In Episode 6 of Season 2 of The Last of Us, Joel Miller returns through flashbacks that delve into his past and his relationship with Ellie. The episode highlights Joel’s experience as a teenager in 1983 with his father, touching on themes of violence and inheritance of behavior. It follows the story of his adopted daughter, Ellie, celebrating her birthdays from ages 15 to 19 in the safety of Jackson, reflecting their deepening bond alongside the challenges of adolescence amidst an apocalypse. The narrative captures moments of joy, growth, and the complexities of teenage life.
From there, the episode tracks a string of Ellie's birthdays, from 15 to 19, and the ways Joel finds to celebrate his adopted daughter while living in the relative safety of Jackson.
Things actually begin with an even deeper flashback to Joel's own days as a teenager in Austin, Texas, 1983: Joel and younger brother Tommy know they're about to get in trouble with their father.
I hope you do a little better than me, he tells Joel, about his own future as a parent - words that clearly stick with him for the decades that follow.
Age 17 is less rosy, as Joel catches Ellie doing 'all the teenage stuff at once' - drugs and fooling around with girls and getting a tattoo to cover up her scar.
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