When The Last of Us Part II dropped in 2020, it didn't just break sales records; it shattered the collective psyche of the gaming community. People weren't just mad about Joel. They weren't just stressed by the clickers. They were obsessed with the tone. Among the many polarizing moments, the Last of Us 2 fingering scene—a brief, intimate encounter between Ellie and Dina in the weed-growing basement of a library—became a lightning rod for discussions about realism, sexual politics, and the boundaries of "prestige" gaming.
It was bold. It was awkward. Honestly, it was a lot more human than most big-budget games ever dare to be.
But why did it cause such a stir? To understand that, you have to look at how Naughty Dog approached romance. This wasn't a "press X to romance" BioWare mechanic. It was a scripted, cinematic moment designed to ground the characters before the world turned into a nightmare of blood and vengeance. For some, it was a beautiful representation of queer love. For others, it felt like a weird tonal shift. Regardless of where you land, it changed the way we talk about intimacy in AAA titles.
The Context Behind the Library Encounter
The scene takes place early in the game, during the "Seattle Day 1" chapter. Ellie and Dina are patrolling the outskirts of the city, dodging a massive blizzard. They find shelter in a library that has been converted into a makeshift hideout by a former resident named Eugene. It's dusty. It’s quiet. There are jars of weed everywhere.
The atmosphere is thick.
Naughty Dog spent years refining their motion capture technology for this. It shows. When the Last of Us 2 fingering scene begins, it’s not some pornographic caricature. It starts with a joint. They get high. They talk about their pasts. It’s the kind of slow-burn character development that makes the later tragedies hurt so much more. The physical intimacy follows a moment of genuine emotional connection. Dina takes the lead, and the camera lingers on the nuances of their expressions—the hesitation, the relief, the sheer normalcy of two young people finding a second of peace in a world that wants them dead.
Halley Gross, the game's co-writer, has spoken about the importance of these beats. She's mentioned in interviews that the goal was to make Ellie feel like a three-dimensional person with desires, not just a killing machine. If you remove the sex, you remove the stakes. If Ellie has nothing to lose—no love, no physical connection—her descent into darkness in the later half of the game loses its weight.
Technical Mastery and the "Uncanny Valley" of Intimacy
Let's talk about the tech. It’s actually insane.
Capturing believable human touch in a video game is a nightmare for developers. Usually, characters "clip" through each other. Their hands look like blocks of wood. But for the Last of Us 2 fingering scene, the team used high-fidelity facial capture and specific animations to simulate the weight of bodies against one another.
- They used "stress maps" on the character models to show skin flushing.
- The eye tracking was programmed to simulate the way people avoid or seek eye contact during intimate moments.
- Micro-expressions—the tiny twitches in the mouth or forehead—were hand-keyed or captured from the actors, Ashley Johnson and Shannon Woodward.
It's uncomfortable for some players specifically because it’s too real. We are used to video game sex being "The Witcher" style—highly stylized, a bit cheesy, and clearly meant for the male gaze. This was different. It felt private. Watching it felt like eavesdropping on something you weren't supposed to see. That’s the "Naughty Dog" touch. They want you to feel a bit of friction.
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Why the Backlash Happened (And Why It Was Often Misguided)
Predictably, the internet exploded.
A lot of the "controversy" surrounding the Last of Us 2 fingering scene was wrapped up in a broader, uglier campaign against the game's perceived "wokeness." You’ve seen the threads. People complained that the scene was "unnecessary" or "forced."
But let’s be real.
Video games have featured graphic, often meaningless sex for decades. Nobody batted an eye at God of War’s hot tub mini-games or the repetitive encounters in Grand Theft Auto. The pushback here was largely because the scene centered on two women and wasn't designed to be "sexy" for a straight male audience. It was designed to be intimate for the characters.
There's a massive difference between sexualization and intimacy.
The scene is also pivotal for Dina's character. It’s the moment their relationship transitions from "will-they-won't-they" to a committed partnership. Without this specific night in the library, Dina's decision to follow Ellie into the heart of a war zone wouldn't make any sense. You don't risk your life for a casual crush; you do it for the person you've shared your most vulnerable self with.
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Comparisons to Other Media
Think about HBO's The Last of Us. While the show hasn't reached this specific plot point in the same way yet (Season 2 is pending), the first season already established a precedent for this kind of storytelling with the "Long, Long Time" episode featuring Bill and Frank.
The showrunners, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, understand that in a post-apocalyptic setting, sex isn't just about procreation or fun. It's a reclamation of humanity. The Last of Us 2 fingering scene serves the exact same purpose as the dinner scenes in the show. It says: "We are still here. We still feel. We aren't just monsters."
Practical Takeaways for Players and Critics
If you're revisiting the game or playing it for the first time, don't skip the cutscenes in the library. Pay attention to the dialogue leading up to the weed-room encounter.
- Observe the Pacing: Notice how the music fades out. Silence is used as a tool to build tension.
- Look at the Lighting: The warm, amber glow of the lamps in the basement contrasts with the cold, blue blizzard outside. It’s visual shorthand for safety vs. danger.
- Check the Journal: After this scene, Ellie’s journal entries change. Her sketches of Dina become more frequent and more detailed.
This isn't just "flavor text." It's the core of the game's narrative structure. To ignore the impact of the Last of Us 2 fingering scene is to ignore the primary motivation for Ellie’s journey. She isn't just fighting for Joel; she’s fighting because she finally found something worth living for, and she’s terrified of losing it.
To truly understand the narrative weight of Part II, look at the contrast between this scene and the later scene with Abby and Owen. Both are controversial. Both are visceral. But where Ellie and Dina’s moment is rooted in a new, blossoming hope, Abby’s encounter is rooted in desperation and a desire to escape the guilt of her actions.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Understanding:
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- Replay the "Seattle Day 1" chapter and focus specifically on the optional dialogue between Ellie and Dina before they enter the library. It builds the foundation for the scene.
- Read the Art of The Last of Us Part II to see the character studies and lighting boards used to create the library environment.
- Compare the journal entries Ellie makes before and after the library visit to see how her internal monologue shifts regarding Dina.
- Watch the "Making Of" documentaries provided by Naughty Dog on YouTube, which detail the performance capture process for the game’s more intimate moments.
Understanding these details won't just make you better at "reading" the game; it will help you appreciate the monumental technical and narrative effort required to make digital characters feel like flesh and blood. The library scene isn't a distraction—it's the heart of the story.