The Latest Episode of The Last of Us Has Created a Plot Hole You Might Have Missed

The Last of Us loves a good pop culture reference. Things are a bit different because the outbreak in the show takes place ten years earlier than in the game, but there is no shortage of shout-outs. In fact, despite releasing in 2013, Pearl Jam’s popular song “Future Days” still makes its way into the show, with Joel singing it to Ellie in Season 2, Episode 6, “The Price.” The real-life Apollo missions also play a major part in the episode when Ellie and Joel visit the museum in Wyoming. However, one moment in the episode is causing a pop culture black hole to open up.

The controversy surrounds Eugene, who doesn’t appear in the flesh in The Last of Us games. Joe Pantoliano brings him to life in Season 2 of the HBO series, and while it’s great to see more of a fascinating character, his presence should sound some alarms for Ellie.

The Last of Us Season 2 Lets Ellie Fly Her Geek Flag

With Ellie being born in an apocalypse, there aren’t new hobbies for her to latch onto. So, she becomes passionate about what she can find, such as music and comic books. Her favorite pastime is reading the “Savage Starlight” comic series, which features its fair share of action. Joel uses this as a gateway to get Ellie to watch the “Curtis and Viper” movies from the ’80s. However, The Last of Us Season 2 reveals that Ellie’s love for action movies grows after finding out about The Matrix. She has a poster of the film in her room in the garage, which actually features a familiar face.

Pantoliano is best known for his role as Ralphie in The Sopranos, but he also appears in The Matrix as Cypher, who has a spot on the sci-fi movie’s iconic poster. While the actor looks a lot different, donning a very 2000s goatee and sunglasses, the resemblance is uncanny. With that being the case, The Last of Us creator Craig Mazin mentioned on the show’s companion podcast that he planned to remove the poster from Ellie’s room in Episode 3. It appears however that didn’t end up happening, and the consequence is a pretty strange plot hole where Ellie tries to save the life of a man who looks like a character from her favorite movie. The Last of Us isn’t the first property to deal with this kind of problem, though.

[RELATED – The Best Moment From The Last of Us Games Finally Happened in the HBO Series]

The Last of Us Joins the Club of Properties With Pop Culture Plot Holes

Any movie or TV show that decides to reference real-life events or properties is playing with fire. After all, there’s always the chance they open the door for some confusing interactions. One of the most famous examples is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which never turns down the opportunity to include a pop culture reference. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers runs into Sam Wilson, who tells him to listen to Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man album to fill in some gaps. When Steve opens his notebook to write the tip down, other topics are visible, including Star Wars. Of course, Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Mace Windu in the prequels, portrays Nick Fury in over a dozen MCU projects, including The Winter Soldier.

Ellie doesn’t spend as much time with Eugene in The Last of Us as Cap does with Fury in the MCU, so there’s a better chance of suspension of disbelief kicking in. However, the situation is still a bit of a mess and proves how something as small as a poster can take the attention away from the action. Fortunately, Eugene’s moments in “The Price” are so impactful that it’s easy to forgive Mazin and Co. They take a character from the games with little depth and give him some of the most emotional beats in the entire show. Eugene puts on quite the performance when he tells Joel why he wants to see Gail one last time, one that should make his lookalike in The Matrix very proud.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you catch The Matrix poster in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you think it creates a major plot hole in the show? Let us know in the comments below!