Did The Last of Us Show Reveal Its Biggest Twist Too Early? Fans are Divided!

Just as swiftly as “The Last of Us” launched its second season, it’s almost at an end. The screen adaptation of the acclaimed games is moving briskly through “The Last of Us Part II,” having recently wrapped up Ellie’s second day in Seattle. In “Feel Her Love,” Ellie manages to survive and encounters the first friend of Abby – Nora.

In a captivating exchange between Ellie and Nora, it becomes clear that Ellie already knows about Joel’s actions from Season 1. This unexpected revelation, much like Abby’s background, is disclosed earlier in ‘Part II’ compared to the game. Does this early reveal have the same impact as in the original? Or does the new narrative context dilute its potency?

The Game Flashbacks That Built Anticipation For The Truth

The Last of Us Part II Steadily Broke Down Joel And Ellie’s Relationship

As a movie critic, I must share my insights on how the revelation of Ellie’s knowledge about Joel’s actions in “Part II” isn’t just a leap forward but rather an expansion upon the cliffhanger ending of “Feel Her Love.” The primary distinction lies in the context. Rather than discovering through dialogue with Nora, players are swiftly enlightened via a subsequent flashback sequence. Given that the sixth episode of Season 2 seems to revolve around flashbacks, I deem it prudent to issue an additional spoiler warning before proceeding, as some of the forthcoming events may potentially coincide with what’s about to unfold in that episode.

During Ellie’s three-day stay in Seattle, there are scattered flashback moments interwoven into the narrative. These aren’t just clumped together; instead, they’re strategically placed to connect with the imminent events. For instance, a flashback scene reveals that Joel taught Ellie how to swim, which prepares for forthcoming gameplay scenes where Ellie will need to swim in the present.

In essence, these flashback scenes play a significant role in the narrative of Part II, gradually unveiling the reasons behind the deterioration of Joel and Ellie’s bond. The initial flashback, culminating in the reveal, depicts Joel giving Ellie her guitar as a gift. Notably, Joel starts singing “Future Days” by Pearl Jam during this scene, with the lyrics “If I ever were to lose you, I’d surely lose myself” resonating deeply for both characters. Remarkably, “Future Days” is so integral to their individual storylines that it is incorporated into the series, despite the song being released in 2013, which is a decade after the outbreak in the show’s timeline.

In the second flashback sequence, Joel leads Ellie to a deserted museum with a space exhibit for her birthday celebration – a rare instance of unadulterated joy shared by them. However, as they leave the museum, Ellie notices graffiti on a wall, specifically the Firefly symbol, which seems to rekindle an awkwardness between them that had momentarily dissipated.

In the sequence that unfolds later on, Ellie and Tommy are using Tommy’s sniper rifle to take down Infected from afar. They run into Joel, who notices that Ellie hasn’t changed the strings on her guitar yet. Tommy suggests they check out a nearby music store. Following Joel and Ellie as they navigate through an infected hotel, they discover a deceased couple, Adam and Sidney, who had fled Jackson due to tales of hardship. Their note expressed their desire to escape the stories of suffering and make a positive impact, but they were both bitten shortly after leaving.

In the course of her reading, Ellie muses aloud, “I wonder if they could have been immune, just like me?” Trying to steer the conversation away, Joel recalls their encounter at the Firefly hospital, where he mentioned there were many immune individuals similar to Ellie. However, Ellie points out that she’s never encountered another immunity case, and presses Joel about his knowledge of other immune people. This exchange triggers a heated argument, during which Ellie demands to know why Joel took her from the hospital while she was still unconscious, since “There was no cure.” The dispute concludes there, leaving Joel and Ellie to transport the bodies of Adam and Sidney to their respective families, though it’s evident that their bond is on the brink of irretrievable damage.

How The Truth Is Revealed In The Game

Ellie Goes All The Way To The Source Of The Crime

Following Ellie’s actions of killing Nora in the current timeline, another flashback ensues. This time, Ellie finds herself back at the Firefly hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Exploring the deserted and blood-splattered building, she discovers documents and journals, some detailing events leading up to Ellie’s surgery and others chronicling the aftermath of Joel’s actions. Inside the operating room, Ellie stumbles upon a tape recorder in a Firefly hospital bag, left by a doctor’s assistant and a friend of Abby named Mel. This tape, which proves crucial for extracting the truth from Joel, was the key piece of evidence Ellie required. As she listens to the tape outside the hospital, Joel eventually shows up.

Ellie asks, “What transpired here?” To which Joel replies cautiously. If he deceives me one more time, I’ll leave and never return. But if you’re truthful, I’ll go back to Jackson. Regardless of the circumstances. After a moment of hesitation, Joel confesses. “Creating a vaccine would have cost your life. That’s why I intervened.” Hearing this from Joel stirs deep emotions in Ellie, causing her to weep. She confirms she will return to Jackson as promised, but their relationship is now over.

How The Truth Is Revealed In The Show

Nora Tries To Reason With Ellie

So far, “Feel Her Love” has not shown any of these flashback scenes. It is anticipated that these scenes will be included in some way during the sixth episode of Season 2’s second run. However, instead of delaying this revelation until the next episode, the show chose to unveil it as Ellie pursues Nora, particularly when Ellie gets close to Nora. At this moment, Nora recognizes that the immune girl Joel transported between the Fireflies was none other than Ellie.

Instead of asking if he knew what Joel did, Nora tells Ellie that Joel killed everyone at the Firefly hospital, including Abby’s father who could have made a cure. This revelation causes Ellie to lower her weapon and ask again where Abby is, while Nora starts to show signs of being infected. In response, Ellie acknowledges this information by saying “I know,” before kneeling in front of Nora and asking the same question once more. As Nora’s condition worsens, Ellie locates a pipe and strikes her legs with it.

Prior to revealing the decisive strike, the screen fades to darkness. In a scene harkening back to long ago times, Ellie is depicted peacefully asleep in Joel’s house. Upon entering, Joel gently rouses her, greeting her with “Hey kiddo.” Ellie returns the greeting, “Hi,” marking a cheerful and striking contrast that will pave the way for the next episode featuring a flashback.

Was The Show Correct To Reveal This Twist Early?

Who Handled It Better, the Game or the Show?

The exceptional quality of this plot twist in the game lies in the disclosure that Ellie’s violent actions for revenge are undertaken fully aware of Joel’s actions. Prior to this revelation, players might have speculated that Ellie could learn the truth from characters such as Nora, Tommy, or Abby, which could potentially lead her to reconsider her quest for vengeance. She may even come to understand that perhaps Joel’s actions were justifiable given what Abby did to him. However, this twist shatters these theories. Now, players are left pondering why Ellie remains so determined to seek revenge despite being aware of the situation.

One notable distinction between the TV series version of this season and the game so far is that Ellie in the show appears to be more overwhelmed than the ruthless assassin portrayed in the game at this juncture. Her killing of Nora, a pivotal moment, serves as a stark contrast. The challenge for the show is that much of what makes ‘The Last of Us Part II’ Ellie a relentless killer, an aspect eagerly anticipated by gamers, stems from gameplay mechanics. This, combined with the multi-season strategy for adapting ‘Part II’, might explain why they chose to take a slower approach in her character development. Consequently, the twist remains impactful as it signifies a turning point in Ellie’s character arc. The mask that hid her true nature has been removed. For those who have only watched the show, this revelation would undoubtedly resonate, and it’s not hard to understand why. Overall, the scene was still powerful.

Viewing the series from a seasoned gamer’s perspective, it’s hard not to notice the absence of crucial events leading up to that significant moment. In the show, viewers rejoin Joel and Ellie at a point where their bond appears broken. While there are subtle indications of past events like Ellie leaving Joel’s home, these developments were primarily explored in Jackson when Ellie and Dina departed for Seattle, creating an incomplete narrative arc.

In the game, the flashbacks showing the decline of Joel and Ellie’s bond create a sense of curiosity about when Ellie discovers what Joel did; players were left guessing how or when this would happen. The sequel, Part II, kept this revelation at the forefront by interspersing these flashbacks throughout, making it something that the player was constantly pursuing, like Abby. A significant flashback occurs at the hotel where Joel and Ellie find the deceased couple from Jackson, leading players to assume that this argument caused their estrangement. As Ellie’s suspicions about Joel grew, it became possible that he died without revealing the truth. This could be the reason behind Ellie’s anger. She was denied the opportunity to learn the truth directly from Joel, especially since it would have come from his lips.

The controversy lies in the assumption that the show didn’t fully develop the reveal, making it seem abrupt. It would have been more impactful if Ellie’s knowledge was shown after building up to how she learned it, rather than both plotlines developing independently before intersecting at a critical point. However, the show is expected to still feature an emotionally charged confrontation between Joel and Ellie, potentially one of the most poignant scenes in the series so far. The question remains whether this early reveal will diminish the emotional weight of later flashback scenes or create tension during the flashback episode itself. These are speculative questions, as the original twist was highly effective in the game due to its execution, not the timing of the revelation.

I’ve found myself utterly captivated by Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” yet just like its predecessor, there are instances where it pales in comparison to the original game. For instance, certain narrative points, such as a specific moment in Episode X, might be more powerfully executed in the game. However, the follow-up flashback episode could potentially validate the choice to reveal that twist early. Until then, I can’t help but feel that this particular moment might have been handled even more effectively within the game itself.

The Last of Us is currently airing on Sundays at 9:00 P.M. (EST) on HBO Max.

2025-05-17 01:23