If you’re still reeling from the ending of last week episode, you’re not alone. There are a lot of character deaths in Our last, but Henry and Sam’s deaths will always hit hard—whether you know it or not. And audiences aren’t the only ones feeling the loss, as there’s a sense of melancholy pervading this episode.
Considering how this episode ends, I recommend shouting into a pillow. Scary, isn’t it? Let’s dig inside.
(Warning: Spoiler ahead for Our last episode six.)
Once again we open with a small time jump. It’s been three months since Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) tragically died in the unforgiving world of Our final. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) are currently in Wyoming, where they hope to reunite with Joel’s brother, Tommy (Gabriel Luna). However, the duo wasn’t exactly sure where they were, so they stopped at a random couple’s house for directions.
The pair had been hiding in a remote area long before the outbreak, amused by an attempt to intimidate them into revealing Joel and Ellie’s locations. After the extremely dark ending of episode five, this is the tax we need. Not only did it allow Ellie to be a wayward teenager, but it also showed that some people are still immune to the horrors of the current world—whether they’re immune to the fungus or not.
Finally, the pair tell Joel and Ellie where they are in Wyoming and warn them not to cross the river, as only death awaits there. Joel, a bit confused by this news, decides to go ahead despite it. But this is when we also get the first idea that Joel’s health may not be well. His ears started ringing, his hearing went ringing, and he clutched at his heart—it looked a lot like a panic attack, but worse. Once he regained his breath, he dismissed Ellie’s worries, but she remained skeptical about what was happening to Joel.
As they approached the foretold river, Joel suggested they wait until morning to cross and set up camp for the night in a cave along the river. This is where we can finally see a moment that can only be expressed in original concept art for video games. The two sit around the fire and talk about what they want to do after this mission is over: Joel wants to live on a farm and herd sheep, while Ellie prefers to live in space. (Joel’s farm comment is a nod to the second videogame;, for more on that, see our easter egg story.)
After expressing her deep love for space and Sally Ride, Ellie asks Joel if he really thinks vaccines will work, before telling him how she tried to save Sam with his blood like. Joel tells her it can be more complicated than her blood (duh) but reassures Ellie that if Marlene (Merle Dandridge) says it can be done, it will be done. It is in these quiet moments that Pascal and Ramsey’s performance really shines. They’re doing a great job of building a relationship between Joel and Ellie.
In the morning, the two set out to cross the “river of death” and are surprised that it is not full of death. However, when they came across a hydroelectric dam, they began to wonder if it was the real “river of death”. As the two crossed the dam, they were surrounded by several men on horseback. What followed was a very tense encounter. Fortunately, Ellie befriends the group’s dog, while Joel successfully convinces them that he and Ellie are not a threat. Then they meet Maria, played by Rutina Wesley—the main character real blood And Our last cross I really needed. When she realizes who Joel is, she quickly brings him and Ellie back to Jackson.
Getting to see Tommy’s town of Jackson early on in the story is a delight for those who played the 2013 game; we never met Jackson until the sequel. As Joel and Ellie ride through town, Joel quickly realizes his brother Tommy and the two are quite related. emotional reunion.
Thinking they must be hungry, Tommy and Maria take Joel and Ellie to the cafeteria to get food. This is where one of the show’s most important moments happens: Ellie is still her usual slur, because she’s gobbling up. Suddenly, she looked up and yelled “What?” at a girl staring at her. The girl was startled and quickly left. It wasn’t a long moment, but it was an important one. There’s no confirmation yet (when this story is published), but fans of the game will recognize her immediately: This brief cameo is from beloved Dina.
TikToks with love songs will be performed, schools will call for half a day, and parades will be held in their honor. Okay, maybe not all — but it’s important, because this is Ellie and Dina’s first interaction. Without spoiling the video game, I can’t say more about who Dina is. But just know that this is very important and probably the most first interaction on the brand between the two—hopefully Season 2 comes sooner and later so we can see them again!
Meanwhile, Ellie remains skeptical of Maria, mainly because of the intimidation tactics her team uses to deter people from trying to harm the town—oh, and because she took Ellie’s gun. Tommy desperately tries to defuse the situation, while Joel asks Maria to leave so he can spend time with his family with his brother. But Tommy informs Joel that Maria is family – they’re married. The part where Ramsey says “Oh, damn it, congratulations,” followed by Joel, says congratulations” is a high point of the episode.
After eating and touring the town, Joel and Ellie went in two different directions—Joel and Tommy went to discuss everything that had happened, and Ellie went with Maria to take a shower and change into clean clothes. Joel and Tommy go for a drink in the Tipsy Bison, the local pub, where Joel cryptically asks where the Fireflies are. Tommy tells him that they have an established base at Eastern Colorado University, but he can’t join Joel on the journey because Maria is pregnant.
Now, it’s time to check in with Ellie, who is enjoying the chance to shower and put on a brand new set of clothes—an apocalyptic miracle. Along with a new outfit, Maria also left a diva cup for Ellie to provide another moment of humorous relief. Ellie also gets her hair cut by Maria—another apocalyptic miracle—and the two begin to talk about Joel. Maria, while talking about the loss of her child, tells Ellie that Joel has a daughter (Sarah) who died at the beginning of the outbreak. Suddenly, Joel’s closed attitude made sense to Ellie.
Maria takes this opportunity to express her concerns about Joel. She didn’t trust him after hearing all the things he used to get Tommy in, and she let Ellie know it. Wesley is a powerhouse in this scene, especially since Maria doesn’t have much screen time in the first game; any bonding moment she has with Ellie takes place off-screen. On the show, however, we get to spend more time with Maria and watch her build a relationship with Ellie and reluctantly with Joel, which is testament to Wesley’s stellar performance. Ellie vehemently defends Joel, but Maria reminds her to “be careful who you put your trust in, the only people who can betray us are the people we trust.”
After their conversation, Maria and Ellie go to the movies, but the always curious Ellie sneaks out and comes across Joel and Tommy talking about her. Joel is telling Tommy everything—that Ellie is immune to cordyceps and that he’s taking her to Firefly to make a vaccine. And then there’s a heartbreaking moment: Joel begs Tommy to take Ellie away. Which, of course, she overheard. Joel doesn’t think he can keep her safe anymore. Finally, he also explains how the medical episodes he’s going through are past fears and traumas coming back to him. Joel’s gruff exterior is falling apart, and Pascal perfectly portrays how terrified Joel feels about this development.
Tommy agrees to take Ellie to the Firefly Lab in Colorado, but Ellie confronts Joel about leaving her first. Ramsey is heartbroken when he says that “everyone I care about has died or left me. Everyone, damn it except you. And Pascal once again brings a new level of hurt to Joel when he tells Ellie they are going their separate ways, even though we can all know how miserable he feels. about this option.
Sadness radiated from Ellie as she and Tommy went for a walk with the horses as they set off for Colorado. However, when they reached the stables, Joel was there and gave Ellie the choice to go with him or Tommy. She didn’t need a second to decide before she and Joel took off. But there will always be room for Joel and Ellie in Jackson when their mission is over, Tommy said.
When the two finally arrive at the university in Colorado, the Firefly is gone; They were transferred to a hospital in Utah, following clues left in the lab.
Just when it looked like Joel and Ellie could continue their journey, raiders ambushed them. Joel is able to fend off his assailant and kill him, but not before he is stabbed himself. Ellie helped Joel up and on his horse in time to escape all the other oncoming raiders, but when they were at a safe distance, Joel collapsed. Ellie was left begging him to wake up as the screen went black.
Yup, it really ends up like that. I told you you need a pillow to scream in.
In this episode, the growing relationship between Joel and Ellie takes center stage. Apparently, Joel and Ellie are at the center of everything in Our last, but if you don’t empathize with them or don’t believe in the growing paternity between them, nothing will work. I may already know the full story of Ellie and Joel, but there’s something new about watching Ramsey and Pascal direct. They made these characters unique in the game, infusing them with more emotional depth while maintaining the game’s engaging feel. It’s a difficult feat to accomplish, but they’re making it seem easy.
Now, I can’t tell you if Joel survived the attack. You’ll have to wait until next week to find out. See you again.
