‘The Last of Us’ in Jackson Hole: What’s Real?
Last week, the hit Max show The Last of Us returned for its second season. In the show (and the video game it’s based on), the “zombie” apocalypse is brought on by a fungus that takes over its victims’ brains. This particular fungus is based on a real organism that infects ants, but it’s not the only aspect of the show grounded in real life. The climax of the first season takes place in Salt Lake City, and now the second season finds its protagonists holed up in the walled community of Jackson Hole, safe (for an episode and a half, at least) from the hordes of fungus-brained infected. But how much of the onscreen Jackson is real, and how much is fiction?
(Because we’re a family motel, we should probably mention that we don’t recommend sitting down with all the kids to watch The Last of Us. Some of the subject matter is definitely a bit mature. But the show’s current popularity means we’d be remiss if we missed the chance to answer the questions burning in fans’ minds about the place we know and love.)
What the show gets right
In the show and game versions of The Last of Us, Jackson is a picturesque town surrounded by rugged, snowcapped mountains. The town itself has a distinctive Old West feel. This timeless charm is reinforced by rustic boardwalks, Native American jewelry stores, and no-nonsense folk in flannel and cowboy boots. So they get the vibe right. There’s also a cowboy bar, a dance hall, and a town square, though sadly we haven’t seen the elk arches in the show yet. In the game, you can even recognize individual buildings, though the names are mostly changed for legal reasons. (Take a more detailed tour here.) The palatial home where the protagonist’s enemies hunker down during the storm isn’t an actual Jackson Hole, but it’s clearly reminiscent of many of the higher-priced homes that dot the region, commanding great views of the valley.
What the show changed
The game’s version of Jackson is more accurate than the show’s. First off, what you see on screen isn’t really Jackson at all. Sorry to burst that bubble, but it’s actually Canmore, Alberta, dressed up by The Last of Us's producers to resemble Wyoming. The show’s version of Jackson Hole is heavily fictionalized, meant to evoke the general feel of the town without replicating any of the actual locations. Also, the real-life Jackson doesn’t have a wooden palisade wall surrounding the town (though, let’s be honest, property values are likely to be just as effective at keeping people out).
Most importantly, the show’s version of Jackson doesn’t include Flat Creek Inn, although it’s likely because the motel lies outside the palisade wall and was probably overrun by infected years ago. Which is unfortunate, because while we don’t offer any fungus-zombie discounts, we’d make a great place to hole up in the apocalypse. If the world ends, you might as well have clean sheets.
***
Ryan Kunz is a copywriter and freelance writer who writes on a variety of topics, including media, the outdoors, and whatever else strikes his fancy. Fun fact: last season, the scene where Joel and Ellie look out over a ruined Salt Lake was actually shot from his office building.
Photo credit: Anton Molodtsov
