Isabela Merced knew what she was getting into when she signed up to play Dina in the second season of The Last of Us — and let’s just say, the gays are thriving.
The Peruvian-American actress, 23, spilled that during the filming of the show’s pivotal queer love scene — where Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina share their first kiss — all the gay women on set were crying. Yes, even behind the cameras, sapphic hearts were melting.
“All the gay women on the set, we all went and watched playback, like people were crying,” Merced told reporters with a grin. “It’s not just like, ‘Oh the gay girl, the side character.’ It’s like, this is the main character. It’s so beautiful. It’s so cinematic.”
This is not your average post-apocalyptic zombie story. The Last of Us isn’t just about survival — it’s about surviving as your authentic self, in a world that hasn’t exactly caught up to LGBTQ+ rights. The kiss between Ellie and Dina? It’s not a side plot. It’s the heart of the show. And that’s a big deal for queer fans who have waited forever to see themselves front and center.
Lesbian Love Story in a Brutal World
Merced’s character, Dina, is Ellie’s confidant, lover, and emotional anchor in a violent, bleak world where love is a risk — but worth it. The show’s creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, knew what they were doing when they gave queer women this kind of epic, intimate moment.
Ellie’s journey is full of loss and violence, but Dina is the softness that keeps her human. “Ellie sort of takes on Joel’s role in a way in this season and becomes the hard ass with the issues, and Dina is softening her,” Merced explained.
But don’t expect the haters to get a seat at this table. When asked about the online trolls still upset about the show’s LGBTQ+ representation, Merced didn’t hold back: “They’re gonna have to put up with it. Sit back and watch — or don’t!”
That’s mother energy right there.
Breaking Barriers in Gaming and TV
For Merced, playing Dina was personal. Growing up, she’d never seen lesbians front and center in a video game — let alone leading one of TV’s biggest shows. “I just hadn’t seen lesbians carrying a story like this in the gaming world,” she said. “Are you kidding? People love this s**t?”
And she’s right. The LGBTQ+ community isn’t just being included — they’re driving the story. And it matters. Representation like this gives young queer people the stories they’ve been starved for: love, heartbreak, and survival — not as a side note, but as the main event.
A Scene That Will Stay With Fans
The kiss scene between Ellie and Dina was choreographed with care. Intimacy coordinators were on hand, but the real magic came from the chemistry between Merced and Ramsey. “Bella is such a non-threatening person which is completely the opposite of Ellie, but I felt so comfortable,” Merced said.
She loved that Ellie kept her eyes open for part of the kiss — a detail that made the moment even more raw and vulnerable. And yes, the scene ends with a reminder that homophobia didn’t vanish in the apocalypse — an elder calls the pair a slur before Joel steps in to shut him down.
But Dina’s reaction says it all: an eyeroll, a reminder that queer people have always had to exist in defiance of ignorance.
LGBTQ+ Fans Finally Get Their Story
The Last of Us isn’t just a show. It’s a message. In a world overrun by monsters — literal and figurative — queer love still survives.
For Merced, that’s what makes this role special. It’s not just about representation — it’s about normalizing LGBTQ+ love stories as human stories. “It was just so lovely,” she said, beaming.
And for every gay woman who cried on set, for every fan who sees themselves in Ellie and Dina — this moment is for them.
Watch, cry, survive. The gays are fed.