The Last of Us Season 2: Curtis and Viper Meaning to Dina & Ellie, Explained

HBO's The Last of Us makes many references to the games on which it is based, but one Easter egg that kept popping up in Season 2 Episode 3 was Curtis and Viper. This isn't the first time the fictional title has been mentioned in The Last of Us, with the original reference dating back to the very first episode of Season 1. 

In the source material, Curtis and Viper is first mentioned in The Last of Us Part 2, when Ellie reveals to Dina while on patrol that she plans to watch the action movie with Joel. Curtis and Viper has a similar significance in the HBO show, but it evolves even further in Season 2 Episode 3. 

What is 'Curtis and Viper' in The Last of Us Show?

The first time Curtis and Viper appears is in Episode 1 of The Last of Us, when Joel's (Pedro Pascal) daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) borrows the DVD of Curtis and Viper 2 from their neighbors, the Adlers. Later that night, when Joel gets home from work, he and Sarah settle in to watch the movie. Unfortunately, this cosy movie viewing is disrupted as it takes place on the night the Cordyceps pandemic begins to spread.

In Season 2 Episode 1 of The Last of Us, the fictional film is brought up again when Dina (Isabela Merced) comments that Ellie "looks like Curtis and Viper," in her gear. She then harmlessly tries to bridge the rift between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), by suggesting Ellie join her for a movie night with Joel.

Jesse reiterates Dina's Curtis and Viper comment later, when he's briefing the duo for patrol, which suggests Joel has introduced the wider community of Jackson to his favorite action movie franchise.

Why Dina Says 'Curtis and Viper' In Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3

Curtis and Viper continues to be a recurring motif in The Last of Us Season 2, when Dina brings it up again in Episode 3. The episode takes Ellie and Dina on a trip to Seattle, where they plan to find and kill Abby for what she did to Joel. 

Along their journey, the duo quizzes each other about their pop culture obsessions to pass the time. When they arrive at a sign indicating they are close to Seattle, Dina comments that it's quiet, and Ellie responds, "Yeah. Too quiet." 

Dina then asks, "Curtis or Viper?" which indicates that Ellie is referencing a line from the film. Ellie says, "Both. In all four movies."

Not long after this, Ellie and Dina reach Seattle. Despite the bodies they saw along the way, the city remains quiet. Dina seems to think this indicates that there aren't as many W.L.F. members (aka "wolves") as they thought. Ellie adds that "there's about to be a whole lot less," which Dina thinks is another line from Curtis and Viper:

Dina: "Guess there aren't that many wolves." 

Ellie: "There's about to be a whole lot less." 

Dina: "Curtis or Viper?" 

Ellie: "What? No. That was just me. I was trying to sound like a badass." 

While Curtis and Viper is just a fictional action movie franchise in The Last of Us, the movie has a much deeper meaning to characters like Ellie and Dina, as it was a film that Joel loved. Their continuous references to Curtis and Viper in Episode 3 allow their love for Joel to live on. It also bonds Ellie and Dina further, as the movie is a reference that they share and it deepens the bond between them.