Understanding Ellie's Journey in Part One

[@Motivious]

This really puts into perspective of Ellie's reasoning for why she abandoned Joel and Tommy.

[@jillianpace7295]

If you add the comic books into this, we find out that Ellie has been put into multiple people care within the military over and over and over and every time she asks to stay with said person they dump her back at the military school. This adds to her abandonment issues

[@corneliuspildershmidt]

What comic book?

[@Good_Boy_3000]

​@@corneliuspildershmidtThe Last Of Us: American Dreams.

[@rickiex]

The moment we realize that Joel wasn't the main character, it was Ellie, and Joel was just the vessel for the players to see her grow.

[@spaceorion8939]

Just like The Walking Dead game with Lee and Clementine.

[@deadinside44123]

@@spaceorion8939 not sure if this counts really but especially at the end of everything where you finally take control do ajs dialogue

[@beentheredonethat5908]

I have to disagree, they were both the main character. The game succeeds because the player falls in love with their relationship, together they make the game, it's not joel and its not Elie, its them, their bantering, their growth , their ability to make each other better, and the complex nature of their love that grows during the journey.

[@lumeronswift]

​@@beentheredonethat5908Exactly, yes. Both are protagonists. And Joel is taking on just as much of an emotional journey as Ellie; he's just a lot quieter about it.

[@queenc9570]

you are so wrong on this 💀

[@dedf15]

The most telling part of Ellie's character in Part 1 was how she responded to Joel at the end. She KNEW he was lying to her, and she willingly accepted it for the sake of holding onto their relationship; even at the sake of her personal goals.

[@elishawilson5342]

That only shows it was bound to tear them apart though when the truth inevitably comes out it wasn't going to last

[@DLxxx]

@@elishawilson5342 Good point. A stable, healthy relationship is, fundamentally, built on trust. It _cannot_ be built on lies, because when conflict inevitably arises between the people involved, that lack of trust is going to make a mistake SO much harder to move past and forgive. The fragility of Joel and Ellie's relationship at the end was deeply tragic. I'm sure deep down _neither_ of them thought they could ignore this forever, not when it was what kept Ellie going during that perilous hike across the country. Not when it was what Tess sacrificed her life for. Not when she finally found the purpose her mother asked her to find.

[@KurokamiNajimi]

@@DLxxx She eventually forgave him though and I’d argue her ideology was completely false she didn’t have to die for her life to matter 2nd game should have been about showing her that

[@MrPlito95]

Understanding this is vital to get the full meaning of the final scene in TLAOU II, when she is alone, physiscally and metaphorically, in the house she used to live in with Dina and JJ. During that game Ellie, without realising, becomes the very thing she fears the most, she is completely alone.

[@dustyclink1468]

To add onto this, I think the reason is because she *became* Joel. She was so hurt and so alone I believe she chooses solitude to avoid being hurt again.

[@casthedemon]

If only it wasn't poorly written.

[@WolfBoy-om6dw]

@@casthedemon Yep

[@casthedemon]

@@ZanZander-el7te hahaha as if. XD That's a poor take.

[@Nick-hr2gk]

​@@casthedemon Do you just go to proTLOUII videos to spout your contrarian opinion/take or whatever you want to call it? If you dont like it then fucking let go and find something new. Game came out in 2020. Grow up

[@mister_hambone1384]

The delivery of "You are treading on some mighty thin ice", from Troy gets me every time.

[@Bestgameplayer10]

It’s even better when you realize that wasn’t the original line they were gonna go with (wording was a little different).

[@kiaraerikah8749]

To add to the “pointlessness” of the deaths of those who helped her on her journey to the fireflies, all of those deaths were tied to the infection. Riley, Tess, and Sam got bit eventually leading to their deaths. Henry kills himself because he no longer had anything to live for after his brother was gone. As someone who could potentially be the solution to this, she probably had an even greater incentive to want to sacrifice herself so that no more deaths like those could happen

[@makaan5516]

But Joel had his merits. A militia group balancing on a brink of defeat, in a world with all industries and supply chains collapsed would not be able to produce any kind of cure even by accident

[@JB2FROSTY]

I think her runnin away was genius because it showed Joel how worried he was that he wasn't there to protect her while also showing him how it feels to be abandoned. I believe that led to his change of heart in deciding to not pawn her off on Tommy.

[@sakurap95]

Her whole journey was to process her grief, her anger, and her pain of losing time with Joel. It isn’t until she could finally get all the poison out, push herself so far that she has to let go of her pain, that she remembers the one memory that brought closure and forgiveness with Joel. The light at the end of the tunnel. The memory that consolidated their entire relationship, and therefore, could crystallize her security in knowing how much Joel loved her and how much she loved him. Yeah, she lost her fingers, but Joel was more than a guitar. Ellie gained something stronger for herself.

[@IronheartvsMiles]

Her journey has nothing to do with Joel, clearly, She would at the end of the game left with him to tommy but wanted to die so riley and others would matter, Joet took that from her that's why it was hard for her to forgive him

[@chuckled125]

dude, part one is in the title of the video

[@montescarpado]

@@Gamfluent yesah the fireflies didn't even know what they were doing, 100% sure that it would NOT have worked

[@92brunod]

@@montescarpado That's completely irrelevant. She would have still done it even if it only had a 0.1% chance of working and you know it, and Joel doesn't care a bit about that when making his decision. That literally affects none of their decisions.

[@StonieBear420]

I shot like 10 innocent dogs in the side of the head with a 308 in this game fir her to js give up. PtII was good but had many issues with writing and pacing😂 and the gameplay doesn't match the story

[@zyonhenderson67]

Can't wait to watch this later! I think her journey isn't discussed as much and I am glad someone is doing an analysis on her journey

[@hyoseuk7336]

This was some amazing insight into the story I haven't seen yet! I never put much thought into Ellie saying everyone she cares about either died or abandoned her, but this video put everything in a whole different context! Might have to replay the game with this new perspective. Great analysis man! Always look forward to your uploads, keep it up!

[@Danny_the_Chicken]

I can see now that this is really pissy of Joel, cuz she was fighting to make those deaths matter, and Joel took that away. She was also fighting for a purpose, to make her life mean something after everyone abandoned her over and over again, and Joel took that away too. I know Joel meant well but he at least could have told her the truth, to why he saved her, to maybe make her think there is someone who cares for her like she always wanted.

[@VoltaVoid]

I just replayed the game when Part 1 came out on PS5, adding up to two play throughs, and still this video added a whole new perspective on the dialogue that I hadn’t considered before. Amazing game, amazing video

[@rachelsrevenge.2877]

Fantastic video! It’s rare to see videos about Ellie from the first game, it’s mostly Joel. I love how you show Ellie perspective at the end, a lot of people were saying Ellie should get over it and stop being mean to Joel when the second game came out, but you’ve captured exactly why she couldn’t just do that. I hope to see more videos on the last of us from you soon.

[@sheikah3303]

Amazing video man. Essays like this keep reminding me how much i love these games (yes, part 2 as well). Cant wait to watch the show this weekend!

[@sleeplessmax]

ellie in a nutshell: survivor's guilt

[@midnightjay]

Damn, this is good. I really enjoy your video essays, I always walk away getting a broader perspective. I always figured that she wanted to fight for a cure because she lost Riley, Tess and Sam to the infection but it's a lot more than that. I also did interpret what Ellie was saying at the end that she wanted to die too, like survivor's guilt. To want to matter and make the sacrifices worth it, that makes so much sense. Watching this solidifies for me that I really wish TLoU2 did something different with Ellie's character. So much can be expanded on knowing Ellie's motivations in the first game.

[@Mlpgamer]

Excellent analysis, and very thought provoking/eye opening. Well done!

[@TheDreamerExtreme]

It still pisses me off hearing Joel saying Ellie has no idea what loss is; *everyone* in this world has experienced loss, so Joel making that comment is especially selfish since he is a selfish character, appropriately.

[@collectiveleak]

Yeah but his type of loss is that of a daughter dying in his arms, and Ellie is just a kid. It's just like a kid nowadays claiming "I have it hard in life" and their parent tells them "back in my day it was way worse". It's just the typical adult not realizing what children can go through cause they can't see through their eyes

[@point-bl4nk]

Let's just call it bad writing. That line makes no sense.

[@alexwilliams2276]

That’s not what he means by loss. Joel lost his way of life-his normalcy, his daughter. To him Ellie’s loses are minor because she was born in the world. As Dina put it and to paraphrase, everyone has lost someone. She also as far as we know doesn’t know what it’s like to lose someone dying in your arms or to feel helpless. She felt helpless watching him die and probably saw where he was coming from with Sarah right then and there.

[@Snot_Rockets]

Sarah literally died in his arms, and he knew and was with Sarah for like 15 years. Ellie did not know the people she was close with nearly as long as Joel. Joel then had to deal with the pain for like 20 years or was it 12 years or something, I can’t remember either way its a lot longer then how long Ellie had to deal with any of her loss. Yeah you could argue that she had to deal with the loss of never knowing her parents but she didn’t have to watch them die, Ellie was also used to never having a relationship with them, Joel had that suddenly ripped away from him and he had to deal with it for a extremely long time. And yes I realize Ellie had to watch Riley turn and probably had to kill her herself but Ellie didn’t have to deal with that pain for nearly as long as Joel.

[@Monkor002]

Joel lost all that and more. He's lost things she's never experienced or knew she could experience. STFU

[@ricksanchez3695]

Honestly this video gave me a new perspective on Ellie. Perhaps her questioning Joel is her confirming that he wants to stay with her. If she got so mad about him potentially pawning her off on Tommy then maybe she's holding out hope that he does in fact want her as his new daughter. They very clearly care about each other and since she can read his emotions so well, she probably could tell he was lying at the end and realize how important she is to him which is the only reason she didn't call him out for it at the end. Just my little theory. Although her reaction to the truth in part two doesn't support this theory much.

[@AkoSiFrance]

The more I learn about this game thaalt I haven't caught while playing, the more I love this game.

[@afshin8047]

I would really love to see part II. That's the one I struggle with and would like to see your analysis.

[@rachelsrevenge.2877]

I urge anyone that hasn’t played part 1 to get it eventually. This game is my favourite and even I didn’t wanna have to get a whole new console for one game I’ve already played. But after playing it, it’s the closest thing to having a first time again. The facial expressions alone are reason. As it add a whole new depth to the scene. Depth that it missed before, shockingly, but we didn’t know any better. I’m not saying everyone run out and buy a ps5. Even I didn’t do that, I played while staying at a friends house, BUT when the ps4 dies out and the 5 becomes everyone’s new console, definitely play this game again, the remade version. It blew my mind and fans of the game will adore it. I wasn’t convinced when it was being released, but once I saw it, it’s jaw dropping. It felt like experiencing and old beloved game with fresh eyes, seeing parts it wasn’t possible to see before and it’s still very emotion because of this. I hope all the cynics can give it a chance some day. It’s incredible.

[@pussycatthethird]

I literally have watched so many people play all of the different versions and the remake brings soooo much more to the table, like you said. Literally one of the main reasons I’m wanting a ps5 🙏 You are so right.

[@The_Mammal_Man]

We are eating good today Keep it up this great analysis videos! It makes a person appreciate even more this game and it's story

[@chairresurri]

i know that this video focuses on ellie, but id like to add that any side you take in the house scene in wyoming it makes sense, Joel doesnt want to make the same mistake he did with his daughter and has trauma that he cant express, while Ellie wants to keep being with Joel for the sake of finally finding someone that doesnt drop her off to someone else great video, truly i loved this essay

[@carlbrerian]

can't wait for the video of ellies journey in part ll!

[@crimsonhawk9492]

This was a very insightful video! Looking forward to part 2!

[@kilianheisen8011]

Another great essay Brett! I glad to have discovered you during your channel renaissance.🙏

[@silver70058]

i didn't even watch it yet but let me say already: Thanks Fat Brett

[@Djmack1992]

I mean, again, Joel and Ellie were duped by the Fireflies. They were totally incapable of producing a cure or even furthering the research into one. All the people she lost along the way died for actually nothing more than for her to live another day and in a real life scenario sometimes that's all you get, brother. If you think about it, it starts to hit a little different and puts life through hardship in a new perspective.

[@ryu6916]

“But we fight for every second we get to spend with each other, whether it’s two minutes or two days, we don’t give that up” - To myself, this one is the missing gold nugget. Pls remember.

[@iJamScrew]

This is great, quality content. Truly enjoyed it; keep up the great work

[@stubbaloo1602]

I bet Ellie would be amazing in eSports if she had a computer

[@Bread_Media]

These are great videos thank you. I'm currently trying to make my first KZbin video and it's on the TLOU parts one and two. Your insights have been really helpful and inspiring, and I feel like you really get the story in ways that seems to have flown over a lot of other people's heads.

[@klownary]

good video big guy. 12:05 can't lie, this is funnier than i'd expect it to be.

[@Lryuzaki98]

Another banger. And love the new outro.

[@MonkeyBoy-sd9vc]

"You're not my daughter. I sure as hell ain't your dad" That's rough as fuck after seeing what happens

[@Dirk1337]

What this whole analysis doesnt consider is that back in in the farmhouse near Jackson when she ran off on the horse is that she asks Joel not to abandon her and Joel did not. Ellie never said afterwards that if it comes to making a vaccine he should abandon her (what her beeing killed would ultimatly mean). So all he did was what Ellie asked him to, in the hospital he chose for the second time not to abandon her. Given that there were no other options to not abandon her than to kill the fireflys and get her out of there he really only did what she asked him to. So her saying in Part II that she was supposed to die in the hospital and Joel took that from her is basicly nonsense because he only did what he was asked by her. It also means Ellie expected him to not abandon her knowing there is a good chance that they get close given both of their history (yes she knew that because she is really smart and can come to such conclusions as thoroughly proven in this video) only then to expect him to abandon her, which would finally and completly destroy Joel, without even mentioning it to him. So she basicly said she expected Joel to torture and punish himself in the most cruel and painful way thats imaginable for him (losing a second daughter, which she undoubtedly became). In my opinion ellie didnt even have the right to be upset or feel betrayed because if anything Joel was loyal to her.

[@IronheartvsMiles]

joel is selfish

[@DLxxx]

No? Joel explicitly DID NOT THINK Ellie would want him to stop the Firelights. He lies to her twice for this very reason, and her dying would not be Joel abandoning her. If anything it's the opposite, SHE'D be abandoning him by dying, but that's something she'd be content with because making a cure means she'd be leaving Joel in a world with hope. A world with a potential happy future for him. Ellie made it clear that no matter what, the deaths and suffering she's had in her life can't be for nothing. She didn't just want a safe life with Joel. She refused to go back to Jackson and put herself in harms way, because she wanted the lives of the people she loved to matter. It's that simple. As much as she loves Joel, he was NEVER the only person she was fighting for, or the only person who mattered to her.

[@Kuhboose1]

What sucks is he could have told her they got a sanple and sent them on their way and it'd have made her feels better. I think his lines were written keeping in mind the files that were originally in that last level detailing their failed attempts with other immune

[@voshadxgathic]

The cutscene in the farmhouse was partly unscripted. "Everyone - fucking except for you." was raw Ashley Johnson.

[@Cactuspresidents]

My friend, you deserve many more subscribers! Hope you hit 1 million by next year!

[@lolmanmagee2785]

woulda been so much simpler if joel just said to her that they were going to kill her lol

[@omas1178]

Unfortunately Joel is a selfish person and doesn't want her to hate him

[@IronheartvsMiles]

Comment makes no sense, she knew that she wanted to die for riley etc, you can't be that slow

[@lolmanmagee2785]

@@IronheartvsMiles maybe but she was not awake during the whole ordeal. she deserved to atleast known she was finna die choice was taken from her regardless of joels choice.

[@marvelsProtege]

13:09 that should is going to be so ace in the show omg can't wait

[@user-op6kt8pg9y]

This is exactly what made the first games story perfect and why I will never play the second or third game, the characters journey arcs where amazing, I played the first on release and have loved it ever since

[@TheTigerspy]

You're lying to yourself if you think this is a grand ending without continuing their story in Part 2. Don't be a Joel and play Part 2.

[@TheSadMusician]

@@TheTigerspy100% agree, TLOU2 is a different story One that tugged on my emotions unlike any other game, If you hate TLOU2 without even playing it first Then theres something wrong with the way you judge games

[@JoeySehn]

@@TheSadMusicianPlayed the game and here’s my not at all hot take: Ellie’s story was a flawed but good story. TLOU2s attempts at getting people to sympathize with Abby failed, not just because people liked Joel too much but because she’s an unsympathetic and poorly written character, as is almost everyone related to her part of the story (including Lev). Seeing this does not require playing the game, you can watch it on KZbin and come to the exact same conclusion because the problems are so glaringly obvious. The fact that the top comment doesn’t want to go from playing a masterpiece to playing a game that’s good at best, and does a disservice to the main character of TLOU1, is perfectly reasonable. There’s even an argument to be made that TLOU2 failed Ellie, too, but that’s a bit more subjective, since they actually told a story with Ellie, and didn’t just kill her and spit on her grave

[@TheTigerspy]

@@JoeySehn but that scene with Joel and Ellie on the porch.... 🥺

[@gummybearchewy5444]

@@JoeySehn I understand that the second games story and characters are not for everyone which I will not argue over. but the second game in no way did a disservice to Joel. Instead he reaped what he sowed in the second game. If anyone did a disservice it was him to Ellie in the first game. And a further disservice to her in the second by not preparing her for the possibility that he will likely have a violent death. As Joel no doubt made far more enemies then just Abby. A man does not live the life Joel did without making people that want to see him die in brutal ways. That life being the killing and robbing he did before Boston and the smuggling he did while in Boston. The only difference between any of them and Abby is that Abby found him first.

[@imtoogoodatpvp1252]

Wow so I hate the ending even more now, a good ending but enraging knowing it’ll never continue in any meaningful way outside my head

[@painebatke9144]

I think that her life did have a meaning, to Joel.

[@IronheartvsMiles]

Dumb comment, riley etc didn't die for joel they die for ellie. for her to matter ellie much do something about it

[@painebatke9144]

@@IronheartvsMiles why is it dumb? tell me your reasoning. (Elaborate more)

[@jesavius]

Homeric Odyssey is apt here since I believe Ellie is a Greek Tragedy ultimately.

[@IronheartvsMiles]

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY ELLIE NEVER TALKED ABOUT RILEY IN PART TWO WHEN CLEARLY SHE LOVED HER.

[@gaia7240]

Exactly! Or even tess

[@cledosliop4175]

one of the best analyses I have ever watched. Hope you can do some videos on part 2 I’m really curious about how you will interpret Ellie’s motive in the 2.

[@1x93cm]

This is exactly why TLOU2 didn't make sense. It didn't make sense for the last half of the game for Ellie to abandon Dina. Even halfway through after the subway and when Ellie learned Dina was preggers, it didn't make sense for her to continue 'muh heckin revenge mission'. That's why they had to fill in the story with so many flashbacks because they had to force it. It would've made more sense for her to be scared *for* dina and the town that some ghosts were willing to hunt them down and it was a proactive revenge but in that case, they would've had the whole town go after Abby's group.

[@crazyinsane500]

No, but the themes though. Don't you know you can't write a story with themes *and* internal consistency?

[@KingSlayer_.]

This comment doesn't really make any sense. It's a completely different relationship between Dina and Ellie and Ellie and Joel..

[@Wizgoht]

She should’ve brought her back to the camp as soon as she found out she was pregnant

[@1x93cm]

@@KingSlayer_. Ellie cared for Dina. It wouldn't make sense for her to purposefully put her in harm's way because her core wound is fear of loss. She just lost Joel why the hell would she put the only other person that is super close to her in harms way. Why the hell would she abandon that person at the end to go on a suicide mission. Then again, Ellie is female so... Expecting logic is maybe my error.

[@yeehawchucklefucks]

@@1x93cm judging by that last comment, I expect this entire video fell on deaf ears. Go back to the cave you crawled out of

[@ericmiller93]

Really good video. You should do one on the fireflies as an organization. Would they really use the cure responsibly or would it just be another way to control people?

[@Darkmind900]

That's if they able to make one.

[@alexwilliams2276]

@@Darkmind900 Considering their other trials didn’t work, who knows?

[@omas1178]

I don't think we're given enough information to suggest otherwise

[@lanternman3154]

That’s why she becomes almost sick when she learns in the 2nd game of Joel lying to her when she gives him what I call the “ ultimatum “ she realizes that there sacrifices of the people she lost meant absolutely nothing. They died for no reason at all and she lived for no reason at all.

[@jlfitzg1]

Great video and analysis, but I have one correction: the zombie disease is a fungus, not a virus.

[@sovietamerica5561]

One other thing about that last scene, where she lists Riley, Tess, and Sam specifically, these are all people who died directly (or in Tess’s case indirectly because it led to her last stand) by the infection. These would all have been preventable deaths if her immunity was turned into a vaccine. So not only is she saying, do these deaths mean nothing, she is also saying, are you denying any possibility deaths like these could be preventable in the future. This sounded a lot more profound in my head

[@justinwatson7778]

I hope someone reads this comment I read an old comment a couple years ago I believe already knew the world was full of crap even before the. Apocalypse started, Joe cry and begged for that soldier. Not to shoot any end up losing his daughter because life is unfair that’s just life the comment I read years ago was Life took something from Joel Now Joel took something from life Ellie could have been life (cure) Joel took that away because God gave him the feeling to have another daughter and he refused to let that being taken away

[@casthedemon]

Man i wish we got a Part 2.

[@Red-xd3fg]

These are so damn good. What’s the name of that music you used in this one and Joel’s essay?

[@fatbrett]

The music is from Twilight Princess. Temple of Time Beast in the Village Forest Temple Faron Woods Snowpeak

[@jlboss_ps4751]

This is really good

[@blackican1mp958]

Time stamp 7:00 stays w ellie all the way to part 2 watch the hotel scene. & Riley was pretty selfish for this & cute too so she could last every second w Ellie.

[@MVegetto1]

I believe it's because she found someone she loved and felt betrayed and Joel didn't want to cause that heartache hence he decided to make the journey

[@Darkmind900]

How were the fireflies going to make this cure? All the medical tech has been neglected or destroyed for over 20 years and there is no means of storage for organs to run test on? Also, to find people still alive not just do the surgery but to have extensive knowledge of fungal infection? Also that's if the Cure even works! Or how the mass production of the "cure" would even happen? Also, how many of people can honestly let this happen and this is right?

[@omas1178]

You made literally all of that up

[@Darkwolf651]

This video is amazing men 👏🏾👏🏾

[@peperomiapizza]

The line about this being a consensual scene is what puts me off on this take as he was drunk and she wasn't, that makes me really uncomfortable

[@speccyneek]

Quality video

[@trolnova9429]

Idk if you’ll see the comment, but what music was in the background of the video around the 20:48 mark?

[@ThePoliticrat]

Just beat the game for the first time today.

[@Mac.Aodhagain]

U gonna reupload part 2? Loving these TLOU videos

[@saxmanphd]

Great video. Wondering why you chose the remaster instead of the remake for footage.

[@nr67nvfr57k]

Have some kids, then you'll understand what Joel meant when he said "You have no idea what loss is." There is no amount that a man can lose, that would surpass watching his child die. It's absurdly ignorant that you couldn't pick up on that

[@Good_Boy_3000]

Agreed. That's like complaining to Frank Castle about your losses as a 14-year old.

[@IronheartvsMiles]

Joel is selfish

[@nightsage217]

Maybe it is noble that Ellie sacrifices herself to make her beloved deceased had value (and probably save human species), but she is now loved by Joel. That is perhaps the most important thing in her life, not her ghosts, despite they made her who she is. She is finally now accepted, loved, protected, to the point Joel chooses the human species to go extinct than sacrificing her. Would u save humankind by sacrifice your loved one? There is no good answer. Just being rational and utilitarian doesn't mean you are pure good person per say. Or being preservative doesn't mean you wholly selfish. Because you lose something anyway. And there is no virtue or lesson in that in my opinion. We choose, we do it, and then we accept what is lost, what is gained.

[@smilefactory8286]

So good

[@jesamavi]

I think we´re missing something importan. Ellie in Part II did said what would she have chosed: death, now this just reafirms your point, I just wanted to point out.

[@patriarca922]

why is no one talking about tyler durden in the scene of joel in hell?!

[@kingdavis890]

Brilliant bro

[@Psychoginjaaa73]

I think joel did right. He lied like all parents do, to protect her. He was faced with his daughter dying for a chance. Not a sure thing. A chance. And ellie would have wanted to take that chance. But joel wanted to give her, her life. Her future. The future sam was robbed. He did nothing wrong. Put yourself in his shoes, do you tell her you slaughter the only people who had a chance to develop a cure? I cant say i would. And if they could do this with 0 chances of failure, then yes. Joel did wrong. But thats not how the game portrayed it.

[@DLxxx]

Even if you don't think the Fireflies could make a cure, Joel WAS wrong to lie to her. There's no way around it. She fought across the country, and had the right to know the truth regardless of how Joel feels. Because being honest with Ellie is about more than just Joel's feelings (he was being selfish, in that he only lied so she wouldn't hate him).

[@lawyerxsinxdarkky]

DAMN. I hate to comment again but screw it, it’s support right? I love your videos and completely respect your interpretation of what Ellie fought for. Perhaps defense isn’t the perfect word, but my defense of Joel’s decision that ties back to themes in the story is what Riley said. “But we fight… for every second we get to spend with each other.” It is not fair that he lies to her. But I interpret as a fine example of the disillusionment we might get as we grow up. That’s why kids are the future. They can have the hope and courage for a better future. Maybe find the cure, die trying. But you go through life, get let down enough times, and you might reach Joel’s conclusion to sacrifice a potential cure for a definite loved one. “Why should I sacrifice for a world that’s spit in my face so many times when I tried to improve it. Guaranteed exclusive pain for POTENTIAL benefit of a world that’s hurt me so many times? No thank you, not again. Not this time.”

[@TT-ej4vh]

It's the same reasonings why we still use all the medical knowledge we gained from the torture that the nazis put the Jews through. What the nazis did was horrible and disgusting, But if we don't use the knowledge that they gained, all those innocents that were lost and killed would be deemed nothing meaningless. And just like Ellie, I'm sure the survivors felt and feel the same way when they got to live full lives. "Why me? What made me special? How am I different than the others? I don't matter." And the sad reality is they mattered before they became "special" and "lucky". That those people that lost their lives probably would've told them as much. Love the videos, even if I'm just watching some of the older ones.💚

[@casthedemon]

How do we know that she wont pass her immunity onto her kids? The "scientists" never once considered or tried that. Maybe her purpose is being a mom.

[@eweezy55]

So my question is does Ellie know Joel is lying and rolls with it or does she really believe him??

[@alexwilliams2276]

Depends on your interpretation of it

[@DLxxx]

She wants to believe he's telling the truth, but she has her doubts. Put simply, she's not sure, but she chooses to have faith anyway.

[@josephmatthews7698]

Joel isn't being a jerk to be a jerk. Its not who he is its who his experiences have shaped him into. He's being rude, condescending and downright awful to protect her. He's afraid he can't protect her the same way he failed to protect his daughter so he's being a jerk to make her hate him so she will find someone else to protect her. He'd much rather her hate him and live than love him and die. He'll shoulder that hate because he genuinely cares for her and wants what's best for her and his loss of his daughter has convinced him he is never what's best for anybody. This is a pretty common thought process for broken males and why they cheat or leave their wives and kids. "I'm such a piece of shit they'll be better off without me and with me out of the picture maybe they can find someone who can give them and love them the way they truly deserve." You might see him as this unstoppable juggernaut survivor but he sees himself as this piece of crap that has scraped, clawed and did awful underhanded things for every precious second of life while unsuccessfully keeping the people he loved alive.

[@DLxxx]

No one said he was being a jerk just to be jerk, though.

[@hyeTunes]

I hope if a third installment is made the ending will leave Ellie sacrificing herself so that scientists can develop a cure (and we as the audience still don’t even know if it works or not) maybe Abbie has to sacrifice herself as well in order to help get Ellie there

[@gaia7240]

It would cancel the meaning of the first game for me

[@matthewgarcia4804]

Who's the guy at 17:48

[@Primitive_Productions]

Joel

[@A_99_R]

I hate to be that jerk, but I kind of disagree with you. I can’t say exactly what Ellie’s motivation was, however, I don’t agree that we can say that Sam, Tess (to an extent) or Riley sacrificed anything. They were bitten and had no control over it (Riley deserved it because she attracted all those clickers with the music). Even in Ellie’s eyes, when she was first bitten, she genuinely thought that she would die, showing that she has no control over her immunity. If I could touch upon what Ellie’s motivation may have been, I would say that it’s so no one else has to suffer the pain she has suffered. It’s similar to the reason you mentioned as to why she jumped off the truck from safety with Sam and Henry to Joel. That said, I haven’t played part II and have no clue about the nuances in Ellie’s character. Still waiting for a PC release, hopefully it’s a good port.

[@emmacolon2098]

Any chance of a red dead redemption 2 análisis

[@ojvribeiro]

Honest question: why not using the remake version to illustrate?

[@fatbrett]

PS5 is hard to find :(

[@scottm8292]

10:47

[@lawyerxsinxdarkky]

Although while looking back and knowing Ellie’s entire story on a replay, Joel looks like an ignorant jerk saying she doesn’t know anything about loss, I think it’s important to take into consideration on analyzation of a replay, is that, on your first play through, you only know Joel’s entire story. You don’t know what Ellie’s been through, but you watched Joel lose his / your daughter. And while it’s never smart to tell anybody they don’t know shit about loss or struggle or what have you, we’ve definitely all had our own angst y teen phase, or watched somebody have that. And there’s a good chance you look back on those times and go “man, I sure was dramatic” I can say personally, this game came out a year after I ran away from home to my friends house for a few school days 😂 So on your first play through, where you don’t know Ellies entire story, it doesn’t feel so blatantly foolish for Joel to dismiss an angsty teen the same way we might have been dismissed when we were angsty teens. Commenting this mid video lol hope I don’t feel the need to comeback and edit. Edit: I forgot my other conclusion. I just absolutely love the way this game teaches you about the importance of hindsight and perspective. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Joel on your first play through, you’re more likely to empathize with him on your first play through. But through the omnipotence of a literal replay AND literal extensions of “the other side of the story” in the form of DLC, you’re more likely to feel more conflicted about everything and maybe “switch sides”.

[@WriothesleySimp]

Damn I just realized all their deaths were pointless

[@dragonballradiant2744]

you think that’s bad? Read journal. From Jackson to Santa Barbara. Apparently, all of Los Angeles is nothing but the dead

[@tiffaelesis2829]

Wow, as if I didn't think Marlene was bad before, but now after this video, I'm sure she's way worst than I remember.

[@Tommcginn]

Great analysis, actually makes me appreciate the second game more (and I'm not a big fan of it to begin with)

[@myria2834]

All this makes her sudden shift in the sequel make even less sense. If anyone could understand what Joel did to avoid losing her like he lost his first daughter, it's her. She wouldn't willingly do that to him, and they didn't even give her the choice. By the time Joel learns the truth, the only way to stop the surgery is through bloodshed.

[@DLxxx]

But this was about more than Joel. Ellie wasn't _just_ fighting to spend more time with him, she (more than anything else) was fighting to ensure all the suffering and death she and her loved ones endured actually meant something. Obviously she would know how her death would hurt Joel (she spells that out after she runs away), but Joel isn't the only person in her life that mattered. By choosing to rob her of the chance to find that deeper purpose in her life (that her mother wanted her to find), Joel has made all her suffering meaningless. Furthermore, all the people she cites about fighting to avenge (Riley, Tess, Henry, Sam, etc) ALL died because of the infection. If her sacrifice could make a cure, then she wouldn't be leaving Joel behind with nothing but pain. She'd be leaving him in a world with hope.

[@TheBongeSpob]

Loved it! However there are no zombies in this universe.

[@kingdavis890]

Wow

[@oneyplayes465]

Every I have cared for has either died or left me...Everyone except for you! Ellie, you will abandon me in the 2nd game, why do you want me to stay? If you are going to do the same to me that everyone else has done to you? Go with tommy and die! lol

[@thomasblanks1323]

Which if you watch The Last Of Us on HBO what Joel says is true their is a lot more people like Ellie. I wish they would go back and remake the game. In the remake give the player the option to do the right things. In both of the games. In this last if I was giving the choice I would pick tell you truth. There was chance of sucess for vaccine because there no vaccine for this type of verius. Those death were pointless because there never was chance for cure.

[@Rodneyp26]

Joel didn’t lie, just wait for part 3.

[@omas1178]

Joel told Ellie the opposite of information he was presented aka a lie

[@europapink4838]

I find your clarification shallow at times though.

[@alexwilliams2276]

How so?

[@angaso02]

"continental US" lmao... Geography at it's best

[@Primitive_Productions]

That's literally what it's called

[@VoidSurfer9]

Why does everyone stretch their arseholes out of shape to make Joel out to be the bad guy? Losing a good friend is nothing like losing a daughter. Tess was clearly more important to Joel than she was to Ellie. Not to compare tragedies, but making Joel the bad guy despite his own issues and experiences is reductive and dishonest. As if Joel was just a selfish prick who stole her purpose away... she'd be dead and there would be no part 2 or 3... and we'd never get to meet Abby ❤

[@dedf15]

I would have been OK with not meeting that person...

[@DLxxx]

Where the heck did you get all this from? The video NEVER made Joel out to be the bad guy, it just cited his flaws and ignorance. Ellie didn't just lose her best friend (and love of her life), she lost literally EVERYONE and had spend most of her life alone. Hence the abandonment issues. To even claim that she has "no idea what loss is, "is an absurd and ignorant statement to make. No less so than Marlene saying "Whatever it is you think you're feeling right now, is nothing compared to what I've been through." And yet everyone calls her out for this, while defending Joel doing the exact same? No one said he was the bad guy, but he DOES act self centered very frequently (as human beings who've been through trauma often do).

[@VoidSurfer9]

@DLxxx @DLxxx Joel's ignorance? You mean his human flaws? Some of which seem contrived like him telling Abby his and Tommy's names for no good reason. Abby is obviously the alpha male of this series, having supplanted Joel, killed Jesse and seriously wounding Tommy. She also beat some sense into Ellie.