It’s high time we had a full-fledged Joel and Ellie episode in The Last of Us. That’s exactly what “Kin” offered after weeks full of stand-alone stories with fresh individuals that frequently ended in horrible demise. And that’s precisely why its climax is so tense. Beware of spoilers.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) has only ever wanted to be with his brother Tommy since we first saw him (Gabriel Luna). In Episode 6, which is set three months after Episode 5 and the passing of Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam, that ultimately transpires (Keivonn Woodard). Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are encircled by what appears to be a bunch of gun-wielding raiders as they look for Tommy’s most recent center of operations.
It appears for a horrifying split second that their dog that detects infections could attack Ellie. But just as it’s about to bite Ellie, the dog kisses her instead. At that point, Joel and Ellie discover that the survivors they had been searching for have gathered around them.
When they return to Jackson with Tommy’s new wife Maria (Rutina Wesley), everything is calm for a while. The closest example of contemporary society in our universe that we have encountered is Jackson. Even movie evenings and Christmas trees are available! But, you are aware that joy cannot endure.
Tommy consistently declines Joel’s requests to accompany them to the Fireflies base at the University of Eastern Colorado. The younger Miller brother has settled down in Jackson, is married, and is expecting a child. At that point, Joel unleashes his arsenal, telling Tommy that Ellie is resistant to the Cordyceps brain infection. That’s not all, though.
Joel is a relentless badass in the eyes of gamers. Joel may be menacing in the television series, but he pales in comparison to his video game counterpart. Joel tells his brother he’s not as strong as he was five years ago and begs Tommy to accompany Ellie to the Fireflies in his place.
Ellie, however, overhears everything, and the two clash. Ellie explains to him that if Joel leaves her, she won’t be any safer because everyone she has ever cared for has either abandoned her or passed away. She would only feel more anxious. Ellie doesn’t go too far, though, until she informs her guardian that Sarah (Nico Parker), who died in this episode, isn’t his deceased daughter. For Joel, that’s a bridge too far. “You are correct. You are not my child. And I most definitely am not your father, Joel adds as he turns away from her.
In the game, spies infiltrating Jackson prevent Joel from pawning Ellie off on Tommy. Yet the way the show concludes this emotional arc feels more natural. Finally, Tommy decides to accompany Ellie to Colorado after all. When they visit the stables the following morning, Joel is still there. He acknowledges that he had intended to leave but decided to stay because he feels that Ellie should have a decision in who she wants to marry—Joel or Tommy.
Describe foreshadowing, please.
Joel is Ellie’s first choice, and the two swiftly cover up this specific conflict with shooting tips and jokes about contractors. As the two get to the University of Eastern Colorado, the true catastrophe begins.
Related: Does Tommy Die in The Last of Us? Explained the Death of Joel’s Brother!
In the Last of Us, Is Joel Dead?
Joel and Ellie discover a bunch of scavengers on the campus but no Fireflies. Joel gets stabbed with an improvised shiv while fighting with one of them. He just has enough strength left to mount their horse again and gallop out before the rest of the scavengers show up. Joel falls from their horse and into a snowbank as “Kin” comes to a close.
Ellie cries out as Joel falls unconscious, “I can’t fucking do this without you. “I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m going to do.” The show concludes at that point as the music builds and the camera pans out.
So what’s going on? Does Joel really perish? We can categorically reject this because The Last of Us Season 1 is sticking to the storyline from the original game. Even though Joel will survive the attack, it will cost him.
Also Read: In the Emotional Episode 8 of House of The Dragon, Fans Bid Farewell to A Major Character
What Is Joel’s Problem in The Last of Us?
Joel still wants to hand Ellie off to Tommy in the game since Tommy is younger and more powerful than our antihero. Nevertheless, unlike the series, the game did not fully explore Joel’s recently discovered vulnerability. Joel has at least two instances where his terror has him paralyzed. And after a heated dispute with Tommy, Joel finds it difficult to breathe and clenches his heart. Joel’s condition is never definitively identified in The Last of Us, but based on a monologue from the character, we can draw some educated predictions.
“Ellie saved my life there, you know when we got as far as Kansas. by a different child. I would have destroyed him five years ago. Joel asks Tommy to take Ellie and says, “But she had to shoot him to rescue me – 14 years old — because I was too slow and too fucking deaf to hear him approaching. And today I just stood there, afraid the dog was going to rip her apart because it scented something on her. I was unable to move. Nothing came to my mind. I felt such fear. You seem to believe that I can still handle things, but I have changed. I’m feeble. And then there are those times when my heart feels as though it has stopped and the fear strikes out of nowhere.
It sounds like Joel is experiencing panic attacks as a result of his PTSD following the death of his daughter, Sarah, based only on what he has revealed (Nico Parker). He’s simply growing older, too. He is 56 years old. You can’t continue to run, squat, and slit people’s throats.
