Last of Us: Will Joel & Ellie’s Rift Go Unresolved?

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Potential Spoilers for the second season of The Last of Us are down below.

Summary

  • The Season 2 premiere sets the groundwork for Joel and Ellie’s fracturing relationship.
  • Ellie missed the chance to forgive Joel in the TV series, contrasting with the game.
  • Unresolved tension and impending tragedy between Joel and Ellie hinted at for the next episode.

Fans have been eagerly waiting, but finally, the second season of “The Last of Us” has hit our screens! Each episode will air weekly on HBO, leaving viewers with just the first one for now. Unlike the fast-paced first season, the debut of Season 2 moved at a slower pace, focusing more on establishing plotlines for upcoming episodes rather than quickly progressing the storyline. Essentially, this premiere functioned as a sort of “Episode Zero” for “The Last of Us Part 2“, primarily featuring new scenes and flashbacks from the game.

The video game titled “The Last of Us Part 2” commences in Jackson following the dance night, where Ellie and Dina share their first kiss. Although the actual dance evening is not shown until later in the game via flashbacks, some speculate that the television series portrays the storyline sequentially. Indeed, the dance scene was featured towards the end of Season 2’s premiere, serving as a prelude for the game’s opening in next week’s episode. Moreover, the concluding scene of the premiere hints at a sequence that some fans have been apprehensive about witnessing on screen.

Season Two Of The Last Of Us Will Highlight Joel And Ellie’s Frayed Relationship

In both the game and TV series, it’s evident that Ellie had her doubts about Joel’s story regarding the Fireflies and the hospital incident from the start. At the beginning of The Last of Us Part 2, players assume this uncertainty led to their growing estrangement. Many viewers comment on their strained relationship, but Ellie tries to brush off concerns and divert conversations. What most characters in the game don’t realize is that during the time gap between The Last of Us Part 1 and 2, Ellie uncovered the truth about Joel’s actions at the hospital. As a result, she chose to completely cut ties with him.

In Episode 1 of the series, the rift between Joel and Ellie remains unclear to viewers, as Joel appears oblivious to his actions that caused Ellie’s coldness towards him. He expresses his pain in therapy, portraying himself as a virtuous individual. Conversely, Ellie exhibits obvious displeasure whenever Joel is mentioned or seen, sparking speculation among the audience that their issues run deeper than typical adolescent rebellion. Even Joel’s therapist, Gail, attributes Ellie’s behavior to her age and propensity to push away parental figures. However, viewers who have watched Season 1 are likely to suspect that there are underlying reasons for their strained relationship.

It appears the show creators have made a deliberate attempt to establish a more pronounced rift between Joel and Ellie in this initial episode, as compared to the games. Regrettably, it seems they might not have enough time left together to sort out their issues.

Ellie Might’ve Simply Missed Her Chance To Forgive Joel For His Transgressions

Towards the close of Season 2’s opening episode, viewers catch a sneak peek into one of the game’s closing sequences. Interestingly, this moment from Joel playing guitar on his porch after humiliating Ellie at the dance is also depicted in a flashback within the game. However, this scene appears to be presented quite differently in the TV adaptation.

In the game, Ellie sits down with Joel on the porch and confesses her frustration towards him due to his actions at the Firefly Hospital. She’s unsure if she can ever truly forgive him, but she wants to make an effort. This moment nearly brings tears to Joel and likely the players too. The scene is filled with a mix of sweetness and sadness. At this stage in the game, it’s clear that there won’t be enough time for them to fully repair their relationship, as Joel will face a tragic end the next day. However, the players find some solace in knowing that these characters have decided to work towards resolution.

In the opening of Season 2, when Joel is peacefully strumming his guitar on the porch, Ellie comes up much as she did in the game. This time, though, she storms past him, leaving the scene, likely to retreat to her garage home adjacent to Joel’s. The show then transitions to the Whisperers Led by Abby, who are poised to mete out revenge against Joel, subtly and methodically, as they approach Jackson under the cover of night.

It appears that the “that scene” from The Last of Us TV show might be unfolding in next week’s episode 2, earlier than fans may have anticipated. Crucially, it seems like Ellie has exhausted her chances for reconciliation with Joel. There’s a chance HBO could be toying with fan expectations and the second episode might start with Ellie returning to the porch for a conversation with Joel. However, an alternate possibility is that they are setting up a heart-wrenching retelling of the story where Joel and Ellie never get the opportunity to resolve their issues before time runs out on them.

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2025-04-16 17:55