{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdont-encourage-us.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fhbos-the-last-of-us-2023-ONO_J6K3","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"The Last of Us: Why FEDRA Isn't the Villain the Show Thinks It Is","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/ed574ad1-a2e9-4817-b068-309fba6885cb/ecc504ea-b855-4e14-b453-85b00169f8fa/the_dont_encourage_us_show_youtube_thumbnail_2560_x_1440_px.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/0d423444-4dff-47d6-bd31-1270db594fbf\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"The Last of Us: Why FEDRA Isn&apos;t the Villain the Show Thinks It Is\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"The first two episodes of HBO's The Last of Us adapt a beloved game faithfully but they may have introduced a structural problem the show doesn't realize it has. FEDRA executes the infected, enforces curfews, and maintains order. The Fireflies blow things up and destabilize what's left of civilization. So why are we supposed to root against FEDRA? We break down where the show's moral framing falls apart, how the cordyceps transmission rules create logic problems the writers haven't resolved, whether the two-character journey structure can avoid becoming Walking Dead Part 2, and what the game did differently that the show chose not to."}