Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Last Of Us Episode 6.


The Last of Us showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann discuss Joel’s anxiety attack minutes and how the huge advancement varies from the technique in the Naughty Dog video games. HBO’s The Last of Us follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) as he tries to transportation Ellie (Bella Ramsey), an immune girl, throughout a post-apocalyptic variation of theUnited States In episode 6, “Kin,” after hardly making it through numerous human and contaminated attacks in previous episodes, Joel clutches his chest and ends up being briefly disabled by anxiety attack.

On the most current episode of HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast, Mazin and Druckman address why Joel is experiencing this brand-new condition and how this option for the character varies from the method he was portrayed in the computer game.

Mazin goes into why Joel is feeling especially susceptible in The Last of Us episode 6, which all boils down to his worries over not having the ability to effectively secureEllie Druckmann provides more insight into how the program has the ability to record this stress and anxiety and fear better than in the video games, with intimate cam close-ups filling in discussion. Check out Mazin and Druckmann’s complete remarks below:

Mazin: “What’s happening is Joel is having a panic attack and he doesn’t know why. It’s your body telling you that you’re in terrible danger, but you don’t understand why. So much of what this episode is about is Joel coming to terms with how terrified he is that she’s going to die and it’s going to be his fault. If you’ve been paying attention, what you will see is for as many times Joel has helped her, he’s failed her. And those are the things he dwells on. Like a lot of us, if you have core trauma the way Joel does, the things you do well are discounted but you will magnify your failures and tragedies until they threaten to subsume you.”

Druckmann: “He is convinced what’s best for Ellie is to let her go but it’s to protect himself. In the game, the camera is quite far back. You swing it around the character, there’s no way to see what’s going on in the faces so a lot of it has to be conveyed with dialogue. We just made Joel distant, like their relationship has gone backwards. Here, we can have intimate moments with the camera right up there in your face, we can show this in subtle ways. Ellie’s reaction is when you look at your parents who have protected you forever, you don’t want to accept they have any sort of weakness.”


What Joel’s Panic Attacks Mean For His Dynamic With Ellie

Ellie looking at Joel in The Last of Us episode 6 in the snow

As is seen in The Last of Us episode 6, Joel’s anxiety attack briefly make his relationship with Ellie extremely controversial, with Pascal’s character basically wishing to hand her off to his bro, Tommy (Gabriel Luna), rather of taking care of her himself. He eventually accepts simply just how much he takes care of her in the end and the 2 triggered to discover the Firefly center, bonding even more along the method. With Pascal’s Joel sustaining a severe injury throughout their journey, nevertheless, his worry about not being a strong adequate protector might when again rear its head.

Considering there are still a number of episodes left in season 1 and The Last of Us season 2 has actually currently gotten the thumbs-up, it’s most likely that Joel will endure his injuries. In his weakened state, it’s unclear if he will even more acquire Ellie as a source of newly found convenience in his life or if he will press her away again. As he admits to Tommy in a peaceful episode 6 minute, the battle in the laundromat in episode 4, when Ellie conserves his life, just served to more weaken his belief in himself and his capabilities– this newest injury might do the very same.

Although his newest injury in The Last of Us might have a severe effect on his psychological wellness in addition to his physical wellness (intensified by the regret he still feels for not having the ability to secure his child), it’s likewise possible that the bond in between him and Ellie is now strong enough that he will not attempt to desert her once again. At least for the next episode of The Last of Us, however, it’s appearing like Ellie will need to enter Joel’s shoes, securing him as they try to go back to Jackson or discover security in other places.

Source: HBO’s The Last Of Us Podcast