The Last of Us Episode 9

Finally, we come to the season finale of The Last of Us, season 1. Since starting our breakdowns, we have been excited about this very conversation. Would viewers of the show be challenged with the ending as much as the game challenged audiences over a decade ago? Would audiences be given enough to connect with to feel for Joel's position in the story? Ultimately, the story of The Last of Us boils down to this last episode. It asks audiences what they would do if this were their life and the life of someone they have come to care about. So much moral ambiguity makes this season finale one of the best and remains hotly debated. So in closing, does the show do the game justice, and what is your feeling on the actions Joel takes?

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Show Notes:

(00:00)  Intro

(02:28) Ellie is still dealing with the trauma of the previous episode

(08:27) Changed by the Journey

(15:02) Joel in the hospital

(17:35) Ellie's Mom and relationship with Marlene

(23:31) Joel Becoming the Anti Hero

(26:06) Starting the Morality Discussion

(31:17) Ellie didn't get to choose

(34:31) Joel's decision feels foundational

(44:17) The Second Game

(46:39) Final Assessments of the Whole Season

(51:21) Two Voices in the Writing

(56:30) The Emotional Differences Between the Show and the Game

(01:00:38) Part 3?

(01:03:05) Adapting Games to TV

(01:04:43) Where Would You Expect Season 2 to Go

(01:06:08) Talking about game 2 in the near future

(01:08:49) Speculating on what is to come