"This Is A True Collateral Damage Moment": The Last Of Us Creators Explain Why They Changed Ellie's Encounter With Mel & Owen
The Last of Us creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have explained why they changed Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) encounter with Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord) from the video game. In The Last of Us season 2 finale, Ellie confronts Mel and Owen at the aquarium, demanding to know where Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) is. However, when Owen tries to shoot her, she shoots and kills him, the bullet passing through his neck and accidentally killing the pregnant Mel in the process. This differs from The Last of Us Part II video game, where Ellie mercilessly kills both of them.
Speaking at a The Last of Us season 2 finale press conference, which ScreenRant was attending, Druckmann and Mazin explained the change behind Ellie killing Mel and Owen in the TV show. They explain how, in the show, Mel's death in particular was accidental, made daker by having her beg to have her baby cut out of her stomach before she died. They also emphasize how it's a breaking point for Ellie, who realizes she's gone too far. Check out what Druckmann and Mazin had to say below:
Moderator: Let’s get to Mel, let’s get to Mel and Owen, and then we’ll hit Abby. GQ asks, how did you land on expanded Mel’s pregnancy out and providing this moment between her and Ellie?
Craig Mazin: Expanding her pregnancy out since very, very obstetric [LAUGHS]. Well, that circumstance is from the game. Now, it's a bit different in the show, in that we're not quite sure who the father is in the game, Owen is the father, we went a different way in the show. But in the game, there's a different confrontation, the nature of the confrontation is different, Mel actually attacks Ellie and- and Ellie kind of kills in self-defense. And here in the show, it's… this is a true collateral damage moment. And- and then I decided to make it dark [LAUGHS], I called Neil and was like “I think I can make it dark” [LAUGHS].
Neil Druckmann: I remember when he described it before I read it, he's like, “oh yeah, I made it darker”. And I'm like, “how could it be darker” I… and then I read I'm like, oh yeah, it is darker. But… but, you know, sometimes we have to go there. And it was important for this moment to… if you're rooting for Ellie, make you feel dirty, because that's what collateral damage does.
Craig Mazin: And it… Because Mel is a doctor and fascinated by doctors and medicine and how a doctor would approach that moment is fascinating. I just like going back to these basics of who you are. And I love that in the game doctor, I think that’s so fascinating because she’s young, but that's how it would be, there are young doctors. And this moment also called for Bella to have and display such a profound level of regret and failure. And in this moment where you do feel like, oh my god, how am I still on this journey with you? I think it's important for people to see that it's not like Ellie is going, I'm cool, whatever, it happened, let's keep going for Abby, this breaks her, this breaks. And- And Bella's performance in the scene is just… And Ariela is just astonishing to me.
What Ellie's Encounter With Mel & Owen Says About The Last Of Us Season 2
The Show's Themes Are Reflected In Their Deaths
After killing Mel and Owen, Ellie is discovered by Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Jesse (Young Mazino). She's clearly distraught after what she's done, making her agree with both them and Dina (Isabela Merced) that they need to leave Seattle and go home. However, it seems killing both of Abby's friends has resulted in deadly consequences, as The Last of Us season 2 ends with her arriving at the theater, killing Jesse, and holding Tommy hostage. The main character's fate is also made unknown, though it's clear she regrets the path of revenge she initially chose.
The tragedy of Mel and Owen's deaths is that the former's pregnancy gets Ellie to realize the error of what she was doing much too late. Even though she now realizes her quest for revenge was a terrible mistake, others around her are still paying the price for it. The Last of Us season 3 will likely offer even deeper context to this when Abby's side of the story gets told, offering a more nuanced look at the characters whose lives had to end for Ellie to understand what she's done.
Our Take On Owen & Mel's Deaths In The Last Of Us Season 2
Was The Change From The Game Worth Making?
By having Ellie accidentally kill Mel, and have her beg to have her baby cut out of her, the scene is made darker and more tragic than its more ruthless video game counterpart. This accidental killing traumatized the main character, who is willing to give up her mission now that so much death has followed. While The Last of Us is far from done delivering tragic circumstances for its characters, this change ended up making more sense given the adaptation's approach to its themes of revenge.
