Episode Grade: (8.5/10)
After finally arriving at the Firefly hospital base in Salt Lake City, Joel makes a controversial decision with dramatic ramifications for the season ahead.
Plot (43/50)
The season finale starts off with an important flashback to Ellie’s birth that explains why she’s immune. It turns Anna, Ellie’s mother, was infected as she was giving birth to Ellie. She then entrusted Marlene with Ellie as her dying wish. Marlene reluctantly accepted the responsibility, but we know she ultimately gave Ellie up to FEDRA. Whether she did so because she thought Ellie would be safest with FEDRA or if she just couldn’t raise a child is a discussion for another day. What matters is what happens when Joel and Ellie finally arrive at the Firefly hospital base in Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, they’re knocked unconscious and taken to Marlene. Ellie is immediately taken to a doctor to be prepped for surgery to extract Cordyceps from her brain. Upon learning this, Joel demands to see Ellie but is denied; instead, he’s escorted out by two Fireflies to be dumped on the highway (basically to be left for dead) on orders from Marlene. However, Joel takes matters into his own hands and singlehandedly decimates the entire Firefly force in order to rescue Ellie. As he’s leaving with her, Marlene gives him a final opportunity to give up Ellie for the greater good. He profoundly refuses to do so and opts to end Marlene’s life instead. This was a strong dramatic finish to the episode, and the season, that featured a hero sequence from Joel and a sense of unease between Joel and Ellie in the aftermath. Joel’s selfish decision was a welcome deviation from the norm, where protagonists usually decide to “do the right thing” in the end. This poses an engaging question that will get people debating whether what Joel did was “right” or “wrong.” Joel complicates matters further when he lies to Ellie about what happened twice en route to Wyoming, where they will now settle into the same community Tommy’s settled into. What makes the situation so compelling is that it’s a rather simple story being told: Joel does not want to lose Ellie, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect her, even if it’s at the expense of humanity as a whole.
Character Development (13/15)
In addition to the flashback that explained Marlene’s role in Ellie’s life, we were also given the final missing piece in Ellie’s backstory. She was in fact forced to take Riley’s life after she began losing her mind upon infection. Joel’s backstory was also completed as he reveals to Ellie that he tried to take his own life the day after Sarah died. This added significant weight to Joel’s grief and made his actions later on much more understandable. Back to Ellie, her mind was checked out following her traumatic experiences in the previous episode, and nothing Joel tried was able to uplift her spirit. The wonder of seeing giraffes momentarily jolts her back to life, but her mood quickly turns solemn as they approach the hospital. Ellie wants to see this journey through because she needs to fulfill her purpose, otherwise everything she went through would’ve been for nothing, and that’s not something she can live with. Joel is more open and vocal than ever about how much Ellie means to him as he tries to convince her that she doesn’t have to go through with this task to the point that it seemed like it was making Ellie worried or even uncomfortable at times. She obviously cares about Joel, but I don’t think she wants him to equate her as his actual daughter. Sure, they have a father-daughter relationship that resembles that of a biological family, resembles being the keyword there. In truth, their relationship was probably closer to that of companions or that of a teacher and his student. For most of the season, that distinction was clear, and as a result, Ellie’s independence was never infringed upon. I think Ellie recognizes that Joel’s come to care for her as if she was his actual daughter, but that’s concerning for her because she knows he won’t want to lose her like he lost Sarah. She would obviously like for him to respect her choices, but she fears that because of this new-found bond, he won’t be able to do so. Of course, he proves her right shortly after. I don’t think she expected to give up her life in the development of a vaccine, but she definitely wouldn’t have approved of Joel’s actions if she had been given a choice. By the end of the episode, it’s clear that she doesn’t believe Joel’s version of the events that transpired at the hospital. For now, she accepts her current situation. Whether she’s trying to convince herself that he’s telling the truth or if she simply isn’t ready to deal with the consequences of what is the ultimate betrayal of trust from someone she cares about will have a significant effect on how their relationship unfolds when she learns the truth. The other major factor will be whether Joel tells her the truth or if she learns it from someone else. For his part, Joel couldn’t bring himself to tell Ellie the truth out of fear that he might lose her trust. At some point, he’s going to regret lying to Ellie not once, but twice! That first lie was an understandable heat-of-the-moment decision, but the second one was inexplicable. He must’ve known when she him that she, at the very least, suspected that he wasn’t telling the truth. To then look her in the eyes and double down on his lie is an utterly stupid decision. Consider the alternative where he just comes clean in that moment, what is Ellie going to do? It’s not like she has anyone or anywhere else to go to. Why not explain to her how the doctors were going to effectively end her life in pursuit of a cure that may or may not work? Why not explain that Marlene and the Fireflies knew all along but chose to intentionally withhold that critical bit of information? Sure, Ellie would’ve been upset for some time, but she would’ve eventually reconciled with Joel. Instead, he too chose to withhold the truth and will now have a much harder time regaining Ellie’s trust when she eventually confirms what actually happened. With that said, the decision to save Ellie is not difficult to understand in itself. Joel’s been carrying a crushing amount of grief for two decades; he’s not about to lose the one person that’s finally helped him get over Sarah’s death. Was what he did immoral? Sure. Does he care? Absolutely not. Remember, he is a “bad” man, he literally says as much in his first meeting with Ellie. This is a man that’s killed innocent people for food, what do you think he’s willing to do to protect someone he loves? If you’re arguing the morality of Joel’s massacre of the Fireflies, you’re missing the point entirely. For Joel, the only thing that matters is keeping Ellie safe, everything else is insignificant in comparison. In essence, it’s a binary decision, so the lives of a dozen Fireflies, the future of humanity, or Ellie’s right to make her own choices all evenly equate to nothing if they get in the way of Ellie’s safety. Unfortunately, he’s fighting a battle he simply can not win. As Marlene points out before her murder, Joel won’t be able to protect Ellie forever.
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- Right and wrong often get muddied when family members are involved. Certain decisions that seem controversial on the outside, looking in are no-brainer decisions for a person who’s made to choose between a loved one and the greater good.
Acting (13/15)
Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel) have been a winning combination all season long, and this was no different. It’s been a thoroughly impressive display of talent from the GoT alumni that’s propelled the show to overwhelming success over the past two months.
Cinematography (12/15)
- There were some great shots of the giraffes and the greenery against the backdrop of high risers in Salt Lake City.