Spoiler Alert: Spoilers follow for The Last of Us, Season 2, episode 6Somehow, Joel returned… technically in flashback, but still, it’s nice to see him. The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6 has been touted by the cast and crew as a standout for the series, and it more than lives up to the hype. It’s easily the season’s best installment, even though it’s the lightest on action; like many of the show’s best episodes, namely “Long, Long Time”, it functions as a beautiful standalone story that works amazingly on its own terms.

It also delivers the moment that both franchise newcomers and fans of the original game have been dreading: Ellie learns the truth about Joel’s actions in the Firefly hospital. It’s every inch the emotional gut punch we were anticipating, arguably even more so than in the game. The revelation is given additional heft by tying into the mystery of what happened with Gail’s husband, Eugene. Yet the show also includes an additional scene to end the episode on, and it’s one that we certainly weren’t expecting this early.

‘The Last of Us’ Gave Us a Climactic Moment Incredibly Early

Throughout The Last of Us Part II, players are treated to flashbacks to key moments in Joel and Ellie’s relationship, but they specifically focus on how they gradually grew apart following the events of the first game. Ellie became increasingly rebellious, much to Joel’s clear dismay. When she finally learned the truth about the hospital massacre, it was a breaking point, as she went out of her way to distance herself from him.

By the time Joel is killed, we’ve been led to believe that Ellie’s final interaction with him was a negative one. But the very last scene of the game reveals that wasn’t the case: the night before his death, Joel finally admits the truth about his actions to Ellie, noting that while he feels remorse, he would do it all over again if given the chance. Ellie tells him, “I don’t think I can ever forgive you for that. But I would like to try.”

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The scene’s placement in the game makes it even more devastating, and it also lends a weird irony to the story, as it comes at the end of Ellie’s revenge quest (which we won’t spoil here). After everything she’s been through, we sense that while she may not forgive Joel for his actions, she at least understands why he was willing to inflict violence on others to protect a loved one, as she’s now experienced that herself.

So it was incredibly surprising to see this week’s new episode of The Last of Us depict that very scene, faithfully recreated almost line for line from the game. It’s a moment that still hits every bit as hard emotionally, and as always, Pedro Pascal and especially Bella Ramsey knock it out of the park. But we can’t help but feel this decision might’ve robbed the show of potential catharsis for its eventual ending.

Why Did ‘The Last of Us’ Include This Scene Early?

Of course, television is a completely different medium, and the storytelling requirements need to fulfill different needs than they do for a video game. One of the best things about the TV incarnation of The Last of Us is that Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have changed things when necessary, while taking advantage of a bigger canvas to expand upon the original story. Arguably, most of their changes have been for the better.

Many of the show’s best episodes (hello, Bill and Frank) have taken advantage of another one of the medium’s inherent strengths to stunning effect. The episodes work first and foremost as episodes; each installment tells a fully contained story that works on its own terms even while placed in a bigger narrative, and it doesn’t feel like yet another “X-hour movie”. And that’s a huge part of why Sunday’s newest episode hits as hard as it does.

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Druckmann and Mazin have effectively told a short story about how Joel and Ellie’s relationship deteriorated, and it’s so devastating because it’s almost entirely self-contained and focused. So, on the one hand, it makes sense why they chose to include the final moment of reconciliation between them, as it feels like a natural ending to said story. Additionally, the tragic irony of the flashback isn’t entirely lost on us, as the episode’s final moments return to present-day Ellie, after she’s arguably experienced a point of no return.

Nonetheless, it still raises questions about how Druckmann and Mazin could end the show now, as they’ve already pulled the trigger on the game’s emotional climax. Now that Ellie seemingly understands the emotions that drove Joel to bloodlust, what other realization could she hit when her revenge quest reaches its endpoint? Of course, considering their track record so far, we have faith that Druckmann and Mazin can figure something out and deliver an emotionally satisfying conclusion. The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.