With three episodes of The Last of Us season two remaining, we know it’s coming. The best scene in either Last of Us game, in my opinion. And we know it’s coming both because it’s in the trailer and because adapting The Last of Us Part II without this scene would be the ultimate disservice.
If you’ve played the game, surely, you know what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, and don’t know what the scene is, maybe stop reading here. I’m not going to ruin it with a bunch of details but not knowing exactly how it plays out will make things that much more rewarding.
We’re talking, of course, about Ellie’s birthday gift, a flashback the show’s trailer teased way back in March. I even wrote about it almost five years ago when the game first came out because it was so hugely impactful for me. And, if you go back to that article, I go over the beat by beat of it in the game. Again, I won’t spoil it here, just in case.
To finally get to see it adapted in live action, though, is somehow even more exciting. First, that’s because Pedro Pascal’s Joel will have to come back for it. As good as this season has been, not having Pascal in every episode has surely been disappointing for some. Second, we’ve now spent years creating bonds with his version of Joel as well as Bella Ramsey’s version of Ellie, so the scene should play even better than the game.
There’s also the anticipation of seeing how co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin bring it to life. How closely will the scene match the game? How far will the visuals go? What will Bella Ramsey’s reactions be to it? How about Joel’s? And, of course, there’s the question of whether TV audiences will fall as in love with the moment as gamers did.
Now, here is probably a good time to pull back the curtain. As I stated in my review of The Last of Us season two, I’ve already seen the whole season. So, I know when this is coming and what it’s like. And while I can’t specifically answer those questions, I can say—I wrote this, didn’t I? I’m still here, waiting in anticipation. That’s probably a good sign.
The Last of Us season two is currently airing on HBO and Max.
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