Warning, spoilers. Before continuing reading this article, it is recommended that you watch the first season of The Last of Us.
After nine intense episodes, the first season of The Last of Us ended on an epic and melancholic note. The final chapter, titled “Look for the Light,” marked the end of Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) journey to the fireflies’ lair in Salt Lake City.
After a dangerous crossing of the United States, which is ravaged by an epidemic caused by the fungus Cordyceps, Joel and Ellie come a long way to forming an almost filial relationship.
That’s why the mercenary does not hesitate for a second to kill all the members of the fireflies and escape with Ellie, when he learns that the operation that will allow the creation of the vaccine means the girl’s death.
A different ending was considered
After escaping, Joel lies to Ellie about what really happened at the hospital, telling her that the fireflies dropped traces of the vaccine. They plan to join Wyoming and Tommy, Joel’s brother, in Jackson. Unfortunately, the car lets them go and they have to continue on foot.
It’s on the hill where Eli talks about Riley and the various people they’ve lost, but more importantly, he asks her to swear that everything she said about the fireflies was true. Obviously, the audience knows that Joel lied, but the latter keeps his words.
But co-showrunner Craig Mazin revealed QG That the final episode could have ended differently. “I thought about doing a slightly longer, sadder version where Eli says, ‘Okay, and then he turns around and walks away. And Joel goes in her direction to take care of her.”he explained. “You see the two of them walking, not together, but separately, towards Jackson. He stops and then disappears. There was something beautiful about that.”
This ending presented by Ali Abbas (Border, Les Nuits de Mashhad) seems to want to mark with more precision the break between Joel and Eli, who has trouble believing the words of his patron. Seeing them walking separately could have been a continuation of what was said in the video game The Last of Us: Part II.
But showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman (creator of the video game production) preferred to stick to the end of the video game. The Last of Us: Part IAs the creator of Chernobyl explains: “We wondered what we were going to do. And then there was this meta-discussion about what the players thought. Would they hate not having the original ending, or would they hate this ending. They already know, and then how would people who haven’t played the game react?
In this shot of Ellie’s face, the end of the first season is very important according to Craig Mazin: “Finally, there’s something very specific about that close-up of Eli. He doesn’t know what’s next, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He walks away from her, walks with her, what does he feel? That moment is really suspended.”
Players obviously know what’s coming next, but neophytes will have to wait for The Last of Us Season 2, which is set to begin production soon, to find out about Joel and Ellie’s new adventures.
Season 1 of The Last of Us is available on Prime Video.
Source: Allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
