The Last of Us creators branded 'pretentious' for banning word from set
People have not stopped raving about The Last of Us since it first hit our screens just last month.
After breaking records and proving itself as a smash-hit, fans are only now starting to find issue with the show - or the show's creators to be specific.
Viewers are calling the creators 'pretentious' for their unusual decision to ban a particular word on set.
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HBO's latest television series has been a huge success since its long-anticipated release.
Writers of The Last of Us have been continuously praised for their excellent talents in staying loyal to the widely loved original game source material.
The dystopian drama series even set a new record on Rotten Tomatoes and is clearly well-revered audiences with the fourth episode, titled 'Please Hold to My Hand', currently standing at an impressive 100 percent on the Tomatometer.
Following main characters Joel (Pedro Pascal) who is responsible with transporting 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey), it's fair to say that viewers have grown to love the show and the colourful characters within it.
The audience's love of the show makes the recent criticisms of the creators even more apparent.
Speaking to The Credits, Eben Bolter, cinematographer for The Last of Us, revealed some key details about exactly what it's like to work on set.
Emphasising the show's focus on 'naturalism', Bolter explained that it totally differs from other films and series in the same dystopian-action genre.
"It’s not a cliché zombie movie, it’s not Hollywood backlit where everyone’s close-up is perfect," he said.
Vouching for the perfect imperfections of the show's production, Bolter added: "It’s a world of organic cinematic naturalism, and that’s something I could just feel."
Opening up some more about shooting the action-packed battle scenes, Bolter was quick to announce the golden rule that was strictly obeyed on set.
"We weren’t allowed to say the Z word on set," he revealed, "it was like a banned word."
The 'Z word' in question refers to the effects of the nightmare-inducing fungus that turns humans into crazed zombies.
Drawing up a divide between the terminology used in The Last of Us compared to other shows that operate under a similar premise, the cinematographer continued: "They were the Infected. We weren’t a zombie show."
Explaining that while the presence of the 'Infected' are pivotal in 'tension building' and garnering thrilling 'jump scares', they are most significantly used as a vehicle to further the development of the characters.
"The show’s really about our characters," Bolten said, "the Infected are an obstacle they have to deal with."
Seemingly a trend within the genre, the cinematographer's thoughts ring bells with another zombie television series that never referenced the Z word - looking at you The Walking Dead.
Viewers found it odd that the word 'zombie' was 'banned' from a show - quite clearly - all about zombies.
"The Z word," posted one Twitter user clearly not agreeing to the show's rule, "my gosh, this is so unnecessarily dramatic."
Another also couldn't wrap their head round the concept, posting: "What's up with zombie-related media and not saying the word 'zombie'? I don't get it."
"I love this show," a third admitted, "but everything I've heard about the production of it has been so pretentious lmao."
A final user added: "The Z word... Is it ever that serious?"
Regardless, it's clear that the news isn't going to stop loyal fans from tuning into the show.
The Last of Us is currently available to stream on Sky Atlantic and Now TV.
Topics: TV and Film, HBO, Gaming
Rhiannon Ingle