Can we talk about ‘The Last of Us’? Please?

IMPORTANT:

This is Fred. He just found out he can chew his own ear. There aren't actually any rules against it, he checked. 12/10 pic.twitter.com/GBU5I6KYcN

— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) January 11, 2023

Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News

Rough day over at NBC News and MSNBC.

The Last of Us was HBO’s second biggest premiere hit in a decade, second only to House of the Dragon. It drew 4.7 million viewers in the first full day it was available. 

Speaking of The Last of Us — LOTS OF SPOILERS, tread carefully:

• Here are the ways the series diverged from the video game.
• One of those ways the show is different is the time it takes place (in the present day as opposed to twenty years in the future). To do this, the Outbreak Day sequence had to be set in 2003, and thus became something of a period piece.
• Vanity Fair has a collection of easter eggs you might have missed in the first episode.
• And Warming Glow explains the significance of the last song in the episode: trouble is coming. However, they fail to point out the lyrics of “Never Let Me Down Again” and how they foreshadow the series:

• Here is everything we know about Ellie and why she is so important.
• And here is are explainers about FEDRA and the Fireflies.

Netflix’s The Pale Blue Eye is just chock full of Edgar Allen Poe easter eggs.

Steven Spielberg says he’s ready to direct long-form TV, and wishes he could have directed Mare of Easttown.

Ice-T and Chris Meloni are not feuding. OR SO THEY SAY.

Just sent this email over to my guy @Chris_Meloni Clownass MFs trying to make up Drama outta thin air… WOW… MFs are really on that BS. https://t.co/fhbglPPLs9

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) January 16, 2023

The Annie Awards — which recognize excellence in TV and movie animation — have announced their nominees, and Netflix’s Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio lead individual nominations with nine.

#MeToo

Justin Roiland, the co-creator of Rick and Morty, has been arrested on felony domestic violence charges. He faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty. Since this story broke, a number of women have been sharing messages Roiland sent them, some of them when they were underage, and it’s … bad.

This shit is insane 💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/U60HuUYQkc

— Dark Marty 🇺🇸 (@MartyAmericaUSA) January 15, 2023

I’ll say more later. For now, I’ll just share the types of “funny” DMs Justin Roiland would send me. (Posted and deleted this last night because I was worried about any backlash. But this dude made ME – someone who wrote a Rick & Morty concept album – never watch his show again) pic.twitter.com/xLYE7j7tgH

— Allie “Nine Inch Nails” Goertz (@AllieGoertz) January 14, 2023

Andrew Callaghan, whose documentary This Place Rules recently debuted on HBO, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including everything from pressuring women to have sex with him to violently assaulting others. Callaghan has responded with an apology video in which he admits to not fully appreciating power dynamics and coercion, but denies other allegations against him as “missing important contextual information.”

It looks like Prime Video is literally canceling Jeremy Clarkson — or at least his shows, The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farms — following his column in The Sun where he fantasized about making Meghan Markle walk naked through the street while people threw garbage at her. Clarkson has issued another apology, but it’s looking as though Amazon is cutting ties, nevertheless.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Clarkson (@jeremyclarkson1)

As you can see, it’s not a great apology.

Another woman has accused Placido Domingo of sexual harassment.

Ezra Miller has pleaded guilty to trespassing, and the state of Vermont has agreed to wave Counts 1 and 2 of burglary and petit larceny, clearing the way for them to return as The Flash in future DC Universe movies, because sure, why not, obviously.

Andy Dick has been arrested again, this time for public intoxication and failing to register as a sex offender.

Florian Teichtmeiser, an Austrian actor in the film Corsage, has been charged with possession of child pornography.

Antonio Brown posted sexually graphic material of the mother of his children on his Snapchat without her permission.

50 Cent has publicly apologized to Megan Thee Stallion for not believing her allegations against Tory Lanez.

And it begins pic.twitter.com/etc0P6e3X5 https://t.co/PVGWH58jhj

— STOP DONATING TO ADL,BLM NATIONAL AND SHAUN KING (@WrittenByHanna) January 11, 2023

RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline reported a nearly 50% increase in calls following the airing of Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter on Lifetime.

Republican lawmakers in the Missouri State House opened their new session by making a new dress code for women legislatures, requiring them to cover their arms. It is the year 2023.

Renewals

• The Drew Barrymore Show has been renewed for a fourth season.

In Development

• A documentary about the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy has been greenlit at Netflix.

Casting News

• Perfect Match has announced their cast for their Netflix series.

• Sullivan Jones and Lisa Gilroy will co-star in Interior Chinatown on Hulu.
• Kerry Sanders is retiring from NBC News after 32 years.

Mark Your Calendars

• The Mandalorian will premiere on Disney+ on March 1.

Reunited.

The new season of #TheMandalorian starts streaming March 1, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/2SsRS4FtLB

— The Mandalorian (@themandalorian) January 17, 2023

• Superman & Lois will return on The CW on March 14.

• Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal will debut on Netflix on February 22.

• Animal Control will debut on Fox on February 16.
• The Gold is coming to BBC One soon.
• Violent Night will stream on Peacock on January 20.
• The American Buffalo will premiere on PBS on October 16.

R.I.P.

Hector Ramirez, 20-time Emmy-Award-winning cameraman on the Oscars, Dancing With the Stars and more

Jeff Shuter, Motion comics director and producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Invincible

Jean Veloz, Famed Lindy Hop dancer

WATCH THIS

Night Court: Judge Abby Stone takes over her father’s court in this reboot of the classic sitcom. One-hour series premiere. 7 p.m., NBC

The Resident: A heart arrives for the governor’s transplant in the series finale. 7 p.m., Fox

New Amsterdam: Two-hour series finale. 8 p.m., NBC

Late Night:

• Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Katie Holmes, Danielle Deadwyler, Anuel AA
• Late Night with Seth Meyers: Common, a performance by the Broadway cast of “Some Like It Hot”, Daniel Fang
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Jesse Eisenberg, Atsuko Okatsuka
• The Late Late Show with James Corden: Danny DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Madison Cunningham
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Rob Lowe, Storm Reid, Seal
• The Daily Show: Guest host Leslie Jones
• Watch What Happens Live: Bianca Belair, Montez Ford