“The Last of Us” Finale – Was Joel’s Actions Right Or Wrong?

Debate Over Joel’s Actions Ignited by “The Last Of Us” Finale

If you haven’t watched The Last of Us season finale (or played the game), beware of spoilers ahead!

The Last of Us is a TV series that has recently aired its season finale. In the episode, Joel and Ellie were bonding and feeding a giraffe before Joel was hit on the head. He wakes up in a hospital where Marlene tells him that they are about to operate on Ellie’s brain to extract a cure from her, which would kill her in the process.

Joel disagrees with this idea and goes on a killing spree to rescue Ellie, killing dozens of Fireflies and the doctor who was going to perform the operation. He lies to Ellie, telling her that raiders attacked the hospital and that there are many other people like her with immunity.

At the end of the episode, Joel doubles down on his lie, but Ellie appears to see through it. Some viewers view Joel’s actions as selfish and monstrous, as he may have been trying to avoid dealing with his trauma from losing Sarah.

However, others pointed out flaws in Marlene’s plans, such as the fact that there has never been a vaccine for a fungal infection and that the doctor’s ability to perform such a complex operation and create a cure using outdated medical technology is questionable. Moreover, Marlene didn’t ask for Ellie’s consent, possibly out of fear that she would refuse.

Living in a post-apocalyptic world where life is uncertain, one might consider sacrificing one person to save humanity. Nevertheless, The Last of Us raises moral and ethical questions about the value of human life and the use of medical research in a world where resources are scarce.