Isabela Merced, portraying Dina in season two of The Last of Us, discusses pivotal developments in the relationship between her character and Bella Ramsey's Ellie. In episode four, set in Seattle amidst conflict with the Seraphites and a militia, Dina reveals her pregnancy with Jesse's child, which adds complexity to her evolving bond with Ellie. Merced elaborates on Dina's motivations, highlighting her loyalty and love for Ellie, as well as her struggle with past feelings for Jesse and a lack of awareness of LGBTQIA+ communities. The actress appreciates the slow burn of Dina and Ellie's relationship, noting its tasteful representation in contrast to often oversexualized sapphic content. Moving forward, the stakes are higher for Dina and Ellie, faced with external challenges and new emotional depths, which intensifies their commitment to each other.

Isabela Merced discusses her character Dina's pregnancy revelation in The Last of Us, which is significant as it occurs during a battle in Seattle, impacting her relationship with Ellie. Despite the unexpected pregnancy with Jesse's child, Dina's commitment to Ellie showcases her deep devotion and willingness to support those she loves.

Dina's journey involves the complex acceptance of her feelings for Ellie while reflecting on her previous relationship with Jesse, which she realizes was an attempt to conform to societal norms. This internal conflict is compounded by her limited understanding of bisexuality and LGBTQIA+ communities, as she navigates her emotions in a world unfamiliar with these concepts.

Merced emphasizes the importance of the slow burn in Dina and Ellie's relationship, which she finds refreshing and necessary in representing sapphic love stories without relying on oversexualization. This approach provides a nuanced portrayal that is both respectful and potentially award-winning, setting a positive example for young queer audiences.

The evolving relationship between Dina and Ellie signifies new levels of loyalty and emotional investment, with both characters now facing heightened stakes due to external pressures, including battles and impending parenthood. This evolution elevates their connection, making potential losses more consequential.

Merced believes that the dynamic between Dina and Ellie, coupled with the series' intense narrative arcs, will resonate widely with audiences and generate significant online discussion. Her portrayal aims to highlight the significance of diverse and authentic storytelling within popular media.

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the most recent episode of The Last of Us season two!

Isabela Merced is speaking out about the fourth episode of The Last of Us.

The 23-year-old actress stars in season two of the HBO adaptation as Dina, who develops a romantic relationship with Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie.

In the latest episode, “Day One,” Ellie and Dina, in Seattle, “find themselves amid a brutal battle between the zealous Seraphites and a ruthless militia.”

As viewers watch on, Dina reveals to Ellie that she is pregnant, and their relationship takes a new step.

Isabela opened up about the two big moments in new interviews about the episode.

Keep reading to find out more…

“It isn’t your average pregnancy experience. I think learning while she’s already on the way plays a big factor [in why she chooses to stay on the journey with Ellie]. But she has her own motivations for it and I don’t think much is going to get in the way,” she shared with TheWrap of Dina’s pregnancy reveal – she’s having Jesse’s (Young Mazino) baby. “That shows how devoted she is to the people she loves. She’s ready, willing and able to do this. She’s devoted, but not like a cult follower, maybe more just a good girlfriend.”

She also touched on Dina’s admittance that maybe Jesse isn’t the one, and accepting her feelings for Ellie.

“I think with acceptance of feelings for Ellie naturally comes her acknowledgement of her relationship with Jesse, and sort of a mourning for what she thought it would be or could be. And an acceptance of like ‘Damn, I was really just forcing myself into complicit heterosexuality’,” Isabela told the publication. “I think she also did care for Jesse genuinely and that’s confusing for her, because bisexual is not a word that she even knows.”

“They don’t know what the LGBTQIA+ community is. They don’t know about Pride. They were in Seattle and in a literal gay community and were like, ‘Well, they must have been a bunch of optimists.’ So they were just really out of the loop,” she continued. “Every time she does accept her feelings for Ellie, she feels conflicted when it comes to her experience with Jesse.”

During the episode, Dina and Ellie share a moment of physical and emotional intimacy while revealing their feelings for each other. While speaking to Deadline, Isabela noted that she liked the slow burn of their relationship.

“I appreciated it so much because you just don’t really get that a lot in sapphic content. I think a lot of people over sexualize sapphic content in film — media, I guess, in general,” she said. “So I’m really glad that it was slow burn. I’m glad that it was tasteful and potentially, hopefully, maybe, Emmy winning sapphic content. I really think that we lack that…and I think it’s important for young queer people to see that.”

As for how this impacts them moving forward, Isabela said, “I would say they’re on a different level completely, and there’s a new kind of loyalty there. So anything moving forward, the stakes are so much higher, because it’ll hurt that much more to lose the other person. So I think now sh-t has hit the fan. They’re dealing with a whole army. They’re dealing with a baby. It’s gonna get real. It’s gonna intense. They are invested now.”

Last year, Isabela teased a scene in the season that would “be on everyone’s Twitter feed.”