*The Last of Us* is FINALLY OVER (for now)...

First Time Reaction to the season one finale of HBO's "The Last of Us" starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Anna Torv, Gabriel Luna, Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett, Melanie Lynskey, Ashley Johnson, Rutina Wesley, Storm Reid and Nico Parker
#thelastofus #TLoU1x09
For business inquires please contact [e-mail]
▶FOLLOW THE PODCAST
Instagram: @PinkPopcast
bit.ly/2UV5hwF​
Twitter: @PinkPopcast
bit.ly/2XpW68O​
Facebook: bit.ly/3e6zzDV​
▶FOLLOW RIZZO
Instagram: @JosiahJRizzo
/ josiahjrizzo
Twitter: @JosiahJRizzo
/ josiahjrizzo
▶FOLLOW BENJI
Instagram: @Benjwatch
/ benjwatch
Twitter: @Benjwatchh
/ benjwatchh
🎵LISTEN TO US ON
Apple: apple.co/39SN07k​
Soundcloud: bit.ly/34lHWY7​
Spotify: spoti.fi/2USydFy​
Stitcher: bit.ly/2yAVy5J​
Google Play: bit.ly/2JQu2n8​
Google Podcasts: bit.ly/2UQR9El​
▶NEW EPISODE EVERY WEEK

[@julesfoster3289]

"I cut it before I was bit" "They've stopped looking for a cure" parents lie to protect their kids

[@PinkPopcast]

Woah! Great catch!

[@PinkPopcast]

👀

[@ethanahmu6149]

Whoa I didn’t even think about that - such a great point.

[@jjthefriendlyghost]

Benji is the first person I’ve seen bring up the other part of the giving Ellie the choice argument where she is a KID…it’s not fair to put that on a kid. Whether she’s want to sacrifice herself or not, is it ethical to allow a kid to make that choice?

[@Lannisen]

A traumatised kid at that, which Joel was the only one to know the details of. No way Marlene would have taken that into consideration, making the Fireflies just as bad as the dictatorship of Fedra. Plus, if they gave her the choice, she would 100% have asked to talk to Joel first, another chance Marlene wasn't going to take.

[@evacombs9720]

How ethical is it to give her a gun and have her kill people? Why would one be ethical and not the other? ** The brilliance of this show is getting people to agree or disagree with one ethical argument (like disagree with Kathleen or agree with Henry), and then turn around and redo the same argument and get people to say, "Well, in this case it's different (because I like or hate this character!)

[@PinkPopcast]

It’s such a crappy position to be in, and any decision is almost impossible 🙃🙃

[@jelalejanaabubakar7860]

It's such a huge risk too. Ellie's the only immune person they got and they're ready to sacrifice that for a _chance_ to reverse engineer a cure? TF will they do if they failed and killed the only immune person they know 💀 Marlene rushed the decision fr, they have all the time in the world to figure it out. It's been 20+ years since the outbreak, they could definitely live another 20 years more to do it without killing Ellie.

[@lyssalovesit]

She was almost 15 at that point. Hardly a kid. I grew up at 13 because i had to. Even with, but especially with trauma... Same with Ellie. Sometimes thats what happens in life unfortunately. 🥲 She was more then capable of making that decision in my eyes. But of course thats only my opinion based on my life experiences, Yours is also very valid 💜 Either way she should have been given the chance to express what she wanted and to say goodbye/talk to Joel.

[@ravenlockhart0925]

Kinda makes you think back to episode 1, when the little boy arrives at the QZ and tests positive for infection like Ellie did a little later on. How many people were killed in 20 years that may have been immune, too

[@PinkPopcast]

Oh shit! That’s true! I mean, I don’t necessarily BLAME them for being cautious (without any in-depth knowledge of how FEDRA operates) but maybe spend some time with the transitioning to see if there is every a change in pattern, y’know? Though to be fair: that’s the scientific method of observation which is barely done in today’s “functioning” society… so i doubt that would ever be facilitated on a large scale lol

[@lizzyrank5405]

​@@PinkPopcastLOL so true

[@iliana7646]

Benji finally cried and Rizzo ran out of tears! Like I said, POETIC!! Thank you for your suffering guys, I really love your reactions. And! I’m considering it an early birthday present. I expected it Saturday and am happy you posted a couple hours away from my bday. THANK YOU GUYS! ❤

[@PinkPopcast]

Oh happy birthday!!

[@iliana7646]

@@PinkPopcast thank you! ❤

[@minimulz]

it is crazy how similar bella ramsey and ashley johnson look. perfect casting seriously

[@PinkPopcast]

It’s so impressive

[@alexelion7084]

Yes, and so many people didn’t think that and hate Bella Ramsey as Ellie… 😒

[@queencleopatra007]

​@@alexelion7084probably they expected the actress to look more like Elliot Page, who I think the video game chatacter is modeled after. Either way, its a stupid reason to be up in arms about the casting choice, and I just *know* the people who were mad at it were a bunch of pervy men 🤮

[@acelovesdiyschristopher7023]

​@@queencleopatra007they're so David from ep 8 coded and they don't even realise it.

[@Kelps_K]

Benji narrating Pedro Pascals character and saying: *"f**k the cure, I'm not losing another daughter"* felt bad ass simultaneously as it was hitting me right in the feels 😢 that scene was really powerful and emotional, and it's so wholesome that they have found new family figures in each other after having previously lost their own ❤

[@bree77301]

Finally someone who takes into account that Ellie is a kid and incredibly traumatized and can be easily manipulated! And in my opinion, I don't know if even if they found a cure, it would really help that society, which is already completely screwed up.

[@Evija3000]

Yeah. First of all I'm sure the existing infected would remain as they are, keeping most of the world unsafe for a long time to come. Secondly Fedra and many other factions would generally remain as they are. The resources would still be limited, the outside threat would still be there. I don't see how the established order (or in some places the lack of it) would change just because the survival rate would be slightly higher. And third, it would most likely be hard to produce the cure in mass and properly distribute it, there would probably be wars over it, people wanting to steal, hoard or destroy it.

[@lizzyrank5405]

Exactly

[@kaleyrose47]

The fact that Marlene knew how violent Joel could be and didn’t let him say goodbye to Ellie and she’s so shocked when he goes on a massacre?! Joel’s rampage through the hospital was chilling (the way Pedro showed how empty he was behind his eyes-just tunnel vision)-reminded me of Bill’s letter: “That’s why men like you and me are here, we have a job to do, and God help any mfuckers who stand in our way.” He was holding Ellie the same way he held Sarah in episode 1. And Marlene holding him at gunpoint represented the FEDRA officer who shot him and Sarah. He wasn’t able to shoot him, but now he could. Yes, Joel took Ellie away from the world, but she is HIS world, and yes, maybe he was selfish, but it's understandable-Ellie is his reason to keep going, and he refuses to lose another daughter. This is what Pedro said in a BTS video: "What would make one choose one thing over the survival of humanity, essentially? He finds himself incapable of losing again. It's this beautiful shadow and one can explore and question, find the horror and the humanity of." But now, Ellie has lost her purpose, and she feels like everyone they’ve lost along the way have died in vain. The ending is supposed to be uneasy, but I think that’s better: no character in this show is a hero-they are all doing things (sometimes terrible things) out of love. Round of applause to everyone (the casting, costumes, extras, sets etc). I think it was not only a great video-game adaptation, but just a great show in and of itself. Hope you guys enjoyed the show as much as I have, and thanks as always for your reactions. Hope to see you react to season 2 and beyond! Reminder everyone: NO SPOILERS!!!

[@robfrawley]

To me, the entire first game (and therefore the first season of this TV adaptation) can be summarized simply as "exploring the concept of love." What makes it interesting is the many different forms "love" can take, both good and bad. This includes all the side characters who've died throughout this journey; each of their stories are some take on "love" and how it motivates our actions. We see the positive sides of Joel's love for Ellie many times throughout this story arc. His growing love and protection of Ellie is critically important to the "success" of this mission, but in this part of the story we see that love can also cause us to ignore the (potential) wishes of others and to ignore the (potential) "greater good." This isn't to say that Joel's decision to save Ellie was right or wrong, but just that Joel's decisions to not honestly discuss the situation with Ellie or even give her a chance to provide any input whatsoever isn't a great outcome of love (in my opinion), nor is Joel's complete lack of care for the fate of humanity (in my opinion). Again, I'm not saying saving Ellie is the wrong choice, I'm only pointing out how these decisions can be framed as "hurting others or the person themselves to 'protect' someone out of love." Though many have tried over the decade this story has existed (first with the game and now with the TV adaptation), I would assert that Joel isn't a hero *or* a villain. He's human, and that means being flawed and making both good and some bad choices along your journey, It also means living with the decisions we've made (and hopefully learning from those that are "bad"), a theme integral to Part II of this story.

[@Binkute95]

to be fair Marlene doesn't know how much Ellie means to Joel, last time they met Joel hated Ellie and didn't want to take her, they were strangers, she had known Ellie since birth and basically her guardian, she probably thought she love Ellie more than Joel and can make the decision for her

[@lizzyrank5405]

​@Binkute95 well she figured it out when Joel woke up, but yes she assumed Joel would take the battery and go. Still she went the easy way(which is see it all as hard) and kept Ellie in the dark and unconscious about the whole process because it's easier than just telling her straight.

[@mayne5206]

Maria's words coming back to Ellie's mind, "The only people who can betray us are the ones we trust."

[@colindonnelly9121]

Ashley Johnson did the voice acting and like character movements for Ellie in the game. She also does amazing work on critical role and voice acts one of the characters in vox machina

[@sianlloyd7226]

The start of this episode caught me out when you can only hear Ashley running. My brain went "Ellie??? Oh wrong Ellie"

[@nbucwa6621]

ooh which character is she on vox machina?

[@colindonnelly9121]

She does the voice acting for Pike

[@WileChile51]

There it is!

[@arianamitchell7050]

best ending ever bc it’s still highly debated to this DAY. i love the psychology and ethics behind it. i always throw this fact out, but the game creator asked people if they agreed with joel or not when they were initially testing the game. people without children were split fifty fifty between joel and marlene and people with children were 100% on joel’s side, no exceptions. buzzing for season two

[@PinkPopcast]

Hahahah thats a great factoid

[@acelovesdiyschristopher7023]

It's also great when medical professionals talk about it too coz they medically prove the fireflies were basically doing bogus crap that wouldn't work for a vaccine.

[@sarahbottino1321]

I can’t believe we finally figured out what makes benji cry I feel like a scientist that made a career-defining discovery

[@PinkPopcast]

😂😂

[@Evija3000]

Ashley Johnson is too good :)

[@robfrawley]

The actress (Ashley Johnson) in the opening of this episode (the woman who plays Ellie's mom) is the performance artist and voice actress of Ellie in the original video games. It's wonderfully poetic; original Ellie from the video game is the mother of Ellie in this new TV adaptation. EDIT: Note that this comment was constructed and posted by me prior to Rizzo telling Benji. I think I provided some additional context, regardless. ;-)

[@penguin50279]

they know

[@eleanorlanpher34]

First thing Rizzo said

[@robfrawley]

@@penguin50279 Yeah, I paused and commented before Rizzo told Benji. Rizzo manipulated his most loyal popstars to increase YT metrics; he's betrayed us. ;-) I also added some additional context with my comment, such as that Ashley Johnson is not just the "voice actress" in the games, but also the "performance artist" for Ellie's character model animations.

[@specialagentweener1073]

Don't worry you did exactly what rizzo wanted you too... boosted their algorithm. Haha

[@robfrawley]

@@specialagentweener1073 I absolutely did. ;-)

[@JustWandering]

The main thing that comes to mind is that there’s a thousand tests and attempted cures to try while Ellie is still alive; once she’s dead it’s a one and done. If they’re wrong about her, wrong about the way the cure would work, then they’ve ruined their one shot. The most ‘sensible’ middle path would be to keep her alive until she’s 18 at least, and if death is the only option give her the chance to make the decision herself?

[@PinkPopcast]

I know, so stupid - even in desperate times

[@Evija3000]

Yeah. They've survived 20 years without a cure, they're not guaranteed success, and even if they succeed, the society isn't going back to normal. Surely they can wait another 4 years to make sure they're not wasting the opportunity.

[@florenciahoracio8517]

Not to be a dick but also: if you dont really care about killing a girl for the cure, why not get pregnant women and get them bitten while in labor or still conected to the child? You would have more immune people. Marlene you had 20 years

[@fuzzyapple]

@@florenciahoracio8517 technically Marlene knew about this for only a few months, because until Ellie was bitten, they didn't know she was immune. And she only was the intended courier, not a doctor, but she could've at least spread the message so ALL DOCTORS (not just the one firefly) could've started working on something

[@lizzyrank5405]

​@@florenciahoracio8517I agree with you.

[@rogerromero2663]

Interesting thing about the fireflies decisions to use Ellie, there’s absolutely no guarantee it would work (from my perspective working in biotech). Given the state of the world, and the equipment left, the liklihood of them both 1. Creating and effectively testing a cure and 2. Distributing it to everyone without Fedra or other factions hoarding medicine or messing with production would be rife with barriers. Especially since if they only have Ellie, so samples able to be used for study would be limited. I do appreciate the moral dilemma the show poses but Joel leaving her there wouldn’t be a guarantee at creating a cure

[@PinkPopcast]

Ooooh that totally changes everything!

[@iamgodsgift16]

yeah she's literally the first research trial. you don't cure diseases on the first try lol

[@biancadesousa]

I also think it's interesting Jerry (the doctor) wasn't training someone and writing everything down in case he did die or get infected or something. You think if they were so passionate about a cure they would make sure if the lead doctor died they would have some type of back up plan.

[@msfeistybabe]

@@biancadesousa In something that important to humanity, you would think they would have back up after back up in writing & training many people as well as not jumping for the first chance to kill the only immune person they have found on the slight chance that they could make a cure, much less mass produce & then dispense it.

[@nbucwa6621]

@@msfeistybabe seeing as they've had to flee in a hurry three times that we know off, abandoning their work and labs and possibly have suffered high losses, it could be something as simple as the person the dr was training is now dead and they haven't had the chance to recoup yet.

[@alondrarosello8938]

I know at that point, medical ethics was probably the last thing on anyone's mind, but there's literally no world in which a 14 year old would have been able to consent to a procedure without parental consent, much less a fatal one. There are laws like the mature minor law in some states that allows 16/17 year olds to make certain medical decisions, but they still have to prove that are capable of making that decision. Ellie is beyond traumatized at that point, and would be at high risk of unaliving, she was very much not capable of making a decision like that even if given the choice.

[@zammmerjammer]

There isn't a specific age for a minor to be able to make personal medical decisions (and it's certainly not as high as 16 or 17), as long as they have demonstrated a decent understanding of the choices and the consequences. A mature 14-year-old could *absolutely* make a personal medical decision counter to the wishes of their parents or guardians.

[@msfeistybabe]

@@zammmerjammer The laws aren't made on the off chance there is some 14-year-old out there that could make that kind of choice. The laws are made for the averages. The reality is that there would even be 20-somethings that couldn't make those decisions for themselves. But states make & pass their laws based on what they assume will be for the averages.

[@zammmerjammer]

@@msfeistybabe Laws vary but most jurisdictions have no stipulated age of consent for treatment. Often privacy laws protect children as young as 12 to be able to seek certain medical treatment without parental involvement. The personal autonomy and decision-making capacity of minors is no "off-chance" -- WTF? Are you seriously positing that there is some huge cognitive gulf that exists between 14 and 16? Even school-age children can be involved (and *should* be involved) in their own medical decision-making if they are deemed to have the capacity. That's why hospitals have rights advisors and ethics boards and lawyers.

[@zammmerjammer]

@@msfeistybabe "The laws are made for the averages" -- that is very much NOT how laws are made.

[@msfeistybabe]

@@zammmerjammer I don't know where you are, but I know that in a doctor's office or school anywhere I have been, a child is anyone under 18 & therefore parents are responsible for their healthcare & decisions on major choices. That is why parents fill out paperwork and are contacted with discussions on their medical info unless they allow those agencies to contact their child under 18. There may be some exceptions and things may also be changing, especially in the last few years.

[@Burger-dq9nf]

I dont blame joel at all for his reaction. I saw alot of people be mad at joel for his reaction, but tbh in the game, he was alot more violent and killed WAYYYYYYYYY more people, you could even set the nurses on fire lmfao... and to top it off, 90% of the scenarios that he killed someone throughout the game, THEY attacked HIM first OR were looking to kill them. Like when davids people were mad at joel for killing that girls father, they have a right to be mad, but he LITERALLY attacked them first. What are you supposed to do, say "no sir pls i dont wanna fight". The world that they're in, they're almost never given the chose whether they WANT to fight or not. You cant just go up to 99% of the people in the game and go "HEY, FRIENDLY!" cause the reality is, they dont care, they just want to kill u and get whatever it is they want. Its 20 years into the apocalypse, the majority of people dont wanna talk, theyre fight or flight. The fireflies forced ellie to undergo surgery, they didnt even tell her.Also ellie is going through depression, anxiety, ptsd, i REALLLLY dont think she would of been able to make that decision for herself anyways lmfao. They forced joel to accept this, accept it or die. I dont think most fathers would legit just accept the fact that their daughter is about to die in 10 minutes and you're expected to walk all the way home alone with this thought without even getting to see her ever again. Ethically, yeah obviously killing everyone is wrong, but I dont think they live in a world where ethics dont matter anymore to most people, UNFORTUNATELY, even the "good people" have done terrible things at this point. What makes a good and bad person has drastically changed in definition in this world. If the fireflies had any sense of empathy, they would of let joel AT LEAST say goodbye or see her.

[@PinkPopcast]

Yeah, it’s hard to weigh the ethics of this world, but his reaction seems pretty warranted to us

[@p5856]

i understand benji, the one thing that made me actually shed tears throughout this devastating tv show was ellie and ellie’s mom 😭 maternal things in general get me every time, but it was so poetic with the extra knowledge that ellie’s mom was played by the original ellie. beautiful scene and beautiful writing

[@PinkPopcast]

A beautiful torch pass 😭😭

[@the_nikster1]

omg Benji! the show finally got you, and in the most unexpected/expected of ways. I can imagine Benji thinking about having to put Rizzo down and not being able to do it and it makes me emotional just thinking about it! thanks for putting yourselves through the trauma of this show for us! love you guys! ❤

[@PinkPopcast]

Awee… if it helps, I could totally put him down if I had to 😂😂

[@the_nikster1]

@@PinkPopcast bwahahaha sureee you could! 😅

[@JessieBee94]

I love this show!! Team Joel all the way, he didn't have to kill the doctor but the doctor played himeslf by picking up that scalpel. There could have been several other immunes the same way, they woulda never known though because they off anyone who shows red. Thank you guys for sticking with it, I hope you enjoyed it. Here's to happier content!

[@PinkPopcast]

Yea hopefully they’ll find someone else soon or another method of making a cure

[@acelovesdiyschristopher7023]

Also medically. Coz some medical professionals who talked about it and say that it wouldn't work and their medical reasoning is basically bogus. Specifically since its not a viral disease but a fungal one and how vaccines work.

[@zammmerjammer]

Surely they'd study Ellie for a while...? Like, step ONE wouldn't be "TAKE OUT HER BRAIN!!!"

[@PinkPopcast]

😂

[@DariaElGrellPozina]

One of the best video-game adaptations bcs not only does it translate the heart and the characters, but also moments like 5:50 are EXACTLY what you do in the game :D

[@arianamitchell7050]

also i believe 110% ellie would have chosen to sacrifice herself, it's her purpose, she's the poster-child for survivor's guilt. i agree that it's a hugeeee decision to put on a 14 year old. joel knew she would've chosen the world over herself

[@rcbuckets]

Poor Rizzo going through his Mary J era, "I'm not gon' cry!"

[@xephrenata]

So glad they brought the giraffe scene from the game ❤

[@PinkPopcast]

It was so cute!

[@thatgirlinokc3975]

THANK YOU BOTH! This series is like no other. I’m looking forward to the next season whenever that happens 😂the ending was too cute!

[@janetgriffin7779]

Great reactions!! It is such a heavy show to watch. The fact that people still wanted to survive in such a crappy world is both hopeful and wild. Not sure if I would want to.

[@biancadesousa]

I'd want to live somewhere like Jackson. Definitely not Fedra or whatever it's called where people just control you

[@PinkPopcast]

Haha yea we’d definitely have to see how we felt in the moment

[@BurningFreesias]

You should watch "The Girl with All the Gifts." Great film, very similar to Last of Us. It was released in 2016 while the first Last of Us game was 2013, so I wouldn't be surprised if the film took a lot of inspiration from it.

[@luzianenanizaya5207]

Of all the possibilities to see Benji crying, this was the least expected for me. I loved it, it's a beautiful scene, this show is beautiful. I'll miss you guys, hope to see you soon in your reactions to Brindgerton ❤

[@PinkPopcast]

Haha I didn’t see it coming! Also more to come soon :)

[@elelynnis]

So just got done watching all of your reactions to the show and I just got to say: I LOVED ALL OF THEM! You both picked up on some of the subtle moments in the show and gave really good insights to scenes you were reacting to. Also ya'lls humor really was a breath of fresh air during the tense/emotional scenes that really got to me when I watched the show myself. So, thank you, if I rewatch the show I can think back to your reactions so then I won't be so 😬/😥 about those scenes. Thank you both for the reactions! 🩷

[@elelynnis]

Now on a more personal note, (if this is okay with the both of you) how are you both doing mentally? To Benji: you seemed okay throughout the reactions but still wanted to double check and make sure. To Rizzo: you mentioned that it has been a rough couple of months (so sorry for everything you've been going through) and just wanted to make sure you were at least starting to heal. 🩷

[@PinkPopcast]

Thank you so much for chking on us individually, we really appreciate your care, I (Benji) am doing well, of course it’s hard when someone close to you is dealing with so much but I’m okay. Also Rizzo is doing so much better now, I’m amazed at how well he is able to pick himself up and process his traumas, we’re currently getting back at it and leaning hard into showing up for you popstars 🥰🥰

[@elelynnis]

@The Pink Popcast I'm so glad to hear that you both are doing okay. To you (Benji): I understand what you mean.🩷 it is a journey to be there for a loved one when they are going through a very rough patch in life but, it is amazing to see their strength and perseverance....🩷 Super glad that Rizzo is working through his trauma well enough to get to a better place mentally.🩷 I appreciate you both and love the work that you both do but please don't go to hard to fast. Mental health is important and I really don't want one or both of you guys to backtrack all the hard work you have been doing to heal mentally.🩷 take breaks when needed- this popstar will understand.🩷

[@mythtaken6610]

Let me preface this by saying I absolutely adore everything about this show and have thought that the pacing and character development up until now has been incredible. That being said, this episode needed another 20 minutes or so to sell this moral dilemma for me. As it stands, Marlene and the Fireflies come across as incredibly stupid. The Fireflies did 0 testing - no blood samples, no tissue samples, no spinal taps, no biopsies; they immediately leapt, with zero evidence, to killing their only test subject on the off chance that doing so could provide a cure. Like, if they had tested everything else and discovered that the only Cordyceps sample that could help was nestled deep in Ellie's brain and that was the only option? Fine. But they had no clue, did no testing, and then picked the option that kills their only test subject based on, again, zero actual evidence. Plus, they kept Joel alive! They informed him that they were killing his pseudo-daughter and that he wouldn't get to say goodbye (something Marlene says she understands the gravity of); they then tell Joel that Ellie didn't even get the chance make an informed choice to undergo the surgery, and THEN they attempted to escort him out with TWO guys? Marlene, you're dumb. You know Joel, know how much Ellie means to him, know how dangerous he is, and then think he'll just accept this news and leave quietly? This episode seemed a bit too manufactured to press us as the audience into a moral quandary, but again, it was so rushed that I can't quite suspend my disbelief enough for it to be effective. Joel lying was wrong, and will definitely cause huge consequences for next season ( I haven't played the second game, so I'm only assuming here) but him mercing everyone in that building? Honestly, it's the only reasonable reaction for them attempting to murder Ellie for no reason - they're clearly too incompetent to ever formulate a cure, if this was how they were going to go about it. Anywho - adore your guys' reactions! Thanks so much for sharing them - it's been a blast experiencing the season again through your channel. :)

[@PinkPopcast]

Haha thank you, I’m sure we’ll all have so much more to rant about next season

[@micaylarollerson5599]

Appreciate y’all putting yourselves through emotional turmoil for our entertainment ❤️

[@potheclown3760]

fun fact in the game zomies cry and beg their bodies to stop when they eat someone so its kinda like a war between ppl who think that you still have awareness (at least in early stages) and ppl who say thats bs

[@PinkPopcast]

😬😬

[@quijano7986]

I just hope that you guys don't get any spoilers about th second game before we get the second season because I would love to see your genuinely reactions

[@PinkPopcast]

We hope not either lol

[@Jeneri1]

❤ thanks for this, it was fun watching with you guys! The positive thing i can say for this ep is: we get more last of us, and "you can't deny that view" 😄😊

[@TdScar]

I think she would’ve been devastated and angry by his actions if he told her the truth but he lied and then she hinted that she knew he lied and gave him a second chance to be honest and again he lied. Maybe they could’ve worked it out eventually if he came clean. She might just feel like a replacement at this point. The only people that can hurt you are the ones you trust! If only everyone was honest then maybe we could’ve had a better ending lol Truly enjoyed y’all’s reactions! Such a great show.

[@roxysdg334]

I AGREE THIS SEASON WAS EXHAUSTING. Thank you for watching this for us. I agree with Rizzo bring on happy BRIDGERTON! BUT QUEEN CHARLOTTE WILL BE FIRST!

[@PinkPopcast]

At least Queen Charlotte will be much lighter than this lol

[@gabriellemuniz7021]

Just saw someone suggest Fleabag as an upcoming short series watch and i could not be more onboard -- dark comedy and the eps are only 20 mins!!

[@myasuniverse1327]

the worst part of it all is that Ellie knows Joel is not telling the truth but she rather live with that then knowing the one person she cares about is lying to her

[@PinkPopcast]

🥲

[@Bri_Games]

The actress playing Ellie’s mum looks and sounds a lot like the actress who plays Ellie. Like y’all said they did an amazing job casting. Would there possibly be a way that she could’ve survived like isn’t there a thing called a brain transplant or something idk I’m not a doctor but I want to say I heard someone say that those were a thing. I think you guys would like Swiss Family Robinson (1960) it’s a Disney movie and it’s really good! Love the videos! You both do an amazing job!

[@filmfangirls9163]

I was so excited when I saw Ashley Johnson. I cried out "Ellie!!" She's been apart of my childhood since Teen Titans.

[@PinkPopcast]

❤️❤️

[@Alex.E.M]

i loved the choice with the score during joel’s massacre

[@thomkuhle6941]

I think this season works really hard, like the first game, to get you in Joel's headspace, where he believes he has to make these tough decisions for Ellie, because she is too young to do it, and also she belongs to him, and he would be miserable without her. But I've always related much more to Ellie. Seeing the end of this season, I know exactly how violated and unheard she feels. It'll be easiest to blame Joel for the choices he made because he's closest to her, but the real problem is the idea that children aren't whole people, that girls shouldn't have control over their own lives and bodies. I know if Ellie had been given the choice, she would have sacrificed herself--it's all she wants, is to protect people. And to not be allowed to live her life the way she wanted, just because someone else decided she doesn't deserve the autonomy to do it, is probably the sickest thing that can happen to someone. I hope Ellie can heal from this.

[@Evija3000]

First Marlene made the decision for Ellie and then Joel. Although to be fair Joel didn't have the chance to ask Ellie when it came down to it. He did however keep the truth from her after the fact. Both of them treated her like a child in that sense. Honestly, great writing. You could argue both for shielding her and letting her be fully involved. And it's not just her age. After everything that's happened to her, she might be a bit suicidal and emotional, arguably not fully fit to make a life altering decision like that. But then again it's her life. Lol, ideally, she should probably have therapy for a while before making the decision and meanwhile they can run tests without killing her to make the best medical decisions, because what they were doing here seemed super rushed.

[@thomkuhle6941]

@@Evija3000 im not really arguing for the "logical way" to make any of these decisions, I'm only arguing for Ellie's autonomy. At the beginning of the story, Ellie had just survived the unthinkable, and had to kill her own friend. But she still would have chosen to sacrifice herself for humanity. That has been her goal the entire time. Whether you think she's "in her right mind." Do you think THEN would have been a better time? The reality is there is no good time to decide to die. But that choice should still be left to the person whose body we're talking about. I don't care whether Marlene "did the bad thing first," this story is about Ellie.

[@Evija3000]

@@thomkuhle6941 I don't get your last sentence. Marlene's actions tie directly into what you're talking about. And the story is equally about Joel and Ellie. And I'm not really fighting you on autonomy, you're defending Ellie and her point of view very well 😄 I'm just considering other points of view, and somewhat defending Joel. Marlene probably thought the cure for many is more important than one person's autonomy. I don't think she would have respected a no from Ellie, while I do think Joel would have respected a yes, if she explicitly said she wanted to sacrifice her life. The thing is I don't think she did, they only expected testing initially, and Marlene had put them in the circumstance where the two of them couldn't discuss it, and Joel didn't have any time to process it. Of course it was a questionable, emotionally driven decision by Joel, but Marlene was the one who took her choice away. And I guess Ellie's mental state had nothing to do with Marlene's decision, so that point doesn't matter here, sorry for that tangent.

[@thomkuhle6941]

@@Evija3000 I left Joel and Marlene out of my comments for a reason. Frankly, the morality of those characters is the only thing anyone wants to talk about when discussing this story, so if you want to talk about that, you should respond to one of the other many hundreds of comments on this video.

[@thomkuhle6941]

@@Evija3000 HOWEVER, to entertain what you said a tiny bit--you have to pay attention to the ending scene of the second game. When Ellie goes to Joel and finally starts the conversation. she says, "I was supposed to die in that hospital. My life would have fucking mattered. And you took that from me." and Joel says, "If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance in that moment, I would do it all over again." That tells me that Joel would not have respected Ellie's autonomy. He would have said, "you're too young to make this choice, you're my daughter, we're going back to Tommy's until you're old enough, until you have a clear head." Just like you and everyone else. That's what the point of the story is. That no one can even make that choice but Ellie, that everyone else would have just told her to do what they wanted. She's the Chosen One that couldn't fulfill her destiny.

[@theperksofbeing2256]

SPOILERS FOR THE GAME (very mild if you've already seen the show/this reaction anyway): there's further context to joel's decision in the game that you as the player can either find or not find (i.e. if you take the time to look around the firefly base or not). essentially if you go read through papers and listen to tapes you can find lying around, the game tells you that the fireflies have not a single clue what they're doing and THEY don't even actually believe they can find a cure. knowing that can really make or break how you end up feeling about joel's choice after finishing the game, and i find it really interesting that it's not info that you're required to find, just supplementary shit you can see if you care enough to check for it

[@norasmith2474]

I've really enjoyed watching your guys' reaction to this series. Thanks a lot for it!

[@mismiserables]

Not going to lie, the scene when Joel was trying to get Ellie back really scared me lol It was like he turned into a different person (not really but you know what I mean). It reminded me of that episode from grey's anatomy when they had to shooter in the hospital lol

[@duk2112]

That last little rant about the pedantics of the show was hilarious and wonderful

[@diabolov84]

Finally tears from Benji!!! I've been waiting the whole season haha.

[@PinkPopcast]

😭😭😂

[@emmettspeaks]

ashley johnson plays ellie williams in the games. she is truly amazing and my favorite voice actor/actress of all time!!

[@natalhab]

Just like everyone to remember the first episode when the guy from the Mummy said there are no vaccines or cure for this kind of infection. There isn't one today, there wasn't one in 2003 technology. I know the point is not what can be done, but in what the characters believe it can be done, but Ellie would die for nothing

[@eemeschini]

God, guys... You're both amazing. Really. Loved watching the show with you. Hope you're both doing well. Hugs!!!!

[@PinkPopcast]

Thank you! We’re doing much better 🥰

[@emmettofswedeland]

And this was all the 1'st game! I'm still blown away by that. I'm entirely obsessed with the 2'nd game for every reason, so I can't wait to see what they do with it. I read they'll likely need several seasons for it, which makes sense, because the story is like, "wider" so to speak. More details and such. If they make it even half as good as this, I'll personally be satisfied. I'm so happy you both enjoyed it so that The Rest of Us can share our misery, this is great 💖

[@Gremlin_Boi_]

When a lot of us LOU fans watched the show, we knew not to expect every scene, however, the giraffe scene was also one we wanted but didn't expect. I love it and I'm so happy they put it in.

[@DariaElGrellPozina]

Also fun fact about the casting: Marlene is the only OG actor who plays the same role in both video-game and the show! (idk mb people already said it in ep1 comments, but I'm too lazy to go check)

[@Eggsther]

Ellie has that survivor's guilt so most likely she'll want to sacrifice herself that's why its not a fair thing even if they made her decide Also, I'd always argue about getting the cure with how it went with The goose that laid golden eggs (the dude got greedy and cut open the goose to get more eggs only to get nothing and the goose is dead) And dont even get me started on how theyll use the cure for their advantage So yeah, I'm a Joel Miller defender

[@justmarlen]

very excited for the shadow & bone reactions!! it’s a mess but it’s also fun!! so i can’t wait to see you guy’s perspective on it

[@-venknox-]

i'm the "crybaby" amongst my friends and family when it comes to watching films, i honestly really appreciate that you guys don't try to hide your tears/strong emotions and if anyone ever tries to shame y'all genuinely i swear, fuck being the bigger person i'm gonna start biting people.

[@PinkPopcast]

Haha thanks!

[@maxmoller]

Apparently the doc had never heard the saying. 'Don't bring a knife to a gunfight' 😂 About the "unsatisfying" ending. Not sure if it makes you feel better. But the first game ended in the same way. 🙂

[@PinkPopcast]

😂😂

[@parismoon2130]

Fun fact (if Benji and Rizzo didn’t know): That giraffe ISN’T CGI ☺️

[@PinkPopcast]

So cutee

[@specialagentweener1073]

I think ellie will find out from Tommy or his wife. Tommy was in contact with the fireflies, maybe he got an update from them asking about his brother if he made it to the location or not. Maybe they told him all excited about finally having the cure ready and Tommy realizes that Joel murdered the entire group that was there when Joel and ellie show up.

[@corporealghoul]

You should know who Ashley is for 2 reasons... one of which is that she is the voice of Ellie in the game. The second is because she is part of Critical Role and if you havent seen The Legend of Vox Machina then you have to. In case you dont know. Ashley is part of a group called Critical Role. They stream dungeons and dragons on twitch. They are all actors and or voice actors. They had a home dungeons and dragons game they played that they were asked to take live by a friend on her twitch channel. After gaining popularity they moved to their own dedicated channel. After their first game end, called a campaign, they made a kickstarter to fund a single episode. They raised a few million dollars more than they expected... like a few a few plus a few million more. So they funded an entire 12 episode show voicing their own characters and paying their favorite actors to play other rolls. Some big names show up to he part of it. And obviously Ashley Johnson is there to voice Pike, the character she created ao long ago. The show ended uo being such a hit that amazon picked up the second season. And they have already announced a second show coming for their second campaign. Currently they are playing in their third campaign still with Ashley Johnson.

[@lyssalovesit]

I mean. I know Ellie would have probably wanted to save everyone. Just the fact that the fireflies didnt give her the chance to voice it or say goodbye to Joel is like, whos really right or wrong or good or bad in that situation? Its all grey. The only think i can conclusively agree with in my mind is that Joel shouldnt have lied to her once he was asked straight out if he was telling the truth or not.

[@lizzyrank5405]

My thing is this also, how were they gonna give it to people on top of dealing with FEDRA offing most of them. What is the Cure free? plus you still got infected to deal with and like Tess said, "You aren't immune to being ripped apart" As well as dealing woth people who we know are the real monsters. So you have power dynamics, infected, those wholl riot about knowing about the cure or being lied to about it, and most of all, people, to deal with. Technically in the universe the spores and infected arent the problem, its been proved that there are still places you live without much of them.

[@miss.g-shun-w]

Awwww sweet Benji Allister Wentworth Jones. When you tear up your eyes turn into big brown puppy dog eyes🥺🙏🏾 Thank you guys. I know this was tough Rizzo but ya did great. ❤ PS: I HOPE YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ABOUT THE VIDEO GAME SEQUEL! I don't want you to be spoiled.

[@PinkPopcast]

Hahah gotta love “full name” 😂 yes, our fingers are also cross for no season two spoilers

[@cheryljones6654]

❤❤ LOVE IT! Love you Benji and Rizzo! Love Benji's new name and the puppy dog eyes! Hes a real sentimentalist! You guys are AWESOME!!!❤❤

[@MJBuggslyf]

I have so enjoyed watching your reactions 😊 Even though this show was so intense, I think it was so well written and the acting was TOP TIER! I’m so happy I found your channel 🥰and I will definitely be watching more of your videos! ♥️

[@PinkPopcast]

Yay! We’re so glad you’re here ☺️☺️

[@countrybumpkinski]

Benji in the beginning: “they got me” me: yah, Ashley Johnson will do they that to you 😢

[@anabelltheestallion]

Are you guys going to play the game? I can’t wait to see y’all figure out what happens in the second one and how they’re gonna incorporate that in the show. ❤️❤️

[@PinkPopcast]

Haha idk we’re not big gamers

[@blairreyes1542]

I hope you guys watch something light hearted next so Rizzo gets a break from the crying! but I have enjoyed watching along with you both!

[@tmm4195]

Hope you react to the video game scenes! It's fun to see how they compared and differed from one another. Also, if you do, check out the remastered version because it looks so much better.

[@lkf8799]

Now that you're done with the show I would love to recommend two therapists that reacted to the series. Georgia Dow and The Truth Doctor. Really insightful videos about what the characters are going through, especially in the context of the show. They've also done videos on Wednesday and Arcane.

[@mandipandi303]

I haven't played the game, but Joel taking out the entire hospital was absolutely chilling! You totally understand his motivations, even if you don't personally agree with what he's doing. Ellie certainly wouldn't support what he did. Every medical professional I know believes that the Fireflies are monsters for not giving Ellie informed consent, and I agree. They're not to be trusted. I think Ellie would've gone through with the surgery, even knowing it would kill her. The showrunners, game designer, and Bella agree. Erik Voss brought up a great point that even if they had gotten the chemical markers from Ellie and used them to inoculate people, the infected would still be ravaging the planet. All the infected still try to attack Ellie. They can't tell she has the chemical markers. They would leave her alone if they did because they'd think she's one of them. The same would probably be true for anyone they inoculated with Ellie's chemical markers. With the inoculation, new people may not get infected from being bitten anymore, but they'd still get killed by clickers and bloaters. Everyone would still be trapped in the QZs and the like. Until they find a way to kill/cure ALL of the infected and ALL of the fungus, as well as inoculate regular people, the world will be mostly the same. Joel saving Ellie at the expense of the world doesn't seem as awful when you look at it that way. The showrunners and Bella said that Ellie chooses to believe Joel at the end. She suppresses all her suspicions. It's so sad that she's forced herself to forget that Joel broke her trust.

[@PinkPopcast]

Yea that’s is an incredibly long process however you go about it, definitely not a quick brain surgery and the world is saved haha

[@mandipandi303]

@The Pink Popcast As someone who has had brain surgery, the smallest of brain surgeries take about 5 hours and are really risky under the best circumstances. Can't imagine they'd be as safe in TLOU universe! LOL

[@rogerromero2663]

It’s a boost! It’s from the game and satisfying fro them to put in here 😂

[@lensvfc5900]

What triggers me the most about that doctor is that he’s literally a 2nd year med student like the most he’s learned is to put in a central line, wtf would he know about experimental neurosurgery😭

[@evilarixhtt0516]

Ashley=critical role hero dnd legend

[@lillykawaiifox]

Besides the fact that it's dumb to think it would be possible to make a cure like that out of nowhere, there is also the fact that they just found the ONLY immune person in the world.... And they will just KILL her???? How stupid is this?? I wouldn't have lied to Ellie like Joel did, but I wouldn't let them kill her. I would have done the same thing.

[@PinkPopcast]

Yea that’s so extreme to kill her on a guess

[@andresjf0608]

You guys should watch the teaser trailer for the second game. Very foreboding and it’ll get you guessing!

[@mehlev]

Joel did make the wrong decision. Was it the sympathetic one? Yes. But it wasn't the right one. You're right, it'll probably come back to haunt them. And I am SO excited because I'm obsessed with the story of TLOU2 -- Seasons 2&3 are going to be FIRE.

[@katie8881]

There's a quote I like which paraphrased off the top of my head is, "a hero will sacrifice the person they love to save the world, a villain will sacrifice the world to save the person they love." It's why we love complicated, nuanced, and deeply flawed characters. We are left feeling ambivalent or at least uncomfortable about Joel's actions while also understanding his motive completely. I'd go so far as to call him an anti-villain.

[@NoShiiitSherlock]

14:00 - Marleen's logic makes no sense here - if she is as sure as she claims that Ellie would consent to self sacrifice - then it should have been no problem letting her decide. The moment Marleen removed Ellie's autonomy & consent from the equation was the moment she got her and her whole crew killed. Sorry not sorry

[@PinkPopcast]

Exactly

[@Harri_James]

I watched this whole show and i've watched others reactions and its only clicked in my head why Marlene told Riley that Ellie couldn’t join the fireflies - because she put Ellie in the QZ, she told her mother that she'd keep her safe and she was trying to stick to that. She hadn't banked on Riley sneaking Ellie out to go on a date.

[@carlalorenaoliveirarosales6722]

They got you Benji!!!😮 I was waiting for this to happen

[@PinkPopcast]

😂😂

[@indbtly_kendra]

I think we all deserve something lighter after this. This show destroyed me like Ellie destroyed that awful preacher dude from episode 8 😅

[@PinkPopcast]

Definitely looking forward to laughing

[@PinkPopcast]

At least you gave the show consent 🎉

[@mundanepants]

Love this catharsis through media. It's so good to cry! But goddamn this series has been heavy. Have you considered doing a Fleabag reaction?

[@keerti4818]

omg yess fleabag reaction would be amazing 😭

[@nbucwa6621]

@@keerti4818 Third this. Fleabag is iconic and holds that line between heavy and light/humorous so well it would be a good break from some of the very heavy shows.

[@annaanthony9707]

13:15 I audibly gasped. Cheese and Rice Benji lmaooo

[@PinkPopcast]

😅

[@jubilantsleep]

13:42 😂😂😂😂 Hurricane Joel really killed everybody in that building 😮

[@PinkPopcast]

For real!

[@mariaborrero169]

HELPPP not the little “it’s me hi I’m the problem it’s me”

[@PinkPopcast]

😂😂

[@NayvieNoir]

I love the decision to make Ashley Burch Ellie’s mom, because technically she did create Ellie…

[@stellasketch2962]

omg we got Benji to cry SUCCESSS

[@PinkPopcast]

😂😂

[@roxysdg334]

I had the grand baby and missed the live. Looking forward to this!

[@PinkPopcast]

Awwe grand baby🥰🥰

[@emmettspeaks]

I'd still absolutely love to see you guys play last of us or last of us 2 cuz I want your reactions and I can't wait for season 2 to come out!!! lol

[@deborahtrujillo3807]

You guys are awesome! A really good series you guys should do next is the Netflix series Beef!!

[@milananderson7806]

1st, love that you finished this and enjoyed the ride with yah ☺ Second, I don't know where to suggest shows, but if it's here, I'd love to suggest the AMC Interview with the Vampire series. Just finished it today, and cannot express enough how the actors bring the story to liiiife. It's amazing.

[@ChaiLatteLeap]

RIZZO!!! You’re on the makeover episode of season 9 Ru Paul’s 🥹❤️💕

[@besupaaa]

The begining of this episode was so heartbreaking to me, the way Joel saw how sad and traumatized and quiet Ellie was and he was trying to cheer her up. :( And then seend the giraffes gave her hope, i dont know. And I always thought it was weird how theyd get this ONLY IMMUNE PERSON and immediately "well lets tvest this thing here that I BELIEVE it will work" and kill her ahahaha what the fuck.

[@RhondaRooBug]

It finally happened, Benji cried! ❤

[@PinkPopcast]

🥹🥹😂

[@bunji_beans]

I guess spoiler if you were planning on playing the game (which is an amazing game fyi), but this season ended basically exactly the same way as the game. I was a bit worried going into the episode that they would try to add a bunch of filler to have an extended finale. But they kind of did the opposite, making it feel almost too short. I was shocked but also really glad they did it that way.

[@Alex.E.M]

i enjoy your videos. quality content, thank you.

[@PinkPopcast]

Thank you!

[@lyndsycarson8302]

Ashley Johnson voices Ellie in the game and she is an amazing actress! Ellie and Bella look and seem so much like her! I’m teling you i haven’t seen better casting since Once Upon A Time!

[@batatadocecomketchup]

Finally! Benji cried!!! Everybody is broken after this series!!!

[@giseledute]

To me it would be nothing more than a mad scientist job that would come to nothing but Ellie's death.