I cannot believe that season 1 is now over. The game has been out for 10 years now, but the story has just now gotten popular due to the show. In just 9 episodes, the attention and hearts of millions were captured. I am going to miss having an episode to look forward to each Sunday night. What had been Euphoria Sundays at the beginning of last year became The Last Of Us Sundays this year. HBO Max really knows how to do the weekly release shows well. 

This episode brought us even more clarity about where Ellie came from. That was so heartbreaking to see her mother Anna suffer immediately after giving birth to Ellie because she had been bit. She had been with her daughter for only a few hours before she asked Marlene to kill her before the infection spread. Such a quick turn of events that was horrifying any way that it was spun. A little fact that also broke my heart, showing how clever HBO Max is, was the fact that Anna was played by the original voice of the game’s Ellie. What a full circle of events and emotions. From this tragic sequence of events, we are brought back to the present with Ellie and Joel, where we notice that Ellie is extremely traumatized and for an extremely valid reason. David was an absolute monster that preyed on her. She deserves to take time to recuperate. 

After Joel’s emotional nuclear bomb of “I got you, baby girl”, we were all left with the fact that Joel now cares for Ellie as if she were his daughter. It was extremely refreshing to see him acting kind again and comfortable, like how he was with Sarah. It was heartbreaking but also so sweet at the same time. He was cracking jokes, talking much more to Ellie about more personal things. When he said that he had found a guitar in the back of the car they had found and that he could grab it to teach Ellie to play, my heart absolutely melted. To see him trying to bond with her more was finally a plot point that we truly needed to see for them. Though, I was on edge the whole episode because nothing good ever lasts. And I was sadly right. The Fireflies captured the two of them, which they were looking for anyway. When Ellie was taken away from Joel, I was terrified and he was having horrible flashbacks about Sarah being taken so soon. Joel is met by Marlene, and she explains how Ellie was the answer to the cure and they would need to operate on her???? Joel quickly realized that they had to remove her brain because that is where the cordyceps gather. Marlene then ordered guards to lead Joel out of the compound and to shoot him if he tried anything. Luckily, Joel was willing to do anything to protect Ellie, like he really was her father. I remember screaming for Joel to go get her, and thank god he did, but not before having to kill some guards and even Marlene. She deserved to go in my opinion haha. She was evil!! After they escaped, Joel and Ellie were able to grab a car and leave to head back home. But where is home? Boston? With Tommy’s commune in Wyoming? Not sure, but wherever it is, I am just glad that Joel is still alive because I was so worried that he was going to die before this season ended. It was a great but aggravating way to end the season, especially because we have to wait until at least late 2024 until the next season. This was such an emotional rollercoaster of the first season and it was executed so perfectly in my opinion. I am so glad I began watching the series and I am already counting down the days to season two because I need some more Joel and Ellie on my TV. 

Thanks for joining me in my weekly updates and opinions about each TLOU episode!!