Well….??? How about instead of just a cliffhanger, You get the ultimate cliffhanger?? An ending debated until the 2nd game came out lol

This finale had everything it needed to have. I was worried something would fall to the wayside. But nope, they hit all of those beats. They did, however, miss a few “collectible” type moments that cast doubt as to whether or not it would even work. There were 2 or 3 notes and 1 or 2 recordings that conflicted in the game. But I don’t know how they would’ve worked in this instance. When Joel realizes what’s going to happen to her, he wouldn’t have been able to read or hear a damn thing that could have changed his mind.

Seems pretty dumb of Marlene to tell him what was happening to her.

Good episode. The whole thing with Ellie's mom wasn't in the game but thought it was an interesting addition in an attempt to try and explain why Ellie is immune as well as Marlene's relationship to the Mom and Ellie. I'm not sure why she wasn't with her group and being chased by infected all alone but the scene still worked for me.

I didn't have a problem with Marlene telling Joel as she would have no idea that he became attached to Ellie over that time. It was just a job she hired him to do after all and she just knows him as a capable smuggler.

Surgeon wielding scalpel “I’m not going to let you” POP!

He should have shot the nurses too.

Stuff was said above but I re-watched the episode now that my kids are sleeping and wasn't watching it on my phone and that's quite the thing with Marlene giving Joel Ellie's knife near the end.

If you play the game you realize that is Ellie's first and superior weapon but in the show I'm fairly sure Marlene gives that to Ellie in the first episode. We later see in this episode Ellie's mom use it and give it to Marlene to give to Ellie so obviously that thing has huge sentimental value so I see no reason for Marlene after realizing that Joel deeply cares on the outcome of Ellie to actually give that knife to Joel. I'm not sure Joel knows or realizes it but why give that to Joel anyway? At the very least it will make him feel or think more of Ellie.

Overall an amazing show and season and I love that they adapted this to TV. Definitely a 9/10 for me. 2nd season should be a blast and I hope they hold to game script if only just to see how people handle it as I think this show will probably be one of the highest anticipated 2nd seasons in a long while.

I am not sure where they are going with the “is that the truth?” lie at the end. Not sure if I want season 2 to focus on fallout from Joel covering up what was going on.

Its the driver behind everything that happens in part 2

so did joel lie to ellie for a reason other than "so there's something for the show to do going forward"?


~6/10 show, pretty boring

Great season I thought but pretty meh finale.

The actress who played Ellie's mom played Ellie in the game. And she was a child actor and regular cast member on Growing Pains!

Damn good actress. They had her on the lates show pod.

Just like with Chernobyl, Mazin has great instincts and brilliant structure. Awesome season.

best you stick to "real" zombie shows. Couldnt have been made more obvious he knew shed sacrifice herself for the greater good and would possibly go back/leave him if he told her the truth.
He doesnt want to lose another daughter, ellie gives him a purpose to live again if u missed that too

Great finale, the backflash took too much of the runtime imo but thats a nitpick

First off, I liked this season a lot. I do, however, worry about sustainability going forward, as I can't get past the feeling that there can only be so many mini-arc episodes where we know Joel and Ellie won't die but everyone else will, before it gets stale. Yes, plenty of "high stakes" shows have had main characters who you were supposed to entertain could die but you knew never will - Sopranos and Breaking Bad come to mind - but when you're talking about a show which deals with characters who are always in motion set within an apocalyptic world.....I'm just not seeing the ability to keep us riveted.

I know if I was a pregnant lady the first thing I'd be doing is running around alone outside where there are monsters......................

And then I've gotta agree with housenuts, why even tell Joel what is happening to Ellie and risk the fate of humanity at all, just let the docs do the work and tell Joel he can't see her right now because they're drawing blood and running some tests with her.

Enjoyed most of the season but felt the finale was a little weak overall

Flat finale. I mean it was OK.

What city were they in that Giraffes were able to be out 365? I didn't think they were somewhere that warm. Not that it matters.

Show was solid. I’ll keep watching but I don’t think it lived up to the hype. Probably a 7.5/10 for me.

Same. Solid if unspectacular

e9:if I wanted to watch a mindless shoot'em up video game I don't need a sub to HBO max

I've only ever played the 3 Max Payne games, but hospital scene had some real "final mission of first person shooter" vibes

I'm dumbfounded that people have this take

yup felt very video game.

--

also didn't love the finale.

I didn't immediately love the finale, but it has digested well. Unpleasant though it was, it tied back in well with what the rest of the season had built up to. Granting that I'm left unsettled with this new reality that the show has to operate within in terms of the Joel/Ellie relationship, I'm still intrigued to see where it goes.

i'm in the 'i wasn't initially blown away but that's still a lot to think about' camp.
perhaps i'm simply becoming more familiar with her and it's skewing my perspective, but Bella Ramsey sure appears to be more confident in her acting chops over the past couple of episodes.

My favorite part, dude straight up thought charging him with a scalpel would scare him off.

Hard to live up to the episode before

Felt very cliche for Marlene to tell her henchmen to "walk Joel back to the highway". As soon as she said that, it was 100% obvious he'd kill the 2 guards and come back to save Ellie. Why not just tie/lock him up until the surgery was over? And to not even tie up his hands or anything while they're walking him out? I mean, I know movie villains are usually dumb and can't shoot anyone even at point blank range while the hero can kill every bad guy with a single shot... but the whole hospital sequence definitely strained belief.

I did like the relationship between Ellie and Joel and I think the show was good overall.