The title is no exaggeration. The Last of Us season 2 episode 6 titled, "Scars", is a full hour of Joel and Ellie flashbacks from their comforting life in Jackson, leading to the last moments they share together before his tragic death. Please heed my warning now, there will be overwhelming amounts of both happy and sad tears.
If this episode does not earn both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey award nominations, I fear nothing will.
Joel's childhood
Surprisingly enough, the episode begins with a distant flashback to Joel's childhood, where we see firsthand the protective big brother he is when Tommy comes crying to him about an incident, fearing their father's wrath. Joel promises Tommy that he won't be harmed, prepared to take the consequences.
Their father, a police officer in Austin, Texas, arrives home, where the tension thickens to smothering heights. Cautious but steadfast, Joel tells his father what happened, covering for Tommy.
However, his father already knows the truth. He's angry that Joel is lying for Tommy, perhaps more so surprised when Joel proclaims that he won't allow him to harm his little brother.
This leads to his father telling Joel how his own father, their grandfather, was abusive, but treated him far worse than he treats his own sons. He uses this story as his reasoning for punishing his sons, but never to the degree of their grandfather's abuse.
Joel's father leaves, returning to work, without laying a hand on Joel.
Life in Jackson
Flashforward to two months after Joel and Ellie returned from Salt Lake and the Firefly hospital incident, to the morning of Ellie's birthday. Joel managed to scavenge LEGOS for Seth's grandchildren, and in return Seth helped Joel with Ellie's birthday cake but spelled her name wrong.
But that is far from Joel's biggest concern as Ellie comes home with Tommy after accidentally burning her arm. It doesn't take long for Ellie to confess that she had burnt her arm on purpose, in the hopes of concealing her infection scar, as she wanted to wear short-sleeved shirts again.
All the same, Ellie is thrilled by her birthday cake and receives her own guitar that Joel spent countless hours helping fix up and decorate, as we see the beginnings of his woodworking hobby. Upon Ellie's request, Joel plays her a song and begins to teach her how to play.
Fast forward to her following birthday, where Joel has a special surprise for Ellie. The two travel into the forest, where we witness the first signs of Joel and Ellie miscommunicating as he assumes Ellie likes Jesse, considering they spend a lot of time together.
Wishing to follow in Jesse's footsteps, Ellie wants to go on patrols, but Joel is dismissive. They find a statue of a giant dinosaur that Ellie wastes no time in climbing.
From the height, she can see a museum, which they later enter. Joel takes her to a space exhibit where she is able to climb into an actual capsule that has been to space.
Choosing a helmet from the exhibit, Ellie puts it on and gets into the seat, where Joel hands her a cassette tape of an actual liftoff recording. She closes her eyes and imagines going into space.
On the way back home Joel suggests they go on trips more often when Ellie gets distracted by fireflies that Joel doesn't see.
Joel and Ellie's relationship begins to crumble
The next birthday doesn't go as planned when Joel arrives home early with Ellie's birthday cake, finding her in her room with another girl, Kat. The two were caught fooling around, smoking pot, and to make matters worse, tattooing equipment.
After sending Kat away, Joel confronts Ellie, visibly upset by her teenage rebellion. But what really drives a wedge between them is Ellie's confession that she's into girls and not boys, which Joel does not take well.
That evening, Ellie attempts to move out of her room and into the garage, but Joel stops her. They converse a bit about her choice of tattoo, which features a moth. In fact, Ellie seems to be drawing a lot of moths.
She confesses that she's been dreaming about them lately. Joel concedes to Ellie's wishes to move into the garage but wants to fix it up for her first.
The next day Joel approaches Gail to ask about the symbol of a moth, mistaking it to be something positive. In actuality, moths are symbols of death.
What happened to Eugene?
The real catalyst for Joel and Ellie's fallout happens on her next birthday, where Ellie has been mentally preparing herself with written questions to ask Joel about what really happened at Salt Lake, as his story doesn't seem plausible. Joel arrives, surprising her with her first patrol trip with him.
Everything starts off well enough until they receive a distress call from their walkie-talkie. Following the screams, they find that some Jackson residents were killed, along with Eugene, who is alive but has been bitten.
Joel's instinct is to kill him on the spot, but after he passes a test Ellie was forced to undergo for years, she believes he has time. Eugene's only request is to make it back to the Jackson gates to tell his wife something he won't share with them.
Joel sends Ellie to retrieve their horses, promising her he will grant Eugene's final wish. Except he doesn't.
Joel leads Eugene to a beautiful view of a lake surrounded by mountains, ensuring that he can pass the message along to Gail. Eugene refuses, and not long after he is shot, Ellie returns with the horses.
When they bring Eugene's body back, Joel lies to Gail about what happened. Disgusted, Ellie tells her the truth, which is how Gail had come to hate Joel.
Joel and Ellie's last conversation
Fast forward to New Year's Eve where the show began, as Joel enjoys the town get-together with his nephew, Tommy, and Maria watching Ellie from afar. Tommy leaves before midnight to take his son home, telling Joel he'll see him in the new year.
This is the last time Tommy sees Joel alive... To add more salt into an open wound for viewers, Maria tells Joel just how important and beloved he is in Jackson...
Joel then catches the incident with Seth and Dina, coming in to protect Ellie. After the scene Ellie returns home, finding Joel on the porch with the guitar.
She initially ignores him, heading for the garage, but sure enough returns to meet with him on the porch. This is the last conversation they have before his unexpected death.
It is here that Ellie asks him to tell her what really happened in Salt Lake, a memory too harsh and damaging for Joel to even physically respond to, aside from head nods and head shakes. He confesses that if given the chance he'd still choose to save her all over again.
The two cry it out but end on a somewhat positive note where Ellie reveals she's willing to try to make amends. The episode ends in the present as Ellie is seen braving the night in a horrendous rainstorm towards a hotel.
Did Nora tell her where to find Abby?
The Last of Us season 2 episode 6 review
I may have mentioned this in previous television show recaps, but it bears repeating: I am one of the pickiest people when it comes to television shows. More often than not, I don't watch what a majority of audiences enjoy.
I never watched Friends, still haven't. But I loved Everybody Loves Raymond.
I never watched Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, or The Handmaid's Tale, but I watched The Office, The Borgias, and The Walking Dead. Point being, I need a show, a story to grip me.
To really grab my attention, keep it, and fill it with something real, something passionate, something that speaks volumes without saying a word. That, surprisingly enough, has been The Last of Us, and even though Joel is no longer present and the story has changed, it hasn't changed my opinion of it.
I've mentioned before that I find it so frustrating when people complain how Pedro Pascal is in everything, as if it's not warranted. Have they not seen anything he's done?
Like, actually sat there and watched his performances? The same can be said of Bella Ramsey, who was born to play Ellie.
These are not bland, repetitive, meaningless performances. The same can also be said of the entire cast.
Episodes like this do not happen often. They honestly don't.
Whether you agree or not with Joel's death, this episode is what makes The Last of Us incredible and unforgettable. It's a well-written, acted, cast, filmed story that plays out in the perfect format: television.
The Last of Us will stand the test of time. With one episode left this season, I look forward to every bit of what makes it so compelling, addictive, heart-stopping, and extraordinary.
The Last of Us season 2 releases new episodes Sundays on HBO and Max.