Isabela Merced Is So Good As Dina In The Last Of Us That I Can Almost Ignore What Might Be The Show's Biggest Leap In Logic

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t caught up on The Last of Us Season 2 on HBO or with a Max subscription.

To be expected, The Last of Us has given its fanatic fanbase a lot to think about and mourn over in its second season so far, including one of the most glee-pummeling TV deaths I can think of. Thankfully, Joel’s absence through the middle episodes — save for that emotionally uplifting Episode 5 appearance — has been buoyed by the adorable relationship building between Ellie and Dina, with Isabela Merced winning my heart every second she’s on the screen.

For all of Merced’s intelligence, warmth, humor and charisma as Dina — factors that make it easy to understand why Ellie would be head over heels — I’m of two minds about how willing I am to ignore what is perhaps The Last of Us’ biggest leap in everyday logic, if not the biggest leap of anything on the 2025 TV schedule: Dina’s hair is always a little too perfect to be real in this post-apocalyptic setting. And yeah, I’m jealous, but my reasoning is still valid nonetheless.

I Can Understand Dina Having Nice Hair Within The Comforts Of Jackson

While I can't lay claim to knowing all the ins and outs of The Last of Us' live-action community within Jackson, Wyoming, I feel comfortable assuming that Dina and Ellie both have access to functional bathing apparatuses, likely with some kind of shampoo and conditioner, ir not other hair products. I'm not saying they have full salon-ready inventories of product, but shampoo and conditioner are sure the kinds of creature comforts that still feel more sensible than more extreme forms of hygenic luxury.

As such, when Isabela Merced was rocking her perfect 'do in the Season 2 premiere at the dance with Ellie, I didn't give it a second thought, because of course she's going to try to look her best on such a joyous social occasion. But do they make a point of hanging out near Jackson's showering holes? Of course not.

Dina And Ellie Went Through Subway Scares And A Huge Storm Long After Leaving Jackson In "Day One"

As someone who has boasted fairly long hair for more than half of my life, I'm pretty keen on what will and won't cause chaos for it in between washings. Stressful situations that cause one to sweat a lot? Those are definitely in the "Will Cause Ickiness" folder. Plus, I haven't even felt the distinct anxiety that comes with being chased by fungi monsters and believing my new love will soon join the monstrous herd, at least at the time of this writing. (Good luck, future Nick!)

So it seems almost insultingly impossible that the talented Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann want me to believe that Dina made it from Jackson to Seattle without any noticable downgrade in volume or waves smoothness? Come on! Even if she and Ellie hadn't dealt with any super-hectic situations beyond the subway terror, they went through it in that episode, and still no change? That's the dream, not the reality.

I'll even allow for this explanation: Dina's hair would have looked like shit after avoiding underground peril if not for that huge rainstorm that washed all the sweatiness out. But only if it was built into the show's reality that Dina went to sleep with knotty-ass hair and then woke up with an even more scraggly mop on top of her head.

Wait, Dina Somehow Woke Up With Perfectly Maneuverable Hair, Despite All The Rain, Stress, Sex And Sleep?!?

I can always appreciate the use of a ponytail holder in times of need (of shampoo), and after a full night of mayhem, panic, confessions and sexy-time? I mean, that precious rubber band can be the key to avoiding a total calamity on top of one's head.

But only if the potential for a calamity exists in the first place. As seen above, Dina almost definitely didn't tie her hair back as a way of keeping any gunky follicles out of sight and out of mind. It was like far more an issue of her hair being so silky and shiny that light bounces off of it when it hangs in her face, making it harder to read the maps.

Which would still be all good IF appearances were deceiving, and IF Dina was actually keeping a true wasp's nest hidden with her up-do.

Dina's Hair Remained Enviously Voluminous Throughout Day 2

How in... Where the... [Blinks rapidly.]

Dina's powerful backstory admission in "Feel Her Love" made for quite the powerful scene, especially in terms of how it might affect the two characters' endgame in relation to the source material. And I was definitely hooked into everything she was saying about being such a young child when she happened upon her murdered family and their killer, and how she instantly rectified the stranger's heinous acts. It makes her bubbly positivity all the more lovable.

At the same time Dina is bearing her soul and her crosses, however, I'm thinking to myself, "I think Isabela Merced could easily get awards buzz for this role." And that soon became, "If she had to present or accept an award and went on stage with hair similar to Dina's during this scene, I might not even notice right away." Which is perhaps not a preferred thought tangent during a monologue about kid justice.

Obviously I'm not actually upset or even genuinely baffled by Dina's hair staying so gorgeous despite a lack of regular brushing marathons. We're not supposed to think about how Dina and Ellie get all the blood and gutsy bits out of their hair and clothes in between sequences, nor why the array of pungent odors isn't a regular topic of conversation. It's TV.

Or rather: it's not TV; it's HBO. (But not HBO Max, since that's still coming back.)

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I love the moment in a show like this where characters who haven’t experienced working facilities in ages are allowed the solace of a well-deserved hot bath. (Never forget the day when Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes shaved his bushy beard on The Walking Dead.) But they need to look like hell first in order to make it count.

It doesn't look like we'll be seeing much of present-day Dina in the sixth episode of Season 2, given it'll be flashback-oriented, but everyone place your bets regarding how Dina's hair will look in the finale, which will air on HBO on Sunday, May 25.