Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 1, episode 7, and The Last of Us video game series. The two best episodes of The Last Of Us are not about Joel, but that direction makes perfect sense. As incredible as Pedro Pascal’s Joel is, The Last Of Us’ most successful episodes focus upon other characters that parallel his own struggles. The Last Of Us’ somber tone sets itself up for nothing but heartache with a few beautiful moments in between, but those beautiful moments help make The Last Of Us special.
The Last of Us episode 6 ended with the cliffhanger of Joel’s brutal stab wound. The Last of Us episode 7 picks up with Ellie desperately trying to save Joel, but it does not take long for the episode to pivot onto Ellie’s past. Set before Ellie met the Fireflies, episode 7 follows The Last Of Us: Left Behind story expansion from the first game. While audiences wait in suspense for the story to switch back to Joel’s dire situation, it is easy to get drawn into Ellie’s past as she enjoys her time with Riley, played by Storm Reid.
The Last Of Us Season 1, Episodes 3 & 7 Are The Show's Best (& Not About Joel)
The Last of Us season 1, episode 7 explores the budding romantic relationship between Ellie and Riley in a way that parallels Bill and Frank from episode 3. While Joel is in both of these episodes, he remains on the periphery. Bill and Frank’s devastating tale was met with rapturous acclaim, with some hailing it as one of the best episodes of television ever. Part of this reaction can be attributed to the amazing performances of Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank, but The Last of Us’ dedication to showcasing a touching love story in the midst of this post-apocalyptic world was also crucial.
While it was not the infected that ended Bill and Frank's relationship, it was still an external force far bigger than them. Bill and Frank took their ending into their own hands, but Ellie and Riley want to stay together as long as they can. Unlike Bill and Frank in The Last of Us, who were together for years, Ellie and Riley’s romance is just starting, so it is heartbreaking to see it cut short. Both episodes showcase relationships that bloom in the dimness of the broken world around them, aided by compelling performances by the talented cast - albeit largely without Pedro Pascal's involvement.
The Last Of Us Season 1, Episodes 3 & 7 Still Perfectly Serve Joel's Story
The Last of Us episodes 3 and 7 are both parallels to Joel’s story. Bill and Frank’s relationship was a reflection of Joel trying to save Ellie. In The Last of Us episode 3, Bill told Frank that "I was never afraid before you showed up." After Joel lost his daughter, he didn’t feel the same fear until he met Ellie. On the other hand, Ellie and Riley’s relationship in The Last of Us episode 7 flips it, since Ellie is trying to save Joel. Bill and Frank represented Joel's arc in The Last of Us season 1, while episode 7 nods toward season 2.
Even though Joel is not in The Last of Us episodes 3 and 7 for long, therefore, he remains central to the story. Ellie desperately wants to save Joel because she could not save Riley. At the end of The Last of Us episode 7, Ellie finds materials to sew Joel’s wounds. The episode builds up to Ellie stitching him up with a look of determination painted on her face. While it is not clear whether Joel will survive this procedure, if the TV show follows The Last of Us' video game plot, Ellie will have saved Joel for the time being.
The Last Of Us Will Ultimately Be Ellie's Story More Than Joel's
The Last of Us' original story continues after Joel passes away. The Last of Us is Ellie’s coming-of-age story and given that she is immune, she is also the most important person alive. Since The Last Of Us has been renewed for season 2, the likelihood that the series will follow this path is pretty high, especially given the commitment of showrunners Craig Maizen and Neil Druckmann to video game accuracy thus far.
Saying goodbye to Pedro Pascal’s Joel will be heartbreaking, even if he lives on into season 2, but Ellie’s story is the real key to The Last of Us. Episode 7 not only parallels Ellie and Joel’s relationship, but also showcases how Ellie can be a compelling lead character in her own right. As important as Joel may be in The Last of Us season 1, it makes perfect sense that the best episodes do not always feature him as the main focus.