“It Was Just Gratuitous but Lovely and Human” – ‘The Last of Us’ Showrunner Voices the Significance of Ellie’s Joke Book in the Series

HBO series ‘The Last of Us‘ has been unanimously accepted as one of the greatest series. Based on Naughty Dog’s video game title, ‘The Last of Us’, the series has created records at every turn. While the fans were utterly thrilled to see Pedro Pascal’s Mario skit in SNL, Ellie’s joke book surprised the viewers.

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s performances in ‘The Last of Us’ impressed the viewers. Till now, the characters of Joel and Ellie have yet to reach the friendly of sharing a smile. Surprisingly, the inkling of their friendship is done by Ellie’s book. Thus, the show’s creators have voiced its significance in the story.

The joke book in The Last of Us does the job of showing the developing relationship between Ellie and Joel

Those who have watched episode 4 of the series would’ve come across a book in the hands of Ellie. The book, “No Pun Intended: Volume Too” by Will Livingstone carries many puzzling jokes. The book exists in the game and is also in the series. Following the book’s introduction, one would notice that Joel smiles as Ellie cites jokes from the book.

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Amid a post-apocalyptic world, Joel and Ellie are seen sharing a laugh together. But the book carries more meaning than making the duo laugh out loud. As stated by TLOU showrunner Craig Mazin, the book tends to display the change in the relationship of Ellie and Joel from strangers out in the wild for specific reasons to dear friends.

As reported by the media organization Collider, Mazin said, “I loved it. I remember in the game, being shocked that the game was suddenly offering me this thing that had no benefit for the game, at all. That’s what I loved about it, that it was just gratuitous but lovely and human, it was saying ‘you don’t need eyes on the back of your head, get ready to run or shoot at any moment’ but that you can take the time to stop, look around, experience the beauty of the world that had been created.”

Moreover, he said, “What Neil and I agreed on when discussing its inclusion, it’s not just something that emerges dynamically and goes away when you’re pausing the game, we thought ‘what can we do with this joke book that comments on their relationship as it changes?” Thus, the book’s addition was indeed crucial to depict the duo’s relationship as the survival goes ahead.

Inspired by Ellie’s book, why did the scarecrow earn a medal? If you know the answer, do tell us in the comments below.

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