
'The Last of Us' Fans Spotted a Subtle 'Game of Thrones' Easter Egg in the Season 2 Finale
The blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference takes place during a flashback of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) waking up on a couch with a book on her stomach: Thieves of the City by Ben Davidoff. It's a play on the 2008 book City of Thieves by David Benioff, who was a co-showrunner (alongside D.B. Weiss) of Game of Thrones, which of course also starred both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
For the uninitiated, City of Thieves is a World War II coming-of-age novel set during the Siege of Leningrad. In the original Last of Us video game, Abby is also seen reading the book as a deliberate nod to the story. Game director Bruce Straley confirmed in a previous interview that City of Thieves was one of the inspirations behind the PlayStation game.
If HBO's The Last of Us continues to follow its source material closely, there could be another nod to Benioff's book in the upcoming third season. Lev, a young boy born to a Seraphite mother, teams up with Abby for a large portion of The Last of Us: Part II. Lev is also the name of one of the main characters in City of Thieves.
The Last of Us's showrunner, Craig Mazin, is well aware of the GoT-TLOU overlaps. He recognized Ramsey right away when he started watching their audition tape. 'I was like, oh shit, it's Lady Mormont,' Mazin told ELLE back in 2023.
Even though Ramsey's fame could've been a distraction Mazin was confident the actor was the right match for Ellie. '[In] my mind, I was like, if we don't cast Bella as Ellie, then I will go to my grave knowing that we could have made a better show than we did.'
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New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Billy Joel opens up about fallout with Elton John over ‘hurtful' rehab remark: ‘There was bad blood'
Billy Joel and Elton John haven't always seen eye to eye. During the newly released second part of HBO's 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' documentary, Joel revealed how John's public push for him to enter rehab caused a major rift between the two music superstars. 'Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab,' the 'Movin' Out' singer said in the new doc. 'He chalked it up to, 'Oh, he's a drunk.' And that really hurt me.' Advertisement 9 Elton John and Billy Joel onstage at the Honda Center on March 30, 2009, in Anaheim, California. Getty Images 9 Elton John performs with Billy Joel during the finale of 'An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson' concert on March 29, 2001, at New York's Radio City Music Hall. AP 'I said, wait a minute? Don't you know me better than that?' Joel, 76, added. 'And there was bad blood for a little while. There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time.' Advertisement The 'Piano Man' singer was referring to an interview John, 78, gave Rolling Stone in 2011 shortly after the pair toured together. After John claimed that he and Joel had 'so many cancelled tours' because of 'illnesses' and 'alcoholism,' he suggested that the 'Captain Jack' singer seek real help. 9 Elton John backstage with Billy Joel at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards on February 23, 2000, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images 'He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab, they've been light,' the 'Tiny Dancer' musician said at the time. 'I love you, Billy, and this is tough love.' Advertisement Recalling how he felt after John's interview was published, Joel said that he was 'clobbered' and had hit 'rock bottom.' 'I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean,' he said in the second part of the new HBO doc. 'It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough.' 9 Billy Joel and Elton John attend an event for the Elton John AIDS Foundation on November 7, 2017, in New York City. Getty Images 'And I wrote this letter to the band,' he added. ''I don't want to do this anymore. I'm gonna stop.'' Advertisement Joel previously started rehab in 2005 following what he called an 'ultimatum' from his then-wife, Katie Lee. He entered the Betty Ford Center for a stint, then temporarily stopped touring once his time at the center was over. 9 Elton John and Billy Joel perform in Washington, DC, during their Face2Face Tour on July 11, 2009. The Washington Post via Getty Images The 'Vienna' singer has since quit drinking altogether. 'I stopped a couple of years ago,' Joel told the Los Angeles Times in 2023. 'It wasn't a big AA kick. I just got to a point where I'd had enough.' 'I didn't enjoy being completely inebriated, and it probably created more problems in my life than I needed,' he added. 9 Elton John and Billy Joel at the Carrier Dome on the Syracuse University campus on May 5, 2001. AP Elsewhere in the new 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' documentary, the Grammy-winner revealed that he didn't like being compared to Elton John – even if they were close friends and frequent tourmates. Advertisement 'Why would I wanna work with another well-known piano player's band?' Joel said while discussing an incident when some suggested he use John's band. 'The lack of imagination was staggering,' he added. 'And I was already having a critical issue with them comparing me to Elton.' 9 Elton John and Billy Joel at the Oracle Arena on February 13, 2010, in Oakland, California. WireImage More recently, Joel has made headlines for a shocking brain disorder diagnosis that has forced the 'Stranger' artist to cancel all his concerts through next year. Advertisement Called normal pressure hydrocephalus, the condition affects one's hearing, vision and balance. Joel announced that he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus in May, and he also revealed that he had to cancel his 2025 tour because his condition was 'exacerbated by recent concert performances.' 9 Billy Joel performs during his 150th show at Madison Square Garden on July 25, 2024, in New York City. Getty Images Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period,' a statement from his team read. 'Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving.' Advertisement The message added that Joel is 'grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage.' Joel then opened up about his 'scary' brain disorder diagnosis earlier this month. 9 Billy Joel attends the MSG Entertainment and Billy Joel special franchise announcement at Chase Square at Madison Square Garden on June 01, 2023, in New York City. Getty Images 'I know a lot of people are worried about me and my health, but I'm okay,' he told People in an interview published July 21. 'What I have is something very few people know about, including me, no matter how much you try to research it.' Advertisement 'I'm doing my best to work with it and to recover from it,' he shared. Sadly, the legendary songwriter's diagnosis forced him to miss the world premiere of 'Billy Joel: And So It Goes' when it played at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in June. Both parts of HBO's new Billy Joel documentary are now streaming.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
TVLine's Performer of the Week: Sarah Jessica Parker
THE PERFORMER | Sarah Jessica Parker More from TVLine And Just Like That EPs Tell All About That Taylor Swift Needle Drop, Why It Was Perfect for Carrie's Big Moment Resident Alien's Alan Tudyk, Corey Reynolds and More Mourn Series' Cancellation, Promise Fans 'Will Still Get a Complete Story' Resident Alien Cancelled, Will End With Season 4 THE SHOW | And Just Like That… THE EPISODE | 'Present Tense' (July 24, 2025) THE PERFORMANCE | Like Carrie said a couple weeks ago, she and Aidan are '20 years in' to their relationship — if you don't count the time they were married to other people — and there's a lot of water under that bridge by now. But this week on HBO Max's sequel series, that water started to flood over, and Parker gave us vintage Carrie Bradshaw, digging deep and finding an inner strength and courage as she stood up for herself and cut things off with Aidan for good. As the episode opened, Carrie noticed that Aidan's old jealousy was coming back as he needled her handsome neighbor Duncan, and Parker's furrowed brow and sour expression spoke volumes, telling us that Carrie's worst fears about Aidan were coming true. She was later stung by Aidan kicking her out of bed for smelling like smoke, but Parker didn't back down, with Carrie bluntly telling him the next morning: 'Aidan, you're worried about me and another man.' It all came to a head when she and Aidan met for lunch, with Carrie picking up on the fact that Aidan said he 'has' trust issues, not 'had.' She stood her ground, frustration gathering in Parker's voice as Carrie told Aidan, 'I have done nothing!' (When he excused his trust issues with 'Well, can you f—king blame me?' she fired back: 'Can you stop f—king blaming me?') She finally realized they had to call it quits, with Carrie sadly declaring: 'I can't give you any more than I have, and it wasn't enough.' In a way, it was a callback to Carrie's best moments on Sex and the City, like when she told off Big after he got engaged to Natasha. ('I don't get it.' 'And you never did.') And it was exhilarating to see Carrie take control of her future once again, a Taylor Swift song playing as she headed back out onto the New York City streets to meet her girlfriends. Parker tapped into the untamed spirit that made us fall in love with Carrie Bradshaw in the first place — and showed us that her story is far from over. Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week… HONORABLE MENTION: Anson Mount As Enterprise captain Christopher Pike on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Anson Mount has always looked the part of the dashing action hero, and he filled that role admirably this week as Pike and M'Benga beamed down to a hostile planet overrun by zombies to retrieve a rare flower. But the reason why they needed that flower — to try to save the life of Pike's Gorn-infected girlfriend Marie — added a poignant emotional layer to Pike's actions, with Mount infusing a palpable edge of anxiety into Pike's reckless drive to complete the mission. Then when Pike reunited with Marie on the ship, Mount showed more vulnerability than we're used to seeing from a Starfleet captain as Pike confessed how scared he is about Marie's fate. It's nice to see a Star Trek captain save the day, of course… but we're also happy to see Mount delve into what's truly important to this captain. — D.N. HONORABLE MENTION: Ebony Obsidian As any Sistas fan can attest, Karen's pregnancy has been a wild ride for everyone involved. Not only has it lasted more than five seasons, but what began as a simple 'who's the daddy?' mystery eventually gave way to a soap-tastic 'twins from two different fathers' scenario. And up until now, we've all enjoyed watching the saga unfold, relishing each ridiculous twist and turn. But there was nothing to enjoy about Wednesday's episode, save for the incredible performance delivered by Ebony Obsidian at her character's darkest hour yet. It was devastating enough watching Karen struggle to have her concerns taken seriously by her racist doctor, but the actual moment she learned that one of her twins had died will haunt us for quite some time. Obsidian was given the incredible task of portraying an expectant mother's absolute worst nightmare — from the initial haze of confusion and disbelief, to the sudden wave of insurmountable grief — and she fully rose to the occasion, finding new ways to break our hearts in each scene. Karen may be historically prone to dramatic outbursts, but we've never seen Obsidian forced to give so much of herself, and we're grateful for her sacrifice. — Andy Swift HONORABLE MENTION: Corey Reynolds Corey Reynolds has been a delight throughout Resident Alien's four-season run playing Patience's leading alien skeptic Sheriff Mike. But ever since Mike started to believe, the actor has soared even higher with stellar one-liner deliveries and the flaunting of his character's egotistical bravado around town. In Friday's episode, all of that and more took center stage after Mike and Liv finally learned that Harry was, in fact, the town's 'resident alien.' Reynolds had us in stitches as Mike attempted to purposely sweat out pheromones, compared his own 'delicious' qualities to a baked potato (with the works!) and entered into the silliest of stare-downs with Harry. Reynolds has always served up excellent comedic timing, but watching him go toe-to-toe with Alan Tudyk raised the stakes even higher and brought the brightest of smiles to our faces. — Nick Caruso Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments! Best of TVLine 90+ TV Shows That Switched Networks — And How Long They Ran After They Relocated TV's 30+ Best Cliffhangers of All Time From Buffy, Friends, Grey's Anatomy, Twin Peaks, Severance, Soap and More 20+ Age-Defying Parent-Child Castings From Blue Bloods, ER, Ginny & Georgia, Golden Girls, Supernatural and More


Cosmopolitan
11 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Is Leah Williamson in a relationship?
Leah Williamson, footballer and captain of the England women's national team, has long sparked dating rumours with Elle Smith, an American model and former Miss USA winner. From sweet holiday snaps to celebrating her football wins together, the 28-year-old and her beau have somewhat soft-launched their relationship on Instagram over the last few months. However, from what we, and other social media sleuths (see: fans of the pair), can see, they're yet to actually make it 'official.' So, let's take a deep dive into their rumoured relationship, including some of the sweetest moments so far... Last month, Elle took to her Instagram to share snippets of her Majorcan holiday with her 127K followers. While many shots showed off her summer fits and stunning views of the Spanish island, a couple of pics saw the pair looking super loved up. Case in point: slide 3 caught Leah and Elle on a paddleboard together, while slide 17 saw Elle snap a candid pic of the footballer dressed up and heading out for dinner. Leah also posted snaps of the getaway — where they were celebrating Elle's birthday — which included a gorgeous photo of the pair at dinner. A selfie of the two was featured in the carousel too, which saw Leah and Elle sunkissed and smiling. Elle commented on the holiday roundup: "same time next year?" to which Leah responded: "yes please x." Err, cute. Back in May, Elle posted a black and white shot of her cuddling Leah, who was sitting on her lap. Leah was clutching a medal and wearing an England shirt following her team's 6-0 win against Portugal. The post also included footage of the match, in which Elle could be heard cheering on the team. Leah commented on the post: "We did it!" Even earlier in March, Elle posted a video of her and Leah floating in the ocean on a paddleboard. Leah appeared to be lying down and resting her head on Elle's legs, as they had a sweet, intimate chat. Elle accompanied the post with the caption: "happy birthday my love x." Leah responded with the cutest emojis: "🥰🤭🧜♀️." Interestingly, this Insta post sparked 'official' comments from fans, with one person writing: "The mother of hard launches!" Others said: "So happy for you!" while another person said they were the "cutest" together. Officially obsessed with these two.