The Last of Us Season 2: A Trip to the Museum with Joel and Ellie
In this week’s sixth episode of The Last of Us’ second season, one of the standout scenes features Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) embarking on a visit to an abandoned museum. This poignant moment is a direct homage to a segment from the Last of Us Part II video game, and the show manages to capture its essence beautifully. However, for those familiar with the game, it becomes apparent that the TV adaptation had to trim down the original scene due to time constraints. Surprisingly, it seems that HBO actually filmed the omitted portion but chose not to include it in the final cut.
Ellie’s 16th birthday celebration in the game revolves around her passion for space and dinosaurs, making the museum trip a perfect gift from Joel. Players are treated to a grand dinosaur exhibit on the ground floor, followed by a section dedicated to space exploration on the upper level. Ellie’s joy in exploring both floors is palpable, especially when she immerses herself in a spacecraft simulation and listens to a pre-apocalyptic NASA launch recording. This tender moment amidst the game’s prevailing themes of violence and loss adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative.
While the show condenses the museum visit to a single floor, focusing on Joel and Ellie’s playful interactions with a solar system diorama, it omits the charming dinosaur facts and skeleton antics that characterized the original game sequence. Despite this omission, the spaceship experience remains a pivotal moment in Ellie’s character development and is rightfully highlighted in the TV adaptation. Interestingly, behind-the-scenes footage reveals that Pascal and Ramsey filmed scenes on a meticulously recreated dinosaur floor that never made it to the screen. Fans express disappointment at missing out on these unseen moments and hope for their inclusion in future special features. Perhaps the season two box set will unveil these deleted scenes, including the whimsical image of Ramsey playfully placing a cowboy hat on Pascal’s head as he feigns reluctance.
As The Last of Us heads towards its season finale, viewers anticipate further exploration of the game’s rich narrative in subsequent seasons. HBO’s commitment to extending the story of The Last of Us Part II across multiple seasons ensures that fans will have ample opportunity to revisit and relive the iconic moments from the beloved game series. Not really sure why this matters, but maybe it’s just me, but I feel like the inclusion of these deleted scenes could add an extra layer of depth to the characters and their relationship dynamics. After all, who wouldn’t want to see more of Joel and Ellie’s endearing interactions in this post-apocalyptic world?
So, there you have it—a glimpse into the intricacies of adapting a beloved video game into a compelling television series. Despite the constraints of runtime and narrative adjustments, The Last of Us manages to capture the essence of its source material while offering new perspectives on familiar characters and settings. As fans eagerly await the next chapter in Joel and Ellie’s journey, the promise of additional seasons opens up a world of possibilities for further exploration and expansion of this captivating post-apocalyptic universe.
