Everything About The Shot Of Joel And Sarah Is So Tender, Given The Circumstances. Joel Just Murdered

everything about the shot of joel and sarah is so tender, given the circumstances. joel just murdered someone for the first time out of defense and he’s holding her face so gently to reassure her of it, that they’re going to be okay. and the way that she’s holding his arms too, ever so gently but enough to just maintain contact, to know that he’s there, to hold on to him in these moments of fear. his state is intense, but he’s not showing any fear or sign of wavering. he has to be strong for her, it’s what she needs to see.

the shot of joel and ellie is so… desperate. he’s holding her face in the same way as the first shot, but you can tell it’s firmer by the way ellie’s ear and cheek are slightly squished. he’s working hard to steady her, but it’s not overly forceful. she’s grabbing on to his jacket, and once again it’s not a forceful grip but it’s just enough to know that he’s there. and his stare. there is fear and concern written all over it. he’s not hiding anything anymore. he’s showing her what she needs to see, albeit not intentionally. he’s someone who cares deeply for her and was and is concerned about her. he’s desperate for her to see that he is there in that moment and he is there for her, in the way an adult should be. in the way she deserves someone to be.

i’m just in awe at how the shots are so similar but so different and so appropriate to who these people are with each other. it’s parallels 101 but i just think the execution was phenomenal down to the little details and i wanted to appreciate that.

to get even more specific to the father-daughterisms of the shot of joel and ellie: i know joel has had that coat for many episodes and ellie’s been wearing that sweatshirt for who knows how long but i just think that the fact that the colors/tones are so similar that they’re almost matching is so, almost like, family-photo-esque? the way people will wear something similar but different in family portraits to show coordination but also differentiate. they’re not trying to show joel and ellie as being the same, but rather as being connected to each other, being family. i don’t know if that’s intentional but it’s how i see this. the second father-daughterism is the blood on both of their hands. the blood on joel’s hand is slightly older so it blends in a little more with ellie, but it’s still visible. but the blood on ellie’s hands is still fresh and sticks out more. both are a testament to their relationship to violence. the blood on joel’s hands which are holding ellie, show the purpose of his violence, to get back to ellie. but the blood on ellie’s hands that are moreso just clinging to him, clinging to something, because she was fighting for her life. her violence was for survival. yes, the blood was there because how could they not be covered in blood, but it can mean so much more if you choose to see it that way. these two birds of a feather, these beings so different yet so similar with this connection that runs so much deeper than they even know. i just think that depicting their relationship and its intricacies in these subtle ways is so powerful

how it started

how it’s going

Can we talk about the fact Joel was literally wasting precious ammo just so he could teach Ellie how to shoot? And he didn't give a damn because it made his kid excited and he was just happy to have these moments with her? Yeah, no, I'm totally fine about this.

BELLA RAMSEY as ELLIE WILLIAMS THE LAST OF US | 1x02, 'Infected'

i am thinking about the changes to ellie’s response to killing david in the game versus the show. i think both are extremely valid reactions but there’s something about the disassociation and numbness she displays in the show that is extra heartbreaking. especially when you consider how this event changes ellie forever. and i was trying to think of how this trauma affects who she is in the second game, and i think i realized that the show is going to draw an absolutely devastating parallel between this moment and the moment she tortures nora. after she tortures nora in the game, she goes back to dina shaking, unable to get words out, covered in blood, and dina has to comfort her. just like what happened in episode 8. it’s all the more devastating when you realize the interrogation tactics ellie used are possibly ones that she learned from joel. joel is not there to emotionally comfort her like he did after she killed david, but in a twisted way he was there when she interrogated nora. it’s an excellent away of highlighting the dark parts of joel and ellie’s relationship, which i think the show is doing very well with (and much more than the games). and it’s a devastating way to highlight how the things ellie is doing are affecting her. this parallel is going to Hurt

THE LAST OF US | 1.01 “When You’re Lost in the Darkness” THE LAST OF US | 1.09 “Look for the Light”