Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 6!
The Last of Usseason 2, episode 6 finally features the museum flashback scene, and here are the eight biggest changes between the HBO series andThe Last of Us Part II. Episode 6 sees the HBO series take a break from the tense Seattle revenge story, with it instead focusing on several flashback scenes involving Ellie and Joel. Some of these flashback sequences are unique toHBO’sThe Last of Us, such as Eugene’s death, while others are ripped straight from the game, such as the museum scene. Despite this, the scene does feature some big changes.
Most ofThe Last of Us' flashback scenes throughout episode 6 are focused onEllie’s various birthdays between seasons 1 and 2. The museum scene is one of the most memorable ones from episode 6, with Joel taking Ellie on a surprise trip as a gift. Eventually, the duo arrive at their destination: a space and history museum. Ellie explores the museum before Joel takes her to a space capsule. Ellie puts on an astronaut helmet and gets inside the shuttle, where Joel gives her a tape featuring real audio of a rocket launch.
8Ellie’s Litter Of Kittens Gag Is Different
It Is More Of A Joke In The Show
Both HBO’sThe Last of UsandThe Last of Us Part IIshow Joel and Ellie walking to the museum before they arrive, with Joel keeping it a surprise. On the way there, Ellie attempts to guess what the surprise is. In the game,she asks Joel if it is “a lot of kittens,“with Joel teaching her by saying that it is a “litter.” This is slightly changed in the show. In episode 6, Ellie asks if it is “a lotter of kittens,” with Joel saying “litter” to correct her. This changes it from a moment of teaching to a more humorous gag.
7Ellie & Joel Talk About Ellie Going On Patrol In The Show
Setting Up The Eugene Flashback
Ellie and Joel’s conversation on the way to the museum is also different. In the game, Ellie spends most of the trip guessing what the surprise is. In the show, however, the conversation is a little more relevant to the broader story. Before they arrive, Ellie begs Joel to let her go on patrol, something she had apparently been asking about for a while. They also talk about Ellie’s love life, withJoel asking if Ellie has feelings for Jesse.
This change is meant to set up the episode’s next flashback, in which Ellie and Joel are actually on patrol. Since the structure of these flashbacks is different in the show than they are in the game,it makes sense to better connect the museum scene to the arcs from throughout the rest of the episode.
6Joel Doesn’t Push Ellie In A Creek In The Show
They Simply Walk To The Museum
Ellie and Joel also take a different route when getting to the museum. The duo have to walk on some precarious paths, although they are never in any real danger. At one point, Joel pushes Ellie into the water. She manages to get back to the surface,showing that she has learned to swim since the events of the firstThe Last of Us. Joel comments on how her swimming is improving, making this seem like an impromptu swimming lesson.
When Ellie gets out of the water, she gets Joel back by pushing him in. Joel explains that they have to swim to get to the museum anyway, with Ellie getting back in. None of this is in the HBO show, with them walking to the museum while avoiding any water.
5Ellie & Joel Explore More Exhibits In The Game
The Dinosaurs Aren’t In The Show
Ellie and Joel’s time in the museum is also less fleshed out in theHBO show than it is inThe Last of Us Part II. In the HBO show, the episode simply cuts from the duo being outside the museum to them being at the solar system exhibit. In the game, however, they explore a lot more exhibits. The game explains that the museum is a space and history museum, with it being littered with dinosaur exhibits upon entry. Ellie and Joel spend a lot of time looking at dinosaur fossils, with Ellie showing that she is just as interested in dinosaurs as she is in space.
The dinosaurs are completely cut from HBO’sThe Last of Us, with the flashback just focusing on the space side. This is probably because prominently featuring both of Ellie’s interests is a bit redundant, and the same character beats can be hit with just the space scene.
4Joel Fixed The Solar System Exhibit Before Ellie’s Arrival
Showing How Much He Cares
HBO’sThe Last of Usalso establishes that Joel has put more effort into his birthday surprise for Ellie. Both versions of the scene feature a solar system exhibit, in which each of the planets is hung from metal pipes. By turning a crank, the planets revolve around the sun, showing the real rotation of the solar system. In the game, Ellie simply turns the crank, with her and Joel talking about the names of each planet.
The show does things slightly differently. When Ellie turns the crank, the solar system works. However, a loud creaking noise can be heard. Ellie exclaims that she is surprised that it works, with Joel responding “Somebody must have greased it.” This implies thatJoel visited the museum and prepared the exhibit before Ellie’s arrival, adding a bit more care to the birthday gift.
3Ellie Has To Break Glass To Get The Astronaut’s Helmet
She Just Grabs It In The Game
After the solar system exhibit,Ellie and Joel arrive at the space capsule, the most famous exhibit from the museum scene. Before she gets in, Joel tells Ellie to get an astronaut helmet from one of the space suit exhibits. In the game, Ellie simply runs over to a stand and grabs a helmet. Things are a bit more complicated in the show.Ellie has to get a rock and throw it through glass, with the space suits being behind a glass case. She is then able to get the helmet and enter the capsule. This change doesn’t do much, but it does make the blocking a bit more dynamic.
2Ellie & Joel Explore More After The Capsule Scene In The Game
In HBO’sThe Last of Us, the episode simply cuts to Ellie and Joel walking back to Jackson after the space capsule scene. However, there is a lot more inThe Last of Us Part II. In the game, Ellie and Joel explore more of the museum as they are preparing to leave. The duo looks at the gift shop, sees some more exhibits, and even encounters a wild boar.
Before leaving, they make a horrifying discovery.Ellie finds a Firefly symbolthat has been painted on the wall of a museum. She also finds a note from the Firefly who painted it. The note explains that the Fireflies have disbanded, failing at their original mission to make the world better. The Firefly returned to the museum because their parents used to take them when they were young. Sadly, the body of the Firefly is seen next to the note.
1Ellie Sees A Tree Stump Surrounded By Fireflies As She Is Leaving The Museum
Making The Firefly Mention More Subtle
None of the Firefly stuff from the end of the museum scene inThe Last of Us Part IIis seen in the HBO series. However, there is a reminder of them. As Ellie and Joel are walking back to Jackson, Ellie stops, noticing something. Eventually, she rejoins Joel. The camera shows us what Ellie saw: a tree stump surrounded by fireflies. While this isn’t aremnant of the literal Firely group, it acts as a reminder to Ellie, showing that the events ofThe Last of Usseason 1 finale are always on her mind.
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The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
