A program full of trauma episodes, Last of Us Episode 8 may have been the most traumatic yet.
But in the chaos of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) arrest, vicious (and persuasive) interrogation by Joel, and Ellie’s ultimate violent escape, the real story behind the show’s final lines is revealed. You may have missed the meaning.
‘The Last of Us’ drops a very tense finale trailer with an all-new threat
What happened at the end of episode 8?
After David (Scott Shepard), the leader of the group that captured Ellie, showed his true (and truly terrifying) colors, Ellie was forced to kill him to save herself.
Traumatized and bloody, she went outside and stumbled straight into Joel’s arms. At first she tries to fight him off, thinking he is one of the captives, but when she finally faces him, she collapses into his arms.
At this point, Joel utters a line that says a lot about his personality. He also talks about how he feels about Ellie.
“Look. It’s me. It’s me. It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s all right, baby girl. I got you. I got you.”
What does Joel mean by calling Ellie “baby girl”?
This is the first time Joel has called Ellie a “baby girl” on the show, but it’s not the first time he’s said those words. It’s the nickname for his adopted daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker).
Speaking in the “Inside the Episode” video on HBO Max, Last of Us Neil Druckmann, creator of the show, who co-created the show alongside director Craig Mazin and co-president of Naughty Dog, explains the importance of the moment.
“In a way Joel saved her, but more emotionally,” he says. “She’s so broken she doesn’t know what to say. She’s bloody and just looks straight into his eyes. She leans over and hugs him. And he can say All he has is this thing. Twenty years later it’s a “baby girl”, what he called his daughter. ”
Joel and Ellie’s relationship hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but this moment is incredibly telling in terms of how much she’s come to mean to Joel. far beyond the ruthless brutality of the confrontation. That’s when Joel tells Ellie, “I’m pretty sure you’re not my daughter and you’re not your dad.” Now Joel no longer sees Ellie as a “cargo” or a sarcastic girl who likes to joke. He now sees her as her family.
The Last of Us is streaming now HBO Max.(opens in new tab) New episodes air every Sunday at 9pm ET on HBO.
