A Brutal Scene In ‘The Last of Us’ Boosted Interest in French Cookware Brand Mauviel

A nearly 200-year-old French copper cookware brand beloved by top chefs including Daniel Boulud, Tyler Florence, and even Carmy Berzatto from The Bear just got a post-apocalyptic makeover, courtesy of The Last of Us.

In “Day One,” last week’s episode of the hit HBO series, viewers were introduced to Jeffrey Wright’s character, Isaac Dixon (who Wright also portrayed in the video game). The one-time FEDRA sergeant is now a leader of the WLF, the same militia group that Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) are currently tracking. And they’ve quickly realized the group is a lot bigger, organized, and more heavily armed than they had expected. Still, Wright’s Isaac proved you don’t need a powerful weapon to be terrifying. A fancy copper pan can be plenty scary, too.

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Without giving away too much for those who have yet to watch the episode: the scene in question begins with Wright’s Isaac, standing in front of a restaurant-style stove and talking about his love of cooking. It’s not immediately clear exactly who he’s speaking to, but he talks about how cooking for others became a form of communication for him, and specifically allowed him to connect with women, where he might be too shy to talk otherwise.

Isaac informs us that he didn’t have much money, but he used to regularly visit Williams Sonoma and stare at their collection of Mauviel copper pans. He dreamed of the day when he one day might be able to afford a saucepan—with a lid. It’s an item that might run you $260 to $1,000, depending on the size. And Isaac has finally managed to achieve that dream. 

@streammaxnordic

He tells me that I'll lose, but idk using Mauviel pans is a win in my book #thelastofus #tlou #isaac #jeffreywright #pedropascal #joelmiller #elliewilliams #clicker #memestiktok #fireflies

♬ original sound - Max Nordic

But he’s not using it to make a Béarnaise sauce or even poach an egg. Nope, Isaac is using his pricey pot to torture a Seraphite, a.k.a. a Scar, yet another group of survivors, and a kind of religious cult.

Foodies hardly needed an introduction to the Mauviel brand, which was founded in 1830 by Ernest Mauviel in Villedieu-les-Poêles—a small village in Normandy, France, which is known as “The City of Copper,” for now-obvious reasons. But fans of the series were clearly paying attention, and curious, as the brand saw a furious surge in search traffic, according to Google Trends.

How did the shout-out affect the brand’s bottom line? The company has not issued any statement about any financial boost. But if simply torturing a man with one of their pans can create this kind of brand excitement, who knows what will happen if Isaac decides to take it one step further.

The Last of Us airs on HBO and Max on Sundays at 9 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. PST.