Gamers who tuned in to The Last of Us Episode 8 already knew what to expect but for new viewers, David was a truly shocking villain for two major reasons: The seemingly mild-mannered preacher has been feeding his group human remains and he also turns out to be a pedophile. And while nobody can defend him for wanting to assault children, Troy Baker did point out that David and James were not inherently evil for eating people.
Original Joel actor Troy Baker played James in The Last of Us Episode 8 and while talking about adapting the dramatic moments from the game, Baker explained to GamesRadar that David and James weren't necessarily planning to be bad guys.
"Our episode is no different: [David and his cult] literally put themselves in a position that is unsalvageable, all because winter is cruel. but these are not people that set out to be evil," Baker said. "So for me, the fun part of adapting some of those dramatic moments that we know from the game is fun because now it feels like I'm inside the game as opposed to just playing the game, even though I helped make those scenes as well."
Troy Baker does have a point. In Episode 8, David explains to Ellie that they only decided to start eating people because of the tough winter and that most of the group members are not even aware that they have been turned into cannibals. Still, we can't forgive them for what they did to Joel and Ellie in the series.
In The Last of Us Episode 8, David tried to convince Ellie to join his group while plotting to kill Joel for the death of one of his members. When Ellie refuses, he kidnaps her and tries to assault the girl. However, she managed to fight back and brutally kill him before reuniting with Joel.
The Last of Us Episode 8 is now streaming on HBO Max.
Related: The Last of Us Episode 9 Preview Teases Heartbreaking Conclusion
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