The Game Ending That Shocked Everyone 

If you enjoyed this, check out our first PlayStation Memories episode too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZfMebmuy4TY.html

You know you've made a game and a half when it's still being talked about every other week a decade later!

Surprised no one even mentioned Henry and Sam as well. It disarmed me so hard, and just happened so fast. All that could follow that to me was silence, my hand covering my mouth, large eyes hyper-fixed the dark screen that followed with the lightly strumming guitar in the background. Just raw.

That ending was deliciously complicated... the type of impossible dilemma that writers like me absolutely love. Joel and the Fireflies were both right, and they were both wrong. *Neither* asked Ellie what _she_ wanted because both were afraid of her answer. Just easier to rob her of her agency and let the chips fall where they may.

Rob hits the nail on the head, The Fireflies didn’t ask Ellie if she wanted to go through with this. Last of us 2 didn’t even make me feel sorry for Abby’s dad since he wanted to go through with it with asking her. Hell it made Marlene look more sympathetic since she didn’t want to do it and even asked if there was another way. Merry was all for it but when he was asked if he’d kill Abby to get a cure, he had nothing to say. Sadly I would try to save Ellie if I was in Joel’s situation but I’d at least tell her the truth or if I have to lie then tell her what David suggested “They took samples off you”. There’s possible deniability if she finds out all the fireflies are dead cause it could’ve been anyone. I prefer endings that benefit humanity but last of us makes it sooooo difficult to say Joel is wrong! I prefer the ending of I am legend where humanity can rebuild but Last of us just tugs at my heart strings! DX

The new interview format is pretty good

I have to agree with Rob. I like those quiet moments of just traveling the environment, solving a minor puzzle of how I can progress, and having the characters just chat briefly about something.

The last of us on Ps5 pulled me back into gaming, ive never been so invested and emotionally affected by a storyline. The last of us and last of us 2 were the first games to make me cry in emotion

Sarah dying at the beginning, Ellie crying in Jeol's arms, the giraffe, and that lie by Joel to end this Masterpiece of a game all got to me. The Last of Us is the best game I've ever played, and forever will be.

What disturbs me most about these types of games is how humanity turns against each other for survival. If they'd just unify and stand together, maybe they could purge the corticeps.

Ash... the flamethrower?! suddenly a lot less morally grey!

I always thought about this after I beat the game years ago. The Fireflies didn't ask Ellie or Joel for their consent so that was wrong and what if the cure didn't work? Then it would have been all for nothing. Joel was wrong for lying about it. So I guess it's all a controversial thing.

Did the fireflies tell Ellie she wouldn't survive the operation? It is unethical for a doctor to operate on someone without all the facts. I'm with Joel all the way.

Listen to all of the audio logs in the last chapter. It is suggested that there had been many previous people who they operated on, and had no results. Changes the whole meaning of the last part of the story

This game changed everything about the zombie genre and narrative story telling (imvho). And the follow up game (and the dlc for the first one) ripped my heart out. I would have done what Joel did for sure, but told the truth after.

i was hooked to the last of us when i played pt 1 and pt 2 , i completed both within two weeks , i did like 5 -6 hours per day

I’m loving these new types of videos and look forward to seeing any more that are on the way

Something I don't see talked about a lot is how you find those audio recordings talking about failed attempts of the same procedure

I am loving these new sit down and discussion videos that you are doing. A great short concise breakdown of the Last of Us.

Fantastic video and The Last of Us is a masterpiece that even 10 years later is still remembered, as for the ending I always thought it was the only ending that could happen. The hope of a cure was nice but who was left to cure or save? The ones already turned could never be cured to be humans again it was too late to save anyone as the cure would just have went to the highest bidder or the toughest groups. Sometimes chaos needs to cleanse the palette and begin anew, at least that's how I viewed the world Naughty Dog had so perfectly created.

Fantastic video and perspectives made even better by Ash casually slipping in the Always Sunny reference 😂

Dave's description of the last scene is the best thing I've ever heard😂

Jak and Daxter. I collected all those power cells and precursor orbs just to get a cliff hanger ending It destroyed me!

I think one of the things that I think made Joel react the way he did, was because of the tremendous effort Elle took to save his own life after he got impaled, could you honestly let someone become a risky experiment knowing what they did to save your life even if it meant saving others? A question like that can only be answered emotionally if you were to experience it🤔

I like these new interview videos.

Great video Guys! Thank you :)

It’s not possible to say without knowing what the outcome of the procedure would have been. Assuming it would have been successful then it’s pretty easy from a purely utilitarian standpoint to argue for the death of one which saves the world etc. a similar argument on a smaller scale has been used throughout history to justify actions which on the surface seem horrific (dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki etc.) Joel’s actions seem right from an emotional point of view, but at the end of the day Ellie isn’t even his daughter, so it’s hard to justify the potential death and suffering he has caused just to save a girl he has formed an emotional attachment to…

I would’ve made the same decision too, but I would’ve told the truth while she’s caged. I mean, seeing what she did to David, I know what she is capable of when she’s angry. 😂 On a serious note, love love this new format! I also love the funny detail, like Ellie’s backpack change there. I bet that’s you Rosie 😊

All I can think of is whatever friday video started with Dave as the surgeon from tlou 😅 very lovely video tho 💕

I love this new format. Great job team! Wow, good comment. Well said, me!

Loving this format, think Rob sums it up best Joel didn't do the right thing in the grand scheme of things but I'd do the exact same thing in his position (plus let's be honest the fireflies wouldn't just dish out the cure to everyone they'd use it to gain power like everyone else in that world)

Rob hit it. No, he was not right, but I also would have done the same thing. As a father, and one who has experienced loss, I understand the emotions. Sometimes emotions can cause you to not act rationally. It's part of being human.

Unhappy Drake: Rob in a jacket Happy Drake: Rob in a jacket with a handkerchief

The ending that stuck with me is the conclusion for Batman Arkham City. In the last few minutes of the game, Joker succumbs to the Titan compound he injected himself with in Arkham Asylum.

I'm enjoying these 'memories' episodes contrasting the different opinions next to each other, especially Dave's slightly flippant approach!

I think you guys put it well when you said nobody in that world really has the moral high ground. It does a really good job of showing that nobody is perfect. The people that did do 'the right thing' have all since been killed by 'bad guys', infected or done what they needed to do to survive. Joel doing what he did was yes for himself, but the cynicist in me says that if he didn't nothing would have changed anyways. By that logic the real bad guys were the Fireflies for not providing open communication and transparency. They took a vulnerable, very dangerous, broken man and backed him into a corner. If that doesn't spell trouble I'm not sure what does...

I missed the giraffe moment - I ran up the stairs to see what was up there and could hear a distant cut scene

Thought Dave was standing outside 10 Downing Street in that first shot. Very official 😂

Joel was definitely wrong, but I would absolutely do what he did. After being told what they were going to do, my first thought, before Joel even had a chance to say anything was "Nope! Ellie and I are leaving right now! God help you if you get in my way." I disagree with Ash saying that we can't say what we would have done while watching from the couch. We weren't just passive observers of this story, we were directly involved in as players and our own emotional ties to the characters come into play. This is the defining characteristic of narrative games when compared to movies. Gamers aren't passive observers; they are active participants. This is what makes the stories in games like the Last of Us resonate far more than any film.

I'm really enjoying this new format folks! Everyone's input feels really genuine, looking forward to seeing what else you do with it. As for Joel...well, for the "greater good" he probably wasn't right, but they always said the first game was ultimately a story about love and that's what was driving Joel by the end.

Love the casual use of "streets ahead"

Ash going full Brummie when trying to explain what she would say 😂❤

All Marlene had to do was let him say goodbye, and I think the world would have had a chance…Marlene made the wrong decision…🤘😜👍

I think I preferred Dave's way of telling Ellie what happened than the original! Great Video Guys!

A story telling masterpiece ✨️

I loved this format of video, and what a great choice of subject too. It's the impossible decision.

I killed them all. I didnt think about it. I was immersed. Can't change my mind now. Great story.

The fireflies were wrong for not explaining things properly. Just like every single zombie movie, communication between the survivors is what fucks everything up.

To me the Fireflies were at fault. All they had to do was keep Joel sedated so that he had no chance of waking up before the completion of the surgery. Thus when he did eventually wake up the surgery would have been long over.

I always thought Joel made the right choice simply because it was true to his character. And also I think I'd make the same choice tbh. I think we would all choose to save a person we love over saving faceless strangers. We'd feel bad about it sure, but we'd still do it.

If somehow the Lord gave me a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again. That's your answer and always will be.

I am with Rob, i saw no line. I just saw a daughter who needed saving. It wasn't a choice for me, i had to save her, anything else was unspeakable.

Never has any action be more justified than Joel’s. Cutting up a young girls brain without her consent, without asking, without diskussion, five minutes after arriving? Yeah, that’s so not ok.

I think Joel did the right thing. The world’s already so far gone that it’s not worth saving, and Ellie’s immunity was never a guaranteed cure to the Cordyceps Infection.

His decision of saving her & then lying to her is neither right nor wrong... Overall it simply was what it was meant to be for him to rediscover his own humanity & make as much an impossible decision & as well as make an amends in the only way that he was able to in an already ruined society...

As a father with a daughter, I can say without any hesitation, I would have made the same decision as Joel.

Being a father I would have done exactly the same. That’s what I love about this world; there are no black and white, good and bad. Which to me also perfectly explains the aftermath of his actions in Part 2

So Rob would've invoked the Clint Eastwood voice...good to know.

I've a daughter, as does Rob, it's not black and white, it's a vertiginous array of grey

In that world where everyone kills to survive, EVERYONE!!! to save your daughter from being murdered, for a cure that might not even work, not to mention how would you make enough and get it to the whole world? There is only one option, to save the person you love ❤❤ Joel is a hero and a good person ❤❤ also part 2 was boo boo

For me I think Joel was right and wrong, but so were the Fireflies. My biggest beef against the fireflies was that they did not give Ellie the respect to ask her if she was willing to do that kind of sacrifice, which in my opinion, I think Ellie would have gladly done no question.

#JoelWasRight Just the fact that Ellie was never asked for her consent, even if she would have said yes to it, is enough to justify his action of cancelling the procedure. Him 'abducting' her is another thing but it's not like the fireflies gave him a choice. They handled the whole situation incredibly poorly by not just waiting for ellie to wake up and discuss this matter with all parties involved. It was all thanks to Joel she even made it there in the first place as they were too incapable of doing so. Additionally I also highly question the outcome of the procedure. Vaccine development is tough and the fireflies clearly werent in the best shape to make this have a positive outcome. And even if a succesful vaccine was made, the world was too far gone imo. A vaccine doesnt reverse the disease, they would still have to deal with all the zombies + are they going to produce enough for everyone? Or is this vaccine just going to be another ration to fight over?

I'm stunned how many people side with the soldiers killing Sarah at the beginning of the game because it was "for the greater good." I never see anyone answer this question about Joel's actions with any regard for Sarah, even the producers. To me it was the most pivotal part of Joel's story and it's impossible to judge his actions outside of context with her. The most important lines in the game all have to do with her: Joel brings daughter to soldiers to keep her safe. "Sir, there's a little girl... but... ... yes, sir." Soldiers kill Sarah for the "greater good." "Don't do this to me baby. Don't do this to me, baby girl." (Can honestly say this is the saddest scene in media I've ever witnessed. How does everyone forget about this when judging this man???) Joel does not want to take Ellie, knows he cannot handle it. Asks Tommy Tommy: "I saved something for you (picture of Sarah)" Joel: "I'm good... (can't even look at it)" Joel: "Tommy, I need this!" Tommy knows why and decides to take Ellie. Ellie runs away: "Everyone in my life has left me EXCEPT FOR YOU!" "You're not my daughter. I ain't your Dad" Joel saves Ellie again and decides to take her. Tommy: "What are you doing?" (HE KNOWS IT'S A BAD IDEA. I love Tommy so much.) Joel calls Ellie "baby girl" in the scene with David. "Replacing" the person about whom you're traumatized with grief is not a healthy coping mechanism I'd imagine. So, Joel brings his "daughter" to "soldiers" to save the world. They decide to kill "Sarah" for the "greater good." PTSD triggered. Irrational violence ensues. I felt the second game tried to paint Joel as selfish in this decision, but I really think it's overlooking the better story about grief, trauma, and the result of not dealing well with either. As well as the blind notion we actually know what the "greater good" is, how much it really costs, and if we can afford it. For example, killing Sarah not only did not save the world but may have caused the trauma that ultimately would have condemned it. Irony at its finest. Also, tragically ironic that Joel urges Tommy to ignore a family with a child begging for help, in order to protect Sarah. The theme to me is that we do not know the consequences of our choices so sacrificing today for a potential tomorrow is the height of gambling with money you do not have. So, to me, I'd help the family with kid, I would not shoot Sarah, and I would not sacrifice Ellie without her consent. I'm going to certainly die, anyway, I have a choice, though, to not die on my feet (trade my "soul" for my future).

There was no guarantee that the cure would have worked.

The devs in this generation are doing magical work with these video games I’m sure there are many more adventures for us to experience in the future A really well made video though

The problem is, they didn't know if they'd even find a cure from the research on Elly. That moved Joel to do what he did even more. So he didn't actually lie, he just distorted the truth. There wasn't a guaranteed cure, so that was true, however he took the possibility to maybe find one. That is the beauty of the dilemma in the story.

I don’t think he was wrong, but I think he should have elaborated on his decision

What Joel did was wrong, but honestly... I don't think I'd have done anything differently!

Morality is such a nuanced thing.

Didnt the Fireflies find other immune people and tried to experiment with them yet failed?

Would removing the parasite actually help find a cure tho? I feel like it wouldn't you'd have better luck studying her blood or something 🤔

Joel did the right thing saving Ellie, she was not informed nor gave consent to a procedure that would kill her and there was no guarantee of a cure from her. But he "should" have told her the truth about what happened. On that note I believe it was written this way on purpose, if it had a "happy/perfect" ending we wouldn't be still talking about it a decade later.

Yes, Joel was wrong, but the Fireflies weren't entirely right either. And most of us I think would behave and react the same way Joel does. Either way, though, both ending up treating Ellie more like an object than a person for their own reasons. The lie at the end just added insult to injury. (Dave's lie was way better)

I have to say I think Joel did the right thing. There is nothing to indicate that Ellie knew she was going to die, and even if she had figured that out nobody in the Fireflies talked to her about it, and she’s still a kid. She’s been forced to grow up and mature quickly, but even if the Fireflies had asked for her consent (to kill her) they would have been asking a child if she’s willing to die to MAYBE save the world. Now, if someone asks me if he did it for the right reasons and my best answer is gonna have to be “I don’t know.” Cause I don’t know how much Joel thought about Ellie’s consent in this. We know he did it because she’s become his daughter in every way that matters and he can’t lose her, but I find it easily to believe that his concern over Ellie’s knowledge of the situation and her consent came second to simply not wanting her to die.

He did nothing wrong. After I became a father, it cemented my belief. I would have burned that hospital down, standing in Joel's shoes

When I first played this, I had no idea that the note doubting that the cure could be harvested existed in the game itself, and I hadn't yet watched a video of a real-world doctor debunking the idea that this would've even been possible to do, and I still 100% agreed with Joel.

The only one at fault here is Marlene for telling the truth. After seeing how far Joel has come with one girl she should have figured he wouldn't quitely and should have said something along the lines "Ellie got hurt badly so doctors are in the middle of a surgery that oculd save her life. Please wait outside until the procedure is over" and then later tell him "I'm sorry but she didn't make it". If we're talking about lies that needed to be told, that's the one right there.

Swear to me that everything that you said about the fireflies is true? ….I swear ….Okay. Perfect Ending.

To me both stances are valid. Joel is the villain of the world of the Last of Us but from his perspective it's absolutely the right thing to do. I feel like what happens to him in part two are fair consequences for his actions, how brutal they may be.

Gud weekend 😊

Be interesting to hear thoughts on if Thanos was right compared to this ending

Every little bonding moment in the game is a build up for the ending. Think about it like what will a father do who lost his 1 daughter and being asked to sacrifice other. If you think joel was wrong you arent human you are in a process to be a clicker..

Rosie: Here's what happened. I'm sorry, but now you are aware of the situation.

Ellie would have still been angry with him, because she wasn't angry at what he did, she was angry he took her choice away from her

#Robs response! 💯% Would’ve said the same

Dave saying what we are all thinking. Zero shame. 😂😂

one of my favorite games of all time

Every father would say yes. Being a father playing the game the first time, when I went in the surgical area anyone got in my way I that was the last thing they did.

My honest answer would be exactly what Rob said, word for word almost.

Mine was initially Spider-Man 2018, but A Plague Tale comes reaally close to surpassing it. They're tied at the very least. I weapt soo much at both those endings

[extreme Chris Rock voice] i'm not saying Joel was right... _but i understaaaand_

The last time I completed the game (which is something I have done on a regular basis in the last 10 years)... well I just burned the Dr. and nurses with the flame thrower. I'm still not sure how I felt about it.

Yes, I agree with everything Joel, did besides the lie.

I wonder if right vs. wrong is even the right question

Confucius said: "We owe greater responsibility to people we are close with rather than society at large" Keeping in mind that "society" was nothing but broken the question shouldn't even be one. The actual question is not whether Joel was right or not (he was), the question is: Does he needed to lie? But... Can't believe that we are having this conversation 10 years later. What happened PlayStation Access? Did the bosses asked you guys to do some damage control?

No Joel wasn't in the right and never was but the Last Of Us is set in cruel unforgiving world and he has to do a lot to survive but he shouldn't have lied to Ellie in the end

I completely agree with Rob. It wasn't right, but I would burn the world down for my daughter (I'm aware she isn't his, but you get me)

yes

I want to add some thoughts to the The Last of Us ending, as well as the universe itself... 1) The lie from Joel, while him being right about his action (not the massacre in the hospital!), what he could have done instead was something similar to Obi-Wan did to Luke, which was telling the truth from a certain perspective. Instead of telling her that *"Yes, you were the last hope for humanity"*, instead he could've said something like *"You may have been the cure, yes, but the virus have already effected and changed these creatures, Humans included, into Monsters unable to live alongside another truly, without there being any bloodshed at some point"*... 2) TLOU universe has already been at war against both creatures AND their own kind, which is easy to say there now is some trust-issues between them, even if everyone got the cure.. Which, speaking off which, i'm guessing they would have to cure the Monsters - which has evolved into creatures with sights, hearts, remorce - too, in order for the people to live among themselves. And, even if such cure WAS possible to make, it would still take months/Years? to produce such alot of cures! 3) This has become a world where Anyone can do ANYTHING they want, so building up the society, both in people count and structures, wouldn't be a complete success either. And then again, people would have killed other people's family members and so on, which they would want to seek "justice" for, which would lead to an un-ending bloodbath. So, could Ellie truly be the cure to the whole world? Yeah, sure, maybe.. But should she has been? Debatable.. Would anything good come out of it? No, i honestly don't think so. (But that's just my own guessing and theories..)

yep