Having Tony Dalton appear in literally any project is a treat, but I'm not sure if season 2, episode 6's opening scene was effective as they intended it to be. I understand that it demonstrates a cycle of parenting, showing how Joel would want to improve over the areas where his father failed, but it felt like a sort of contrived, last-minute way to build additional sympathy for him. I think the course of the episode's Joel and Ellie scenes could have built that same emotional strength in a more authentic way.
