Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 5.
In a gaggle of stalkers (and Jesse!), Ellie takes a moment to play a few notes on a guitar she finds on the stage in their theater hideout.
This scene is a stark contrast to the scene at the music store last week. When Ellie played a beautiful acoustic rendition of a-Ha’s “Take on Me” for Dina, she seemed happy. But when she plays a single line of “Future Days” by Pearl Jam on stage at the theater, she seems much more upset and melancholic. What was it about that particular song that made Ellie so sad? If she could play “Take on Me” with a smile, why did “Future Days” make her so emotional that she had to stop?
Ellie Playing Pearl Jam's "Future Days" On The Guitar In The Last Of Us Season 2 Heavily Connects To Joel
It's The First Song That Joel Played For Ellie When They Got To Jackson
The song that Ellie starts to play in the theater in The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 is Pearl Jam’s “Future Days.” This song has a subtle connection within the TV show — “Future Days” was the title of the season 2 premiere episode — but it has a much bigger and much deeper connection to the video game. The Last of Us Part II opens with Joel picking up a guitar to give to Ellie so he can fulfill his promise to teach her how to play.
Every time Ellie picks up a guitar, she plays the opening chords of “Future Days” and thinks of Joel.
“Future Days” is the first song Joel plays for Ellie when he drops off the guitar. It becomes a recurring motif throughout the game. Every time Ellie picks up a guitar, she plays the opening chords of “Future Days” and thinks of Joel. That’s why Ellie gets so sad and melancholic when she plays the song on stage at the theater. Those chords and those lyrics remind her of Joel, and remind her that she’s lost him.
“Future Days” came out in 2013, so it technically shouldn’t exist in The Last of Us TV show’s timeline, but it ties in so perfectly with the story’s themes that the producers decided to use it anyway.
The lyrics of “Future Days” tie in closely with the themes of The Last of Us Part II (and, by extension, The Last of Us season 2). The opening line sums it up perfectly: “If I ever were to lose you, I’d surely lose myself.” When Joel first sang those words to Ellie, he was expressing how much she meant to him — and, in a subtle way, why he refused to let the Fireflies kill her to create a cure. When Ellie sings it, she’s reflecting on losing Joel and, in the ruthless pursuit of revenge, losing herself.
Ellie Struggles To Play "Future Days" Following Joel's Death In The Last Of Us
The Reminder Of Joel Is Too Painful
Ever since Joel died, Ellie has been repressing her feelings and holding back a healthy grieving process. She’s so fixated on finding Abby and killing her — often at the expense of the people she loves — because she thinks that’ll make her feel better. Much like Abby, Ellie believes that avenging her late father will ease the pain of his death. Until then, she can’t bear to talk about Joel or even think about him for too long. That’s why she can’t make it through much of “Future Days” before getting upset.
As Ellie plays the first couple of bars of “Future Days,” her sadness seems to quickly turn to anger. She’s not processing her grief in a healthy way — she’s focusing it entirely on her desire for vengeance — and it’ll end up chipping away at her soul. This brief moment in The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 might not seem like a big deal, but make no mistake: it is a big deal.
The Last Of Us
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Network
- HBO
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
Cast
Joel Miller
Ellie Williams
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
- Franchise(s)
- The Last of Us
- Creator(s)
- Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
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