# The Last of Us - tv show discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [January 16, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314 "2023-01-16T16:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/202 "2023-02-07T16:06:21Z")
They probably should have spent a few minutes showing many bridge crossing out or hopelessly blocked. But Joel did seem to make a lot of mistakes in this one and it felt out of character. Not great, but the show is still quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/203 "2023-02-07T16:07:48Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > There might be an actual in-game explanation that I don’t know, but my fanwank is that it avoids the congestion of the major cities lining the Great Lakes without going too far out of the way. Looking at a map of their route, I’d agree. I’d also like to add that there’s been twenty years of uncontrolled rivers- I imagine quite a few of the bridges have been washed away over the years. The direct route may just not exist anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/204 "2023-02-07T16:22:01Z")
You’d think there are a lot of options on what vehicles to drive. Granted it has been 20+ years so most are probably not in working order but still…some obviously work and I would think a good off-road vehicle would be a natural choice for those times when the usual roads are impassable. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/205 "2023-02-07T16:48:04Z")
I watched the short “making of episode” after the credits, and they said the game has Joel and Ellie going to Pittsburgh, but the area they are filming in looks much more like a western city, so they picked Kansas City. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/206 "2023-02-07T16:55:38Z")
> [@gnarator](#): > > I watched the short “making of episode” after the credits, and they said the game has Joel and Ellie going to Pittsburgh Of course, the real reasons they make choices are because of the practical realities of making a game, or a TV show. In the game, they went through a city, because it’s a game, and fighting zombies or humans is more fun than just avoiding them. For a TV show, they have to at least consider where they’ll actually be filming things. In fact, while watching this episode, I had brief moment when I wanted a game that was just, “Trying to cross the country in a post-apocalypse world, where you just want to avoid any bullshit.” You’d have to scrounge for gas and other supplies, but the main quest would be figuring out how to avoid all the trouble areas. Picture “[Desert Bus With Zombies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_%26_Teller%27s_Smoke_and_Mirrors#Desert_Bus).” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/207 "2023-02-07T19:02:32Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > In fact, while watching this episode, I had brief moment when I wanted a game that was just, “Trying to cross the country in a post-apocalypse world, where you just want to avoid any bullshit.” You’d have to scrounge for gas and other supplies, but the main quest would be figuring out how to avoid all the trouble areas. Picture “[Desert Bus With Zombies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_%26_Teller%27s_Smoke_and_Mirrors#Desert_Bus).” I mean…that’s basically [DayZ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/221100/DayZ/). You basically just wander a massive map of fictional post-Soviet state scrounging for weapons, food, clothing, and other supplies (including car parts and gasoline if you want to spend the time) during a zombie apocalypse. There are other players who will predictably kill you on site (sometimes not), but the map is so large, you mostly just spend time wandering around the countryside. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2023, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/208 "2023-02-08T07:45:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Granted it has been 20+ years I’m surprised gasoline that’s been sitting for that many years works at all. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/209 "2023-02-09T13:03:25Z")
Early in the episode when Ellie is reading the map and tells Joel to take I-70, I said “Why would they take 70? That doesn’t take you to Wyoming.” And my wife said “Because it takes you to Kansas City.” So she must have read something ahead of time and knew what was coming. But as others have said, go around! 435 is a big loop around the city. That should have been obvious looking at the map. Having said that, the shot where the road is blocked heading into downtown and the underpass on the other side, looked _a lot_ like downtown KC, so good job there. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/210 "2023-02-09T16:06:24Z")
A simple fanwank here: We know Tommy already went from Boston and Wyoming. And we also know that some of the roads were cleared by big bulldozers and tanks ramming cars off the road. So it could just be as simple case of Joel knowing which route was cleared off from Tommy. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/211 "2023-02-09T16:15:57Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > But as others have said, go around! 435 is a big loop around the city. That should have been obvious looking at the map. The problem with that is, everyone else trying to escape the cities will also be looking at maps. Major routes like this will almost certainly be blocked, or home to groups of raiders who have set up shop wherever they finally ran out of gas, or their vehicles finally broke down. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/212 "2023-02-09T18:19:09Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > I’m surprised gasoline that’s been sitting for that many years works at all. Joel kinda hung a lantern on that when he said that the scavenged gasoline doesn’t run as well as it used to… but yeah, realistically, 20 year old gasoline would be completely useless. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/213 "2023-02-09T22:58:45Z")
I didn’t see that this was posted before, so for anyone who doesn’t already know, Episode 5 will have a different broadcast schedule due to the Super Bowl: > Episode 5 will have a change in its release schedule due to the Super Bowl. The episode will be released on HBO Max and HBO on Demand starting at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, February 10. Fans who still want to watch it on HBO’s cable channel can do so in its regular Sunday night time slot. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/214 "2023-02-09T23:08:00Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Joel kinda hung a lantern on that when he said that the scavenged gasoline doesn’t run as well as it used to… but yeah, realistically, 20 year old gasoline would be completely useless. I thought it was kinda weird when he said that the old gas only gets them about an hour’s drive time because it’s got water in it. Like, gas doesn’t really loose potency when diluted like that as far as I know. Dilution also wouldn’t be the concern with old gas. All in all, odd choice of pseudoscience. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/215 "2023-02-09T23:32:03Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I thought it was kinda weird when he said that the old gas only gets them about an hour’s drive time because it’s got water in it. I don’t think he said it had water in it. He said that after 20 years, it’s practically water. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/216 "2023-02-10T01:00:59Z")
Could be, might have taken that too literally. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/217 "2023-02-10T11:08:33Z")
FYI Because of the Super Bow,l this week’s episode will be available at 9 pm Friday (tonight!) Instead of Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/218 "2023-02-10T13:36:11Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > He said that after 20 years, it’s practically water. That’s what he said. Of course, that’s _also_ nonsense, but hey. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/219 "2023-02-10T14:41:38Z")
Can you be more specific? Google seems to say you’d start to have problems using gas that’s 6+ months old, but isn’t terribly specific. I imagine if it’s going bad at 6 months, at 20 years it wouldn’t work at all in reality. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/220 "2023-02-10T14:47:27Z")
Gas starts to go after 6 months. Ethanol after 3 months. I’m fuzzy on Diesel, but longer, a year before starting to turn and 2 years is a reasonable expectation for not damaging. Generally [stabilized](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JJHNAW/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Gasoline stored in a gas can lasts about 2-3 years for small motor use. Link is to what I use. After gas is older, if not contaminated it can still be use with good gas. Just ensure something like at least a 2 to 1 ratio of good to bad. * * * Unsure about this part. My understanding is gas goes bad quicker in cold weather than warm. Gas would hold up longer in the Alabama than Boston as an example. * * * After 5 years, gas and diesel really shouldn’t be expected to work at all. But tough on the TV show if they followed chemistry. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/221 "2023-02-10T16:40:41Z")
At my old board the arguments and jokes about how long gas stayed usable went on for pages and pages in The Walking Dead thread of yore. Message boards, amirite? I’m ok with this show so far and I’ll keep watching but I’m not really seeing any creative new ground being broken. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314.md?page=12)