Startup World

New episodes of season 2 of The Last of Usare premiering on HBO every Sunday night, and Ars' Kyle Orland (who's played the games) and Andrew Cunningham (who hasn't)will be talking about them here every Monday morning.
While these recaps don't delve into every single plot point of the episode, there are obviouslyheavy spoilerscontained within, so go watch the episode first if you want to go in fresh.Kyle: I'd like to personally welcome Andrew and everyone else who didn't play The Last of Us Part 2 to the summer of 2020, when the gaming world was rocked by the most shocking video game character permadeath this side of Final Fantasy VII.Before we get into how they changed Joel's pivotal death scene for the TV show, and why I think it doesn't work quite as well here, I'd love to hear more about what was going through your head both as it was happening and after.Andrew: This should, if nothing else, reinforce my bona fides as someone who has not the faintest idea what is coming.My main reaction is "Boy, Kyle just let me say a whole bunch of things last week even though clearly he knew this was what was going to happen!" I thought we were watching the opening to a second season of a TV show in the first episode, the establishment of a new status quo that we would then explore over the course of the next few episodes.
But we were, instead, playing the tutorial level of a second video game, right before everything blows up.I was pretty astonished by what the show did to Joel.
Not just because I didn't see it coming! But because it leaves the show without one of the two nuanced and well-developed characters we spent all of last season building up.
I don't, uh, love it, as a storytelling decision.
Probably the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Credit: HBO Probably the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Credit: HBO Kyle: I will say it was hard not even alluding to what was coming last week, but it was also kind of fun just letting you have your last "Sweet Summer Child" moments in the sun.
I also felt that Joel's sudden absence hurt the remainder of the game, though based on the storytelling beats we've seen and/or missed so far, I wouldn't be shocked if we have some flashbacks...Back in 2020, I actually had the shocking moment spoiled by some pretty major leaks that I ended up covering as a journalist weeks before I was able to review the game myself.Aside from that, though, the show kind of dampens the impact of "The Moment" by making Abby's motivations crystal clear for 1.5 episodes leading up to it.
In the game, you actually play as a mostly blank-slate Abby for a few brief scenes before being rescued by Joel.
After that, the shocking turnaround plays out as a quick gut punch during a cutscene that has a lot less Abby-monologuing than the show did.The game doesn't fill in the details about the "why" of it all for the audience until much later, which makes the whole thing that much more impactful.
But maybe the showrunners figured that since the game already exists, it would be hard to keep the audience off balance like that for weeks when they could just look up what was going on...Andrew: The monologuing was off-putting, honestly, and gets to the heart of what I'm concerned about.
I'll refrain from speculating a ton about a game whose plot it would take me about 30 seconds to look up and read, but I'm not particularly excited to watch Ellie chase down this generically angst-ridden fresh-faced former Firefly? Does the show now need to be carried by a bunch of the Jackson Hole characters we just met? None of these possibilities are as interesting to me as watching Joel and an adult Ellie deal with their issues.
Ellie will probably be just fine after all this, right? Credit: HBO Ellie will probably be just fine after all this, right? Credit: HBO Kyle: Yeah, I don't think it's spoiling much to say that Joel and Ellie's relationship carried the first game, and now it's obvious that Ellie's hunt for revenge is going to attempt to carry the second.
It's a rough shift that I don't think did the second game any favors, personally.The game goes to a lot of trouble to literally put you in Abby's shoes and eventually tries to try to make her own revenge saga feel a little more earned.
Here, I feel like the show is being a bit more blunt about selling you her backstory at the front end and attempting to "justify" her brutal turn toward Joel somewhat in advance.I wondered if you found yourself sympathizing at all with her character at this point.Andrew: Obviously what Joel did to the Fireflies is awful, maybe unforgiveable.
Beyond the lie to Ellie, there's a strong possibility that he deprived humanity of a cure for the disease causing the very-much-ongoing apocalypse.But, like, no! I don't sympathize with Abby! Not only is she driven solely by this bland Inigo Montoya thing, but she sadistically tortures someone who just saved her stupid life, brutalizing Joel so much that it drives her also-supposedly-revenge-driven Firefly friends to tears.
If I'm supposed to sympathize with her, the show did pretty much everything possible to make sure I don't.On paper, what Joel did is probably way worse, but we've also been primed by a whole season of TV (and by the charm of Pedro Pascal) to try and understand why he did what he did.
None of this is really happening with Abby.Kyle: Yeah, "supposed to sympathize with her" is a bit too strong, perhaps, especially at this point in the narrative.
But I do think the show is trying to make her actions at least feel partially justified or understandable? It will be interesting to see how the show handles turning her into a more fleshed out character, because at this point, her revenge quest feels a bit mustache-twirling to me.Backing up a bit, this episode also featured a huge set-piece zombie horde battle that ruins the brief calm we enjoyed in Jackson Hole.
The scene played out so much like a video game mission that I had to go back and make sure I hadn't forgotten about some major Jackson Hole firefight in the game.
But no, this is a pure creation of the show.I think the whole thing worked pretty well both as a reminder of the precarity of the vestiges of human civilization and an excuse for some flashy special effects.
I also thought for a second that they were actually going to kill off Tommy so the show had its own totally unexpected death, even for people who had played the game.
That couple of minutes with the flamethrower was actually tense for me! Mmmmm...
roasted mushrooms...
Credit: HBO Mmmmm...
roasted mushrooms...
Credit: HBO Andrew: Maybe Abby will become more fleshed-out, and maybe she won't.
But she's started by making the exact same mistake as Joel: leaving witnesses.I did enjoy the zombie battle a lot.
The liquid churn of the snow as a million guys burst out from under it: creepy! Good on the show and HBO for figuring out a way to do a snowy zombie horde fight without making it feel too reminiscent of Game of Thrones.I will, again, refrain from speculating overmuch about where the Jackson Hole storyline goes since I'm not even sure at this point how much time will be spent on the aftermath and rebuilding (if there is rebuilding rather than further societal collapse).
I did find myself wondering during the flamethrower scene whether roasted mushroom guy smelled appetizing or whether people in this world can even bring themselves to enjoy mushrooms on a pizza or in an omelette.Kyle: I bet eating a normal mushroom in The Last of Us universe is akin to eating a hallucinogenic mushroom in the real world.
A little bit of a dangerous taboo for iconoclastic rulebreakers to show they're open-minded.Andrew: We've established that I have no idea what is going to happen next, but we do have dangling threads here to deal with next week.
How do the residents of Jackson Hole deal with the fungus in their pipes? How many people try to talk Ellie out of her revenge tour before she goes off and does it anyway? How are the Smart Zombies we met last week going to come back and cause problems? How many more Abby flashbacks will I need to sit through?But above all, I'm really curious to know what the show is going to do to keep game-players like yourself on your toes.Kyle: Last season we got the surprising "Nick Offerman's life of love among the zombies" story as the third episode, and I wouldn't mind a similar out of nowhere left turn to wash out Joel's death this time around.
I'm not saying that has to take the form of what would be a stunning, unexpected, and completely illogical return of Offerman's Bill character.
But if that is what the show decides to do, I would not complain.dc5bda983204b081f625d1c0e3d85d9c





Unlimited Portal Access + Monthly Magazine - 12 issues


Contribute US to Start Broadcasting - It's Voluntary!


ADVERTISE


Merchandise (Peace Series)

 


Are these chimps having a fruity booze-up in the wild?Is there


White House pestered by Signal controversy as Pentagon in full-blown crisis


Teen coder shuts down open source Mac app Whisky, mentioning damage to paid apps


Trump can’t keep China from getting AI chips, TSMC suggests


In depth with Windows 11 Recall—and what Microsoft has (and hasn’t) fixed


Chrome on the slicing block as Google's search antitrust trial moves on


Annoyed ChatGPT users complain about bot’s relentlessly positive tone


HBO’s The Last of Us reaches “The Moment” game fans have been dreading


F1 in Saudi Arabia: Blind corners and walls at over 200 mph


Neuroscientists are racing to turn brain waves into speech


MQ-1C Gray Eagle Tests Hellfire Missiles


Modini Gets UK MOD £4.5m Precision Strike Drone Contract


Kratos Reveals XQ-58 Valkyrie with Built-In Landing Gear


Italy's ELT Group Launches New Counter UAS KARMA (Kinetic Anti-drone Mobile Asset)


Russian Airline Aurora Group Gets Approval to Perform UAV Services


Which DJI drones you must and should not buy this spring


DJI Dock 3, Matrice 4D drones receive significant upgrade


Drone shipment has actually become the standard in Dublin


New KUKA operating system includes a virtual robot controller


April 2025 issue: RBR50 Innovation Awards


Saronic unveils autonomous vessel and acquires Gulf Craft to boost production


Yarbo closes Series B funding to continue yard robotic growth


Columbia trainee suspended over interview unfaithful tool raises $5.3 M to 'cheat on everything'


Bezos-backed start-up developed an EV that can change like a 'Transformer'


Tariff turmoil may have killed the tech M A market&& s resurgence The tech market does not need to be skyrocketing up and to the right to cultivate healthy M&A activity. Deals can get done even in down markets. Can M&A grow in an unsure marke


19 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 so far


Put your brand at the center of the AI conversation-- host a Side Event throughout A Technology NewsRoom Sessions: AI


Final weeks to protect your spot in the AI spotlight at A Technology NewsRoom Sessions: AI


Ghost forests are growing as sea levels rise


Comau to acquire warehousing automation company Automha in strategic expansion


Kollmorgen to highlight frameless servo motors at Robotics Summit


Lichens can survive almost anything, and some might survive Mars


A new expense in Congress might produce up to 90,000 brand-new drone laws


Is the DJI Mavic 4 Pro still coming out this month


Harvard equips its RoboBee with crane fly-inspired landing equipment


Well known AI scientist launches questionable startup to replace all human workers everywhere


Google includes YouTube Music feature to end bothersome volume shifts


Trump official to Katy Perry and Bezos’ fiancée: “You cannot identify as an astronaut”


Microsoft’s “1?bit” AI model runs on a CPU only, while matching larger systems


Synology confirms that higher-end NAS items will need its branded drives


To restore a head, you initially have to know where your tail is


Regrets: Actors who sold AI avatars stuck in Black Mirror-esque dystopia


“Lab leak” marketing page replaces federal hub for COVID resources


Rover finds hints of an ancient Martian carbon cycle


Women rely partly on smell when choosing friends


Trump’s tariffs trigger price hikes at large online retailers


Cupra is all about budget-friendly vehicles, funky styling, energized performance


Nintendo raises planned Switch 2 accessory prices amidst tariff uncertainty


Sunderfolk evaluation: RPG magic that transports your pals together


Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the dad rock of video games, and I love it


Recap: Wheel of Time's third season balefires its way to a hell of a finish


Rocket Report: Daytona rocket delayed again; Bahamas tells SpaceX to hold up


SpaceX could once again remain in for a massive government agreement, along with Palantir and Anduril


Archer unveils eVTOL air taxi network with United to connect passengers to all major NYC airports


Skip NYC traffic: Archer unveils 15-min air taxi rides to airports


DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Adventure Combo hits record low price


Learn about vibration control in manufacturing and robotics


MISUMI acquires Fictiv for $350M to scale component offerings


NexCOBOT demoing advanced control system at Robotics Summit


King Tractor partners with Dairy Farmers of America for self-governing feed pushing


Nuro brings self-governing lorry test fleet to Japan for data collection


ABB plans to spin off its robotics division


Techstars increases startup funding to $220,000, mirroring YC structure


From Bogotá to the Battlefield: LatAm startups are winning big in A Technology NewsRoom Startup Battlefield


Startups Weekly: Mixed messages from venture capital


Trump EPA targets two-man geoengineering startup for 'polluting the air'


Is the SPAC back


Final day to submit your speaker application and form the next wave of startups at A Technology NewsRoom All Stage


There’s a secret reason the Space Force is delaying the next Atlas V launch


Company apologizes after AI support agent invents policy that causes user uproar


Trump admin accused of censoring NIH's leading specialist on ultra-processed foods


At monopoly trial, Zuckerberg redefined social media as texting with friends


HP consents to $4M settlement over claims of incorrectly advertising PCs, keyboards


Trump's FCC chair threatens Comcast, requires modifications to NBC news protection


United States Interior secretary orders offshore wind job shut down


Gemini 2.5 Flash concerns the Gemini app as Google seeks to enhance vibrant thinking


Synology could bring certified drive requirements to more NAS gadgets


Suspicion welcomes claims of a possible biosignature on a far-off world


Chris Krebs, who unmasked 2020 election lies, promises full-time fight against Trump


Google is gifting a year of Gemini Advanced to every college student in the US


Google loses ad tech monopoly trial, faces additional breakups


Sony releases new trailer for 28 Years Later


What do you actually do in Mario Kart World’s vast open world


Tesla odometer uses predictive algorithms to void service warranty, claim claims


Diablo vs. Darkest Dungeon: RPG devs on balancing punishment and power


Climate modification will make rice toxic, say researchers


UK Tests RapidDestroyer Microwave C-UAS Weapon


GA-ASI Announces Technology Investments from Blue Magic Netherlands


FAA Testing Drone Detection Systems In New Jersey


Ukraine Identifies New Russian Kamikaze Drone


Artificial Intelligence Triumphs in World's Most Sophisticated Autonomous Drone Race in Abu Dhabi


Yakovlev Yak-141-- America Stole it and Turned it into a Monster


MQ-9B Shown with Airborne Laser at Sea Air Space 2025


Chinese Hydrogen Drone Sets 30-Hour Non-Stop Domestic Flight Record


Ukraine Tests Drone ‘Motherships’


Japan Announces Ship-Launched UAV Tender


OpenAI pursued Cursor maker before participating in talk with buy Windsurf for $3B


Defense tech Theseus landed Y Combinator, the United States Special Forces, and $4.3 M from a tweet


Ramp is trying to get the United States government as a customer after seeing a tweet from DOGE


As the trade war escalates, Hence launches an AI 'advisor' to assist companies handle danger


AI benchmarking platform Chatbot Arena forms a brand-new business


Make a brand effect by hosting a Side Event during A Technology NewsRoom All Stage Week in Boston


Wasp's platform is the glue that holds web dev apps together


Archer Aviation wishes to help New Yorkers avoid airport traffic with electric air taxis


Aerix Systems Debuts AXS µ1 Drone that can Engage Targets from any Angle without Repositioning.At the 2025 edition


OpenAI releases brand-new simulated thinking models with complete tool gain access to


Why are two Texas senators attempting to wrest a Space Shuttle from the SmithsonianShould the city of Houston, which proudly expenses itself as Space City, have a treasured Space Shuttle orbiter on public display ... Should the city of Houston, which


AP: Trump admin to kill IRS totally free tax-filing service that Intuit lobbied versus


Disgruntled users roast X for killing Support account


LG TVs' integrated ads get more individual with tech that examines viewer feelings


14 reasons Trump's tariffs won't bring manufacturing back


Government IT whistleblower calls out DOGE, states he was threatened in your home


Hands-on: Hohem iSteady M7 smartphone gimbal


Hands-on: PolarPro's new RoadRunner video camera bags


Physical AI start-up RLWRLD generates $15M


Chapter, a Medicare start-up with links to Vance, Thiel, and Ramaswamy, just raised a round at $1.5 B appraisal


Rippling wants Revolut to reveal who paid off Deel’s alleged ‘spy’


OpenAI is reportedly in talks to buy Windsurf for $3B, with news expected later on this week


RoboBee sticks the landing


What occurred when Formula E went to an American oval trackOn lap 14,


CDC struggling to eliminate raving measles break out after deep funding, personnel cuts


Google suspended 39.2 million malicious advertisers in 2024 thanks to AI


Trump threatens to spike chipmakers’ costs by billions as China mulls exemptions


CVE, international source of cybersecurity info, was hours from being cut by DHS


Feds charge New Mexico male for allegedly torching Tesla dealer


Researchers claim advancement in battle against AI's aggravating security hole


Looking at the Universe’s dark ages from the far side of the Moon


Ukraine Presents Tryzub Laser Weapon


Shield AI's V-BAT Proves Resilience to EW at United States Army Combat Test


NATO Buys Palantir Maven AI Military System


China’s J-36 Tailless Fighter Zips Over Road on Landing


Self-Charging Drones for Power Line Inspections Win Top Prize at UW Enviro Innovation Contest


FAA drones flood NJ skies: Why you need to keep away


Insta360 teases new cam launch with NYC pop-up event


DJI includes high-power spotlight and speaker to drone arsenal


This tiny Sony sensing unit can assist drones see like eagles


Cirtronics to lead commercialization discussion at Robotics Summit Expo


Johnson Johnson completes first cases with OTTAVA robotic surgical system


Cosmic Robotics gets moneying to automate, accelerate solar installation


Zhipu.AI&& s Open-Source Power Play: Blazing-Fast GLM Models Global Expansion Ahead of Potential IPO


Digital frame maker Aura presents the Aspen, a $299 frame with more smart functions


We've entered a period of Fintech Maximalism according to Mark Goldberg


Startup funding hit records in Q1. The outlook for 2025 is still awful.Startups attracted$91.5 billion in endeavor capital funding in Q1, according to the newest report from information provider PitchBook. This figure not only surpasses the previous quart


Deck raises $12M to 'Plaid-ify' any website utilizing AI


A Technology NewsRoom All Stage: Full agenda revealed


Less than a month delegated claim your brand's spotlight at A Technology NewsRoom Sessions: AI with an exhibit table


Bolt’s Ryan Breslow pins his hopes on a new app that takes on Coinbase, Zelle, and PayPal


Capsule captures $12M to construct the next variation of its AI video editor for brands


TS Anil, CEO of Monzo, is joining our StrictlyVC London lineup


Autism rate increases somewhat; RFK Jr. declares he'll have responses by September


Google includes Veo 2 video generation to Gemini app


White House calls NPR and PBS a grift, will ask Congress to rescind financing


The physics of bowling strike after strike


4chan has been down given that Monday night after pretty thorough own


Netflix plans to bring streaming into the $1 trillion club by 2030


Overland AI launches ULTRA autonomous ground systems for defense


Hugging Face bridges gap between AI and physical world with Pollen Robotics acquisition


Figma disregards the worry, files documentation for an IPO


India's BluSmart swept up in Gensol investigation declaring abuse of EV loans


Figma sent a cease-and-desist letter to Lovable over the term 'Dev Mode'We may be


OpenAI hires team behind GV-backed AI eval platform Context.ai


Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani spills service tea with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex


Marshmallow, the UK insurance startup for migrants, raises $90M at a $2B+ valuation


Here’s how a satellite ended up as a ghostly apparition on Google Earth


Nvidia nudges mainstream gaming PCs forward with RTX 5060 series, starting at $299


Trump Administration puts $2.2 billion of Harvard’s research money on hold


Android phones will quickly reboot themselves after sitting unused for 3 days


ISPs and robocallers love the FCC plan to “delete” as many rules as possible


FCC head Brendan Carr tells Europe to get on board with Starlink


Tuesday Telescope: Is the James Webb Space Telescope worth $10 billion


CT scans could cause 5% of cancers, research study discovers; professionals note uncertainty


Ought to we settle Mars, or is it a dumb idea for human beings to live off worldMars is back


OpenAI continues naming chaos despite CEO acknowledging the habit


Lunar Gateway's skeleton is total-- its next stop may be Trump's chopping block


Razer constructed a game-streaming app on top of Moonlight, and it's not too bad


Scientists made a stretchable lithium battery you can bend, cut, or stab


Zuckerberg’s 2012 email dubbed “smoking gun” at Meta monopoly trial


Samsung’s Android 15 update has been halted


Report: Apple will take another crack at iPad multitasking in iPadOS 19


In the middle of Trump tariff turmoil, Nvidia launches AI chip production on US soil


F1 in Bahrain: I dare you to call that race boring


Live demos test efficiency of Revolutionary War weapons


NOAA scientists scrub toilets, rethink experiments after service contracts end


PRO-UAS Announces 2 Major UAS Publications


Quantum Systems Partners with Ukraine's Frontline to Integrate Cutting-Edge C-UAS Capabilities


Russia's SOLIST'-- a New Missile-FPV Drone Hybrid System


Bayraktar TB2 Performs Autonomous Spin Recovery Manoeuvre


A2Z Drone Delivery Gets United States Patent for Portfolio of Drone Docks


Meet Flying Sun: The drone that turns night into day


ParaZero broadens Class C5 safety to Mavic 3 Pro drones


Autonomous trucking developer Kodiak Robotics to go public via SPAC


Discover how to deal with latency, precision, and security in remote surgery at Robotics Summit


Xaba raises $6M to build ‘synthetic brains’ for industrial robots


Gatik gets independent safety validation from TUV SUD for autonomous logistics


Deel's CEO is now in Dubai, complicating Rippling's lawsuit


Former Tesla supply chain leaders create Atomic, an AI inventory solution


Here’s how Pacific Fusion plans to build a fusion power plant


Reach 1,000+ AI leaders: Host a Side Event during A Technology NewsRoom Sessions: AI


Notion releases an AI-powered email client for Gmail


Final days to use to speak at A Technology NewsRoom All Stage


Combination power has a fuel issue; Hexium has a laser-powered option


Phantom Neuro grabs $19M to assist amputees put their phantom limbs to use


Rippling is attempting to serve Deel's CEO, however bailiffs can't discover him


Meet Neptune, a TikTok option where developers can conceal likes and fan counts


Bill Gates-backed Arnergy to expand solar access in Nigeria with $18M as demand surges


Conifer locks down $20M seed round for its 'drop-in' electric hub motor


After market tumult, Trump excuses mobile phones from massive brand-new tariffs


BAE Systems Unveils New APKWS Precision Guided Rocket


India Successfully Test Fires C-UAS Laser System


Turkey’s ANKA III Stealth Drone Test Launches Radar-Deceiving Decoy


Epirus Introduces Leonidas H2O, Energy-Based, High-Power Microwave System


Near Earth Autonomy Gets $11M US Army Heavy VTOL Demo Contract


Boumarang purchases Wavedrone to include maritime systems to drone portfolio


ForwardX new self-production facility to produce 5,000 mobile robots per year


DeepSeek Signals Next-Gen R2 Model, Unveils Novel Approach to Scaling Inference with SPCT


AI Video Generation Race Shifts from Capability to Profitability, Challenging Sora's Dominance


Beyond Next-Token Prediction Meta's Novel Architectures Spark Debate on the Future of Large Language Models


Nvidia Intensifies Robot Push with New Humanoid Platform as Industry Giants Eye Lucrative Future