Isaac is a military man and a sworn enemy of the Seraphites
Naughty Dog
Though both versions of the character share the same actor, a military background, and a ruthless hatred of the Seraphites, the show’s Isaac seems to be a touch different from the game version. In “The Last of Us Part II,” the WLF bigwig is introduced in the middle of interrogating a Seraphite in a decrepit public bathroom. On the show, that scene takes place in a well-equipped kitchen, and Isaac demonstrates an affinity for quality kitchenware — copper pans in particular. This sprinkle of personality is a new addition, as is the scene’s increased focus on Isaac’s brutality. This is an effective way to establish him as a man of culture and a skilled torture technician in one fell swoop.
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Of course, this is not the first time we meet Isaac on the show. Earlier in the episode, we see his capacity for violence in a flashback scene that shows he used to be a non-commissioned FEDRA officer who defected to the nascent Wolves, killing the majority of his old crew while doing so. Compare this to “The Last of Us Part II” version of the character, a Marine Corps veteran who was anti-FEDRA from the get-go, and it seems that the show intends to flesh out the character in ways that the game never really attempts. This will likely turn out to be a very good move, since the game version of Isaac is a major antagonist, but also a fairly one-dimensional “either you’re with me or against me”-style militant dictator type. Besides, it’s hard to see even the most change-averse fans objecting if the show opts to let a performer of Jeffrey Wright’s caliber cook (no pun intended).
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Isaac will cause Abby a whole heap of trouble
Naughty Dog
As anyone who’s played the game knows, Isaac doesn’t personally interact with Ellie (Ashley Johnson in the games, Bella Ramsey on the show) in “The Last of Us Part II.” However, without going into too many spoilers, the WLF leader ends up causing truly severe problems for Abby as her storyline progresses and their worldviews begin to differ.
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Isaac’s relationship with Abby is that of a commander and a trusted underling rather than the surrogate father-daughter bond between Joel and Ellie, and the game doesn’t really attempt to draw serious parallels between the two generational relationships. Isaac also gets so little character development that he doesn’t even really compare to some other notorious “The Last of Us” faction leaders — say, the cannibalistic deviant David (Nolan North in the game, Scott Shepherd on the show) from the first game and the show’s first season.
However, the show is notorious for both respecting the source material and experimenting with new things like jaw-dropping sequences that bring the show to “Game of Thrones” territory. The show also has a tendency to elevate supporting characters, best shown by Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank’s (Murray Bartlett) relationship in the season 1 standout episode “Long, Long Time.” It remains to be seen whether HBO’s “The Last of Us” intends to use Wright’s WLF leader to fill the Pedro Pascal-sized hole the show has after Joel’s death by dramatically expanding his role and screen time, but “The Last of Us” season 2, episode 4 certainly hints that the show has plenty more Isaac in store.
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New episodes of “The Last of Us” hit HBO and Max on Sunday nights.
by admin | May 5, 2025 | Articles, Hollywood Reporter Articles
It didn’t begin a long time ago or in a galaxy far far away, but every May 4 it feels like images, memes and promotional deals involving Star Wars have an inescapable gravity.
May 4 — or May the 4th, as fans say — has evolved over the years into Star Wars Day, an informal holiday celebrating the space epic and its surrounding franchise.
What is Star Wars Day?
Star Wars Day was created by fans as a sly nod to one of the films’ most popular catchphrases, “May the force be with you.” Get it? Good, now May the 4th be with you too.
It’s not an official holiday but has become so well-known that even former President Joe Biden marked it last year when Star Wars actor Mark Hamill dropped by the White House a day beforehand. This year, the Trump administration marked the occasion with a Star Wars-themed meme.
“I think it’s a very clever way for fans to celebrate their passion and love for Star Wars once a year,” said Steve Sansweet, founder and executive chairman of Rancho Obi-Wan, a nonprofit museum in California that has the world’s largest collection of “Star Wars” memorabilia.
How did it begin?
The phrase “May the 4th be with you” was used by fans in the years after the first film was released in 1977, and even appeared in a British political ad in 1979 celebrating Margaret Thatcher’s victory as prime minister on May 4 that year.
For some fans, the official Star Wars Day comes on May 25, the date of the first film’s release. The Los Angeles City Council even declared the date to be Star Wars Day in 2007, although the California Legislature voted in 2019 to designate May 4 as Star Wars Day.
How has it spread?
May the 4th caught on informally among fans through inside jokes shared on social media and viewings of the films to mark the occasion. Businesses eventually joined in on the fun, with brands ranging from Nissan to Jameson Whiskey running ads or posting on social media about it.
Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, embraced the day as a way to further promote the franchise with merchandise, special screenings and other events surrounding the brand.
Not all Star Wars fans are enthused about how ubiquitous the once-underground joke has become. Chris Taylor, a senior editor at Mashable and author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, labels himself a “May the 4th grinch” in part because of its commercialization.
“I love a good dad joke as much as anyone, but my God you can take it too far,” Taylor said.
In western Germany, a Protestant congregation held a Star Wars-themed service Sunday, German news agency dpa reported. Pastor Samuel Dörr and some of his congregants wore costumes and decorated their church in Bensberg.
How is it being celebrated this year?
The day is being celebrated on a large and small scale this year. Disney+ is launching the new series Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld on the date, and it comes as the second season gets underway for another franchise series, Andor.
It also follows the announcement that a new stand-alone Star Wars film installment starring Ryan Gosling will be released in 2027.
Disney marks the day with the launch of new Star Wars merchandise, ranging from lightsaber sets to jewelry.
Most Major League Baseball teams have marked the day in recent years with special events incorporating Star Wars characters. For example, the San Francisco Giants sold special tickets for Saturday’s game that included a bobblehead portraying pitcher Logan Webb as “Obi-Webb Kenobi.”
It’s hard to find a place where May the 4th celebrations aren’t occurring, from bakeries serving cookies with a Star Wars theme to concerts featuring the memorable scores of the films.
It’s a town-wide celebration in New Hope, Pennsylvania, which shares its name with the subtitle of the first Star Wars film. The town of about 2,600 people, located 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, plans to have costumed characters throughout town with restaurants serving themed items like a “YodaRita.”
“I would always joke around and wish people ‘May the 4th’ — but taking it to this level, I’ve definitely upped my Star Wars nerdiness,” said Michael Sklar, president of the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce.
The White House posted an AI-generated image of a muscular Donald Trump in a jedi robe and wielding a red lightsaber. The image on X was accompanied by a Star Wars-themed broadside.
“Happy May the 4th to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting so hard to to bring Sith Lords, Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, & well known MS-13 Gang Members, back into our Galaxy. You’re not the Rebellion — you’re the Empire,” the White House posting said.
by admin | May 4, 2025 | TV & Beyond Articles
his idea for “Babylon 5” to Paramount, hoping the studio would produce it and turn it into a full-blown sci-fi show. He presented Paramount with a series bible, character bios, artwork, and even 22 brief story ideas that he intended to write for the show. The series was set in the mid-23rd century aboard a space station that was located in a neutral part of space. Many aliens would pass through, and the show’s main characters, part of a peacekeeping military-like organization, had to tackle all the natural intrigue of being in that position. Paramount turned down “Babylon 5,” but Straczynski ended up selling his pitch to Warner Bros. a few years later.
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In a suspicious piece of timing, though, Paramount announced — only two months after “Babylon 5” was announced — that it would be producing “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” a series that was also set aboard a numbered space station and that also saw many aliens visiting a beleaguered outpost overseen by a peacekeeping military-like organization. Straczynski has remarked (in a post on his website) that “Deep Space Nine” creators Rick Berman and Michael Piller likely didn’t see his “Babylon 5” materials, but he suspected that some of his ideas were, nonetheless, used to develop that “Star Trek” TV show. The tensions between Straczynski and Paramount remained palpable for years.
This context is important to know when talking about “Star Trek: Re-Boot the Universe,” a proposed 14-page “Star Trek” treatment that Straczynski once cobbled together with Bryce Zabel, the creator of the sci-fi series “Dark Skies.” In 2004, when “Star Trek: Enterprise” was on the air and the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot was just a glimmer in J.J.Abrams’ eye, Straczynski and Zabel idly hammered out their ideas.
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Weirdly, the eventual 2009 reboot also resembled Straczynski’s idea. Zabel talked about said reboot in “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams,” edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross.
