Summary:
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Ellie confronts Joel about his lie regarding the Fireflies and Salt Lake City.
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Episode 6 explores multiple birthday flashbacks that show the depth of Joel and Ellie’s bond.
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Ellie admits she wants to forgive Joel but doesn’t know if she can before his death.
The Last of Us season 2, episode 6 marks a major turning point in the emotional arc between Joel and Ellie. Departing from the show’s main timeline, the episode focuses on revealing flashbacks that span years. These memories shed light on whether Ellie truly forgives Joel after uncovering the truth about what happened in Salt Lake City.
Does Ellie Forgive Joel in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 6?
The Last of Us season 2, episode 6 confirms that Ellie learns the truth about Joel’s actions in Salt Lake City. After years of growing suspicion, Ellie finally confronts Joel shortly after the New Year’s Eve dance — the same night Joel attacked Seth.
During this scene, Joel admits to Ellie that he lied about the Fireflies and that he killed them to save her. This confession had been building tension since the end of season 1. Ellie, visibly emotional, tells Joel that she wants to forgive him but doesn’t know if she can. It’s a critical moment that adds depth to their fractured relationship.
The tragic irony is that Joel is killed by Abby in episode 2, before Ellie ever finds closure. The episode never shows a full reconciliation, only Ellie’s conflicted desire to move toward forgiveness — a powerful emotional reveal that adds complexity to her journey.
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What Happens in Joel and Ellie’s Birthday Flashbacks?
Episode 6 is structured around a series of flashbacks, each taking place on one of Ellie’s birthdays. These scenes, set in the years between The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2, reveal how Joel and Ellie’s bond grew stronger despite the underlying lie.
The first flashback shows Joel gifting Ellie a guitar and performing “Future Days” by Pearl Jam. This directly connects to episode 5, where Ellie plays the same song in the theater. The moment underlines the emotional significance of the song and guitar in Ellie’s life.
Another birthday scene shows Joel surprising Ellie with a trip to a long-abandoned museum. This sequence mirrors a scene from The Last of Us Part II. At the museum, Joel places Ellie inside a space capsule and plays a real rocket launch audio tape. Ellie imagines going into space, offering her a rare moment of peace and childhood wonder in a post-apocalyptic world.
In a later flashback, Joel and Ellie go on patrol. They discover a group attacked by Infected, with only Eugene surviving, though he is bitten. Ellie wants to take him back to Jackson, but Joel ends up shooting him off-screen. Joel lies to Eugene’s wife, Gail, while Ellie tells her the truth, triggering their eventual falling out. This moment shows a clear shift in Ellie’s trust toward Joel, setting up the confrontation in the present timeline.
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How Does Joel’s 1983 Flashback Connect to Ellie’s Journey?
The episode opens with a flashback to 1983, showing a young Joel with Tommy and their father. Joel’s father admits to having hit him but insists he’s still better than his own father. He tells Joel to strive to be better — a sentiment that Joel later repeats to Ellie.
At the episode’s end, after telling the truth, Joel reflects on his failures and expresses hope that Ellie will do better than he did if she ever becomes a parent. The thematic link between Joel’s childhood and Ellie’s potential future highlights a generational cycle and deepens the emotional weight of the episode.
How Did Eugene’s Death Lead to Joel and Ellie’s Falling Out?
One of the most crucial revelations in episode 6 involves the fallout from Eugene’s death. During a routine patrol, Joel and Ellie find Eugene bitten. Ellie wants to take him back, but Joel ultimately euthanizes him while Ellie is away.
He then lies to Gail, saying Eugene died before they could help. Ellie, refusing to accept this lie, tells Gail the truth. This act of honesty strains Joel and Ellie’s relationship significantly. It’s this falling out that explains the coldness between them in season 2, episode 1, giving much-needed context to their interactions.
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How Did Ellie Escape Lakehill Hospital?
At the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 5, Ellie kills Nora at Lakehill Seattle Hospital. Episode 6 resumes in the current timeline, showing Ellie walking through Seattle before returning to the theater. While her escape is not shown, this brief sequence confirms that Ellie managed to get out alive.
The game also skips over this escape, implying that the spore-infested basement may have helped her evade capture. With the WLF and Seraphites aware of her presence, the spores possibly served as a natural barrier. Further details about her escape might be covered in episode 7.
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Where and When Can You Watch The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 6?
The Last of Us season 2, episode 6 premiered on Max on May 18, 2025, and is available to stream exclusively on the platform. New episodes drop weekly.
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