The Last of Us Just Delivered Major Backstory for an Underrated Character

It’s easy to forget that, in the early days of the outbreak in The Last of Us, it wasn’t just about survival. The Federal Disaster Response Agency, aka FEDRA, was the organization the American government sent to major cities to help maintain some semblance of normalcy. It set up quarantine zones to give the non-infected a fighting chance, but it didn’t take long for the power to go to FEDRA’s head, with its soldiers abusing their power and terrorizing civilians. It made everyone realize that the fight wasn’t just against the infected but also against humans who found their way to the top.

While each city’s reaction to FEDRA was different, the results ended up being pretty similar because, by the time The Last of Us Season 2 starts, there are few traces of the government organization left. However, to ensure that FEDRA’s crimes aren’t forgotten, HBO is making it a major part of one character’s backstory.

Isaac’s Character Didn’t Have This Much Lore in The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One” starts with a flashback to Seattle over a decade before Ellie and Dina make their way to the city. FEDRA soldiers are trading stories in an armored vehicle, proving how much fun they can still have during the apocalypse. Their sergeant, Isaac, doesn’t appreciate how they’re about “voters,” which is what they call civilians because the government took their right to vote. It’s clear that Isaac is disillusioned with his post, and it doesn’t take long for him to break free of it. When the vehicle hits a roadblock in the form of people, Isaac gets out to confront them, but instead of telling them to move along, he confirms that one of them is his contact in the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, and kills all of his men but one. Once the show returns to modern-day, Isaac is in charge of the WLF and torturing what he calls a “Scar,” with the soldier he spared guarding the door and soaking up every minute of it.

The modern-day Isaac scene isn’t all that different from The Last of Us Part II. Throughout the game, he shows off his dark side by torturing Seraphites, members of the religious cult that’s active in Seattle. He wants to know their every move because the WLF is at war with them. At one point, things get so bad that both sides agree to a peace treaty, but that doesn’t last long, and once it’s broken, Isaac loses any humanity he has left. And while live-action Isaac may very well follow in his Part II counterpart’s footsteps, there are already very different characters because the one from the game is never part of FEDRA, being a former Marine who lives under the iron thumb of the government organization in Seattle. It’s a major change that’s sure to set the stage for bigger things in The Last of Us TV series.

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The Change to Isaac’s Character in HBO’s The Last of Us Will Drastically Alter the Seattle Conflict

Outside of fleshing out a character who doesn’t get enough shine in Part II, HBO’s decision to make Isaac a former member of FEDRA is likely part of the network’s plan to make the themes of the story more obvious. One of the most unique things about The Last of Us is how it attempts to show every side’s perspective. In a world this broken, everyone has reasons for doing what they do, and even the worst of the worst get a chance to touch on their motivations. Isaac certainly comes across as a complicated bad guy in Part II, with his mission being to keep his people safe by any means necessary. However, there’s little else to go on with him, so, despite a masterful performance by Jeffrey Wright, it’s hard to get on his side.

The Last of Us Season 2 is looking to flip the script by enlisting Wright’s help once again and giving his character clear motivations. Isaac knows what it’s like to take advantage of people, and the rest of Season 2 and Season 3 will likely dive into the good that he does in Seattle. Sure, he tortures people for information, but so did Joel on occasion, and in his mind, the Seraphites are just as big of a threat as FEDRA.

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

Did you enjoy Isaac’s backstory in The Last of Us Season 2? What else do you hope to see from his character? Let us know in the comments below!