Last night's episode of The Last of Us, "The Path," was a bitter pill to swallow as fans come to terms with the reality that Joel Miller truly is gone. "The Path" begins with the immediate fallout of his death, as well as the infected attack on Jackson. It then skips forward three months, when the wounds still feel fresh.
Joel is fondly remembered as having impacted Jackson and nearly everyone who lived there. Flowers, cards, and letters are placed against the white picket fence surrounding his home. But perhaps the most painful reminder of Joel's absence comes during the opening title sequence.
The opening music and title sequence of a show is meant to set the tone for the story moving forward. Nowadays, a lot of shows, too many to list, follow a similar structure of epic/powerful instrumentals alongside evocative visuals that appear alongside the names of the cast members; sometimes we'll catch glimpses of the characters or scenes from the show. Usually, the opening ends with a punch and a wave of goosebumps for viewers.
The opening credits of The Last of Us feature a guitar instrumental score played over images of the cordyceps fungus spreading. The trail of fungus ends with an image of a city skyline and two figures, one taller than the other, representing Joel and Ellie.
With "The Path," the credits changed. Now that Joel has passed away, Ellie remains the only figure standing before the title of the show is revealed. It's another reminder of Joel's painful lost, which is exactly what the creators are going for. As the story shifts to Ellie and her mission for revenge, Joel will most likely appear in flashback sequences, but at the end of the day, audiences are now watching the likes of Ellie, Tommy, Dina, Jesse, and Abby. And there are newer faces yet to be revealed.
As the expression goes, "out of sight, out of mind." As the show continues and audiences get invested in Ellie's arc, the opening credits will still be there to remind you of Joel's absence and how Ellie is now traveling this world alone.
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