Editor's note: The following article contains spoilers for Episode 6 of The Last of Us.

After an action-packed episode that ended with two tragic deaths, this week The Last of Us takes a step back to explore the inner universe of its two leading characters. While journeying to Wyoming hoping to find Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are forced to reflect on their relationship and how far they are willing to go to find a cure for the Cordyceps infection. While Joel has been a mean and lean Infected-killing machine for most of the show’s runtime, Episode 6, “Kin,” takes the time to explore the man’s fears and insecurities. Joel has never been more vulnerable than in Episode 6, so it’s fitting that the episode ends with his possible death. The fact Joel actively decided to confront his fears first before being wounded only makes the moment more emotional.

Since HBO is following the main story beats of the original The Last of Us game, it’s unlikely they'll kill Joel in Episode 6. However, his near-death experience is the perfect opportunity for him to understand Ellie is not a fragile creature who needs constant protection. She’s a survivor, just like him, and he should put more trust in her to take care of things.

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Joel Finally Admits His Biggest Fear

The Last of Us Pedro Pascal Joel Episode 6 Kin
Image via HBO

During Episode 6, The Last of Us underlines how Joel is suffering from severe anxiety. When faced with the idea that his brother, Tommy, might be dead, Joel feels his heart racing and his ready spinning around. He’s paralyzed by fear once again when a dog smells Ellie in search of signs of infection, dreading that the animal could tear the girl into pieces. While Joel’s anxiety has probably been haunting him for a very long time, his mental health seems to have deteriorated after the deaths of Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard). As Joel confesses to his brother, he’s tormented by the fact one brother killed the other to protect Ellie while he was just standing there and watching everything happens in front of his eyes.

As Joel tells Tommy, old age has been catching up with him. He’s partially deaf, his body doesn’t react as fast as it used to, and he simply doesn’t have the stamina that made him a fierce warrior for almost two decades after the apocalypse. And while it’s normal to grow old and feel your body become less agile, in Joel’s case, his physical limitation only feeds his anxiety. Joel pretends he’s only escorting Ellie to the Fireflies to respect Tess’ (Anna Torv) dying wish. But the truth is he genuinely cares for the girl. So, when he feels time is stealing his strengths, Joel convinces himself he will be responsible for Ellie’s death. He won’t be fast enough to protect Ellie, so he’ll ultimately be responsible for her demise. Joel doesn’t fear his death, but he’s paralyzed at the thought of losing another daughter. Because that’s what Ellie has become to him, a daughter, as fragile as Sarah (Nico Parker) was when she died. However, Ellie is not Sarah, and Episode 6 forces Joel to accept this fact.

Ellie Will Have to Prove Herself

The Last of Us Bella Ramsey Ellie Episode 6 Kin
Image via HBO

Joel is so absorbed by his fears that he convinces Tommy to take Ellie to a university in Colorado the Fireflies are using as a medical base. Tommy is younger and knows the region well enough to avoid danger, making him more suited to escort Ellie. But while Joel makes this unilateral decision out of concern for Ellie’s safety, he’s being selfish not to include her in the conversation. And when Ellie learns about what Joel and Tommy agreed in secrecy, she doesn’t hesitate to tell Joel she is not Sarah. What Ellie needs from Joel is trust and support, more than protection.

Sometimes, Joel is so focused on his own pain that he forgets Ellie has also lost everyone she cares about. And by abandoning Ellie, Joel only shows the girl she’s alone in the world. Ellie is more than the key to finding a cure, she’s a person with her own thoughts and feelings, and by taking away her choice, Joel erases her humanity. The fight Joel and Ellie have on the night before going to the university compels Joel to accept all of this while also making him see Ellie as someone different from Sarah. As someone born and raised in the apocalyptic, Ellie is more capable of defending herself. So, instead of sheltering Ellie from everything, it’s up to Joel to teach her how to survive on her own. It’s no wonder that after deciding to take Ellie to the university himself, Joel finally accepts to give her shooting lessons. The emotional road is long, but in Episode 6, Joel finally accepts Ellie for who she really is.

It’s devastating that Joel is wounded by looters right after he changes his relationship with Ellie. When the two get attacked at the abandoned university, while trying to figure out where the Fireflies might have gone next, Joel is stabbed before escaping on horseback with Ellie. However, he falls from the horse a few miles later, with his guts leaking from the wound hole. Joel's biggest fears have come true, as he could not avoid a potentially deadly wound, and now Ellie might have to survive alone. As for Ellie, Joel’s dire condition makes her admit she is not his equal and needs him to survive.

From the game’s script, we know that Joel survives this wound — and while HBO can always change the course of the story to surprise fans, they haven’t strayed from the main course so far. Still, Joel’s wound offers him the perfect opportunity to let Ellie take care of him, and by forcing the two protagonists to change places, HBO’s The Last of Us can give Joel the tools he needs to deal with his paralyzing fear. As for Ellie, by being put in an impossible situation all by herself, she’ll have to use everything Joel taught her while discovering she is perfectly capable of surviving on her own. In the end, while Joel’s wound is shocking, it will likely result in important growth for the show’s two main characters.

Find out more about how to watch new episodes of The Last of Us on HBO and HBO Max.

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