by The Last of Us incredible. It is truly a show worth every ounce of praise. From the engagements to the characters to the meticulous attention to detail, The Last of Us building a world that is both magnetic and repelling (don’t remind you to Baby clicker). But with to build a detailed worldthe show still hasn’t explained a detail that has been bugging me for weeks: How are people still eating bread?
In episode 2 we learn that the cordyceps outbreak was caused by a contaminated supply of flour and grain produced from Jakarta, which provides the largest supply of flour in the world. We also found out that she was the reason Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Sarah (Nico Parker) didn’t get infected that day They avoided eating biscuits, pancake mix, and birthday cake (which Joel thankfully forgot to buy). But then in episode 2, right after a bone-chilling sequence of events in Jakarta, we see Ellie (Bella Ramsey) eating a sandwich. And not just any sandwich. A chicken sandwich with sliced ​​toast that looks straight out of a Sara Lee bag from Target.
Spot the bread round one (easy).
Credit: HBO shot
The show-stopping bread consumption doesn’t end there. We also see Bill (Nick Offerman), Frank (Murray Bartlett), Tess (Anna Torv), and Joel eat some bread rolls in a flashback to the foursome on a hangout. Bill and Frank are also regularly seen at a bread feast. Now, is it interesting to see The Last of Us turning bread into a cringe-worthy wreck? He is. But is it also a huge question mark that we need to answer? Well, probably not, but it’s an itch I need to scratch.
We can assume that our cottage hearts kings, Bill and Frank, making their own bread. They’re out here – the middle of an apocalypse – growing strawberries, eating roast, and wine, so we can assume the couple is savvy enough to make their own sourdough at home. But what about Ellie’s sandwich? She mentions that Marlene (Merle Dandridge) got the chicken from smugglers, so Marlene probably got the toast from an outside source as well.
Spot the bread round two (intermediate).
Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO
The Fireflies have multiple bases, and we know that they even live in laboratory centers. There’s a whole bunch of doctors trying to heal, so maybe a bunch of ex-botanists are occupying an abandoned place to grow produce, and yes, even make bread. Although it may be far-fetched to imagine a group of people completely dedicated to making bread (or other foods), what else would you try to survive in an apocalypse? Canned food is limited, and with no end in sight, it makes sense that the Fireflies would devote their resources to growing things and doing some baking.
I would also assume that these lab centers have probably developed a process to ensure their supply is not contaminated, or they could be using oats or something instead of flour. And if the Fireflies weren’t the ones who actually make bread, it could be a self-sustaining community like Tommy’s (Gabriel Luna) produce it and outsource it to smugglers for a large price.
But all of these ideas are just some of the ideas, and an overarching theme that ties them all together: It’s really hard to imagine making bread in an apocalypse that started because of bread. So why bother? Why even try to do this thing? Does anyone have any trauma? One bout of food poisoning can put you off a meal forever, so how is everyone willing to eat carbs again?
Spot the bread round three (hard).
Credit: HBO shot
My bread dilemma seems to add another layer The Last of Us‘ global construction, introducing a reversal of the hierarchy of food groups. In our world, carbs are the most abundant and common food group. But i The Last of Us world, carbs are more like caviar. It’s interesting to see everyone going through so much to make and eat carbs. It also represents one of the many ways humanity has adapted to the apocalypse – survive, survive, and try to eat carbs by any means necessary.
Yes, Ellie having that sandwich in her mouth is a loose plot hole, but I’m going to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and assume they know how to grow uncontaminated grains 20 years into the apocalypse. That still doesn’t explain how they all managed to heal together from the trauma of an outbreak day, aka a villain origin story, but I’m digressing. To protect them, I think I would live in a world with less carbon than before the zombies.
The Last of Us now streaming on HBO Max(opens in a new tab).
