The Last of Us Showrunner Defends Controversial Joel Scene; Compares it to Cult Western

This year's release of The Last of Us showed that TV shows can still be controversial. One scene starring the main character in particular was heavily commented on. Now the showrunner has commented on it.

science fiction

Martin Nothing30 June 2023

Source: The Last of Us; Craig Mazin i Neil Druckmann; HBO; 2023

Warning: the text contains spoilers from The Last of Us TV.

The Last of Us TV achieved an astounding success and showed that video game adaptations can be done in style. However, it was not without controversies. Among them can certainly be counted Joel's behavior in the last episode of the show.

In the final episode, viewers were able to see how Joel learns that in order to create a cure for humanity, doctors must perform a surgery on Ellie. This would involve the girl's death, which was a price the main character was unable to pay.

As a result, the protagonist, played by Pedro Pascal, decided to murder everyone in the center and save his "daughter." In a recent interview the showrunner of the series, Craig Mazin, was asked about Joel's actions. As you might have guessed, the creator defended the character's decision.

"I think a lot of people, and this has been commented on since the release of the game, that's why it's a great ending, a lot of people think that Joel did what they would have done: if their child was in this position, they would have acted the same way, a lot of parents think the same way, which is understandable to some extent."

Craig Mazin also made an interesting comparison between Joel's behavior and the movie Unforgiven, in which the character played by Clint Eastwood acted similarly.

"We talked about Unforgiven. Neil even thought about it when he created the game. Written by David Webb Peoples, it's is amazing. We have a guy whose spirit is broken, he's tired and old and almost dying. But the loss of a friend causes something in him to snap and the Devil inside him is released."

It must be admitted that Joel's behavior could be considered controversial. Craig Mazin's explanation, however, explains it to some extent. After all, without it, we would not have received the second season, which is certainly awaited by a large group of fans.

For now, unfortunately, it is not known when Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return to their roles. Until then, it's worth recalling the story from The Last of Us, which can be viewed on HBO Max.

More:The Last of Us Season 2 Will Avoid One Thing 'For the Sake of Mental Health'

RELATED TOPICS: video games movies science fiction MAX Craig Mazin The Last of Us

Martin Nothing

He began his writing adventure in the now non-existent Mobilny Swiat. Then he wandered around various technology services. Although he is not a typical gamer, and has only Football Manager on his computer, he finally ended up on GRYOnline.pl. There is not a day when he wouldn't watch reviews of new smartphones, that's why he initially wrote about all kinds of technology. Over time, however, he shifted his interests more towards cinematography. An NBA fan who believes that Michael Jordan is better than LeBron James, and that basketball from the 90s was more pleasing to the eye.

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