A key episode rewrites the end and puts the rules of the game
The second season of The last of us He released an emotional bomb that not only leaves the fans shocked, but reconfigures the road to the end. In an unexpected turn, The most intimate moment between Joel and Elliethat in the video game it appeared almost in the end, Has been advanced In the series, And its impact is devastating as revealed.
The episode entitled The price sample The reconciliation of Joel and Ellie on the verandaA scene that in the game was a late blow to the heart, but now it lands just one of Ellie’s darkest moments: her comparison with Nora. This narrative decision, according to Neil Druckmannco-creator of the series and video game, the way it develops will change The fate of Ellie’s in the series.
Change at the end of the last of us
What might seem only a transfer of the stage is, in reality, A strategic game that transforms history. In the same words as Druckmann: “That scene should exist, but we never knew where to put it in the game. In the series, he had all the sense showing it before the result of the season. “
The reason is clear: Don’t wait years until the third season To live that emotional catharsis. The series wants the viewer Already understand Ellie’s internal loadWithout delays, in full narrative climax. And this also includes Concentrates all Joel’s flashbacks in a single episodeInstead of distributing them as bread crumbs throughout the season.
This change too Edit as we see Ellie. In the series, its evolution It is less bloody than in the game. Here, his meeting with Nora Mark the beginning of his revengeWhile in the game, when it reaches that point, it has already crossed a much more brutal path. Druckmann admits that this is totally intentional: “In the game, Ellie had to enter a very dark mental stateBecause you too as a player had committed all that violence. But In the series, it is not necessary to do it in the same way“.
So what we have is A more reflective and less impulsive helloAnd with a search for identity that leads her to face Joel’s legacy. “Right now, he is trying to be like JoelAlthough perhaps he does not fully understand what it means, “adds the showrunner.
The impact for fans is evident: Even if they know what happens in the game, they can no longer be sure of anything. The structure is breaking and this makes each episode new. Druckmann and Craig Mazin are Remixing The Way, not the final destinationBut they are doing it with such ability that even the greatest number of veterans of the PlayStation command goes with the Guardian.
And although the concrete details of the new final have not been revealed, Druckmann has already confirmed it The series will differ from the original closure of the second game. To which the door opens More surprisesMore nuances and perhaps more emotional pains than those who leave us a week of entertainment to think.
The emotional and narrative weight of a key episode
The game not only makes sense at the level of the structure, but Nostalgia and loss maximize to the maximum. See again Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) in those scenes full of tenderness and fault not only makes Ellie’s duel relive, but also our as spectators. Druckmann recognizes: “We wanted the audience to miss him. See everything together with your soul“.
These types of decisions strengthen the idea that The last of us It is not a simple adaptation. It is an emotional reinterpretation of the original material, which respects its essence but not to fear Rewrite your rules For a new vehicle and a new audience.
