorrow, we’ll be closer to the end of the first season than the beginning, but showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann still have ample time to surprise us with a slew of creative twists that make us wonder why The Last of Us wasn’t a television show to begin with.
One of the biggest surprises so far was the appearance of Melanie Lynskey, who portrays brand new character Kathleen, the leader of a group of rebels hiding out in Kansas City, who pulls the strings of a manhunt for a man named Henry; a manhunt that Joel and Ellie get dragged into after killing members of her group in self-defense.
According to Lynskey, Kathleen – however cold-hearted she may be presented as – represents an important goal that humanity should strive for; listen to the good ideas.
In a series of tweets, the star pointed out how Kathleen’s group responds to the best ideas rather than the loudest voice, and how doing so empowers worlds of female leaders that are otherwise scrutinized for reasons outside of such ideas.
She would go on to note how each individual detail of Kathleen, from the position she occupies to the actions she takes to the way she presents herself, was crucial in driving home this sort of ethos.
We’ve only gotten a glimpse of her so far as of episode four, but it was one of the most gripping glances one could have asked for. As an original character, we’re not sure what to expect out someone as passionate, calculating, and proactive as Kathleen, but we do know that we’ll be queuing up episode five in record time to see more of her.