Socially Distanced #150: The Last of Us Finale + The Mandalorian, ‘The Convert’

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Please be warned there are spoilers for The Last of Us Part II and Last of Us DLC content throughout the podcast. 

The Socially Distanced Podcast is a podcast hosted by two pop culture obsessed dads who were stuck in quarantine and decided to take their Facebook messenger conversations and turn them into a podcast. In 2022 they brought their friend, a pop culture obsessed mom to the show, and things got even better!

Join hosts Al Mannarino, Amanda Rivas and Bill Bodkin as they discuss everything in the world movies, music, sports, television and pop culture — everything keeping them sane in this time of socially distancing. This podcast is powered by ThePopBreak.com.

We’ve hit our 150th episode with a giant-sized annual edition of Socially Distanced! This week we’re discussing the controversial and emotional finale of The Last of Us, the negativity surrounding the new season of The Mandalorian, and the show’s third episode, the highly divisive installment dubbed ‘The Convert.’

Host Amanda Rivas (The Human Star Wars Encyclopedia) is joined by resident guest Alisha Weinberger and Pop Break’s editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin to wander into the mind palace one last time to discuss The Last of Us. They talk about the decision to adhere to the ending of the game fairly strictly and how they actually could’ve improved it by incorporating stories from the second. Alisha gives her wishlist for Season 2 while Bill discussed the vaudevillian way he would put Alisha out of her misery if she was infected by a cordyceps.

“The Voice of God” Marshall Stevenson of of Blerd Watchers and Blerd Life with My Wife joins Amanda and Bill to talk about a Mando-light episode of The Mandalorian. They discuss the implications of focusing on Dr. Pershing and how this could ultimately lead to a big bad for the series, but just who that big bad is is the big question. They discuss the Mando burnout, as well as the brilliance of Katee Sackoff in the role of Bo Katan.