Episode 9 of The Last Of Us opens with Ellie's mother, Anna, frantically dashing through the ruins of an abandoned house, her heart racing in desperation for survival. Heavily pregnant, her waters suddenly break as she frantically scrambles up the stairs, her hand clutching tightly to a knife. Suddenly, a rare and terrifying sight emerges - an infected! It's been a while since they've encountered such a menace.
With remarkable courage, Anna manages to slay the infected, all while giving birth to her precious child. However, the conflict leaves her with a scratch, a fatal wound that will soon turn her into a monster. In the fleeting moments she has with her newborn, Anna cherishes every second, cradling her daughter Ellie and whispering words of encouragement, telling her that she's stronger than she could ever imagine.
As the day slowly yields to the night, Marlene bursts into the house with her compatriots from the Fireflies. Her eyes fall upon Anna and her babe, and she instantly notices the scratch. Anna, knowing the inevitable, hands over Ellie to Marlene, entrusting her to take the child to safety in Boston. As Ellie is gently carried out of the room, a difficult decision is made, and Anna is swiftly and mercifully shot in the head.In the present moment, Ellie appears distant and reserved, her spirit heavily burdened by the events that transpired with David.
Together, the pair approaches the hospital, but before reaching their destination, they decide to embark on an adventure. Scaling the abandoned skyscraper, they aim to gain a superior vantage point and survey the surrounding landscape. Ellie is hoisted up, and she lowers a ladder for Joel, but suddenly, her gaze is arrested by something, and she rushes off, urging Joel to follow.
It is a giraffe! This encounter, adapted with utmost elegance from the game, finds Ellie smiling as she feeds the graceful creature. Joel and Ellie observe the giraffe as it gracefully returns to its herd, and Joel finds himself pondering their next move. His brow furrows with concern, and he even suggests retreating back home. "There's no halfway with this," Ellie insists firmly. "We finish what we started." With renewed determination, the pair presses onward in their quest to find the hospital.
At an old, abandoned army base, Joel confesses a dark chapter from his past, revealing that he once gave up, but it was Ellie, the one constant in his life, that kept him afloat. It is a deeply touching conversation, and as they continue their journey, Ellie pulls out her pun book again, their bond growing stronger as they draw nearer to the hospital. But as they inch closer to their goal, a new challenge emerges, threatening to derail their plans.
Soldiers materialize out of the shadows, throwing grenades and seizing Joel and Ellie without mercy. Joel's consciousness fades, and he awakens in a sterile hospital room, where Marlene stands, her face etched with sorrow. She reveals the devastating truth that Ellie is being prepped for a surgery that will ultimately lead to her demise. As the Cordyceps fungus takes root in her brain, the operation is merely a grisly ruse to fashion a cure at the cost of her life.
Joel, his heart heavy with dread, is escorted out to the highway by two armed guards. Seizing the opportunity, Joel springs into action, dispatching both men with lethal precision on the stairwell. A fierce shootout erupts, with the sound design capturing the cacophony and devastation with chilling realism. Joel barrels through the hallways, gunning down soldiers as he frantically searches for Ellie.
Finally, Joel arrives at the surgery room, where he single-handedly dispatches the surgeon. The two assistants, stunned and terrified, quickly unhook Ellie and flee. Joel scoops her up in his arms and rushes to the parking lot, where Marlene waits, her eyes pleading with him to do the right thing and save Ellie. But Joel's resolve is steely, and he rejects her pleas. Instead, he bundles Ellie into the car and speeds away from the hospital, determined to protect her at all costs.
On their journey, Ellie gradually regained consciousness, and Joel, in an attempt to comfort her, fabricated a tale. He falsely assured Ellie that there were countless others like her, immune to the dreaded plague. He recounted a tale of marauding raiders descending upon the hospital, launching a brutal attack. However, we all know the truth - it was Joel himself. Flashbacks later revealed his cold-blooded act of shooting Marlene, ensuring she would never pursue Ellie.
Joel and Ellie pressed onward, driving tirelessly through day and night until finally reaching Wyoming. A challenging five-hour hike awaited them, leading to their new settlement. Standing at the overlook, Ellie hesitated, her curiosity piqued. She turned to Joel, inquiring about the events that had transpired. Joel swore to Ellie, his voice resolute, that everything he had said about the Fireflies and the raiders was the truth. Ellie mulled over his words, her expression a mix of confusion and acceptance, before finally nodding and saying, "Okay."
