Collider has officially lost the plot on The Last of Us.
In its latest screed defending HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2, the outlet through writer Rahul Malhotra doesn’t just double down on the tired “review bombing” narrative—it openly calls for the censorship of dissenting opinions. And no, that’s not exaggeration.
In the article, Collider states: “It’s about time to revoke some people’s internet privileges.”
Nick Offerman as Bill in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
Now, sure, that might be a tongue in cheek reference. But with the way things are spinning out of control lately within the “culture war,” you never know.
That’s the new standard of criticism, apparently. If you didn’t like how the story unfolded? If you didn’t care for certain performances or the direction of a once-beloved character? Collider thinks your access to the internet should be revoked. That’s not journalism. That’s straight-up ideological gatekeeping disguised as entertainment commentary.
This is the second time in as many weeks that Collider has rushed to shield The Last of Us from growing criticism. And this time, the tone is far more aggressive, bordering on authoritarian. Once again, the outlet refuses to acknowledge any of the actual reasons fans—both new and old—are disappointed with Season 2. Instead, it defaults to one explanation for all criticism: the fans must be trolls.
Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
“Trolls still seem to be getting away with it,” Malhotra said.
That’s the refrain. Don’t like the pacing? Troll. Don’t like the way Joel was written off without emotional payoff? Troll. Don’t think Bella Ramsey is capturing the same essence as Ellie from the game? Troll.
It’s the laziest dismissal in modern entertainment coverage—and Collider is leading the charge.
A Familiar Playbook
Rather than address the growing divide between critics and audiences, Collider recycles the same tired comparisons. According to them, if you’re frustrated with The Last of Us, you must be part of the same crowd that rejected Captain Marvel, Ghostbusters 2016, or The Little Mermaid.
Malhotra writes: “Any film or show with even mildly progressive politics seems to irritate the sort of people who are likely to spend time venting about these things online.”
The Last of Us Part II Remastered (2024), Naughty Dog
This, again, is an outright refusal to engage with the actual content of fan criticism. It’s not about politics. It’s about storytelling. It’s about the fact that audiences grew deeply invested in Joel—played by Pedro Pascal—and felt blindsided when the show removed him two episodes into the new season. And maybe, Rahul, just maybe movie goers and TV watchers the world over are sick of the one-sided political lectures Hollywood has been pushing down our throats for the better part of a decade.
Also, he decries the people “who are likely to spend time venting about these things online” only to turn around and….vent about these things online…
And it’s not just longtime gamers. New viewers who never touched a PlayStation controller are saying the same thing. They bonded with this character. They liked the emotional dynamic between Joel and Ellie. And now, they feel cheated.
The Last of Us Part I (2022), Naughty Dog
But rather than explore that sentiment, Collider responds with censorship fantasies and sweeping generalizations. They point to the show’s 81/100 critic score on Metacritic, then clutch their pearls at the 4.4 user score—suggesting something must be broken.
Spoiler alert: it’s not the users.
Critics vs. Audiences—Again
The real story is right in front of them.
The Last of Us Season 2 holds a glowing 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score? 51%.
Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
That kind of split should raise legitimate questions about execution, direction, and storytelling choices, along with the disconnect between the access media and the common consumer. Instead, Collider spins it as proof of an ungrateful audience. Malhotra seems more interested in smearing fans than reporting honestly.
It’s Malhotra who writes: “Pedro Pascal, whose character Joel — spoiler alert — was killed in the second episode, seems to be doing just fine.”
As if to imply that since no one is piling on Pascal, the rest of the criticism must be rooted in bad faith? It’s a dishonest tactic—one that deliberately ignores the real reason viewers are upset: the loss of Joel as the emotional center of the show. Also Pascal gets a ton of online criticism. Seriously, where have you been? The dude just called the most successful author of all time a “heinous loser” on social media.
Trust me, his mentions probably aren’t pretty.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28: Pedro Pascal speaks onstage during the Mandalorian special launch event at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Malhotra has quickly become one of the loudest mouthpieces for this brand of access media spin, following in the footsteps of entertainment reporters like Mark Malkin of Variety and Paul Tassi of Forbes who mistake condescension for commentary and activism for entertainment.
Instead of listening to what audiences are saying, he lectures them—then calls it journalism.
There’s also no “Opinion” or “Editorial” tag on this Collider hit piece on the fans. So, one might assume the outlet is pushing this very slanted opinion piece out as a news story.
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps – YouTube, Marvel Entertainment
This article you’re reading now is an opinion piece. It’s clearly marked as such because it presents opinions. That means it’s different from a news article. Because I know that my voice—as a writer, a fan, and an editor—is not news. It’s opinion. It’s perspective. And it should be labeled as such.
That being said, are there some people who might review The Last of Us Season 2 in bad faith? Sure. Of course it’s possible. There are probably some heinous comments out there that would make me grit my teeth in anger to read. But to sum up that as some kind of coordinated movement by the fan community at large and call it the news is the very definition of irresponsibility.
The Disgrace of Modern Entertainment Coverage
The saddest part of this spectacle is that media outlets like Collider used to serve the audience. They were there to critique art, to spark dialogue, to represent the fanbase when studios got too disconnected from their core. Now, they’re just a PR shield—rushing to protect billion-dollar properties while scolding the very people who made those properties popular in the first place.
And when a critic like Grace Randolph admits she “REALLY disliked” an episode, but says she won’t cover it because she doesn’t want to be critical of an actor’s performance, it becomes even clearer what the play is. Don’t challenge the product. Don’t upset the discourse. Just keep the access flowing and let the audience deal with the fallout.
Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us (2023), HBO
Fans aren’t trolls. They’re people who connected with a character, watched the show pivot hard away from everything that made it work—and then had to endure being blamed for pointing it out.
If Collider really wants to stand on the side of The Last of Us creators, that’s their right. But don’t pretend it’s journalism. At this point, it’s advocacy wrapped in arrogance.
How do you feel about Collider once again sheltering The Last of Us? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Gatekeeping like this is the last, desperate attempt by those who know they don’t have a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning. Collider knows they’re on the outs and probably not going to be open in another year or two if things continue as they are. They know progs are not going to win their little culture war, which is why so many are going full blown terrorist. But they refuse to admit it and would sooner go down “fighting,” as it were…by throwing a tantrum.
That’s not going to endear them to future employers after their publication shuts down from lack of readership.
Collider keeps digging their own grave.
The original organisation has, of course, been taken over, and is now a PR and marketing operation. Their new business model is to be shills.
The shill journos will adopt the same tactics they used when people saw the game as the feminist propaganda piece it was – they will damage control and smear all who dislike it.
We should remind them that without an audience, they can all go home and read a book. (Which Rachel Z. is probably busy doing right now.)
If there’s a troll in this story, it’s Rahul Malhotra! Even though I don’t know who he is, because I couldn’t care less about such insignificant people. And there are many of them.
The whole MSM is controlled, left-wing propaganda.