Joel is not a just or immoral protagonist; he sticks to his morals and goals no matter what or who gets in the way. That makes his character fascinating and relatable to the viewer, no matter if the fans think he reacted correctly or just did it his way and will have to live with the consequences. He chose to save this teenage girl instead of a possible utopian future, flipping the satisfying ending on its head to prove the point.
Thankfully, they handled the ending just as well as the remarkable and unprecedented resolution the game introduced to millions of players. Memories of compilations of gamers’ reactions to the twist resurfaced, and I reminisced on the same nuance and shock of the initial curveball. The inevitable truth was that a young girl had to be sacrificed to reap the peculiar cordyceps out of her brain.
Marlene’s relationship with Ellie was always shrouded in mystery ever since episode two, and finally, we got the explanation and exploration of the complex bond that we hoped for. As a promise, she raised Ellie after her mom, Anna, got infected since they grew up alongside each other. The original mocap actress who voiced and played Ellie, Ashley Johnson, portrayed her mother, and it was uncanny hearing Ellie within her that she depicted years ago.
Throughout this whole series, it brought back the nostalgia of binging several playthroughs and discussions over character intentions or possible endings about this survival video game. Yet another form of escapism and comforting media that helped sculpt who I am today, and now the series helps satisfy the same intrigue that pulled me in long ago.
Almost half of the series ended with shocking and toe-curling endings that left the audience in shock, and this one was no different, yet it tied a bow of finality onto the string that helped wrap up the show and add intrigue for what was to come. With season two already announced and in the works, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will reprise their roles in a five-year time skip. The process will be long and might take several years to complete the upcoming season, yet I would wait as long as it takes for the masterpiece of “The Last of Us II’s” complex storyline and environment to mold faithfully.