The Last Of Us Fans Can’t Get Over What Joel Said To Ellie In Episode 8 – Looper

Steadily recovering from his injury (thanks to a quick dose of penicillin, courtesy of James and David), Joel arrives at the steakhouse just in time to pull Ellie away from the newly mutilated corpse of David. Trying to calm her down, Joel holds her tightly and calls her “baby girl.” The name has a special meaning, as “baby girl” is what Joel once called his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker).

Twitter user @thebyerscat commented, “Something about Joel not saying “baby girl” for twenty years since Sarah died and saying it to Ellie because she’s hurt and she needs him, and that’s his daughter too, and I’m not crying, you’re crying, leave me alone, we’re ALL CRYING.” Another fan, @fcbformulaEri, quoted the scene alongside a gif of Rick Grimes from “The Walking Dead” sobbing.

Clearly, the episode brought out strong emotions from fans online, and for some, it even solidified Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as the perfect Joel and Ellie. User @wrathsemilia stated, “After this episode, I don’t want anyone to ever question Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie ever again.” Their performances garnered similar praise from @ellievjoel, who virtually exclaimed, “… BOTH PEDRO AND BELLA’S DELIVERY HERE IS IMPECCABLE.”

Another user, @joelsmiller, brought up a direct quote from creator Neil Druckmann to highlight what makes the moment so effective. “‘[I]t became more interesting that Joel saves Ellie emotionally & NOT physically,'” they relay. “‘[D]avid’s face becomes the punching bag. This is for Riley; this is for Tess; this is for Sam; this is for Henry; this is for my mom.”