“The Last of Us” is finally returning for Season 2, more than two years since its gut-wrenching Season 1 finale. Of course, that’s just enough time to forget how exactly that first season wrapped. And knowing that Season 2 jumps ahead five years, a refresher may be necessary.
The first tip: “I think watching the last episode of Season 1 again is probably a good idea,” Bella Ramsey, the show’s star, told TODAY.com ahead of the Season 2 premiere. “Mainly, the lie that Joel tells Ellie at the end is quite primitive.”
But for those don’t have an hour to spare, don’t fret — we’ve got a recap.
“The Last of Us,” an Emmy-winning show based on a video game of the same name, is set years after a global pandemic caused by Cordyceps, a fungal infection that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, is tasked with escorting 14-year-old Ellie, played by Ramsey, who is immune to the Cordyceps infection, across the devastated U.S. He must deliver her to the revolutionary militia group the Fireflies, who believe she may be the key to a cure.
Without further ado, here’s a look at what happened in the “The Last of Us” Season 1 finale.
Ellie’s birth story is revealed
Ashley Johnson as Anna, Ellie’s birth mom. HBO
The episode begins with a flashback: An infected is chasing a pregnant woman named Anna, who’s laboring. She fights for her life and wins, but not before she’s bitten. Then Anna gives birth. In hopes of saving her baby from an infection, she quickly cuts the baby’s umbilical cord. Anna names the baby Ellie.
Anna is then found by her close friend, Fireflies leader Marlene. As the infection begins to spread, Anna asks Marlene to kill her before it takes over her body. She tells Marlene she cut the baby’s umbilical cord before she was bitten, but viewers know that’s not true. She also tells Marlene to take Ellie to Boston, find someone to care for her and give her Anna’s knife when she gets older.
At first, Marlene hesitates but then takes Ellie and shoots Anna.
Joel and Ellie reach Salt Lake City
In the present day, Joel and Ellie arrive in Salt Lake City where they are looking for the Fireflies lab. While exploring, Ellie discovers a green and lush landscape where giraffes are roaming.
After encountering multiple dangers throughout their journey, Joel tells Ellie that perhaps they should return to Wyoming where his younger brother Tommy lives.
“Everything I’ve done — it can’t be for nothing,” Ellie says. “I know you mean well. I know you want to protect me. You have. And when we’re done, we’ll go wherever you want.”
But first, they must finish what they’ve started: Get Ellie to the Fireflies in hopes of finding a cure. As the two leave, they are knocked unconscious by the Fireflies and taken to their lab.
Ellie could be the cure to save humanity
When Joel wakes up, he discovers that the Fireflies have prepared Ellie for surgery.
Marlene tells Joel that they believe Cordyceps has grown in Ellie since birth and that’s why she’s immune. The Fireflies plan to experiment on Ellie’s brain for a possible treatment against the virus. This procedure would inevitably kill Ellie.
Marlene telling Joel about their plans for Ellie. HBO
A furious Joel tells Marlene to find someone else. Marlene tells Joel she understands his anger — she was there when Ellie was born and promised her mom that she would save her — but she still has no other choice.
Joel goes on a killing spree to save Ellie
Marlene instructs the Fireflies to take Joel out of the premise and if he tries to fight, shoot him. She also gives Joel Ellie’s mom’s knife.
As they escort him out, Joel goes on a killing spree in the hospital to prevent the Fireflies from operating on Ellie.
After rescuing an unconscious Ellie, Joel heads to a garage to escape. Before getting into the car, he is confronted by Marlene, who tells him that he can’t decide Ellie’s fate and that it’s not too late to “still find a way” to use her as the cure.
Joel rescuing Ellie after killing all the FirefliesHBO
That scene cuts away to Joel driving when Ellie wakes up and asks what happened. He lies to her, saying that the Fireflies found dozens of people like her who are immune and their doctors stopped looking for a cure because they couldn’t find one.
When she asks where her clothes are, he tells her that raiders attacked the hospital and they barely made it out of there. Joel doesn’t tell Ellie that he killed everyone.
Viewers then see in flashbacks how the garage scene ended: Joel shoots and kills Marlene to prevent her from going after Ellie.
“Is Marlene OK?” Ellie asks. Joel doesn’t answer that. Instead he says, “I’m taking us home.”
Joel stands by his big lie to Ellie
Joel and Ellie’s car breaks down as they head back to Wyoming, so they walk the rest of the way. Ellie tells Joel about the first time she had to kill someone. It was her friend Riley, after she was bitten by an infected.
Ellie then demands of Joel: “Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.”
“I swear,” he replies.
“OK,” Ellie says, and the episode ends.
Does Ellie believe Joel’s lie?
While talking to TODAY.com, Ramsey said that Ellie doesn’t fully believe Joel at the end.
“He tells Ellie a bunch of lies about the Fireflies and about the cure and about how it didn’t work, and how they found someone else,” they said. “Ellie has a little doubt about it. … Ellie looks (at him) for a long time, decides whether to believe him. In the end, (she) goes, ‘OK,’ and off they go.”
In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ramsey further touched on why Ellie doesn’t want to doubt Joel.
“She has to force herself to believe him enough, because the thought of it not being true is too painful,” Ramsey said, adding that Ellie would have “definitely” sacrificed herself for the cure.
“That’s her purpose, that’s the reason she’s alive,” Ramsey said. “As soon as she found out that she was immune and possibly held the key to providing a vaccine to the world, that’s when she felt the first time that her life mattered. … I don’t think she would even think twice. She would do it every time.”
Bryanna Cappadona contributed.
