The Last of Us finale leaves fans in state of emotional turmoil just like its game

The Last of Us TV series adds new scenes and details that were not present in the game, such as Ellie’s birth and the events that led to her immunity. The show also expands upon Joel’s backstory, revealing that he had attempted suicide after his daughter Sarah’s death and that he was now saving Ellie’s life partly to save his own. These new elements enhance the story without detracting from the game’s core narrative.

Despite these new details, the show remains true to the game’s core story. Joel’s decision to save Ellie at humanity’s expense and his subsequent deception of her about what he did remained the focal point of the show’s ending. The show’s creators, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, knew when to leave the source material untouched and when to add new elements to enhance the story.

The Last of Us TV series is an exceptional adaptation that succeeds in translating the game’s narrative to a new medium while adding something new to the story. The show’s attention to detail and faithfulness to the source material is evident in the way it preserves the crucial elements of the game’s story while adding new details that enrich the story without detracting from the main plot.

In an interview, Craig and Neil revealed that they had been thinking about Anna’s story since the first The Last of Us game. Druckmann had written a script for an animated short about Anna’s birth, which could potentially have been developed into a whole other game. When those plans fell through, Druckmann considered a live-action short starring Ashley Johnson as Anna.

Eventually, the idea resurfaced as part of a conversation between Druckmann and Mazin during the making of the HBO series. Mazin described the scene as one of the most fulfilling moments of their collaboration, as it created a genetic connection between Johnson’s performance as Anna and Bella Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie.