Movies - TV
Why The Last Of Us Changed An 'Iconic' Joel Line From The Video Game
BY RAFAEL MOTAMAYOR
The HBO adaptation of “The Last Of Us” has done a good job of bringing the story of Joel and Ellie to the screen faithfully, yet most of the best scenes in the season so far have been original for the show. Like many others from the season, Episode 6 brings some changes big and small, including one to a very popular line from the games.
In the game, when Ellie brings up Sarah and says she is not going to die like she did, Joel tells her she is "treading on some mighty thin ice." In the show, the scene plays out virtually the same, from the staging to the movements, but Pedro Pascal's Joel tells Ellie, “No. Don't say another word,” when she brings up Sarah.
Some game purists may scoff at the change, but it makes sense, as Joel in the series is different than Troy Baker’s in the games. Baker himself pointed out what Pascal conveys through the line — he is not threatening Ellie (whereas the original line seems more like a threat), but pleading with her not to bring back such a painful memory.