The Last of Us Episode 9 BREAKDOWN - Spoilers, Reaction, Ending Explained, Easter Eggs!

[@niallnochill]

The fact Ashley Johnson gave birth to Ellie, a character she helped to create and perfectly acted in the game, is beautifully poetic!

[@vokasimid5330]

Circle of life

[@Viper3220]

🤮

[@josemv25]

Why?

[@NviGWarren]

Yes, it is!!

[@mrtorrance1263]

@@Viper3220 can u clear that up please

[@noneyabusiness6504]

I don't think Joel was being weird, I think he was trying to emotionally connect to another human being after 20 years of shutting everyone out. Yeah, he's awkward but he's genuine.

[@noneyabusiness6504]

Also, the doctor seems like a quack, I don't think he knew what he was doing tbh

[@rohegarcia2802]

@@noneyabusiness6504 He was the only doctor that the fireflies had that could actually develop a cure. That’s stated in part 2. How was he a quack?

[@LosEspookys]

@@rohegarcia2802 because people exist that haven't played the second game, dumb dumb

[@noneyabusiness6504]

@@rohegarcia2802 A real doctor would run tests first, take samples, etc. That's not how immunology works.

[@LK1989]

@@noneyabusiness6504 YES EXACTLY

[@thatKONNORguy]

I've always had a very different read on the ending. Being the cure was Ellie's purpose, and she's seen so many die for her, importantly she says on the rooftop, "it has to be for something" Her "okay" at the end is her forcing herself to believe the lie, because the alternative is too painfully.

[@darker2point097]

Spot on

[@omarholder9036]

But the whole point is does the world deserve the cure? Ellie like Neil Druckmann is imo naive about his own story. You are right in that Ellie likely would have wanted to die for the chance at the cure, but she's frankly too young to even understand all that she is giving up and more importantly, who she is giving it up for. Something Joel knows all too well. Truth is, Fireflies would leverage their sole ownership of any cure to seek power and achieve their goal. And frankly, any doctor that thinks a fatal procedure on your only test subject is the right course of action might not be the most qualified person for the job. I mean can we get a second opinion. Not every doctor has the know how to handle all ailments in the various ways they can be handled.

[@nedslass3032]

she even told Joel in Part 2 she willing to die ro save the world

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

I'm pretty sure that's the most common interpretation

[@indefenso2124]

@@omarholder9036 what matters is that Ellie wanted to do it, not what would happen in the future, the vaccine was almost guaranteed

[@SilverScale.]

Isn't it interesting that the woman who was supposed to be like family (Marlene) treated Ellie as just cargo, while the man who told her she's cargo treated her like family, in the end?

[@josefabuaisheh6262]

Wow, I love this!

[@BlazerManiacNumber96]

This assumes Marlene was not upset by the circumstance. Both Marlene and Joel just want to use Ellie to for their own designs. Neither one truly values Ellie for herself

[@tjk3430]

Ooo. Spot on Silverscale.

[@wetsocks5055]

@@BlazerManiacNumber96 Marlene was still VERY upset. She also wasn’t selfish

[@XekTOr89]

How....what?!? Either you're implying Marlene's actress is bad, or you're blind. Marlene was very clearly upset and she didn't want to do it either, but unlike Joel she is smart enough to know that a sacrifice for a better future is worth it. Joel was just too selfish and stupid.

[@PuffySofty]

I don't think they are vilifying Joel...they are just showing that your "hero" can be someone else's "villain", just like how Negan said it in TWD.

[@vokasimid5330]

Same can be said about Abby

[@TheKillaShow]

@@vokasimid5330 luckily for Abby she isnt the villain to the writers.

[@LovedByYou]

Exactly!!!! Joel isn’tGod he’s flawed and you have to accept that.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@LovedByYou he’s inconsistently written for sure

[@Talented34tv]

Also do you remember Ellie being present for Riley, Tess and Sam's death? She even tried using her own BLOOD to cure Sam and it didnt work thus causing her to feel guilt. My read has always been that if she has the ability to ensure that another Sam,Tess and Riley won't get infected, she'll do whatever it takes to prevent that kind of thing from happening again

[@Gkwilson1487]

Yeah and like, her anger about that is the first 20% of part two. It really isn’t ambiguous

[@jrm371]

Exactly. I don’t think Grace thought this through

[@thehater6844]

​@@jrm371 me neither

[@valzod3808]

💯

[@johnsilver6316]

@@Gkwilson1487 that was after she lost someone she cared about, she became the spitting image of Joel. Which is also why she was unhappy with him. Not only did Joel take away her choice, but he mold her into his image of “trust no one”, while Joel started to become more of a father and wanted to reintroduce hope and trust to Ellie. Which ironically was his unfortunate downfall.

[@soufian2733]

I see why the game was so popular now. This story is captivating and you can’t get enough of it

[@phillconklin382]

Until Joel gets killed early in the second game with golf club.

[@johnshepard8556]

I hope you can play the game if you haven't already because its so much more superior than this show

[@Blodhelm]

Wait until the second part. FORE!

[@tylerharris4568]

@@Blodhelm 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Gkwilson1487]

@@Blodhelm omg you did NOTTTTTTTT 😂😂

[@stannisdamannis4706]

I think the wedge between Ellie and Joel comes from the fact that Joel like marlene, deprived Ellie of her autonomy and the ability to make a choice. They both insisted on making the choice for her. Whether Ellie would have done it is inconsequential to the fact that she didn’t get to choose and then Joel is dishonest to rub it in.

[@phillippepym1560]

Yeah but the firefly’s and Marlene did exactly the same. They never told her she was going to die. I think Ellie just thinks that was her only purpose in life and Joel took it away. That’s why she loses all those years being mad at the only person that cares for her.

[@TruculentRuminavi]

She wasn't going to be given a choice had she known. The fireflies weren't going to give her that choice so it doesn't matter.

[@josefabuaisheh6262]

The difference was, that the Fireflies couldn't be trusted and Joel had no other choice but to free her! Everything else would have been a disservice to his character and the love he developed for Ellie! I also don't think he saw her as a substitute for Sarah one bit!

[@stannisdamannis4706]

@@phillippepym1560 agreed

[@ytubeanon]

hard to give someone a choice when they're unconscious and about to have their skull surgically split open which will kill them lol

[@MarkArnoldMusic]

I don't think he did "lose his mind" in this episode. His clearing of the hospital was clearly a calculated enterprise, even waiting for the guards to reach the stairwell before taking them out, and then clearing the hospital one grunt at a time. Remember he's a very changed man from the days of Sarah, but until this point he's likely never been as conflicted between pre apocalypse "father figure" and post apocalypse "smuggler/survivalist" Joel. Just because he's our protagonist to empathise with, that doesn't mean he did the right thing the moment those two distinct facets of his character collide...

[@diegopansini3152]

Exactly

[@HibachiOG]

I agree, as I was listening to her I couldn’t help but think that she has a lot of bad takes on this episode.

[@beselbic]

The giraffe scene was beautiful. And I liked how pleased Joel looked seeing Ellie smile and laugh again and showing traces of her old self.

[@I_OptimusPrime]

every parent in the world will take Joel side no question . as he says "If lord gave me a second chance at this, I would do all over again". but still actions have consequences.

[@maudelhoyo4019]

That isn't true. Still, every parent in the world would've simpathised with his decision. Still, the ending is as much about Joel's moral decision as it is about Ellie being robbed of a choice, which everyone with two brain cells knows it would've been to sacrifice herself, Joel included.

[@casualrider983]

In the original story there were other immunes and they were all dissected to no avail. The doctor was a fucking hack and Marlene was the psychotic one, not Joel.

[@shahidmirza1138]

I am not a father but if was I would have done the same thing or at least tried.

[@jp3813]

@@maudelhoyo4019 Bad parents exist.

[@malakaiwillardson7117]

I’m not a parent either, but it reminds me of the train conductor who is on a track, and his little son steps on the track and the conductor can either switch tracks and go off a bridge and every one will die going off a bridge or keep going the way he was supposed to go and run over his son. I would do what is right, and not choose the selfish choice. Pretty much much God sacrificed his son to save everyone else.

[@seeloffdoee]

Ellie was so upset about it because outside of her being immune, her defining character trait is that she needs her immunity to mean something after watching Riley and Sam turn while she gets to live. And Joel took that from her with a lie

[@AnthonyMcNeil]

Weird how no comments from the other perspective, like yours, is getting any attention from Grace. Kinda sad.

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

The way Grace keeps saying "idk how Ellie could disagree with what Joel did," and how she said she's annoyed with Ellie's seeming reaction, is such a shame. She completely missed the point in how caught up she is in the nonexistent "character assassination" of Joel. Ellie's reaction is completely justified

[@thatguy3101]

​@@AnthonyMcNeil that's because she likes Joel and agrees with what he did lol

[@celphone1cellphone591]

​@@miguelitoreyes5514 Exactly. Part II gonna be good.

[@Breerox108]

Joel didn’t tell Ellie the truth because of the fear she would go back and sacrifice herself. Joel’s decision was selfish, understandably so.

[@bibekbasa]

Exactly focus on the ‘understandably so’ Spot on!

[@RobertK1993]

He saved her life she bit ungrateful at start of TLOU2

[@Breerox108]

@@RobertK1993 people deserve autonomy

[@celphone1cellphone591]

​​@@RobertK1993 He ruined her purpose, seeing What Happen with Henry and his brother, what happened to Riley, is all for nothing, and i undestand Joel and side with him, but what was done to Ellie he doing that. Boyy that is some moral battle.

[@TheKillaShow]

I dont think hes scared she'll go back. Hes scared she will hate him.

[@PedroHenrique-qr6os]

This ending made EP3 so much more relevant because Joel does is exactly what Bill said about the kind of people they both are... They are in the world to protect those they love, and God help those who get in the way...

[@valzod3808]

Damn, that came back full circle, and I didn't even think of it.

[@valzod3808]

Damn, that came back full circle, and I didn't even think of it.

[@raymondsims7042]

Episode 3 will never be relevant

[@carljameshaywood4572]

@@raymondsims7042 Episode 3 is very relevant.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@carljameshaywood4572 NO it’s not. It’s probably one of the worst and least “ relevant” episodes of a tv show that I’ve ever seen

[@alexm4163]

I don’t think Joel was right but I also don’t think that the fireflies were right either. I think that the point is that both sides were willing to make decisions without giving Ellie that choice. And without giving specifics on part two, I think Ellie would have sacrificed herself without a doubt.

[@BoydofZINJ]

1 life for billions? Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one. Still a heartful one, but easy choice.

[@CarlosRodriguez-bh2ey]

@@BoydofZINJ that indonesian scientist studied this type of fungus her whole life and she said there was no cure. How do we know this random doctor could find the cure? As someone above said, they were willing to sacrifice the only living patient (that we know of) that had immunity, over a procedure that we don't know if it would have worked.

[@maudelhoyo4019]

You don't need to play part two to know she would've sacrificed herself. That is kind of the entire point of the ending of the first game.

[@BoydofZINJ]

@@CarlosRodriguez-bh2ey And that indoneasian Doctor never saw a fungus in a human being that was active and in another human being not active. 1 life to potentially save billions.

[@RobertK1993]

I think he was humanity doesn't deserve a second chance and it was maybe cure not good enough.

[@GSErnie]

My favorite part of the game was the stark choice at the end between what Marlene wanted and what Joel decided. This is the rare ending in which fans can argue about the moral choices faced by the characters, without seeming like a cop out or a hedge against being criticized for just giving us the happy ending. My main relief is that they actually finished the first season with the same ending as the first game. They did not leave us hanging!

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

Lmaaaaaaaoooo oh have u played part 2? That ending tho 😂😂

[@maudelhoyo4019]

No, the main point of the ending is that Ellie would have decided to sacrifice herself for a cure and Joel knew that. That is why Ellie tells Joel about Riley, and mentions Tess and Sam, they all died because of the infection. We also get hints all the time how being the cure is Ellie's young life objective.

[@celphone1cellphone591]

​@@maudelhoyo4019 Exactly is so freaking clear. And i side with Joel.

[@celphone1cellphone591]

​​@@lazerbeamspewpew4728 Part II is even better than part 1 and glad ellies look in the HBO show is of anger leaving nothing to the imagination when part II comes like the game.

[@dark_winter8238]

My biggest issue of the show was the lack of infected. If you can go from leaving Kansas City to Wyoming and then to Salt Lake without seeing infected, it makes it feel like they are not as big an issue. Do you really need a cure.

[@dylangullberg7383]

The lack of the infected overall was a bit of a bummer, but even in the game, there was literally no transition between each chapter. Time passed very quickly in the game and there was a ton of things in between that weren’t shown, which required some suspension of disbelief.

[@sophiag612]

Yup seems like humans have pretty much taken everything back over besides the few hoards in the city

[@TheKillaShow]

@@dylangullberg7383 But during those chapters it made it clear how big an issue the infected were. There was like 2 infected after episode 5. That is flat out bad.

[@dylangullberg7383]

@@TheKillaShow The infected was clearly an issue on the show. However, it's not the immediate issue and wasn't even so in the game. The biggest issue/threat has always been other humans. This is almost always the case with post-apocalyptic narratives. Humans are always the main threat, and for obvious reasons. Humans can be selfish and opportunistic at the expense of others. Humans don't often consider the long-term ramifications of any looming threat because if the issue isn't right in front of them, it doesn't exist. Humans are more complex and unpredictable; the infected aren't. When humans begin acting dangerously and aggressively out of desperation the main issue becomes less so the problem that started it all e.g. the infected, but survival against other humans. I don't think it's implausible to think that, if the Firefly's did get what they wanted out of Ellie and manufactured a cure, those in the highest echelons of FEDRA would do everything in their power to keep it from getting utilized because FEDRAS power would immediately be rendered inert. I'm not saying I wouldn't have liked more infected, but the lack thereof doesn't necessarily act as a disservice to the game or story, etc. In the grand scheme of things, the infected just make the world a little bit more fun, particularly in terms of gameplay.

[@TheKillaShow]

@@dylangullberg7383 why do we need a cure so bad if the infected are so irrelevant?

[@BomiYuuki]

Tbh I understand the 3 sides, I understand the choice of the fireflies being desperate for a cure, I understand Joel's choice of saving Ellie (because if he has lost Ellie he would be back to square one, alone and feeling that he has nothing to protect) and I understand why eventually Ellie would be upset because I feel that being the "cure" was her purpose after losing Riley, I do feel that she would have chosen to die for the cure. So because I understand each part I can't choose a side. It's just very very f*up I don't think they were trying to vilify Joel, I think the whole episode Joel was just fighting to not lose Ellie, I mean he just opened up to her and started to feel something towards Ellie. In the hospital siege, I felt his desperation of not wanting to lose another "daughter" 😢 And danm how poetic it was to have Ashley Johnson to give birth to Ellie in the show, since basically she gave birth to the character in the game. Soooooo good!!!

[@Gkwilson1487]

Elle’s feelings are very specific and unambiguous and have huge ramifications for season two. She very much has a viewpoint on what should’ve happened.

[@josefabuaisheh6262]

Does it though? I think Ellie's feelings do not change or drive anything of the plot in Part II. Yes, she feels regret having these feelings in the first place, but the story is driven by other characters, and her choices don't really matter that much in Part II until the end, though arguably also not her fault...

[@Gkwilson1487]

@@josefabuaisheh6262 I’d argue that her estrangement w Joel the feelings. It causes after he is murdered, motivate the entire game.

[@Azenithf]

bcoz she was still not in the right state of mind, nor did she get treated for trauma, survivors guilt or her grief. It took her the whole of the second game to finally understand Joel. Ellie's death was never the right choice, and fireflies treated it like the first resort.

[@celphone1cellphone591]

​​@@Azenithf first there is no right choise, because you talking about human subjective feelings, Second in the first game Joel denies Ellie a Choise, Joel denies you know who from part ii a father, like her daughter was denied to him. Then because of that Abby denies Ellie the time to forgive Joel. Part II was not about ellie learning what joel did was right it (because it was not), it was about forgiving.

[@TheKillaShow]

Part 2 was written with a bias. It completely ignores the ambiguity of the first part to tell the audience how the new writers felt about it. Be honest.

[@Teowashere]

In the game they actually did do a brain scan of Ellie and ran a couple of other test to solidify things. You can find a couple of documents in the flash back scene in part 2, and also find a couple of recorders in the first game as Joel is making his way to the operating room. So it actually wasn’t “theorized”, they actually did believe that they could reverse engineer a vaccine Grace.

[@erikstevenson8508]

Yep, people debate it, but the games make it pretty clear that if humanity has a chance to find a cure/vaccine, this is it.

[@brandenwalton2914]

That's not true whatsoever, the game gave us information and recorders describing how the infection worked. It was never said, much less insinuated that they could create a vaccine. Marlene said it herself in her three voice recorders, they were operating on blind hope.

[@Azenithf]

But still wasn't definite. I understand the desperation, but killing ellie as the first resort, the only immune person who they know has ever existed is the most dumbest scientific move ever. I would not trust them if my life depended on it.

[@nathanielrogers2199]

Yes, but that was on retconned in because it was theorised that the a cure wasn't possible.

[@TheKillaShow]

Didnt they kill multiple people running tests for a cure? And for the record, didnt the show flat out say there are no cures? The cold open in episode one and the cold open in episode 2 flat out said its game over if this kind of thing got out. But the doctor for the fireflies has so many specialties gaining his degree(s) during the apocalypse, anesthesiologist, brain surgeon, mycologist, pharmacist, virologist, chemical engineer, zoologist, psychologist, I mean how lucky were they?

[@oshl4387]

Your weekly episode deep-dive breakdowns of The Last of US were a highlight of my winter, Grace. Such a treat, along with Movie Math. Thanks so much for the hard work you put into these segments!

[@BeyondTheTrailer]

I'm so glad to hear that, Osh! :)

[@randlmorales4890]

This is the same criticism I had with the first game. They didn't put enough justification on why Ellie needed to die on the spot to come up with the cure. Or at least why they were in such a hurry to kill her. She just got there, had maybe only a few tests, and then within the hour concluded that she had to be killed. At least keep her for a couple of weeks and study her. Scientifically she's your only specimen.

[@SecondTake123]

True!

[@thedeathskeleton4957]

Honestly, I just thought that the Fireflies being so incompetent and villainous was the intention after completing the first game, but then the second game made it clear that it was just bad writing.

[@JL-nb1yc]

That's my point too. I'm a biomedical scientist. Take her blood and turn it into brain cells. The technology exists. I wrote a textbook chapter on it. The Firefly doctors are so incompetent that I see them as being on the same level as David.

[@jamesgrieves2669]

I think they gave enough extra detail in the show to make it more justified.

[@brandondiaz1118]

Desperation does interesting things to people’s decisions making skills, specially when given a sliver of hope

[@easports1209]

Shoutout to Laura Bailey who played one of the nurses in this episode reprising her role from the first game & Abby in Part II

[@vokasimid5330]

Didn't noticed that

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

Can’t wait to see “Abby & friends” lol

[@samuhelrosetti]

I noticed it right away 😆 I thought she would've gone for a cameo in S2, like someone in the Wolf camp or something. But it still nice to see her reprse a simple role here

[@CCARL11]

From my point of view as someone who hasn't played the game Joel really had no other choice but to save Elie. He didn't know if she had agreed to it , it wasn't a guarantee that it would work, they didn't let Ellie talk to him to say goodbye, and the way they explained it to him with the take it or leave it attitude wasn't going to go well with Joel. Last one was that the infected threat didn't seem as desperate, like the start of the series, due to the budget they weren't able to show that the infected were more of a threat than humans.

[@TanmanC]

I love the slow-mo action of him killing the fireflies with the theme remix. It was hauntingly beautiful

[@SecondTake123]

It was filmed beautifully!

[@belakthrillby]

I'm neither team Joel or team Marlene. I'm team Ellie. She definitely would have wanted to give her life to make a cure. That's why she told the story about Riley. She wanted Joel to understand just what a cure meant to her so that he would hopefully tell her the truth.

[@Ravendra_k]

😂 All serious things aside... Grace's disappointment in Marlene was so dang hilarious.. 😂 Especially when she said.. "Marlene 😒" at 29:27

[@TanmanC]

This was my favorite Pedro acting episode, the facial acting was AMAZING plus he had lines where he sounded just like Troy Baker

[@jumpboi2914]

That take on Joel acting crazy at the end of the episode and Elli feeling awkward about him talking about Sarah is absolutely horrid. None of that scene was about that at all, what in the slightest even gave you the vibe that he was being unhinged he just felt like he was opening up more. Elli being more quiet and reserved was supposed to show that she thinks something is off about the whole situation.

[@The3gg]

Definitely disagree grace. Joel "saving" Ellie takes away her autonomy and underlines how unhealthy it is for Joel to care so much about her. You said it best a few episodes ago, this is a toxic relationship. The non toxic thing would be for Joel to let her go. Ellie is not Sarah and him allowing himself to cling to Sarah's memory is so so bad

[@AnthonyMcNeil]

It's interesting how comments about the other perspective get no attention from Grace.

[@diegopansini3152]

Exactly! Now Joel will always unhealthily cling to his "daughter" while Ellie will never get to mature emotionally, leading to both their downfalls

[@arilarz5679]

Killing her is also taking her autonomy

[@bibekbasa]

But after a whole series/game about the building of a relationship between Joel and Ellie, you expect Joel to just let her go? Like I understand that may be the right thing to do but from his perspective, any person in the world would want to save her cuz the game is all about their relationship, not about the Cordyceps.

[@chrisclarke4665]

Wait til they adapt Last of Us 2. That's going to be a whirlwind online for divisiveness.

[@gobuffs8954]

Joel lied to Ellie because deep down he knew that Ellie would have wanted to go through with the operation.

[@jonofpdx]

I think what's missed in the context here is that Joel of the game is not Joel of the show. The show makes Joel a much more relatable, open character. Which is where you can feel the rug getting pulled out at the end. The games portrayal of Joel want EVIL, per se, but by the end it was deeply, deeply selfish and unhealthy. And it seems perfectly natural for him to save his new daughter who he has invested so much of his broken self into. And damn the consequences. Damn the WORLD. This Joel? He's broken. But he's never shown to be that level of selfish that he would damn the world for his own appeasement. And it is. If it was for HER he would have told her the truth.

[@CaptainChapin]

I feel like Marlene and the fire flies also did not give Ellie a chance to choose. She did not know that she could lose her life in search of a cure. Let alone never seeing Joel again one last time. So I do think both parties played a part in taking away Ellie decision, and manipulating her to perform for their comfortability

[@AlphaSilverhawk]

Neil Druckman is the type of person to stand his ground and back up his work, even if it was a little too divisive. So he’s definitely going to keep the great majority of the aspects and story beats of Part 2, and carry it over to live action in Season 2. Which depending on which side your on for Joel and his decision, is either going to be great, or devastating to witness the story unfold in live action, as well as see Ellie’s character arc take many twists and turns.

[@marwynthemasterful6369]

If he changes the big early moment of Part 2, he doesn’t stand up for his work. I can’t wait to see it.

[@vokasimid5330]

Wish more artists are like that

[@Lucargia1]

@@marwynthemasterful6369 The entire plot of Part 2 relies on that choice, there'd be no Season 2 if he changed it.

[@marwynthemasterful6369]

@@Lucargia1 He can’t change that it happens. He can change how it happens. I don’t want him to change a thing. A change is a cop out. I wanna see if the general audience reacts the way the gamer audience did.

[@Lucargia1]

@@marwynthemasterful6369 True, I may be in the minority but I feel like how Druckman handled it in the game was perfectly captured. You're meant to feel angry & it's meant to come off as abrupt, because that's what the characters are going through at that moment. I do agree though, I'm really curious with how people receive it. A significant amount of people really couldn't get past the first few hours of the game, would the show suffer from it? Who knows!

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

The finale was pitch perfect. Absolutely brutal and incredibly poignant. Loved how they amped up just how grey Joel's decision was by framing Marlene's choice as very grey as well. Just SO well done. Because the thing is? Maybe Joel was wrong, maybe not. But what about Marlene? She keeps saying she's making the right choice but the fact is? She's also depriving Ellie of HER choice. And THAT is arguably just as wrong as Joel's decision. She's effectively murdering Ellie without even telling her what the situation is. Joel's rampage was executed impeccably, and in a weird way, made the conversation at the end between Joel and Ellie hit so much harder. A father talking to, and about, his daughters. One who he lost, and one who he saved (but at what cost?). I also loved the addition of Joel's suicide attempt. Just brilliant stuff. And don't get me started on Ashley's performance as Anna. I love that they were finally able to explore that. It's been our head and it's been alluded to in the American Dreams comic (and by Neal). But to see it play it was so special as a long time, die hard fan. Just an incredible episode to a phenomenal season

[@xKayNee]

@@lordblackwood6737 ???

[@martinungry001]

The fact this show is able to be such a cultural phenomenon with talking points/moments like this and emotional moments like the more quiet episodes speaks to the amazing show/IP it is

[@JeffJacquesmd]

Speaks to the amazing story that Druckman and his crew wrote. Best video game story, ever

[@Kevin187z1]

@@JeffJacquesmd Fucking LMAO

[@raymondsims7042]

This show is complete garbage

[@KeybladeMasterAndy]

The giraffe scene definitely looked like VFX to me.

[@fatine88]

If Joel’s pain hurt to watch, Ellie’s disappointment was 100 times worse.

[@SeanMcGuire92]

And all of us who have been watching Critical Role have known that Ashley Johnson deserves more on-screen work for 8 years now!

[@RichardBarclay]

11 years if you know her from the Avengers

[@SeanMcGuire92]

@@RichardBarclay Hah, very true!

[@GrayMoe]

To answer your question at the end of the video: they should 100 percent stay faithful to the second game for season 2.

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

Nah have Joel live this time. I mean shit Pedro will did carry this show

[@maeyham4336]

​@@lazerbeamspewpew4728him dying is what makes the game what it is and make the audience feel so emotional about it, whether it be anger or sadness. If something that strong didn't happen people would care. I like that the game is polarized. I'd rather people hate or love it than say it's mid

[@Ashley-km4qi]

if they do, i just hope they keep joel alive a bit longer. i highly highly doubt they will kill him right off the bat. i’m predicting he’ll die half way through the season

[@SinSationNation]

First Movie Math, The Little Mermaid trailer reaction, and now your breakdown of episode 9 finale of the Last of Us all for my viewing pleasure 📺 People just don’t realize how much hard work is involved with creating these videos that you put out on a daily and weekly basis. Your dedication to your craft is phenomenal. You rock Grace 🤩

[@Shen_YouTube_]

Agree!

[@trent2219]

I think the question isn't whether or not Joel did the right thing morally, it will be did he do what Ellie would have wanted.

[@Sanj1n]

Excellent episode. I was expecting more infected but I love they remained faithful to the game. I loved the jiraffe scene. Thank you for your hard work tonight Grace. ❣

[@marlone3680]

I was crying during this whole episode. Because you could see them fight against their sadness the entire time, literally trying to find reasons to laugh or stay positive. I mean, this is so devastating, it's exactly what I think most of us would feel in an apocalypse scenario.

[@raymondsims7042]

There’s no way as an adult you were “crying” over this average show🤷‍♂️I just can’t believe that

[@itdenelll]

@@raymondsims7042says the non-adult because you’re probably 14 saying like that lol

[@SecondTake123]

​@@raymondsims7042 I cried a bit during episode 3.

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

You’ll be crying even more when. Joel gets his head bashed in with a golf club… then after that it’ll be Abby & Friends.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@itdenelll I’m a grown man. I don’t cry over garbage tv shows

[@bigums21]

He was in the right because he stopped the fireflies from murdering Ellie. If they had asked her and she had been able to say goodbye to Joel, their would have been a different outcome. It would have been a sacrifice that Ellie made and not a child being slaughtered.

[@thedeathskeleton4957]

Exactly. Not sure why people like to ignore this.

[@geofthompson3844]

I think the fact that people are going to be asking each other about this episode and the choice Joel made and also talking about the choices the creators of the show made is what really elevates the whole thing. Because we don't have clarity. Choices are never simple. Especially not when they are so fundamental. Can't wait to talk about this tomorrow and until season 2 comes.

[@rowku7759]

Disagree completely about Joel being unhinged. He absolutely did not “lose his mind.” He owns his decision until the end. As stated in the making of materials, in Joel’s mind saving Ellie was the easiest decision he has ever made. There was no alternative to him. The reason he was so different (even from when he was with Sarah) is Ellie has become his whole life. He’s not preoccupied with his work, or Tommy, it’s all Ellie. Hence the openness/over sharing. There was no cop-out character assassination for Joel. He is who the story developed him to be, and the story is not trying to answer whether what he did was right. That is up to the audience and there are strong arguments for both. That’s the complexity of the story. What is “right” in this context is something philosophers have literally been debating for millennia! Don’t try to convince yourself their is an easy answer because you are robbing yourself intellectually if you don’t try to understand the other side!

[@Harrix79]

definitely not a state of the art hospital, its like 25 years of infection everywhere, they only have few supplies to be used

[@jrm371]

I understand why Joel did what he did, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences. And that’s why I’m excited for season 2.

[@josefabuaisheh6262]

Maybe we just shouldn't watch season 2 then 😛 Sure consequences for one's actions can drive a plot further until it doesn't matter! I still have my hopes up, they show something completely unrelated to Part II or change it so that there are fewer plot holes in the next season...

[@Kevin187z1]

I can't wait for the mini-golfing episode to begin, either!

[@andrewcerberusok]

I said exactly the same when Marlene said "The Doctor THINKS that he could make a cure", after that either they asked Ellie if she would accept to sacrifice herself to try to make a cure or not. After all they had to go through and after Ellie saved Joel's life not once but twice, I don't blame him (and I think nobody should) for what he did to save her life killing all those Fireflies, because in the end, they weren't sure the cure (and Ellie's sacrifice for that matter) would work. And the fact that they didn't even try at least to talk about an alternative to a procedure that would surely kill the only candidate they had for the experiment, makes me think if that doctor had what it takes to make a cure.

[@uhuhuh1966]

I think future seasons should still be faithful to the games BUT, concerning Part 2, I think it could fix the pacing issues in the way the story was told. It’s a good story, it’s just not presented in the best way and the show could fix that.

[@MAB-8815]

To your point on the VFX, Druckmann said on a podcast that when Joel drinks bourbon it was actually clear and intended to be gin, but HBO execs were confused why Pedro was wincing while drinking water, so they turned the liquid brown in post😂

[@americanpaisareturns9051]

Great Episode. I like that Joel went all not giving a damn.

[@Jokalido]

The production has to buy new "abandoned cars", that nissan murano has been following them all over the country 🤣

[@PathOfRage]

lmfao

[@CrazyTheGoat]

I hope they don't change anything significant in part 2, just because some people don't like it doesn't mean they should compromise their artistic integrity.

[@Gkwilson1487]

Totally agree

[@raymondsims7042]

Yeah they may as well keep part 2 like it is🤷‍♂️the show already bloody sucks anyways

[@vokasimid5330]

Fingers crossed

[@HeelPower200]

The problem with Part 2 is that it tries to portray psychopathic behavior as grey and really puts the characters we love through hell for no apparent reason. Its grim, atrocious and fails to understand human empathy and morality.

[@diegopansini3152]

@@HeelPower200 In other words, it makes us feel like crap all the way through to the point that it makes us want to kill ourselves by the end of it. They could've done so much better narrative-wise

[@LovedByYou]

Bella Ramsey the actress that played EllIe, says she 100% would’ve chosen to sacrifice herself for the greater good.

[@Jayriv95]

It can’t be for nothing is a big theme for Ellie’s character. She literally tells Joel, it can’t be for nothing and in the end… it was for nothing. All the death, all the sacrifice, all the violence… was for nothing, and Joel caused that. When Ellie finds out her reaction will be completely justified. Joel also now plays a part in killing humanity’s future… he’s the villain of this story and we just follow him.

[@zacheryacuff8070]

Joel: *murders dozens of people to save the one person whose sacrifice is humanity's best chance of recovery and survival* Grace: I'll admit it wasn't ideal.

[@kluv2g1]

The problem is noone gave Ellie a choice. Neither Marlene or Joel. Yes, Joel saved Ellie but it was for himself because he didn't want to lose again. That's why he couldn't tell her what happened because he's afraid she would have chosen to sacrifice herself and resent him for taking that away from her.

[@bwallatube]

I'd argue these Firefly folks on the ground, in the rough, are not "horribly incompetent", they're realistically incompetent.

[@TanmanC]

I am so glad that Grace is Team Joel!

[@phillconklin382]

Team Joel doesn't last that long. He dies early in the second game.

[@Blodhelm]

Not much point in it, if she thought his character was assassinated by losing his mind a little, she's not going to like what they do to him later.

[@diegopansini3152]

No point in being "team joel" if his choices lead to both his and Ellie's downfall. Joel unhealthily clings to his daughter while Ellie never grows up emotionally. They both suffered from Joel's choice

[@konstantinosdaglaroglou9339]

Two things I thought after my second viewing. -Their dialogue on their way to the hospital is kind of awkward because of Ellie. I think Ellie definitely knows there is a possibility that she won't survive this and/or she will lose Joel. And that's why Ellie was not needed to be asked if she really wanted to undergo the operation. We see in these first minutes that she is ready to do whatever it takes. -Joel says all these things he shouldn't be telling to Ellie about Sarah because after all he's done in the hospital is not himself anymore. He doesn't think clearly.

[@rowku7759]

I agree that I think that the weakest part of The Last of Us story is definitely the idea that after one day they would know enough medically to make the decision that Ellie needs to die to find the cure. That could have probably been done better. But I also think that Grace is missing the boat saying, “Just make a vaccine! Try that first!” Does she really think a vaccine hasn’t been tried over the last 20 years?! Clearly, Ellie’s condition is something very, very special and highly unusual for it to not have occurred before.

[@sophiag612]

I am a Joel defender but it’s very complex. My issue with it always was that Ellie was not given the CHOICE. Marlene wanted to kill Ellie for something that might not even work. But by Joel killing the doctor (apparently the only person who can maybe create a cure), he took away that choice too. I stand by Joel because his decision was from a place of love, Marlene wasn’t thinking of Ellie as anything more than an object.

[@Eprosis]

The Fireflies went about this in the most stupid way humanly possible. If the surgery had been explained to both Ellie and Joel, and Ellie given a choice in the matter, then farewells could have been said. Ellie could have talked Joel off the 'massacre' cliff. But they didn't, and got exactly what they deserved. Marlene knew how incredibly dangerous Joel was! She knew! And yet, made the absolute worst choice possible. Phew, where's that gif of the F* around and find out chart.

[@AHMEDGAIUSROME]

Marlene was going to ask her but Joel knew Ellie would say YES! He just couldn't accept it

[@thedeathskeleton4957]

Marlene was never going to ask her because she didn't actually believe she would say Yes. Hence why they planned on murdering Ellie in her sleep.

[@CHarr1991]

The shortness kind of caught me off guard, but the episode was very interesting/thought-provoking. I’m 100% okay with Joel’s choices. Wish there was more; gonna be sad to not have this world and characters around on Sundays.

[@Blodhelm]

There is more, but you might not be happy for it.

[@johnshepard8556]

Play the game

[@CHarr1991]

@@johnshepard8556 I’m seriously debating it lol

[@diegopansini3152]

@@Blodhelm Oh, the chances of being happy for it are low

[@Dularr]

@@diegopansini3152 I suspect they can rearrange the story elements to be more satisfying.

[@Czarjonz]

He should have been honest with Ellie but I’m glad he saved her.

[@edifier107]

Grace really raised great and interesting insights here. This episode was great to watch and they did the finale justice.

[@1000greyes]

I don’t know grace. I believe Ellie would sacrifice her self for the sake of a cure. By the way she sounded.

[@Emman21]

Amazing ep but I think they overlooked a SIGNIFICANT part in the game vs the show in this ep. When the Fireflies took Ellie in the game, she was knocked out from drowning. In the show, she was disorientated but awake. So wouldn’t she have been told afterwards what they were going to do to her? I think the choice dilemma works in the game because since she was knocked out, she has no no say or recollection of what actually happened between them getting captured and Joel’s shootout. But that’s just me I think

[@thedeathskeleton4957]

They never wanted to give her a choice hence they drugged her and planned on murdering her asap. In the show, she didn't even seem to know they drugged her which really shows how villainous they were.

[@FAITH_FACTOR_TV]

Grace, there's a difference between a "breakdown" vs being critical just for the sake of being critical...... In my opinion, this episode was incredible !

[@nolifeSnorlax]

The question is... if the firefys knew how to create Ellie - infekting a pregnant women during birth - why didn't they do that instead of transporting Ellie over the country? The cruelty would be the same...

[@leunghoi]

The way this show is written, the infection is only an dramatic event that turned everything into chaos. More than half of the bad things are done by humans, not zombies. Even if Ellie's brain can create a vaccine, it will probably be used by one group to take over the rest. In that world, humanity won't come back for a long time. So, is it worth Ellie's live? I don't know.

[@MrDrico8]

Ellie would have made that sacrifice for the greater good. I think it was conveyed more often in the game tho with small moments where Ellie says things like “I can’t wait until they’re all (zombies) dead”. She wanted to make the world a better place. Now all humanity is doomed 😐

[@Davidsworldtravels]

I definitely felt that way when playing the game. That Joel just doomed everyone out of his toxic love for Ellie. But honestly in the show they don’t even deal w infected very often and they have towns with electricity and decent populations. They just need to keep repopulating and it seems they’ll be fine. Maybe that’s the problem w not showing how brutal dealing w infected is like the game does.

[@itbechelsea]

And the last thing Tess said to Joel was, "Save who you can save." 😭

[@linwini2393]

i think the world was beyond saving at this point

[@MrDrico8]

@@linwini2393 This is just another global pandemic to talk about with the past natural disasters that’s plagued human existence since before the paleolithic. Humans find a way!

[@abishaipaul2298]

The story is ultimately about the danger of unconditional love as stated by the creators. Every episode emphasizes that time and time again. You can love or hate a character's decision that doesn't mean it's a 180. This is a perfect arc for Joel. The cost of loving someone is sometimes lying to them.

[@liamobrien6322]

She most definitely would have gone through with being the cure , as her life would have meant something.. thats quite a big part in part 2

[@codyprice2616]

I think that last goes back to Tess as well. That hospital scene also goes back to Tess’s last quote, “Save who you can Save”. He could still try to save Ellie in that moment and did.

[@BlazerManiacNumber96]

TLOU2 is incredible and the story should not be changed in any way. That being said, the story is written and paced as a video game. It’s way too long to fit into a single season so they’ll almost definitely have to split it into two. With that being the case, they’ll have to rearrange the order of events for it to translate well to the TV medium

[@serbio26]

What are you talking about. First, no story is good or bad is the way the story is told that makes it compelling or not. TLOU part 2 is an abomination of storytelling, unlike part 1, part 2 is all over the place. There are parts that don't make sense. In my opinion The Last of Us was a complete story that didn't need a sequel, not the one we got at least

[@diegopansini3152]

@@serbio26 Agreed, and it made us want to let both protagonists die in multiple occasions, and then kill ourselves by the end of the game. How can we get through a story like that?

[@rohegarcia2802]

@@serbio26 An abomination? You either haven’t played many games, or probably haven’t even played the game with an open mind. What exactly doesn’t make sense? Joel dies because of his actions on part 1. That sets off the events of part 2 with Ellie tracking down and attempting to kill Abby. We then get Abby’s perspective to better show her motivation, and then Ellie let’s her live to break the horrible cycle of violence. It’s not rocket science.

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

@@rohegarcia2802mao a sequel was based off a dead doctor from part 1 😂😂😂.. “open mind” yeah no.. to have Joel killed then play as the killer and sit through the whole “Abby & friends” type shit? That’s a huge pass. Y’all better get ready season 2 will be rough once again.

[@lazerbeamspewpew4728]

We will see about that it’s called plot armor. And Abby will be wearing it like in the game.

[@joeshmoe001100]

Killing someone healthy to try to find a cure goes against all medical ethics. Not only that, there is no guarantee that the barbarism would have resulted in a cure. And it isn't needed to save humanity. People don't have it easy, but they are surviving and living in communities.

[@teddyholiday8038]

They stuck the landing. If you don’t like the ending, you don’t understand the point.

[@ericatkinson4477]

I hope they continue to be faithful to the games from a story perspective, but maybe fix some of the elements around the telling of the 2 parallel stories. It won't be as jarring in film to go back and forth between the two whereas in the game you were focused on one, then the other for large continuous segments. I 100% think they need to keep the key divisive element in though (Trying not to spoil). It is central to the story and really changes everything with regard to the character development.

[@aletskun3877]

Tha fact that this story makes you think about your feelings, your morals and the chatacters' decisions, instead of just separating everyone into good guys and bad guys, is why i love TLOU so much. I'd say I'm a bigger fan of the second game, but man they nailed this adaptation.

[@bensxbd]

I love these reviews you make. It’s like book club and I actually talk to my phone in response to you! Lol

[@rostikskobkariov5136]

I think the choice at the end of the show/game makes the entire series interesting. Was Joel right? Was Marlene right? Hard cut (especially if u played the game) WTF am i suppose to think?? ahhh I love it

[@instantromy]

For me, it was Joel trying to compensate. Ellie was always the jovial one and then her not being like that for months (?), Joel was trying to cheer her up, when she needs actual therapy and can't get that.

[@rheableu5494]

The parralels between ep 1 and this ep are insance. Joel cradling his daughter/Ellie whilst in a standoff with an army/firefly figure.

[@peterm.4355]

They did a brain scan to Ellie, there's a flashback to the hospital in Part II where they explain all of it.

[@thejohnald9256]

In the moment, Ellie would have chosen to die for the greater good of the world. Her speech after they saw the giraffes where she speaks about how this entire journey, "can not be for nothing" and then she also mentioned all the deaths that happened along her entire life and journey with Joel, put her in the CURRENT mindspace where she saw being the physical vessel of "the cure" as the purpose of her life, thus making her willing to sacrifice. This also is not AT ALL a character assassination for Joel, he never truly healed from the trauma surrounding Sara's death, so he is incapable of a situation similar to that happening again. Also I really would not compare TLOU Part 2 to the final season of Game of Thrones, the writing levels are just not similar at all and many people hated the second game simply because they were upset about something happening. Anyways, for all your questions about the plot holes surrounding the doctors and the Doctor's theories about Ellie, as you would say I would put a pin in that!

[@NoraHelmer023]

This is my second time watching this breakdown because it is just that good. After having watched a few other vids and listened to a couple of podcasts on the episode, I think yours is the best, Grace, and really does encapsulate everything I felt about the episode. I would pay cash money to see a few scenes from this episode before they did the VFX. Thanks for the little behind the scenes insight into how that worked.

[@TheRumblewagon]

Grace, it's the classic debate that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

[@thedeathskeleton4957]

Except there's no "needs" here. They want a cure. They don't need it. Humanity has survived 20 years without it and will survive far more.

[@cameronhawkins5014]

Art is meant to make you feel something so I’ve never understood the term emotional manipulation.

[@mephi654]

The problem is that familiarity with Joel’s character blinds the audience to reality. Remember when Joel and Kevin (Sam’s older brother) were talking, and Kevin admitted being less then truthful with Joel? Remember when he said about his dropping a dime to FEDRA that “Bad guys do what bad guys do”. In that scene a ‘bad guy’ was admitting to being a ‘bad guy’ to a ‘bad guy’. As Joel, Tess and Tommy all recognized. Was it reasonable to expect ‘bad guy’ Joel to be altruistic at the cost of Ellie’s life and his own newfound reason to live again? Only if you’re smoking crack.

[@diegopansini3152]

Well said! "Familiarity with Joel's character blinds the audience to reality", 100%. That's the only reason a lot of people are on his side, they let their emotions dictate their morality. It's a bit worrying, really

[@LucenProject]

28:57 I liked that they showed she'd been holding her knife to her throat the entire wait for the others to get back so that if she ran out of time she could save Ellie.

[@andrimufid2195]

In my mind, Joel is a selfless man in a very selfish world

[@diegopansini3152]

It is very much the opposite. He was the most selfish one around in the entire episode, it's kind of the whole point

[@andrimufid2195]

Not exactly, this is a world where nothing matters, where the core element of a society dies: community. Before episode 1, Joel has just looking out for himself, acclamating to this new norm. When he was assigned to smuggle Ellie, at first he treats her just as a commodity, another means to make a buck, when the job's done, he forget about her and move on. But the more he spend time with her, the more she reminds him of Sarah and a floodgate of emotions that follows, and start to cloud his detachment with her, and start to build this unique "Lone Wolf and a Cub" relationship. Ellie is the last remains of humanity that Joel didn't knew still have. When the time comes for Joel to handover Ellie, he starts to worry about nobody will treat Ellie the way he does, she's just another disposable commodity to fulfill its usefulness. It was also reminded Joel when he couldn't save Sarah. He can't let that go. He "saved" Ellie, because he thinks it will save himself. As Joel said to Ellie, even though he is actually saying this to himself,she will have something else to live for, to fight for, that's at least what Joel believe.

[@JRiley187]

I noticed Ellie is sort of Blade. Her mom being bitten during her pregnancy and becoming immune/Daywalker lol

[@sillyskater2]

It was perfect, I kept the things that I love about Part one and some of the additional scenes just added. Ashley did a great job as Anna and it was wild hearing Ellie when she spoke but fun. Merle Dandridge gave me chills when she handed Ellie off and then made the switch to go back into the room with Anna ❤ I loved this season.

[@andresburton2130]

I think that Joel did what he did because to him the true cataclysm that brought the end to his world wasn't the cordyceps, but losing his daughter, and Ellie was his cure. Also, being held at gun point by a soldier while the life of his new daughter was hanging in the balance would be triggering for him. Not only that, but the Fireflies were itching to find a reason to kill Joel and very likely would've done so by the time they took him outside. So, although Joel may have robbed humanity of their only chance, I get the motivation.

[@miguelitoreyes5514]

Definitely disagree with Grace that they're vilifying Joel. The intention was to always paint his choice as completely grey and impossible to label as right or wrong. His choice to not tell Ellie isn't manufactured drama at all, either. It ties into Part II and Joel's crippling fear of losing another child. Believe us, Grace. NOBODY will walk away viewing Joel differently. Nor are you meant to. But at the same time, I think it's important to remember that while Joel is far from a truly bad person, he's not a hero.

[@izumolee6714]

I really loved how the show tied the choices made by Joel & Marlene when it came to Ellie. Even in the beginning Anna tells Marlene to find someone to look after Ellie & what does Marlene do? Hand Ellie over to Fedra. She didn't have the paternal instincts that Joel has. She was kinda in a way like Kathleen a utilitarian. All Marlene was doing was for the 'greater' good. Joel on the other hand was a parent & being with Ellie has given him something to fight for. He doesn't care about no cure or the greater good. His love for Ellie was so strong his morals & righteousness was thrown out the window if anything would happen to her. So the hospital scene really showed how he has no bs to those he sees as an obstacle. Easily & ruthlessly gunning down anyone regardless if they were a threat. Like he didn't even look at the doctor when he shot the guy.