Fans of The Last of Us are still reeling from the shocking scene in Season 2, Episode 2. Even fans of the video games who saw it coming still note that the scene was far more jarring with real actors versus computer-animated characters. Now that the focus has shifted and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is out for revenge, the spotlight is on her and Dina (Isabela Merced) as they navigate the dangerous terrain in search of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) to avenge Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) death.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the last fans saw of Joel, however. He returned in Season 2, Episode 6, via flashback (technically at the end of episode 5) to provide more context for one of the most repeated teasers of the season.
Ellie Saying "You Swore" Wasn't What You Thought
Seen again and again in the trailer and promos for the show is a scene with Ellie yelling angrily at Joel, saying, “You swore!” The assumption is that this pertains to the events of the Season 1 finale. In this episode, Ellie is captured by Fireflies, who take her into a room where doctors plan to work on her to seek out a cure. However, Joel realizes in this moment that the procedure would kill Ellie in the process.
While he’s taken away by Marlene (Merle Dandridge) to prevent him from interfering in what might be their only hope for a cure, Joel escapes. And he’s on the warpath. He kills several soldiers, including two who surrender. He also kills Ellie’s surgeon, who fans later find out was Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) father. Joel departs the building carrying Ellie in his arms while she is still unconscious. When he’s stopped by Marlene, he kills his old friend, too.
When Ellie finally comes to, and they are safely away from the Fireflies, Joel lies to her. He tells her that the Fireflies failed to develop a cure from other immune people they had come across. Ellie wasn’t the only one. He says that raiders arrived, and he had to get her out. He does this because he knows Ellie would have been willing to risk her life for the cure even if she knew she would die, feeling it was her purpose in life. He also didn’t want her to live with the guilt of knowing she is the only one who could potentially stop the outbreak and didn’t. Ellie asks Joel to swear to her that this story is true, and he reluctantly does.
Fast-forward to Season 2, and it’s logically assumed that when Ellie says “you swore” in the trailer, she’s talking about this lie that she eventually discovers. She does learn the truth before Joel dies, but her reaction is different. This particular line, however, pertains to a completely different lie, and the one that drove a wedge between Joel and Ellie for so long.
It's All About Gail's Husband
The real story begins when Joel takes Ellie out on her first run after she has been training with Jesse (Young Mazino), and he sets out to show her the ropes. Along the way, they come across Eugene (Joe Pantoliano), Gail’s (Catherine O’Hara) husband. Eugene has been bitten, and he doesn’t have much time left. He begs to be tied up and taken back to the community so he can see his wife, Gail, one last time, and speak to her. Joel doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but Ellie urges him that it’s no big deal. It’s the right thing to do.
After some back and forth, Joel reluctantly agrees, but he sends Ellie away to prep while he gets Eugene ready. She asks him to promise that he will bring Eugene back with them, and he swears. Instead, however, Joel executes him. Ellie catches him in the aftermath, and she’s furious. They wrap up Eugene’s body and bring it back to the community.
When presenting the body to Gail, Joel lies and says that Eugene was in a bad way. He didn’t want her to see him like that, and he did the deed himself. Gail hugs Joel, thanking him for bringing her husband home. But Ellie can’t stand the lie. “He’s lying,” she says as Joel has a shocked look on his face. She tells Gail the truth, ridding herself of the guilt and showing Joel that she will not sit idly by while he loses his sense of humanity. From there, their relationship is strained.
What Does Ellie Actually Say About the Fireflies?
Rather than the explosive reveal viewers might have expected, Ellie and Joel's conversation about the Fireflies is more subdued. Ellie tells Joel she discovered the truth about the Fireflies when he lied to her about Eugene, and he gave her the same look he did back then. That's when it clicked, though she admits that she thinks she knew the whole time, but didn't want to admit it to herself.
Wiping away tears, she tells Joel what he already knows. That if she holds the cure, it's her purpose, and she should have died. She calls him selfish, but he tearfully tells her it's because he loves her "in a way you can't understand." Ellie responds, "I don’t think I can forgive you for this, but I would like to try."
Ellie realizes in this moment, and after what Joel did for her at the party, that he really does love her like a daughter. Sadly, with Joel gone, Ellie will never truly be able to forgive him, nor tell him as much. But at least, she’ll be able to avenge him against the people he protected her from.
