The general form of “The Final of Us” congeals extra in its season 1 finale, the place we see how Joel and Ellie now parallel Henry and Sam. Joel is prepared to do something to maintain Ellie secure, even when it means massacring individuals and dooming the remainder of humanity by depriving it of the potential remedy Ellie’s immune mind may present. Elsewhere, Craig Mazin and “The Final of Us” co-showrunner and sport co-creator Neil Druckmann have stated that the collection is about the hazards of unconditional love. Druckmann instructed Empire that Henry and Sam’s deaths hammer house to Joel the significance of defending Ellie since she’s change into his solely purpose for dwelling. “It was necessary to indicate that in the event you lose her, you lose. That is it,” he stated.

The finale additionally reveals that Joel beforehand tried to take his personal life after shedding his daughter early within the Cordyceps outbreak. Mazin stated this revelation initially got here earlier in season 1, and it could have seen Henry dwell to bury his brother, solely to depart Joel with some bleak departing phrases:

“It is the following morning, they bury Sam, and Henry basically tells Joel, ‘You are able to do no matter you need, attempt as onerous as you possibly can, however she’s gonna die. There is not any f***ing level.’ That was really the second the place Joel initially revealed that he himself had tried suicide and failed. And Henry’s like, ‘No, you are an fool, you must have performed it.’ However it was really even darker and extra disturbing that approach.”

This ending tells, fairly than reveals, the peril and pointlessness of defending a beloved one at the price of one’s soul, however whether or not it is actually darker is as much as the viewer to resolve. “The Final of Us” season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max. Season 2 is within the works — this is what to anticipate, in response to Mazin and Druckmann.