Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 3.
Joel’s shocking death. After recovering from her wounds and being released from hospital, Ellie is informed that Joel has been buried with the rest of Jackson’s dead in a pasture a few miles outside town.
In the video game, Joel is buried within Jackson’s walls and Ellie stops by his grave before going to his house and grabbing his watch and his revolver. But in the TV show, she doesn’t visit his grave until she and Dina have snuck out of town and started their cross-country journey to Seattle. Under the gorgeous glow of the sunrise, Ellie takes a quiet moment of reflection at Joel’s graveside — and one key detail makes the scene even sadder than in the game.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Adds "Beloved Brother & Father" To Joel's Gravestone
In The Game, His Headstone Just Said "Joel Miller"
In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie’s visit to Joel’s grave is when it sinks in that he’s really gone. His death scene was so gruesome and intense that it was easy to get lost in the horror of the moment. But when the camera swoops down to show a grave plot adorned with flowers and a headstone that reads, “Joel Miller,” it’s impossible to deny the loss. But it doesn’t say anything else; the headstone only bears Joel’s name.
In the TV show, Joel’s grave has a heartbreaking epitaph: “Beloved brother and father.” This makes Ellie’s visit to Joel’s grave even sadder. A perfect summary of why he meant so much to her — and why his loss is so painful — is staring back at her. It makes the scene more personal than in the game, as does the fact that Ellie puts coffee beans on Joel’s grave, so his spirit can enjoy his favorite beverage.
Joel's Epitaph Highlights His Best Qualities In The Last Of Us
So Much Of This Storyline Focuses On The Worst Thing Joel Did
Image via Max
So much of The Last of Us’ Abby storyline focuses on the worst thing that Joel ever did: massacring the Fireflies, depriving humanity of a cure for Cordyceps, and, to top it all off, lying to Ellie about it. But this epitaph highlights Joel’s best qualities. He’s a fiercely protective brother to Tommy who would do anything to keep him safe, and he’s a good father to Ellie (and was a good father to Sarah). Joel might have been great at killing, but he was even better at being a dad.
The Last Of Us
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
Cast
Joel Miller
Ellie Williams
WHERE TO WATCH
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
- Creator(s)
- Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
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