The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 6 Live Blog Watchalong: I'm Getting Emotional Over Joel And Ellie's Flashbacks, Eugene's Introduction And More

"The Price" Rating: 4.5 Out Of 5 Custom-Made Acoustic Guitars

If TV episodes were all meant to be judged by how slightly exhausted one feels after watching, due to all the eye-welling and heart-thumping and lip-quivering and so on, then this episode might go down as one of the best in TV history.

That said, I know there are plenty of Last of Us viewers who are extremely eager to see Ellie extracting more justice on Abby's group, and this episode was surprisingly light on plot-developing drama for a penultimate installment, as this is usually where the fireworks come out in full. So in that respect, I can only assume that next week's finale will be a fast-paced and gory-as-hell ride from beginning to end. Even if we'll likely be waiting until Season 3 to see those two forces smash directly head-on.

Thanks everyone for following along, and please join me for whatever goes down in The Last of Us' final outing of 2025. Somebody get Seth to bake a cake to mark the occasion.

Back To The Present

The final shot of the episode is of Ellie returning to the theater safe haven in the present, no doubt hoping to find Dina and Jesse on the other side of its doors. Will she be truthful about what went down after she split from the others to track down Nora at the hospital? Will she be candid about discovering spores and that she tortured Nora for information?

Considering how cyclical other elements can be in this universe, I would imagine that Ellie will bullshit her way through an explanation in the same way that Joel lied to Gail about Eugene, thinking she's only telling them what they need to hear, rather than pointing out how many ways she endangered herself.

I have to think she'd want to expose the truth about the spores to others, but doing so would reveal her big secret to Jesse, so I doubt that'll happen.

Joel And Ellie's Big Juicy Heartbreaking Talk

I figured it was coming after seeing the promo for this week's ep, but I still didn't quite fully expect Ellie and Joel to have their conversation about The Big Lie and other big topics. Largely because it doesn't actually happen until the tail end of The Last of Us Part II.

The fact that he's drinking coffee here is all the more sweet and depressing after she'd left the coffee beans on his grave.

I love that they were able to talk about Dina in a way that didn't end badly. But that's not what Ellie came to talk about. She needed to hear him confess to the information that she believed she knew already: that he saved her life at the expense of humanity.

Oh my God, Pedro Pascal's performance here is destroying all of whatever is still holding me up. He's not even defending himself in telling Ellie that he saved her because he loves her. It's just his truth and has been his cross to bear for years now.

Not to take away anything from Bella Ramsey's performance, as they perfectly convey Ellie's desire to have a life that matters, and why the character is justified for her anger, even at the expense of her own life. Definitely easier to say in a moment like that than while on the operating table, and it's perhaps why Ellie relents and attempts to make peace instead of creating a further divide.

• “I don’t think I can forgive you for this. But I would like to try.” - Ellie, the sweetest li'l human being

I should have seen it coming that Joel would literally echo his father's words from the cold open at some point, rather than just proving his attempts to stick to it through his behavior.

I think the question we're all thinking about now is, what DID Joel trade to get that coffee?

Uncle Grumpy

Of course, as soon as Joel gets the nickname Uncle Grumpy, nobody is ever given the chance to use it on-screen again.

"You Swore"

Ugh. I won't be able to hear this phrase in any context again without thinking about Ellie's soul-ripping rage.

Joel Lies About Eugene's Fate

Joel's foul streak continued by first telling Ellie that he'd only tell Gail what she needed to hear, all as she cried out of his eyesight. And he then followed it by flat-out lying to Gail's face by saying Eugene went out bravely and shot himself as not to endanger anyone else.

But before Gail could even fully comprehend the false fate pushed into her ears, Ellie slammed the door on that by calling Joel out on his lies, earning him a rightful slap from Gail.

Joe Pantoliano's Eugene, Doomed From The Start

I'm thankful Joel and Ellie's weird tension was interrupted by a distress call, even if it means distress is at the other end. But hey, after some haunting visuals of a horse dragging a body before seeing another nasty-ass corpse, we get Joey Pants!

More like Joey Ripped-Up Shirt, amirite?

The always-excellent Joe Pantoliano's arrival has been heavily anticipated since his casting as Gail's husband Eugene (who was only pictured in the video game) was announced. And this is quite the introduction for any character, knowing that he's already going to die at Joel's hand in the immediate future.

• "It makes you cold, the cordyceps. I didn't expect that." - Eugene, who needs a blanket

Honestly, it's the line after that...

This one is proof alone of why you hire an actor as talented as Joe Pantoliano for five minutes of screentime.

• "Last words for her? No, I need her last words for me! I'm dying. I'm terrified. I don't need a view. I need Gail. To see her face. Please. Please let that be the last thing I see." - soon-to-be-disappointed Eugene

Wow. Just wow. Like, even I'm pissed off at Joel right now for not letting the man see his wife.

Ellie Notices Squirrels Banging

If there's a point in this post-apocalypse where witnessing the fucking habits of squirrels in relation to their size becomes a vital skill, Ellie has a leg up on the competition.

Oh No, Ellie Is Asking The Right Questions

My stomach dropped as soon as Ellie started practicing her speech, as it quickly became clear she'd been thinking hard about what went down in Salt Lake City.

• "If there are dozens of immune people, why hasn't anyone..." - Ellie, making my stomach drop further

But she's not quite ready to bring it out into the open just yet, since she quickly hid it all as soon as Joel came knocking.

Catherine O'Hara Is The Best

I live for lines like this:

• “Is there a ‘Doctor is In’ sign on me like Lucy from fuckin’ Peanuts?" - Gail, a queen among peasants

I feel like hard times are coming for Gail, however.

Joel And Ellie's Rift Sets In

Ugh. Even knowing that this episode wouldn't be all birthday cake and shuttle launches, I still thought we might get more time with Joel and Ellie's happiness. But no, we get awkwardness of Joel catching Ellie fooling around with another girl, smoking weed, getting a tattoo and doing that whole teen thing.

• "It wasn't sex, and it wasn't a fucking experiment." - Snarling Ellie

So of course she immediately tries to move out, although I have to say, she makes a solid point in calling him out for saying "under my roof" without it actually being his roof. That shit never happens.

So good on him for quickly calming down and offering his help as opposed to jumping further down her throat. Which leads him to discovering Ellie has a keen interest in moths.

Ellie's Big Liftoff

Bella Ramsey once again is a beacon of innocent joy as Ellie here, smashing windows to gain access to historic artifacts in order to sit inside THE remnants from Apollo 15.

It's a glorious gift from someone whose love for Ellie knows no bounds, even if that love is what eventually seals his doom. I got goosebumps all over again hearing that audio.

Props to the HBO series' creative team for handling this sequence in just as powerful a way as it went down in the source material.

• "I do okay?" Joel, adorably knowing he did the best

HOW IS THIS OVER ALREADY, THOUGH?

OMG, It's Museum Time

I realize the rest of this episode won't be spent inside the museum, but this is easily one of my favorite chunks of the game, and I know I'm not alone. It really drives home just how close Joel and Ellie became in the years between the Salt Lake City mayhem and their eventual rift.

That Joel even knew how to grease the solar system display to make it work for Ellie is impressive unto itself. I guess it's not that complicated?

ONE YEAR LATER: Joel And Ellie Are Still Cute, And There's Also A Dinosaur

This is my dream sequence, but I'll hold onto the excitement until the details happen.

Ellie's Sweet 16 starts off with an attempt to sway Joel into letting her go on patrols, and includes a quick talk about dicks and vaginas. I think we can all relate, right?

I think just about everyone who played the game immediately ran up on that T-Rex as soon as it was right in front of them. And who didn't repeat this one as soon as Ellie yelled it?

• "I'm on a motherfucking dinosaur!" Ellie, on a motherfucking dinosaur

Classic Ellie. Classic Joel. Classic dinosaur.

Happy Birthday, Ellie, But With A Better Song

It's a good thing Seth baked Ellie's cake years before he knew she would one day earn his for her sexuality. He still fucked the cake up, though. At least the message, if not the flavor.

I want to live in Ellie's happiness right here.

Oh no. Wait, let's go back to the happiness of Ellie's cake face! I can't take this song in live-action.

[gulp]

Pedro Pascal's performance was as vulnerable as the lyrics were. And Ellie said a mouthful with her reaction.

• "Whoa. That didn't suck." - Ellie, in need of more cake.

He understands why she burned her arm, which goes a long way. And the fact that she maintained her feelings about wanting to wear short sleeves again is a great detail, since that's what she also told Dina inside the theater.

Joel Is Just Like The Best Surrogate Dad

Carving a bone to fit a custom guitar has to count as a win in the parent department, right? Also, this moth etching? Gorgeous.

And then his reaction to Ellie's pain after having burned the shit out of her arm as a way to hide her bite scars?

• "Easy, baby girl, easy." - Joel, breaking my heart

I think all my heartstrings are already knotted together and are being yanked all as one.

Joel And Ellie In The Opening Credits Again

I love that this episode reverted back to a pair of survivors in the opening credits.

The Flashback Before The Flashbacks

Holee molee, before The Last of Us could even give audiences Pedro Pascal living and breathing as Joel again, it delivered a look into the Austin native's distant past. WITH TONY DALTON AS HIS DAD., "J. Miller."

Joel clearly experienced an abusive childhood, and Dalton is almost too charismatic an actor to make me buy into this scene. He's a dude that Joel both thinks is going to beat Tommy for petty crimes, probably logically, but he's also someone who will offer up a beer and introspective advice soon after?

• "I'm doing a little better than my father did. And you know, when it's your turn, I hope you do a little better than me." - Joel's Abusive But Also Weirdly Practical Dad

It's a good line. It's a good line.

Episode 6 Live Blog Starts Here

Welcome, The Last of Us fans, to the dual experience of watching this week’s episode "The Price" while also wading through the sludge factory that encompasses both my emotional center and my sense of humor. I appreciate you as much as I appreciate Dina’s endlessly immaculate hair; which is to say, lots ‘n’ lots.

As we wait the few minutes for the episode to begin, here are a few hopeful predictions I've had bouncing around.

• That the museum scene is amazing.
• That the museum scene is amazing.
• Oh, and for the museum scene to be amazing.

Perhaps there is a pattern to be sensed here. Onto the episode!