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Joel Miller commits a mass capturing at a hospital to “save” his adopted daughter Ellie Williams from being killed throughout a surgical procedure that would’ve probably resulted in a remedy for the fungal an infection that devastated human civilization. Again in 2013, for individuals who performed the sport, this was a surprising finish to a narrative already outlined by a lot human demise and distress. The expectation would possibly’ve been that both Joel or Ellie would die — particularly in gentle of different zombie-related tales widespread on the time. As a substitute, we noticed the hero of the story turn into a monstrous villain, all within the service of saving one woman’s life.
This ending has precipitated a decade-long debate that’s by no means fairly been settled. Simply in January, an article titled “Do it is advisable to be a mother or father to grasp Joel” revealed on TheGamer, a gaming information web site. Now, a brand new viewers can ponder the ethical ramifications of Joel’s determination, because of showrunner and author Craig Mazin’s HBO adaptation of the story.
To shortly recap: Joel and Ellie lastly attain the Firefly hospital positioned in Salt Lake Metropolis. The Fireflies throw a stun grenade on the duo on sight, with Joel waking as much as hear that Ellie is being ready for surgical procedure. He’s given no different alternative however to just accept this. As a substitute of accepting, he murders his escorts out of the hospital, takes their weapons and proceeds to shoot nearly each particular person within the facility — even those that hand over their weapons and beg for his or her lives. He enters the pediatric surgical procedure space, shoots the surgeon and takes Ellie to the storage. Marlene, the chief of the Fireflies — who we be taught on this episode’s chilly open has identified Ellie since delivery — begs Joel to “do the proper factor right here.”
As a substitute, Joel murders Marlene, and lies to Ellie about what occurred on the hospital. He says there are different immune individuals, that the try to discover a remedy had already failed, and that the hospital was attacked. Whereas the present and the sport by no means say this outright, gamers and viewers can learn the doubt on Ellie’s face as Joel swears by his story.
All through discussions with many individuals during the last decade, I’ve discovered that oldsters nearly all the time agree with Joel’s actions. A mom I spoke with lately advised me, “Oh I might do the identical. Screw humanity, that’s my child.” Then there are individuals who condemn Joel for stealing that call away from a younger girl, arguing that his lie was merely manipulation to maintain Ellie in his life. It will get sophisticated when you think about Ellie’s admiration for Joel and their understood however unstated love for one another. Ellie is just not Joel’s organic daughter, however after a yr of climbing by means of the hellscape of the post-apocalypse, they’ve bonded in ways in which exceed the {qualifications} for a “discovered household.”
Ellie additionally tells Joel that after they’re achieved discovering the remedy, she would observe Joel wherever he goes. Ellie can image a future residing with Joel and occurring extra adventures. Joel internalized this and made this future a precedence over all the things else — together with probably saving humanity from the brink of extinction. However she additionally stated that each one that they’ve been by means of, and the demise and trauma they’ve skilled “can’t have been for nothing.” Her try at saving Sam’s life in episode 5 echoes within the finale; she feels decided to save lots of who she will be able to save.
No matter how you are feeling, it’s fairly clear that what Joel did was egocentric. He might say that it was to make sure Ellie has a future, irrespective of the associated fee. But it surely’s simple that he had Sarah, his murdered daughter, in thoughts as he “rescued” Ellie. In episode 6, HBO laid the groundwork along with his new confession (not featured within the recreation) to his brother Tommy: Joel struggles with the opportunity of dropping one other younger woman in his life. His largest concern is being unable to “defend” her. Within the season finale, we be taught that Joel didn’t take his personal life after Sarah’s demise. If Ellie died, he would see no additional level in residing. He reiterates this level in his penultimate phrases of the season: You discover one thing to struggle for. He thinks this line may be good recommendation for Ellie, however actually, he’s simply telling on himself. Ellie is the one thing he discovered; that’s how he’s in a position to maintain going.
The present provides new wrinkles to arguments each for and towards Joel’s determination.
A brand new scene added for the present hints at how Ellie might need gained her immunity. Ellie’s mom, Anna Williams, performed by the unique Ellie from the video games, Ashley Johnson, was bitten by an contaminated as she gave delivery. It’s all zombie magic and organic fiction, however infecting pregnant ladies might’ve been a conceivable method to replicate Ellie’s situation. The Fireflies selected not do that, regardless of Marlene’s data of what occurred to Ellie.
Within the recreation, it was by no means clear whether or not Ellie gave consent to the surgical procedure. The present, against this, does make it clear: She didn’t. As a substitute, the Fireflies advised her nothing earlier than sedating her. Marlene says this was achieved to keep away from scaring Ellie. Nonetheless, I feel it’s honest to imagine the Fireflies did this not out of concern for Ellie’s psychological well being, however to keep away from granting her an opportunity to make the choice herself.
Joel additionally murders Fireflies who beg for his or her lives. Within the recreation, each Firefly soldier was an aggressor. However within the present, there’s a person who lays down his weapon and places his fingers up. Joel fatally shoots him with even much less sympathy than the soldier who gunned down Joel’s daughter 21 years in the past.
In the long run, it’s clear that Ellie’s company on this determination was taken away from her by all of the adults in her life, Marlene included. It’s a darkish, tragic twist on the protagonist who might’ve saved the world. In “The Final of Us,” the protagonist has that alternative stolen from her utterly.
Ellie’s journey ends with Joel’s lie. The ultimate tragedy of “The Final of Us” is that Ellie most likely feels she has no alternative however to just accept the lie. Her biggest concern is ending up alone. As she says, in spite of everything that’s occurred — even after the lie — it might’t have been for nothing.
Learn all of our “The Final of Us” recaps:
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