Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 6!
At long last, the sixth episode of The Last of Us season 2 has arrived, and it’s a significant one! In this installment, we delve into a series of flashbacks that offer glimpses into Joel and Ellie’s past. So far in this season, the narrative has primarily revolved around Ellie’s quest for vengeance, as she pursued Abby after she killed Joel in episode 2. However, The Last of Us season 2, episode 6 takes a different turn, deviating from the main storyline to explore various flashbacks from the lives of both characters.
In episode 6 of The Last of Us season 2, we’re taken back to 1983 for a heartfelt sequence between young Joel and Tommy with their father. The narrative then leaps over the gap between seasons 1 and 2, with each flashback scene marking one of Ellie’s birthdays. In the first, Joel gifts Ellie a guitar; in the second, he takes her to a museum; in the third, she gets a tattoo; and the fourth sees Ellie join Joel on a patrol. Later, a flashback set post-season 2, episode 1 unfolds, where Joel reveals the truth to Ellie.
Joel Told Ellie The Truth About Salt Lake City After The New Year’s Eve Dance
She Knows What Really Happened With The Fireflies
In The Last of Us Season 2, there’s been an enigma regarding whether or not Ellie is aware of Joel’s major deception. At the close of The Last of Us Season 1, Joel takes the life of the Fireflies to protect Ellie. He subsequently misleads her about the occurrences in Salt Lake City, with her unaware of the truth behind the events that took place there. Over the years since the finale of The Last of Us Season 1, Ellie has become increasingly suspicious about Salt Lake City. She’s started to spot inconsistencies in Joel’s tale, even compiling a list of questions concerning the Fireflies, which she consults in Episode 6.
Prior to Ellie inquiring about the Fireflies from Joel, a sequence of events unfolded in Eugene, resulting in their estrangement. However, Joel’s altercation with Seth at the New Year’s Eve dance presented an opportunity for Ellie. In episode 6, it is shown that Ellie spotted Joel on the porch following the dance, prompting her to question him about the Fireflies. This confrontation eventually led to Joel revealing the truth. Ellie expressed a desire to forgive Joel, but was unsure if she could. Regrettably, Joel was slain before Ellie had an opportunity to do so.
The Significance Of Joel’s 1983 Flashback, Explained
How It Connects To Ellie
In episode 6 of The Last of Us season 2, we get a glimpse into Joel’s past through a flashback. As a child, Joel finds himself in trouble and confides to Tommy about his fear of their father’s impending violence. Later, their father arrives home, and he shares a story from the past – how Joel’s grandfather once gave him a severe punch that fractured his jaw. He admits to occasionally striking Joel but insists it’s less than what his own father did. He ends by expressing hope that Joel will be slightly superior to him.
At the end of the episode, Joel expresses a similar thought. After confessing to Ellie, Joel acknowledges his errors. Subsequently, he mentions that he wishes for Ellie to excel more than him if she ever has children. This underscores the influence Joel’s father had on him. He doesn’t anticipate perfection from Ellie, but rather hopes that she learns from his missteps and grows as a result.
Joel’s “Future Days” Song Explains Ellie’s Song In Episode 5
It Acts As A Belated Set-Up
In the sixth episode of The Last of Us season 2, I found myself reminiscing about my first birthday since the outbreak, as Joel presented me with a guitar. He decided to teach me how to play, strumming along to Pearl Jam’s “Future Days.” This scene, though it seemed ordinary at the time, served as a prelude to an earlier moment in episode 5, where I played “Future Days” on stage in the theater. This flashback subtly unveiled that this song holds a significant sentimental value for me, serving as a tribute to Joel’s memory.
Why Joel & Ellie’s Museum Trip Was So Important
What Was Joel’s Real Gift?
In the upcoming sequence of the episode, Joel unexpectedly takes Ellie to an abandoned museum reminiscent of ‘The Last of Us Part II’. The scene is strikingly similar in both versions. Joel asks Ellie to step into a replica space capsule he found. He hands her a tape with recordings of a real rocket launch. As Ellie listens, she shuts her eyes and fantasizes about traveling through space. This gift from Joel offers Ellie a rare moment of childhood innocence, providing a temporary escape from the grim realities of their infected world.
How Eugene’s Death Caused Ellie & Joel’s Falling Out
Why Did Ellie Tell The Truth?
In a scene that unfolds later, I, along with Ellie, embark on a patrol. Suddenly, we receive an alarm about a group being overrun by infected creatures. Without hesitation, we dash towards the location. Upon arrival, we find the group slaughtered, save for one survivor – Eugene, who has been bitten. In the early stages of the virus, he pleads to be escorted back to Jackson to bid farewell to his wife. Ellie grants him this wish, but I, in a moment of disagreement, do something unexpected. I instruct Ellie to fetch the horses, assuring her that we’ll wait for her. While she’s gone, I make the difficult choice and end Eugene’s suffering with a gunshot.
In “The Last of Us” season 2, episode 1, it’s clear that Ellie is deeply troubled due to a series of unfortunate events. Upon returning to Jackson, Joel conceals the truth about Gail’s fate, which was Eugene’s wife. When Ellie discloses the truth to Gail, she becomes upset with Joel, leading to a rift between them. This anger and silence from Ellie are what ultimately caused their falling out, a tension that persists throughout the series.
How Ellie Escaped Lakehill & Made It Back To The Theater
Did The Spores Help?
In episode 6 of The Last of Us season 2, we catch up with the main storyline as Ellie ventures through Seattle and ultimately reaches the theater. This event unfolds after the conclusion of episode 5, where Ellie brutally kills Nora with a pipe. These sequences suggest that Ellie somehow slipped away from Lakehill Seattle Hospital unnoticed and made her way back to the theater off-camera. It’s unexpected because both the WLF and Seraphites were aware she was hiding there.
In the game, we directly transition to Ellie being at the theater following her killing Nora, implying that the specifics of her escape are left unexplained. Given she’s in a spore-filled basement, it’s plausible this hideout helped Ellie flee undetected since no one would dare venture there to search for her. Although we only get brief glimpses of her return in episode 6, additional insights into how Ellie managed to escape Lakehill might be shared in The Last of Us season 2, episode 7.
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2025-05-19 05:40