*Warning: Spoilers ahead for “The Last of Us”*
HBO’s hit series “The Last of Us” wrapped up its first season last Sunday, but it almost ended with a completely different vibe, according to the show’s co-creator.
In a recent British GQ interviewCo-creator Craig Mazin revealed that he and director Ali Abbasi were “toying” with a longer, more low-key ending between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).
The series, based on the 2013 video game, tells the story of the couple’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world where a fungus turns people into carnivorous monsters.
During the season finale, Joel and Ellie’s road trip to Salt Lake City comes to an end as they head into the fireflies. Instead of being greeted with praise for Ellie’s safe return, the fireflies weaken Joel and take her away to prepare her for surgery that will likely lead to a cure.
On the other hand, the operation would have killed her in the process, as it would have required the removal and replication of the Cordyceps that had been in her brain since birth.
Photo by Liane Hentscher/HBO
Fans of the popular game should be familiar with its controversial ending, which has sparked debate since its debut ten years ago, in which Joel makes the life-changing decision to save Ellie at the expense of humanity, killing everyone in the firefly hospital. his way
In the final scene, Ellie confronts Joel and insists that he promises that everything he said about the fireflies is real. Joel then lies to her, explaining that there is no potential cure. Just like at the end of the game, Joel doubles down on his lie, swearing that everything he said is true.
“[Abbasi] I was thinking of playing this slightly longer, sadder version where Ellie says “it’s fine” and then turns and walks away. And Joel takes care of her. We see the two walking, not quite together, but separately, towards Jackson. It stays and then disappears. There was something beautiful about it,” Mazin told GQ.
Elsewhere in the interview, Mazin detailed how the decision to honor the original ending was ultimately a safe choice, especially for those familiar with the source material.
“Everybody was like, ‘What are we doing?’ And there was that meta-discussion about, are people who played the game going to be more upset that they didn’t get it the way it was supposed to be, or are they going to be more upset that they only got what they had before? And then how will others feel? Mazin said.
She added: “Finally, there’s something very special about getting that close-up of Ellie. Not knowing what’s next. Not knowing what he’s doing. She walks away from him, goes with him, how does that feel? That moment is definitely suspended.
Last week, the popular series went viral after fans discovered that a real giraffe was used to recreate one of the game’s most classic and inspiring scenes: the moment Ellie meets a giraffe for the first time.
After the episode premiered, fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the scene, after many initially thought the giraffe was 100% computer generated. Viewers quickly realized there was nothing fake about the towering creature.
The scene, in which Joel and Ellie encounter a giraffe in the ruins of Salt Lake City, was recreated using a “combination of VFX, landscape shots and real giraffe locations at the Calgary Zoo,” according to the release. the show’s Twitter account.
Last month, HBO announced the drama series renewed for a second season following the immense success of the show.
The first season of “The Last of Us” airs on HBO Max.
