How The Last of Us Major Game Change Turned Into ‘Really Beautiful Moment’, Explained by Creators
Pedro Pascal’s Joel isn’t in The Last of Us’ latest episode, but a short scene with Ellie’s attempt to honor him still made both fans of the game and the show cry their eyes out — here’s which plot change caused all this.
The Last of Us ’ brand new second season has so far been an emotional roller coaster that keeps swirling its viewers even after Joel’s tragic death in episode 2.
The show makes a small time jump, finding Jackson and Ellie in particular roughly three months after Joel’s passing and now officially paving the way for Ellie’s mission to bring Abby to justice.
However, even with Joel not being around anymore, The Last of Us still comes up with more heartbreaking scenes which don’t even bother the original video game’s fans with yet another plot change.
The Last of Us Creators Break Down on That Emotional Coffee Beans Scene in Episode 3
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In the show’s latest episode, Ellie is seen visiting Joel’s grave for the very first time on her way to Seattle where she figured Abby might be hiding.
While staying there, she puts some coffee beans on the ground near Joel’s tombstone; the video game has no mention of coffee beans whatsoever, but the HBO series was meant to bring an even bigger meaning to the already disheartening scene.
"In the game, you know, she kneels by the grave, and she picks up the dirt and she touches the earth as if, like, the dirt is some connection to him. Again, graves are such a weird thing. If you think about it, there's like, this body there, but consciousness is gone, but you're somehow using this location to try to communicate with this person”, The Last of Us’ co-creator Neil Druckmann revealed on the show’s official podcast.
He then continued, saying that coffee beans are just a way for Ellie to let Joel know how much he meant to her, even if he isn’t able to see or hear it anyway. In fact, Pascal’s character in both the game and the show has been repeatedly teased for his unconditional love for coffee he sometimes was ready to pay any price for.
“She leaves these coffee beans because coffee meant so much to Joel, and became this rare thing after the outbreak to find. And we see this little smile on her face. It’s this just really beautiful moment”, Druckmann concluded.
The Coffee Beans Scene Is Also Ellie’s Official Goodbye to Joel
It might be a rare occasion for The Last of Us’ fans, but the scene was very unlikely to cause some more fuss among the video game players, especially since the show’s creators made sure this is where Ellie and Joel’s story ends.
The coffee beans are nothing more but a symbol of Ellie’s recognition of Joel’s role in her life, as well as a sign of her acceptance of who he really was, no matter what bad things he did or what issues they had with each other.
“I love the idea of coffee beans, because she doesn’t like coffee. She thinks it tastes like burnt shit, and she never got it. This was for him. This was a him thing”, The Last of Us’ showrunner Craig Mazin revealed.
When Is The Last of Us Next Episode Coming?
The show’s season 2 episode 4 will arrive on Max on May 4. The remaining three episodes will be released on the platform every Sunday until May 25.
