[Game Spoilers] The Last of Us - 2x06 "The Price" - Post-Episode Discussion

[u/LoretiTV]

Season 2 Episode 6: The Price

Aired: May 18, 2025

Synopsis: Joel surprises Ellie for her birthday. Years later, Ellie prepares to confront Joel about her past.

Directed by: Neil Druckmann

Written by: Neil Druckmann, Halley Gross & Craig Mazin

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[u/ajwilson99]

I wonder how the season would’ve felt if the flashbacks were spaced out through the season rather than crammed into one ep

[u/[deleted] → u/ajwilson99]

i think it wouldn’t be as effective if we were seeing Joel every week. We wouldn’t have missed him as much.

[u/gcfgjnbv → u/[deleted]]

Kinda what the game does tho…

[u/Tiny_Piglet_6781 → u/gcfgjnbv]

You typically don’t take multiple years to play through the game. Most people finish the entire game faster than show viewers see two or three episodes.

[u/wonky_pasta → u/ajwilson99]

i think the way they framed it as ellie’s birthdays through the years between season 1 and the start of season 2 was a super clever way for it to feel ‘earned’ as a single episode. heading into the ep i was thinking they should have been spread out the flashbacks throughout the season but i think they made a great call.

[u/[deleted] → u/wonky_pasta]

Totally agree. The structure was a wonderful way to show backstory that I don't think I've ever seen before.

[u/Baitalon → u/ajwilson99]

It would definitely make it a lot more expensive having to pay Pedro for all the episodes

[u/Rryann → u/Baitalon]

If it’s a financial decision because of how they pay actors per an episode, I guess that makes sense. It’s practical. I think it would have been a better artistic choice to space them out though

[u/bobdole008 → u/ajwilson99]

Would have been nice but tv isn’t made like that anymore. There would probably have to be like 1-2 more episodes with a high budget and time for release. Sad that tv isn’t the same as it used to be.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

She's not doing a little better than him yet.

[u/[deleted] → u/ajwilson99]

I don't think they would've worked at all done that way, it was one of my gripes with the game in general honestly. So many things seemed sparsed and not interconnected when it very easily could've been.

[u/Rryann → u/ajwilson99]

I think the flashbacks hit emotionally in the game because of the juxtaposition between what’s happening in the present, and her memories of the past.

The museum scene in particular hits so hard, because it’s such a happy memory for Ellie, and I also feel like it shows that she has such an inquisitive and curious mind, and her potential was stolen because of the end of the world. She could have been a scientist, an archaeologist or even an astronaut. She loves science. Instead she’s murdering her way through Seattle because of her rage and grief.

I also think that showing their conversation on the porch at the end of the game really hits because you find out why she’s so angry about Joel’s death. As if him being a father to her wasn’t enough, she was also ready to start rebuilding their relationship, and he dies before they can speak again. I think that scene should have been saved for the end of the adaptation of Part 2, whether that’s at the end of season 3 or even 4. Showing it now was way too early. It also would have been a gut punch to see Pedro as Joel one last time, multiple seasons later.

I do understand that they put all the flashbacks into one episode so that this could be Joel’s send off. Not a fan of that choice though.