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The Last of Us with Matthew Fox

This week on Make Me A Nerd, Mandy attempts to survive a full-blown fungal apocalypse—emotionally, spiritually, and occasionally by camouflage. And she’s not alone! She’s joined by three-time guest and ethics enthusiast Matthew Fox, who gently guides her through the cordyceps-infested wasteland that is The Last of Us. Think of them as a podcast Joel, if Joel read moral philosophy and didn’t shoot people in the face quite as often.

From clickers to conundrums, this episode dives into why this so-called zombie genre show is actually about love, loss, and whether saving one person is worth dooming humanity. (Spoiler: maybe!) Mandy—bless her emotionally-intact, pastel-colored heart—only made it through two episodes before waving a white flag made of tissues and trauma. Matthew, meanwhile, brings receipts, ethics, and a voice so reassuring it makes the end of civilization feel slightly cozy.

They tackle the big questions: Is Pedro Pascal’s Texan accent legally binding? Does Bella Ramsey have a resting post-apocalyptic face? Would Mandy survive five minutes in Boston 20 years after the fall of humanity? (Spoiler: No. And that’s fine.) They also explore how video games became the Shakespearean tragedies of our time, how the show contributed to the fall of the “video game curse,” and whether Joel is the reluctant dad of the decade… or just a really hot war criminal.

Plus, a tribute to the late Val Kilmer, a nod to Willow, and a moment of silence for Mandy’s sanity after trying to reconcile a brain fungus outbreak with pandemic PTSD. You’re going to laugh, you’re going to think, you’re going to want to rewatch episode two and sob into a throw blanket.

Links & Notes

 

Make Me a Nerd is a podcast for full-blown nerds and those who are nerd-curious. Its host, Mandy Kaplan, is a mainstream middle-aged mom who loves all things Football, Taylor Swift, and Housewives. Each week, she will be introduced to some form of nerdery way outside her comfort zone. By who, you ask? (we know it’s whom, that was a “nerd test,” and you passed it) A full-blown sci-fi/D&D/Ren Fair-loving geek guest determined to expand her horizons and recruit her to nerd-dom. You know what they say: “May the forest be with you”!
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