‘The Last of Us’ Co-Creator Craig Mazin Dissects That Feared Final Moment of Season Two

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The highly anticipated second season of “The Last of Us” is following in the footsteps of the game creators, offering viewers an unexpected turn in the storyline. To reveal a spoiler: In the second episode of this season, Pedro Pascal’s character Joel meets a violent end while Bella Ramsey’s Ellie looks on. This tragic event sets a new course for Ellie’s journey as co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann delve further into her connection and emotional turmoil that propels her story forward.

Craig Mazin frequently emphasizes making the narrative as realistic as possible by keeping characters grounded with human flaws and vulnerabilities. In The Last of Us, characters aren’t invulnerable; not every scenario has a favorable outcome. As Mazin explains, “It’s crucial to instill that sense of vulnerability in characters like Ellie because plot armor exists. They endure harrowing ordeals, and if we or anyone else were in those situations, it would seem impossible to escape. But they manage to survive time and again. That’s why it’s essential to acknowledge the feeling of helplessness, such as when a character like Ellie is left with nothing but pleading for help, when her hero and father are on the verge of death.

Season two introduces viewers to the character of Abby, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever, who makes a strong impact on the storyline. According to Mazin, in the game, Abby is a powerful figure to distinguish a clear contrast between playing as her and playing as Ellie. In this particular episode, Dever brings out Abby’s fierceness and shared traits. “A lot of this narrative revolves around who feels genuine to us and who does not,” Mazin states. “Who is considered family, who belongs to our group, and who can be discarded as the enemy.” For Abby, her father was a playable character. Joel, on the other hand, is a non-playable character, someone to eliminate in the game. However, for Ellie, it’s the opposite.

Mazin explains that throughout the story, he’ll emphasize significant, unsaid conversations between Ellie and Joel using italics. He describes these moments as deeply emotional, almost indescribable, relying more on expressions than words. By doing this, Bella will understand the reasons behind Ellie’s actions, and Pedro will be aware of Joel’s thoughts. It’s not that Joel is simply following orders; he’s acting because he would go to any lengths for her. In essence, it’s a kind of enchanting, unspoken bond between them.

Mazin expresses that he is deeply captivated by the relationship’s defining moment, where they revealed their true selves in the way we cherished them the most. In this poignant instance, Ellie, who has been portrayed as an angry and independent teenager, transforms into a child. Similarly, Joel, burdened with his secret and lies, becomes a caring father. In this moment, all their complexities fade away.

In certain aspects, the second season of “The Last of Us” needed to prove to viewers that Ellie is capable of the brutal violence necessary for survival in the series’ world. However, Mazin clarifies, “Ellie isn’t a killing machine.” Instead, she has killed very few people. One key distinction between our show and the game is that, in the game, killing is part of the gameplay. The audience might not expect a sobbing, emotional child like Ellie to pose a threat. Unfortunately, they underestimated her because they don’t know what we do. If they had witnessed her with David [the antagonist from season one], they would have tried to kill her immediately.

The creators ponder over finding a logical and coherent way to depict the game’s violent events on-screen. Mazin explains, “In the game, she strikes him again with the golf club on the head, which we wouldn’t realistically show in a movie.” In the video game, Abby repeatedly hits Joel on the head with the club; however, it’s impractical to portray this sequence of events on-screen. “There are actions that can occur in video games that humans can’t perform,” he notes. “We strive to maintain a sense of realism and groundedness. We aim to make those violent scenes as authentic as possible.

According to Mazin, Bella and he had a lengthy discussion about this matter. Essentially, Ellie’s single request is quite straightforward: she needs to get up. We can address the following steps once she manages to rise. Once Abby picks up the sharp object from the ground, Ellie’s desire transforms immediately. She is no longer addressing Joel; instead, her plea is now directly to Abby, asking her not to perform a certain action.

This tale was initially published in a special, individual edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine for June. To become a subscriber and get the magazine, simply follow this link: [Subscribe Here]

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2025-06-08 22:24