The Last Of Us Makes A Disturbing Change To An Already Terrifying Character

This piece contains spoilers for "The Last of Us," as well as discussions of sexual abuse.

HBO's adaptation of "The Last of Us" has not been afraid of getting dark with its reinterpretation of Naughty Dog's original game. While never going totally overboard and into cruelty for the sake of cruelty, it has been able to use its instances of disturbing violence to drive home its central point — that morality in times of crisis isn't black and white.

To a certain extent, its latest episode, "When We Are In Need," follows this same thread. After recovering from a nasty stab wound, Joel (Pedro Pascal) tortures and kills two men, even after obtaining useful information from them, just to get back to Ellie (Bella Ramsey). While he did it for an understandable reason, Joel has once again crossed a moral line that he probably can never uncross. There is bound to be heated discussion over this, but this is by design, as everyone will watch the show and have a different opinion based on their own moral code.

However, what is pretty indisputable, no matter your beliefs, is that David (Scott Shepard) is the absolute worst in this episode. If being the abusive leader of a forced-cannibalization cult wasn't already bad enough, the show makes a terrifying change to him that leaves no room for defense. While the game may have subtly implied that he had more sinister reasons for wanting Ellie around, the show makes his intentions very clear.

The thing about predators is that they try to make themselves appear as normal as possible to their victims. Once they build rapport and trust, that is usually when they strike, changing the lives of their victims forever. That was exactly what David tried to do throughout this episode with Ellie: He compliments her, calls her special, and regales her with promises of respect and equality between them. Keep in mind, all of this is because he considers her unlike anyone he's ever met. Major creep alert right there, and he's already being set up as the show's first true villain.

If that wasn't bad enough, what he does when Ellie is able to see right through his charade is even more harrowing. He and his right-hand-man James (Troy Baker) pin her down to a table in preparation for her dismemberment, ensuing a fast-paced clash and a tense game of hide and seek. When David and Ellie fight for the last time, he says that she really does need a teacher, and if she's good for him, he can help. While he pins her to the ground and seemingly tries to take off her clothes, Ellie grabs his machete and brutally hacks him to death off-screen. The blood-stained camera never leaves her face. It is powerful, disgusting, haunting, and cathartic all at once. It also has the chance to elicit very conflicting opinions in viewers.

It's difficult to argue that Ellie should not have killed David in the manner that she did, as he tried to seduce and rape her, an unquestionably disgusting behavior. At least when dealing with a villain like Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), there are flimsy yet reasonable defenses that can be made. Sure, Kathleen became the very thing she rallied against, but she was right about the evil ways of FEDRA. David, on the other hand, is only shown to be an abusive megalomaniac throughout "When We Are In Need," and thus, Ellie is absolutely justified in being the one to smash his face in. Survivors of abuse react in a multitude of ways, and there are plenty who absolutely crave the ultimate punitive punishment for their assailants. For a lot of folks, seeing David get his comeuppance borders on catharsis.

However, this is where the show's refusal of black-and-white logic comes into play. As previously mentioned, the original game hinted at David being a huge creep, but never went beyond those hints. Some may wonder if the audience really had to see those brief shots of Ellie in distress and fear as David kneels over her. Despite it not going as far as, say, a "Euphoria" scene, it still leaves that feeling of dirty disgust some may get when they watch something they don't think they were supposed to. You may even feel it's exploitative.

Regardless of how you feel about this character change, it's undeniable that David has left an impact. Not only does he prove that there are truly evil people in the apocalypse, but he also reminds us that even in the worst of times, the violent and abusive patriarchy still reigns supreme.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).