Joel may be gone, buthis presence is haunting every step Ellie (Bella Ramsey)takes inThe Last of UsSeason 2.And according to series co-creatorCraig Mazin, that’s very much intentional. In the official HBO podcast for Episode 4, titled “Day One,”Mazin andNeil Druckmannunpacked the deeper emotional and thematic layers beneath Ellie’s obsession with justice — or vengeance — and how Joel’s memory has become something more than just grief, but taken a step into mythology.Mazin explained the lingering influence of Joel(played byPedro Pascal) by comparing it to some of the most iconic storytelling tropes in history — andStar Warsfans will immediately catch the reference:
“There is something that is inside Ellie that almost feels like Joel is a prophet. And we see this in drama all the time, going all the way back to the Greeks, where you’d have the chorus that was kind of hanging out behind you. AndGeorge Lucashas, you know, Obi-Wan Kenobi showing up as a force ghost. What does he say? He says, ‘If you strike me down, I’ll be more powerful than ever.’ So Joel has been struck down, and yet he does hover over Ellie like a force ghost, like a prophet, like somebody that needs to be followed and pursued and then justified through her actions.”
Ellie Is Chasing Joel’s Memory in ‘The Last of Us’
Druckmann added more context to how this transformation of Joel — from man to martyr — is impactingEllie’s decisions and psychethroughout Season 2. “We talk a lot about how much this show is about loveand how much you’re willing to do for the people that you love, but there, so far, have been grounded people that are next to you," he explained.
“With this season, it actually has gone further.It’s like now Ellie is chasing the idea of someone that is no longer around, right?Joel is gone.Nothing she will do will ever bring him back. But there’s a belief within her that in pursuing injustice, to the ends of the earth, that she will do right by him.”
Her grief, Druckmann explains, has evolved into ideology — one shaped not just by who Joel was,but by what he nowrepresents.
“This kind of stuff is some of my favorite bits to work on with Craig and to discuss… Joel has become this idea, and this person is probably young enough that he’s never even met her. He doesn’t know who she really was. So I find this kind of fascinating — again, the exploration of love to a person that the further you get away from them being alive just becomes less of a real person, more of an idea.”
The Last of Usairs Sundays on HBO and streams on Max.
The Last Of Us
Source:The Last of Us Podcast
