It’s hard to believe that The Last of Us is almost done with its jaw-dropping first season. In just eight episodes we connected with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in ways few shows in their entire series run have. Audiences have endlessly cried, shared a few good laughs, and been reminded of both the best and worst parts that humanity has to offer. This includes the series darkest moment to date between Ellie and David (Scott Shepherd) in the latest episode. In Part 2 of The Last of Us’ Creator To Creator round table, Pascal and Ramsey discussed filming that traumatizing scene in addition to Joel and Ellie’s emotional reunion.

The focus of the round table this time around, also featuring co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, was how the series chose to depict its violence. Unlike the games, where action and violence were gameplay necessities, the series had to approach the use of violence differently because the creators didn’t want the audience to become numb to it. What adds to the immersive horror in the game is what can quickly become repetitive in a series. Like Mazin pointed out, if they adapted the action set pieces 100% accurately for the show, the “violence stops being significant”. This takes us to Ellie's murder of both James (Troy Baker) and David in Episode 8. Ellie's ruthless murder of David specifically leaves such an impact. It’s arguably more impactful than how it's portrayed in the game because up to that point, the action/violence was kept to a minimum.

The viewers in a sense are like Joel’s daughter Sarah. We're constantly shocked by the levels of violence eating away at our two main characters, but Joel and Ellie are connected by that shared adrenaline rush quickly followed by deep sadness that comes with committing these horrific acts. That’s what makes the in-between moments so important. Whether it was Joel finally giving Ellie a gun after Ellie attempted to kill a man, or Joel comforting Ellie after she killed David, the two have this fascinatingly emotional connection covered in blood.

Pedro Pascal as Joel hugging Ellie with Sarah's watch on in The Last of Us
Image via HBO

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Making a Beloved Reunion Even Better

When talking about the reunion between Joel and Ellie, Druckmann revealed that he avoided watching the dailies for the scene because he knew it needed to be better than how it was represented in the game. He described the scene as being more brutal and harder to watch because of the expectations. However, those expectations help give the scene a new life. Joel’s not the hero of the scene here. Unlike the game, Ellie leaves the burning restaurant after butchering David, leaving a tragic moment where she’s just wandering helplessly in the snow. You wonder where Joel is and when he does eventually grab Ellie there’s a sigh of painful relief, relief that brought Druckmann to tears. Ramsey also revealed that they shot their reunion before shooting David’s death scene. This presented an obvious challenge for the filmmakers. To help Ramsay with the scene emotionally, there was a sandbag for them to hit away at, and they practiced the tense scene involving David with one of the show’s stunt performers. Ramsey was nervous that it wasn’t going to be as good as the game, but the one person who had all the confidence in the world was Mazin.

One of the main things that makes The Last of Us so special is the emotional bond and love that the filmmakers have for one another. Druckmann, Mazin, Pascal, and Ramsey feel like a quirky family. You can’t help but smile and tear up due to their shared love for one another and how they talk about their craft. Ellie’s reunion with Joel is the most important and beloved moment in the entire franchise. Somehow the show made it even better.

The final episode of The Last of Us Season 1 premieres Sunday at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max. While fans anxiously wait for Sunday, you can view the full Part 2 of the Creator To Creator discussion below.