Joel Miller commits a mass capturing at a medical institution to “save” his followed daughter Ellie Williams from being killed right through a surgical procedure that might’ve probably ended in a remedy for the fungal an infection that devastated human civilization. Back in 2013, for many who performed the sport, this was once a surprising finish to a tale already outlined through such a lot human demise and distress. The expectation would possibly’ve been that both Joel or Ellie would die — particularly in gentle of different zombie-related tales widespread at the time. Instead, we noticed the hero of the tale change into a monstrous villain, all in the carrier of saving one lady’s lifestyles.
This finishing has led to a decade-long debate that’s by no means somewhat been settled. Just in January, a piece of writing titled “Do you need to be a parent to understand Joel” revealed on TheGamer, a gaming news website. Now, a brand new target audience can contemplate the ethical ramifications of Joel’s determination, due to showrunner and creator Craig Mazin’s HBO adaptation of the tale.
To briefly recap: Joel and Ellie in the end succeed in the Firefly medical institution situated in Salt Lake City. The Fireflies throw a stun grenade at the duo on sight, with Joel waking as much as pay attention that Ellie is being ready for surgical procedure. He’s given no different selection however to just accept this. Instead of accepting, he murders his escorts out of the medical institution, takes their weapons and proceeds to shoot nearly each individual in the facility — even those that surrender their guns and beg for his or her lives. He enters the pediatric surgical procedure house, shoots the surgeon and takes Ellie to the storage. Marlene, the chief of the Fireflies — who we be told on this episode’s chilly open has identified Ellie since start — begs Joel to “do the right thing here.”
Instead, Joel murders Marlene, and lies to Ellie about what came about at the medical institution. He says there are different immune folks, that the try to discover a remedy had already failed, and that the medical institution was once attacked. While the display and the sport by no means say this outright, gamers and audience can learn the doubt on Ellie’s face as Joel swears through his tale.
Throughout discussions with many of us over the ultimate decade, I’ve discovered that oldsters nearly at all times consider Joel’s movements. A mom I spoke with lately instructed me, “Oh I would do the same. Screw humanity, that’s my baby.” Then there are individuals who condemn Joel for stealing that call clear of a tender lady, arguing that his lie was once merely manipulation to stay Ellie in his lifestyles. It will get difficult whilst you imagine Ellie’s admiration for Joel and their understood however unstated love for every different. Ellie isn’t Joel’s organic daughter, however after a yr of climbing via the hellscape of the post-apocalypse, they’ve bonded in ways in which exceed the {qualifications} for a “found family.”
Ellie additionally tells Joel that when they’re accomplished discovering the remedy, she would practice Joel anyplace he is going. Ellie can image a long run dwelling with Joel and occurring extra adventures. Joel internalized this and made this long run a concern over the whole lot else — together with probably saving humanity from the breaking point of extinction. But she additionally stated that every one that they’ve been via, and the demise and trauma they’ve skilled “can’t have been for nothing.” Her try at saving Sam’s lifestyles in episode 5 echoes in the finale; she feels decided to save lots of who she will save.
Regardless of how you’re feeling, it’s lovely transparent that what Joel did was once egocentric. He may say that it was once to make sure Ellie has a long run, regardless of the price. But it’s simple that he had Sarah, his murdered daughter, in thoughts as he “rescued” Ellie. In episode 6, HBO laid the groundwork together with his new confession (now not featured in the sport) to his brother Tommy: Joel struggles with the chance of shedding some other younger lady in his lifestyles. His greatest worry is being not able to “protect” her. In the season finale, we be told that Joel didn’t take his personal lifestyles after Sarah’s demise. If Ellie died, he would see no additional level in dwelling. He reiterates this level in his penultimate phrases of the season: You to find one thing to struggle for. He thinks this line could be just right recommendation for Ellie, however in point of fact, he’s simply telling on himself. Ellie is the one thing he discovered; that’s how he’s in a position to stay going.
The display provides new wrinkles to arguments each for and in opposition to Joel’s determination.
A brand new scene added for the display hints at how Ellie would possibly have received her immunity. Ellie’s mom, Anna Williams, performed through the authentic Ellie from the video games, Ashley Johnson, was once bitten through an inflamed as she gave start. It’s all zombie magic and organic fiction, however infecting pregnant girls may’ve been a possible technique to reflect Ellie’s situation. The Fireflies selected now not do this, regardless of Marlene’s wisdom of what came about to Ellie.
In the sport, it was once by no means transparent whether or not Ellie gave consent to the surgical procedure. The display, against this, does make it transparent: She didn’t. Instead, the Fireflies instructed her not anything earlier than sedating her. Marlene says this was once accomplished to steer clear of scaring Ellie. Still, I feel it’s honest to think the Fireflies did this now not out of fear for Ellie’s psychological well being, however to steer clear of granting her a possibility to make the determination herself.
Joel additionally murders Fireflies who beg for his or her lives. In the sport, each Firefly soldier was once an aggressor. But in the display, there’s a person who lays down his weapon and places his fingers up. Joel fatally shoots him with even much less sympathy than the soldier who gunned down Joel’s daughter 21 years in the past.
In the finish, it’s transparent that Ellie’s company on this determination was once taken clear of her through all the adults in her lifestyles, Marlene incorporated. It’s a dismal, tragic twist on the protagonist who may’ve stored the global. In “The Last of Us,” the protagonist has that selection stolen from her totally.
Ellie’s adventure ends with Joel’s lie. The ultimate tragedy of “The Last of Us” is that Ellie most likely feels she has no selection however to just accept the lie. Her largest worry is finishing up by myself. As she says, in spite of everything that’s came about — even after the lie — it may well’t were for not anything.
Read all of our “The Last of Us” recaps:
Episode 8: “When We Are in Need”
Episode 7: “Left Behind”
Episode 5: “Endure and Survive”
Episode 4: “Please Hold My Hand”
Episode 3: “Long Long Time”
Episode 2: “Infected”
Episode 1: “When You’re Lost in the Darkness”