Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 1 and the original game.The Last of Us co-showrunner Craig Mazin explains why episode 1 of the HBO series ended with that particular 1980s song. Adapted from the seminal video game of the same name, the premiere of The Last of Us waits until it's nearing the end to bring Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) together. As the series sets up for the next chapter, the reluctant duo and Tess (Anna Torv) work to leave their quarantine zone in Boston in order to head west. Just as they seem to be making progress, and stepping through a broken fence, "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode leads viewers into the closing credits.
During an interview on HBO's official podcast for The Last of Us, Mazin spoke about why he and game creator Neil Druckmann chose the 1987 song to end the first episode.
Mazin explained that the Last of Us video game series had a tradition of using songs from that decade. He also noted that the source material had a way of taking things that are bright and cheerful and then managing to give them a dark undertone. In the quote below, Mazin sheds light on the search for a song that sounded upbeat while containing darkness lyrically:
“There is a grand tradition of 80s music in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II, and ’80s means trouble’. I love that line, because one of the things that Neil has done so beautifully at Naughty Dog is hurt you for the things you love and taking things that are bright and beautiful and cheery and optimistic, and giving them this dark undertone. A lot of 80s music is chipper and fun but with this, I was looking an up-tempo 80s song that had a darkness to it lyrically. What ’Never Let Me Down Again’ is about is ‘I’m taking a ride with my best friend’ - he was singing about drugs, it was a song about addiction. Well, Ellie’s about to take a ride with her best friend and Joel is a dangerous man. Joel’s about to take a ride with his best friend, he doesn’t know she’s his best friend yet. She’s a dangerous little girl. Now, the point is, you’re ’never gonna let me down’? They are gonna let each other down, and then they’re not, and then they are, and then they’re not. That thought was a really interesting way in.”
How The Last of Us Incorporates Popular Bands Like Depeche Mode
"Never Let Me Down" by Depeche Mode is not the only time that the Last of Us episode 1 uses music to its favor. Dido's "White Flag" and Avril Lavinge's "I'm with You" are heard faintly in the background of the opening 2003 scenes. It's a pleasant jolt of nostalgia that's a bit unexpected, given the current focus that many shows have on the 1990s. It's also perfect for an initial sense of easy happiness, which viewers know will be short-lived. There's also a later scene between Ellie and Joel, which points to the significance music has on the story. Beyond just evoking a certain time period, Mazin points out the duel meaning of lyrics like "I’m taking a ride with my best friend."
The Last of Us Show Is So Far An Extremely Accurate Adaptation of the Game
There is nowhere that The Last of Us shows its fidelity to the game more than in the crushing death scene of Sarah (Nico Parker). For those who played the game, the scene is a startling recreation of the moment that helped set Joel on the path that he is currently on and it's made all the more moving by Parker's performance. In a relatively short period of time, Parker manages to make Sarah feel like a complete character. The show, as a whole, drives home that it's just the first of many horrors to come. The accuracy is also evident in other moments, such as the chaotic scenes in 2003 just as the outbreak is turning everything into mayhem.
Mazin has said in interviews, leading up to the debut of The Last of Us, that he's not interested in necessarily dragging the story out simply for the sake of doing so. Along with the cast and crew and co-showrunner Druckmann, there's already a wealth of narrative that the adaptation has at its disposal. In the following weeks, audiences will get to see where the series diverges and where it remains faithful.