Season 2 episode 4 of HBO's The Last of Us begins thirteen years in the past (2016) with a vehicle full of FEDRA soldiers. One of them tells a story while the others laugh along. Meanwhile, their SGT doesn’t find anything about his tale of oppressing people funny. That person is Isaac.
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2, EPISODE 4 OF HBO'S THE LAST OF US!
Isaac the Terrible and Jeffrey Wright, the Great
The truck stops after members of the Washington Liberation Front (or WLF) stage a trap. Isaac gets out and tells one of the soldiers to join him. After Isaac confirms who he and and talks to the WLF's leader, Isaac takes two grenades, throws them in the FEDRA truck, and kills everyone inside. He then turns to the remaining FEDRA soldier and tells him to make a decision. His choices are to join him or his dead teammates.
In The Last of Us Part 2, Isaac was a monster. He encouraged his soldiers to torture their enemies to get what he needed. There was a chance that it could change in the show. Thankfully, it didn’t. HBO’s The Last of Us needs people where there’s no question that they’re evil. After seeing him physically abuse a Seraphite and kill him, you know that there’s no good left in him.
If you needed more of a reason, you soon discover that the young and meek FEDRA soldier he saved was indoctrinated into Isaac’s way of thinking. He was cold and was glad when Isaac murdered the unarmed Seraphite. It leads you to believe that he wasn't the last person who drank Isaac's Kool-Aid.
Jeffrey Wright plays Isaac in The Last of Us Part 2 and returned to play him on the show. Both times, his performance was phenomenal. I found myself in awe of everything he did, no matter how deplorable. You can hate the character and still be amazed at how good the performer was. It’s easy to see why people followed him into the fire. The irony is he’s just as bad as the people he opposes.
The other side of the Seraphites
When the audience first meets the Seraphites, they seem like good people. You can ignore the cult-like appearances and see the part that just wants togetherness and family. However, this episode shows the grim side to them.
The Seraphites perform ritualistic kills on the WLFs after their captured. The “priests” say they’re sending the dead to their god and pray that the prophet guides them in the afterlife. Realistically, their prophet wouldn’t approve of the violence. Sadly, this is what happens when groups misinterpret someone’s message or use it for their own selfish needs.
Things with the Seraphites will get interesting when two new characters are introduced. You’ll see that they’re no better than the WLFs. They're both violent and don't seem to care about anything other than their ideals. The difference is that one uses guns and radios while the others have arrows and whistles.
The other obvious part is that both the WLFs and the Seraphites are just as dangerous as the infected that destroyed the world. At least the infected can use the excuse that their minds are corrupted by cordyceps.
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