The Last of Us season 1 came to a close tonight with Episode 9, “Look for the Light,” and just like in previous weeks, we expect social media to be buzzing with reactions. I think I speak for most viewers when I say this show is fantastic. The performances and writing are extremely strong, making for a post-apocalyptic show that stands out from the rest.
If you were feeling zombie fatigue from series like The Walking Dead, I don’t think you’ll have it with this one. The character-driven storylines are what sets The Last of Us apart, and I already cannot wait for season 2.
Though the finale of The Last of Us season 1 is on the shorter side, coming in at 46 minutes, there’s still a lot to unpack. Fans of the video game had no doubt been waiting for some of these moments, moments that change the course of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) relationship forever.
Warning: There are major SPOILERS ahead for The Last of Us Episode 9.
Though Ellie and Joel are reunited by the end of Episode 8 and begin the finale together, it’s not exactly sunshine and rainbows. Ellie is coming to terms with the fact that they’ll probably reach the Fireflies soon and isn’t sure what the rest of her life will look like. Meanwhile Joel has fully become attached to Ellie, allowing their bond to almost fill the void that the loss of his daughter Sarah left. Joel is more enthusiastic than we’ve ever seen him, but Ellie’s very distant. It’s really hard to watch.
Joel is so attached to Ellie that at one point he even suggests they could just turn around and go live a quiet life back with his brother in Jackson. But Ellie wants to finish what they started, which is her choice to make. Joel’s surprising vulnerability and Ellie’s determination to do what’s right make the events at the end of the episode all the more devastating.
Ellie and Joel continue to travel out West when they’re captured by a group of Fireflies. Joel gets knocked out by one of them, and when he wakes up he’s greeted by Marlene (Merle Dandridge) in a hospital. Explaining the less-than-warm welcome, she says the patrol didn’t know who he was. Of course, all Joel wants to know is where Ellie is, and he doesn’t like the answer he’s given.
Why does Joel kill everyone in The Last of Us finale?
Marlene informs Joel that Ellie is being prepped for surgery, explaining that their doctor believes they have a shot at creating the cure to the cordyceps infection. She basically kicks Joel out after their conversation, but he goes rogue and kills everyone. Everyone except for Ellie, of course.
You might be asking yourself why he takes such drastic action, and the answer is simple: he loves Ellie and would do anything to protect her. He wants to live that simple life back in Jackson, and he doesn’t want her in harm’s way. She’s basically replaced Sarah as a new daughter to him.
Would Ellie have died in the surgery in The Last of Us finale?
Though Marlene doesn’t explicitly say Ellie will die in the surgery, it’s definitely implied. In her conversation with Joel, it’s established that the cordyceps the doctor is going to take out lives inside Ellie’s brain, so it would be a very serious operation.
What’s interesting is that in the show, Joel notes that “cordyceps grows inside the brain,” to which Marlene confirms “it does.” In the game, however, Joel says “it grows all over the brain,” a very small difference that, at least to me, pretty much confirms Ellie would die. I’d assume the dialogue change in the show was intentional, perhaps to make things a little less clear for the viewer and make Joel’s decision to kill everyone even murkier.
All of that said, we can pretty much conclude that Ellie would’ve died if Joel didn’t stop the surgery. Taking into consideration the fact that the cordyceps are probably all over her brain and the crudeness of the tools in a post-apocalyptic world, it’s just highly unlikely she’d survive.
It’s not an easy decision for Joel to make; either save Ellie or potentially save the world. He thinks with his heart, and while not everyone will agree with that, it’s the decision he makes.
Why does Joel lie to Ellie in The Last of Us finale?
Ellie is still unconscious when Joel packs her into a car and drives away after his killing spree, and by the time she wakes up, she’s understandably confused. But instead of explaining what he did, Joel decides to lie to Ellie, telling her that there are actually dozens of other immune people out there but the doctors still can’t figure out how to make a vaccine. He says they’ve stopped looking for a cure, which surprises Ellie. He also claims raiders attacked the hospital and he had to escape with her before she got hurt. Ellie asks if Marlene’s okay, but Joel doesn’t answer. Instead, he tells her that he’s “taking us home.”
In the last moments of the finale, Ellie gives Joel another chance to come clean, asking if everything he told her was true. But again, he lies to her, and by the look on her face, I’m not sure if she fully believes him. There are many reasons to speculate why Joel can’t tell Ellie the truth, but I think the most obvious is that he’s ashamed. We know he has a violent past he isn’t proud of. He doesn’t want to be that person again, and most importantly, he doesn’t want Ellie to see him that way. He’s become a father figure to her and he wants to keep their relationship innocent. He doesn’t want her to look at him like he’s a monster.
On top of that, I’m sure Joel is still coming to terms with what he did and might be questioning if it was right or wrong. Of course, he wants to keep Ellie safe, but at what cost? Is there another doctor who can perform that surgery, or is the hope for a cure completely lost now?
It’s not going to be easy processing his actions, and I’m sure his relationship with Ellie won’t be the same after this, no matter how much he wants it to be. Where Joel and Ellie stand at the start of The Last of Us season 2 is something I’m certainly curious about.
It’s time to say goodbye to The Last of Us for now, but at least we know another season is happening. In the meantime, you can rewatch the full first season on HBO Max. I know I’ll be rewatching it at least once!
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