Joel’s Heartbreaking Choice: Did He Save Ellie or Doom Humanity?

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HBO hinted at the comeback of The Last of Us with a foreboding statement: “Every choice has its cost.” True to this warning, the second season opener didn’t hold back on delivering this cost. The debt Joel incurred five years ago in Salt Lake City was collected at Jackson, Wyoming’s doorstep. Abby and her companions have tracked down the man they sought vengeance against in The Last of Us season two. However, it remains to be seen if they will manage to confront him on HBO’s series. Meanwhile, Joel is already paying a heavy personal price for the path he chose when he protected Ellie’s life. The question arises as to whether or not his actions were justified.

In the show “The Last of Us,” Joel tells his therapist, Gail, that he saved someone, but Gail doesn’t understand this right away. Ellie, however, is starting to figure it out. At first, she barely acknowledged Joel’s presence in the second season. But let’s be clear, Ellie isn’t an ordinary 19-year-old. She’s more than special; she might just be humanity’s last hope – something only Joel and Tommy are aware of.

Has Ellie become aware of the truth as well in The Last of Us season two, encompassing details about the Fireflies five years ago, specifically the events that transpired at the hospital, including Joel’s deception regarding what truly happened there? In essence, did she uncover that Joel had lied about trading her life to save humanity from Cordyceps infection?

Regardless of whether Ellie learns about or accepts Joel’s actions in killing the Fireflies, it’s evident that he carries a heavy burden from what he did. He acknowledges the choice he made for Ellie and the greater good, as well as the underlying motive behind it. Had Marlene shared the truth with Ellie before her death, Ellie might have chosen to give up her life in sacrifice. Instead, Joel chose differently because of his love for that child. This decision wasn’t about questioning Marlene’s judgment, but rather about protecting the girl he cherishes. Joel has lost one daughter already and barely survived; Ellie is crucial to him, providing meaning to his existence.

However noble an action might seem, it always brings about consequences. Regardless if Abby reaches him or not, one consequence Joel faces is the burden of knowing he doomed the world for a self-serving purpose. He may argue that it wasn’t fair for someone to make life-or-death decisions for Ellie. He might contend there was no certainty that the doctor could have created a cure from Ellie’s brain, making her sacrifice futile. Joel can even claim it’s unjust to exchange one innocent life for countless others, or that he needed to protect Ellie from her own impulses. He can rationalize all these thoughts and be completely justified, but it won’t change the fact.

As a cinephile, I’ve been deeply moved by the poignant scene in Gail’s home where Joel was visibly emotional. It turns out that he had made an extraordinary sacrifice – saving a precious child who holds more value to him than anything else. However, this selfless act came with a heavy burden: the guilt of condemning humanity.

The cost is the unbearable knowledge that the one you cherish most could despise you for your actions. The price of love so profound it transcends life itself, might be losing the very affection you crave from your child.

Is it just for him, Joel – the one who witnessed a soldier take away his own child’s life – to carry such agony and burden because he protected Ellie? Is this considered fair in your eyes?

The hardest truth that ‘The Last of Us’ presents is a candid one – in the end, our actions don’t really matter because consequences will inevitably catch up with us.

Mikey Walsh serves as a staff writer at TopMob, and you can keep up with his updates on Bluesky under the handle @burgermike. Additionally, he’s often recognized for his rankings of the Targaryen kings on various platforms.

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2025-04-14 05:12