The Last of Us
This is my Roman Empire. The amount that I think about this story is insane. I need a support group for people who are as obsessed with this story as me. I love both the games and the show.
Part one is my favorite game of all time. Part II is a close second. I’m going to focus on part one here. I have too much to say about each one and they each deserve their own post. If you haven’t played the games or watched the show and don’t want to be spoiled, then stop here!
The post pandemic world it’s set in can be a bit anxiety inducing at times after what we all went through with COVID. It’s also unsettling that what happens with cordyceps is actually possible. But what really grabs me is the relationship between Ellie and Joel. Ellie is such a badass chick who doesn’t take any crap from anyone and cusses a lot. I just love her. I love both Ashley Johnson’s performance of her in the game and Bella Ramsey in the show. She’s more innocent in the game and is more rough around the edges in the show. I love that she melts Joel’s icy exterior down and they become like father and daughter to each other.
This story is the trolley problem. Killing one child to save potentially millions sounds like a no brainer to everyone but what about the people who love that child? I have to admit that I’m a full on Joel sympathizer. I completely stand by what he chose at the end of part one and the season 1 finale of the show. I understand the controversy completely. And I get it even more so after watching it in third person on the show. In the game, you’ve played as Joel and protected Ellie the whole time. And it’s a video game so it seems more natural that playing as Joel we would take down the Fireflies and save Ellie. However, I will say that watching Joel mass shoot all of them on the show did give me pause. It made me feel a little more conflicted about it but ultimately I stand by his decision. Some argue that he was selfish in his decision and did this horrible evil thing. But did he?
Ellie was a minor. 14 years old to be exact. At the very least she should’ve been told that she would have to die to MAYBE make a vaccine and be given a choice. Or maybe they could’ve waited until she was 18 and make a decision as an adult. I get that people are dying every day from the pandemic but killing an innocent child without her consent is wrong.
They didn’t even know for sure it would work! She could’ve been killed for no reason.
Joel already felt he failed his daughter and couldn’t fail Ellie
Joel saw Ellie’s life as saving people by then knowing her and now her dying and sacrificing herself for something that may not have even worked
Part II is a masterpiece but I still have that Joel and Ellie didn’t get the reconciliation and closure they both deserved. These fictional characters give me so many feelings!
