Isabela Merced Shines as Dina in TLOU S2
General Reviews
I’m a huge fan of The Last of Us.
In its brutal, despairing, and shattered world, especially after Joel’s death, Ellie’s life is consumed by pain and vengeance. Against such relentless darkness, Dina stands out as a vital presence. She’s like a ray of light, Ellie’s near-sole source of connection and support amid overwhelming grief. Honestly, without Dina, I can’t imagine how Ellie could face such immense sorrow and rage alone, or how this season’s story could avoid plunging entirely into gloom.
In this post-Joel world, Dina—and Isabela Merced Isabela Merced’s portrayal of her—means the world to me. Isabela doesn’t disappoint; she infuses the role with something fresh, qualities I didn’t fully catch while playing the game. Her version of Dina feels more vivid, more captivating, and more indispensable to the story than the version I met in the game.
Why is this? I think it’s because Isabela has a captivating balance—a seamless mix of sultry wildness and girl-next-door sweetness. One moment, she’s warm and approachable, putting you at ease; the next, her gaze and stance radiate the sharp strength of an apocalyptic survivor. These traits don’t clash—they blend within her, interacting to make both her and her characters layered and engaging.
Take the first episode for instance. Dina and Ellie enter a dark, eerie wilderness cabin to clear out the infected. I’ve played plenty of similar scenes in the game, but Isabela’s performance makes Dina’s survival skills and alertness pop. She’s not just trailing Ellie—she’s actively scanning the surroundings. I noticed her cautious steps, her ears tuned to every sound. She picks up on danger before Ellie does. Her eyes, though filled with tension, show quick judgment and readiness at the same time—an alertness honed by the end of the world. That’s her wild side: swift, precise, instinctive. Yet beneath it lies sweet carefulness and care for Ellie. She’s not a cold machine; she’s a person with emotions and bonds. In that perilous setting, her mix of survival smarts and human warmth makes her feel so real and dependable, adding details and life to the scene beyond what I felt in the game.
Or consider the third episode,when they set out for Seattle on Ellie’s grueling, vengeance-fueled journey—a path I knew (from playing the game) would be heavy. In the game, leaving Jackson feels oppressively bleak. But in the show, Isabela’s performance brings a touch of light to the journey’s start, which feels crucial against Ellie’s deep pain. When Ellie’s stuck in Jackson, Dina’s wild side shines—she breaks rules to help Ellie escape. On the road, their talks aren’t all about the mission; they joke and share lighter moments. I remember Dina’s loving smile as she looks at Ellie and their natural physical closeness. Her presence is like a temporary haven for Ellie, who’s weighed down by revenge and grief. That’s her sweet side—her ability to offer warmth and connection.
This ability to fluidly blend seemingly opposite traits stands out in Isabela, and it’s not her first time showing it. Though she hasn’t always been the star, her past roles reveal this unique charm.
In Transformers: The Last Knight, she plays a scrappy girl scavenging robot parts for cash. Facing alien robots and explosions, she shows survival instinct and toughness. She’s sharp, dodging danger and finding ways to survive chaos—not a fragile figure passively waiting for rescue. That’s her wild, sultry strength at work.
In Sicario: Day of the Soldado, her role is more layered as a drug lord’s daughter and student. At school, she’s no angel—she’s tough, almost a bully, radiating a sultry wildness with her aggression. But in the adult world, facing armed foes, she shifts to dispalying sweet vulnerability, showing her childlike side. This shift between an innocuous darling and a schoolyard tough is fascinating and shows her knack for handling contradictory traits.
In Alien: Romulus, she plays a girl surviving unimaginable horror and pain. Unlike typical horror roles that scream, flee, and die, Isabela’s performance breaks the mold. She gives her character personality, showing care for and attachment to her loved ones amid terror, raw survival instinct, and real fear—yet another manifestation of her endearing and unbridled nature. She doesn’t just show surface-level panic—she portrays a fleshed-out person grappling with unthinkable dread, proving her skill in extreme settings.
What makes Isabela so special is her ability to blend sultry wildness and sweetness so naturally and with such depth. This lets her add richness to every role, no matter the size. In today’s Hollywood, many young actors excel in one mode—sweet or swaggy—but few can fuse these qualities as seamlessly and adapt them across roles like she does.
I’m so excited for her future. This feels like just the start, as she’s bound to deliver more.
Catch you later for more movie musings!
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