# The Last of Us - tv show discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [January 16, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314 "2023-01-16T16:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/443 "2023-03-21T12:33:43Z")
You can stealth about 90% of it. However, there’s no way to avoid killing the doctor, and since he’s the only guy who knows how to make the vaccine then there’s really not a lot of point, narratively speaking, in stealthing the rest of it. ---
**Author:** ![Unforgiven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7bcc69/32.png) [@Unforgiven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unforgiven)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/444 "2023-03-21T20:06:29Z")
Based on other responses, my opinion may not be a popular one… Joel was absolutely right to lie to Ellie once he had rescued her. There was no need to force that level of responsibility and guilt on a child. As others have said, he saved her because he loved her and that was done for himself. The lie was an act of selflessness, done just for her. So she could be at peace. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/445 "2023-03-21T20:13:42Z")
Well yeah, after the fact lying was the only option. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/446 "2023-03-21T20:17:07Z")
> [@Unforgiven](#): > > Based on other responses, my opinion may not be a popular one… > > Joel was absolutely right to lie to Ellie once he had rescued her. There was no need to force that level of responsibility and guilt on a child. As others have said, he saved her because he loved her and that was done for himself. The lie was an act of selflessness, done just for her. So she could be at peace. Interesting data point from the show podcast that aligns with how I assumed things went. Neil, Craig and Ashley all uniformly believed that as written and delivered, Ellie’s response to Joel’s lie, “OK,” was an acceptance that she’s aware that Joel has just lied to her and that their relationship has just changed to one where honesty is no longer necessarily the first principle between them. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/447 "2023-03-21T23:05:38Z")
> [@Unforgiven](#): > > The lie was an act of selflessness, done just for her. So she could be at peace. Or it was done in an attempt to salvage the relationship for himself. > [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Ellie’s response to Joel’s lie, “OK,” was an acceptance that she’s aware that Joel has just lied to her and that their relationship has just changed to one where honesty is no longer necessarily the first principle between them. This might be a very slight difference, but I took it as “You just lied to me, but I’m going to pretend you didn’t.” I thought she was going to attempt the keep the relationship the same through active denial vs working dishonesty into her thought process. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/448 "2023-03-21T23:09:21Z")
I get that. And I think they mentioned that in the podcast as one of the two possible outcomes. In no way does she believe Joel, but there’s “You lied and I’m going to pretend you didn’t as you must have had a reason” and “You lied and I now trust you less.” Having played the second game, I lean toward the latter interpretation, but both are valid. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/449 "2023-03-22T00:24:40Z")
> [@Unforgiven](#): > > The lie was an act of selflessness, done just for her. So she could be at peace. I think the lie is also because Joel knows that given the choice Ellie would sacrifice herself. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/450 "2023-03-22T13:31:59Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > I think the lie is also because Joel knows that given the choice Ellie would sacrifice herself. That was no longer an option when he lied to her though. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314/451 "2023-03-22T17:19:19Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > That was no longer an option when he lied to her Yeah, but my thought was the difference between telling Ellie “I rescued you from the saviors of the human race,” and “I rescued you from some mad scientists.” The first could ruin the relationship, but the second is plausible deniability, even if neither of them believe it, and they both know the other doesn’t really believe it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-last-of-us-tv-show-discussion/978314.md?page=22)