The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 6 Flashbacks Timeline Explained

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season 2, episode 6.

In episode 6 of The Last of Us season 2, we predominantly delve into flashback sequences that span an extensive timeframe, except for the concluding scenes which transport us back to rainy Seattle and the theater. For the most part, this episode unfolds in the past. Pedro Pascal’s character Joel is reintroduced to reveal how his bond with Ellie deteriorated over the years, from his initial lie about the Fireflies until the start of season 2. Much like in the video game, these flashbacks serve as a refreshing respite amidst Ellie’s relentless pursuit for vengeance.

The episode comprises a series of six flashbacks, presented one after the other, that mark crucial points in Ellie’s journey. These flashbacks offer insights into her past, ranging from 1983 to 2028. Each flashback has its own dramatic and thematic importance, showing how Ellie transitioned from a sweet, innocent child to a vengeful figure who lost her humanity while torturing Nora. This transformation is most evident when we realize that the brutal act she committed during this critical moment in her journey was a result of her longing for revenge stemming from the loss of her father and her subsequent journey to Washington.

Young Joel In Austin, Texas – 1983

Joel Has A Heart-To-Heart With His Dad

In the opening scene of The Last of Us season 2, episode 6, we’re taken back to 1983, two decades before the outbreak. Here, we meet Joel and Tommy’s father, portrayed by Tony Dalton. When Tommy gets into trouble, Joel defends his brother from a beating by their father. Later, in a heartfelt conversation, Joel’s dad expresses hope that he will improve upon his parenting skills compared to past generations. This scene foreshadows the main theme of this episode: Joel’s struggles as a father to Ellie.

Ellie’s 15th Birthday – 2024

Joel Gives Ellie Her Guitar

In the upcoming flashback sequence, we find ourselves at Ellie’s 15th birthday celebration in 2024, approximately two months following Joel and Ellie’s arrival in Jackson. Joel retrieves a birthday cake from Seth, but his mood sours as he notices that “Eli” – rather than Ellie – is written on the icing. In the series, it’s revealed that Tommy brings Ellie home with a chemical burn on her arm, a disguise for her bitemark so she could wear short sleeves once more. This event transpired off-screen in the game; it was mentioned but not shown how it occurred. The TV show expounds upon Ellie’s role that day as she was responsible for cleaning the kitchen (K.P. duty).

During Ellie’s arm healing process, Joel exhibits a homemade cake and gifts her a personally crafted guitar as a present. Intrigued, Ellie requests Joel to perform something, and he serenades her with an enchanting acoustic version of Pearl Jam’s “Future Days.” This scene mirrors the game’s beginning but offers a unique twist; the difference being that Joel made this guitar himself rather than discovering it in an abandoned dwelling, enhancing its emotional significance to him. This scene explains why listening to the guitar song makes Ellie emotional in the present, following Joel’s demise, and why she played “Future Days” at the theater.

Ellie’s 16th Birthday – 2025

Joel Takes Ellie To A Science Museum

A little over a year after Ellie’s 16th birthday, Joel takes her to a science museum as a special treat. There, she scales a towering T. rex statue, tinkers with a diorama of the cosmos, and even steps into a replica space capsule. In this capsule, Joel presents her with a real gift – a recording of the launch of the Apollo 11 shuttle. With her eyes closed, Ellie immerses herself in what is arguably the closest approximation she’ll ever get to living her dream of venturing into space, as depicted in one of the most touching scenes from the game. This scene closely mirrors a heartwarming sequence straight from the video game, even including Ellie’s aspirations for space travel.

During Ellie’s storyline centered around revenge, it often highlights Joel’s most significant errors. However, their museum visit, capped off by an exceptional birthday gift, underscores Joel’s finest traits – he is indeed a wonderful father. Regrettably, on their return journey, Ellie recalls her mistrust towards Joel as they encounter fireflies flitting through the woods.

Ellie’s 17th Birthday – 2026

Ellie Moves Into The Garage

A year after Ellie’s 17th birthday, Joel unexpectedly finds Ellie in a romantic embrace with her girlfriend Kat during noon hours, and Kat has even given Ellie a tattoo. Joel mishandles this situation, leading to Ellie packing her belongings and moving them into the garage as an act of defiance. At first, Joel opposes this, but eventually yields. He persuades Ellie to remain in the house for a while so he can make the garage comfortable with heat and electricity. However, he acknowledges that it could be beneficial for her to have her own space, indicating the emergence of tension between them.

Ellie’s 19th Birthday – 2028

Joel Takes Ellie On Her First Patrol

Two years later, during Ellie’s 19th birthday, Joel eventually concedes and allows Ellie to join the patrol team. On their first patrol together, they are summoned to aid Eugene, who had been bitten by an infected. Eugene wished to return to town and bid farewell to Gail before he transformed, believing he still had time. Joel instructed Ellie to fetch the horses and promised to honor Eugene’s request. However, upon her return with the horses, Joel had already killed Eugene. This incident made Ellie suspicious of Joel’s honesty and led her to believe that he might have been deceiving her about the Fireflies.

New Year’s Eve – December 31, 2028

Ellie Starts To Forgive Joel

From my point of view, the final flashback in this episode unfolds at the New Year’s Eve party from the start of the season, nine months after Eugene’s demise. This time, we witness the events as they transpired through Joel’s eyes. Following the encounter with Seth, Ellie visits Joel on his porch. In the game, this scene is divided into two separate flashbacks. However, the TV series merges these flashbacks into a single scene. In the game, Ellie insists that Joel reveals the truth about the Fireflies’ past actions, and she vows to try to forgive him the night before his death on his porch. But in the show, this promise of forgiveness is delivered during a combined, unified flashback.

In making the decision to simplify the narrative structure of the game for its television adaptation, it was an economical choice, but it potentially lessens the impact of certain scenes by merging them too closely together. In the original game, Ellie has ample time to come to terms with the truth before she embarks on her journey towards forgiveness. However, in episode 6 of The Last of Us, this process is compressed from years to mere moments, which might give the impression that Ellie’s forgiveness occurs too quickly. Despite this, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey deliver moving performances throughout the episode, particularly during the flashback scenes.

2025-05-19 05:38