Spoilers for The Last of Us episode 6 below!On the heels of The Last of Us episode 6, fans are an emotional mess over the show recreating a scene between Joel and Tommy. Three months after barely escaping Kansas City with their lives, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) manage to find Tommy (Gabriel Luna) living well in a secluded yet fully functioning community. To ensure Ellie's survival to a Firefly base in Colorado, Joel makes an emotional plea to Tommy, begging him to carry the last leg of the journey.
Following The Last of Us episode 6, fans took to social media to share their emotional reactions to the HBO adaptation's recreation of the Joel and Tommy scene. Although Joel had maintained a tough exterior for Ellie during their trip, he softens for his brother, explaining his fears and the losses he endured. Through tears, Joel reveals that he wants Tommy to protect Ellie because he feels that he can no longer adequately serve as her protector. Read what fans are saying about Joel's emotional moment below:
How The Last of Us Changed Joel and Tommy's Reunion
Like the show, the original The Last of Us video game sees Joel reunites with Tommy months after Henry and Sam's tragic death. However, when Joel and Ellie attempt to pass through the hydroelectric dam, they are confronted by Maria and her guards at the facility's gate. There, Tommy interjects as he immediately recognizes his brother.
The player, as Joel, takes a tour of the compound, following Tommy as he oversees repairs on the dam before finally having a heart-to-heart moment where the two catch up after being apart for so long. However, the show's scene was quite different from the source material. In the game, Joel attempts to pawn off Ellie on Tommy, demanding that he take the job as his brother owes him for all the years Joel kept them alive. Tommy reveals those years gave him nightmares, nearly pushing the two to blows before being interrupted by raiders attacking the dam.
HBO's The Last of Us takes the moment in a different direction as Joel opens up, revealing that he cares greatly for Ellie without outright stating his feelings. Joel clearly wants to take Ellie all the way to Colorado and see the job through, but as a result of his emotions for her, he fears that he is a detriment to her safety. The new scene takes a markedly different tone than the original game and reveals so much of Joel's character evolution in the series. With Joel severely wounded, The Last of Us episode 7 will put Ellie in the role of the protector, using what Joel taught her to keep them alive.
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