The absence of Joel since his death makes Pedro Pascal’s prominence in this episode feel earned. This episode provides both catharsis and answers as we get to see Ellie and Joel together again, even if things do sour over the course of the episode. 

I would have loved to get some scenes featuring Dina and Jesse in this episode but I like that the focus remains wholly focused on Ellie and Joel. Other characters come in and out of the episode but at its heart, this is a two-hander that shows the way Ellie and Joel gradually and tragically grow apart – though the love is still there. 

One of my favourite things in this episode was how they used lighting to portray Ellie and Joel’s deteriorating relationship. We start off in the golden hour of their relationship, the sun shining and casting warm tones over their scenes. The Future Days scene and the museum scene in the space shuttle are perfect for portraying the depth and closeness of their relationship. This show thrives on the chemistry between its actors and Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal have it in spades. 

The episode gets a little greyer by the time we get to the oft-hinted at Eugene scene where it turns out he’s been bitten by one of the infected, causing Ellie and Joel to dispute whether he should be killed immediately or be allowed to go back to Jackson to say goodbye to Gail. Ellie believes he has enough time before the infection starts to take hold and Joel ends up lying to her to get her to leave for long enough for him to do what he sees as the necessary deed. 

“The Price” – THE LAST OF US. Pictured: Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO ©2025 HBO

It’s quite a significant departure from how Ellie and Joel fell out in the game. We do still see Ellie’s doubt about what really happened at Saint Mary’s Hospital, and his lie here only strengthens her suspicions. But I don’t really find this Eugene and Gail storyline to be interesting and the fracture in Ellie and Joel’s relationship loses some of its emotional impact for not being directly tied to the fateful incident at the end of season 1. 

The reveal still happens at the end, showing us what really happened that night after the dance in the first episode. I do think having the reveal here compounds the error of Ellie not finding out sooner. We miss out on the reeling shock of her entire world being turned upside down and seeing her struggle with the information. 

“The Price” – THE LAST OF US. Pictured: Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Pedro Pascal as Joel. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO ©2025 HBO

Having said that, I do still like the scene for what it is. While I wish they’d kept closer to the plot of the game for this element of the story, this sadder, more emotionally charged version is masterfully acted by Pascal and Ramsey, with Pascal breaking the dam on all of Joel’s emotions and Ramsey walking the fine line between devastation and anger. It very much has that feeling of a confession rather than a confrontation. 

Plus, they kept one of my favourite lines from the game – “I don’t think I can forgive you for this. But I would like to try.” I’ve mentioned it in an earlier review, but it’s worth reiterating as we end the flashback on this hopeful note between Ellie and Joel – to me, the thesis of The Last of Us is the Firefly motto ‘when you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light’. This little kernel of hope that Ellie shines on their relationship encapsulates that perfectly. 

What did you think of this episode? Sound off in the comments below!