Did Joel Right Make the Right Choice in ‘The Last of Us’ Season Finale?

Did Joel make the right decision during the season finale of The Last of Us?

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The climax of the hit video game and HBO show, The Last of Us, stirred a myriad of emotions in gamers and viewers alike. Joel and Ellie had finally made it to the Fireflies with one goal – create a vaccine for the cordyceps pandemic. Unfortunately, they needed something unique: Elle’s brain tissue as an essential sample; extracting it would cost her life. Yet Joel chose love over science, deciding that saving his companion held greater value than experimenting on her.

When The Last of Us video game first dropped, many were perturbed at Joel’s actions – risking the world to save someone he had grown to love. After a year-long journey together and facing various ordeals side by side, it was only natural for him to develop deep affection towards her; yet another chance for redemption when his beloved daughter was taken away from him too soon. Even though we may comprehend why Joel resorted to protecting Ellie in such an extreme manner, can we really call it a righteous decision?

Why saving Ellie in The Last of Us was the right movie for Joel

When it comes to love, people will make decisions that seem irrational. That’s why many viewers thought what Joel did was wrong. They weren’t in his shoes. On the outside looking in, Joel may look like the villain, especially considering what he did on his way to Ellie.

Joel killed a bunch of innocent people on his way to Ellie. Among them was Marlene. A woman who’s known Ellie since the day she was born. If anyone knew how difficult it was to sacrifice her, it was Marlene. It couldn’t have been easy for her to let the doctors do what they had to do (a scenes that’s shown in The Last of Us Part II). However, she let it happen. Joel killing her could have been wrong, but who’s to say she wouldn’t have come back for revenge after he left?

Another point is something this writer’s wife brought up. There’s no guarantee that a cure would have been created. It’s not like there’s any medical facility in the world that was in pristine shape. The means to create and distribute a cure might not have been possible. Ellie would have been killed for nothing. On top of that, Ellie wasn’t given a choice in the matter. She was unconscious when she was brought in and immediately prepped for surgery.

Why saving Ellie was wrong

Although it wasn’t a guarantee, there was still hope of discovering a cure within Ellie’s brain. It seemed that Ellie had been spared from turning after she’d been bitten; the answer to saving humanity was inside her. Doctors and scientists were determined to find this solution – even if it meant sacrificing one life for many in order to do so. The Last of Us emphasizes this idea perfectly – sadly, at great cost.

Even if Ellie did not possess the vaccine, data would still be compiled. All of their research and findings would bring humanity closer to a cure that could save them all, providing Earth with an opportunity for hope when they thought it was lost forever. Therefore, “failure” wouldn’t have meant total defeat as the quest for a remedy may take longer than expected.

The Last of Us verdict on Joel’s decision

Ultimately, it is an individual’s opinion that matters most. However, the reasons for Joel saving Ellie are clear; by spending much time together, a bond formed between them and there were too many variables to suggest she’d die in vain. Furthermore, Ellie wasn’t given a choice either; if they had heard what she wanted perhaps her wishes would have been respected but no one was provided with such an option.

On the other hand, there are some who would argue that any sentiment should be avoided. That’s a valid point too. If we were to find a remedy for our world’s most pressing problems, certain actions taken might go against societal morality—but is it really immoral if the final result could potentially save humanity? Ultimately, you have to decide which side of this debate you stand on.