The gruff protagonist, who many fans progressively grown to love over season 1 of the video game adaption, embarked on a killing rampage,
shooting a dozen rebels (Fireflies) and medical professionals in a furious attempt to save Ellie from a potentially lethal treatment.
Another online argument between medical residents began. “After viewing the Last of Us finale, did anyone else calculate that the surgeon was probably a resident when cordyceps took over?
Like he's not more than 50 so he was no more than 30," one r/Residency user wrote. The self-proclaimed anaesthesia resident said, “Is it ethical to do a nonsurvival procedure on a minor
Why not a spinal tap to test if cordyceps grows and use that for your vaccine?” The post launched 1000 ships. or 100 responses.
The subreddit's medical residents debated episode 9's veracity and credibility. Ellie was supposed to save the planet, but humanity may be doomed.
Most comments on the original post noted the finale's evident medical negligence. Common concerns included the lack of evidence in the show that Firefly
scientists could successfully cultivate Cordyceps from a sample, the lack of medical imaging like a CT scan to confirm their theory,
and the failure to biopsy Ellie first before attempting a risky procedure that would likely kill her. Several people bemoaned that the Firefly physicians hadn't done a spinal tap to gather
Ellie's CSF to grow Cordyceps and develop a vaccine. One person has a "PGY3" flair on their profile, implying they are a third-year medical resident.