Majority of Last Of Us viewers side with Joel in finale

Well, Bella Ramsey did warn us that the finale would be divisive - and that’s exactly what it was. Hands up if you’re heartbroken that HBO’s The Last of Us has drawn to a close? For now, anyway. If you just raised your hand, you’re in the right place because we can console ourselves together by talking about that epic finale.

The Last of Us’ season finale included a very fun Laura Bailey cameo who, of course, portrays Abby in Naughty Dog’s video game series. We also finally discovered exactly how Ellie is immune thanks to an incredible full-circle cameo from original Ellie actress Ashley Johnson. Speaking of Ellie, we now know for certain that Bella will reprise the role in the show’s upcoming second season - as some feared the character would be aged up. Let’s circle back to Joel. The character made a major decision during the episode’s climax that caused a tense debate among fans.

The Last of Us Part I launches on PC on 28 March.

Warning: Episode nine plot spoilers lie ahead. In order to save Ellie from the life-ending surgery that could’ve found a cure, Joel decides to kill every Firefly in that hospital. Not only is Joel condemning the Fireflies to death, he’s also destroying humanity's hope of finding a cure. Needless to say, fans are debating whether that sacrifice is justified in the name of saving one life, Ellie’s.

Twitter user leigh_cth wrote, “We know Joel was in the right. Like why would they not discuss it with Ellie first? Even if she’s just a kid, she should know what’s gonna happen,” while seokiography added, “Joel was so right, like that is baby girl.” Lastofmee added, “I love Craig’s [Mazin] comment about people arguing if Joel was right or wrong in saving Ellie. The only thing we can be sure of is that we understand why Joel did it and that Ellie wouldn’t have wanted him to.”

Yeahmergo said, “Joel did the right thing. I don’t care what anyone says. The world they live in, the vaccine wouldn’t have helped s**t. And anyone that disagrees should take a closer look at the apocalyptic world that they live in.” It’s an interesting point. Sure, the infected are a major threat, but are humanity too far morally gone if a cure was found? User cherrymartell wrote, “Joel Miller did nothing wrong. He saved his baby girl from dying for no reason and for the first time, he feels like he hasn’t failed her.” Okay, now I’m crying again. Which side of the fence are you on?