The ninth episode of the television adaptation of The Last of Us contains an Easter egg that honors the wife of one of the game's designers.
The Last of Us' critically acclaimed video game creator had included a touching ode to his wife in the game's plot, and after seeing how it was portrayed on television, he has been left feeling extraordinarily moved and "reeling" from the experience. As the ninth episode of The Last of Us aired on March 12, 2023, it brought the gripping and emotional nine-episode season to a close, with Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie concluding their arduous journey in a heart-wrenching episode that left viewers feeling a range of emotions, including sadness, shock, and profound emotion.
Throughout the entire season, obsessive The Last of Us video game fans meticulously dissected every scene, action, and plot of the HBO series, looking for hidden allusions and Easter eggs. The finale didn't disappoint, delivering several Easter eggs, including one that's found in the tower of giraffes situated in an abandoned football field.
This Easter egg is especially meaningful to Peter Field, a level designer on The Last of Us. He revealed in a tweet that he is still in shock over the fact that an Easter egg he wrote about made it into the live-action adaptation's climax, and it's easy to see why. Even though it may seem insignificant, the Easter egg holds a special place in his heart because his wife's name was honored in the baseball field's name. The sign's prominence in the shot, according to the visual effects artist who was in charge of placing it, was merely an accident.
I'm still reeling from this. A silly Easter Egg I put in the original #TheLastOfUs game has somehow survived the transition to live action TV. It's blurry but it's definitely there!!!I can't imagine the HBO team knew the name of the baseball field was a tribute to my wife 😂 pic.twitter.com/gHpuiPlrzI— Field of Dreams (@Peter__Field) March 13, 2023
Fans responded to the tweet with great enthusiasm, retweeting, commenting, and sharing their own finds of Easter eggs from the episode. This Easter egg serves as a reminder of the love and care that went into creating both the original game and The Last of Us TV series, despite its unassuming appearance.
The "drop that ladder down" scene was another Easter egg that received a lot of online attention. Several times during the game, Joel would help Ellie stand up so she could lower a ladder. Ellie jumping up on the ledge and almost hitting Joel when she throws the ladder down are both exact recreations of this scene from the game.
The Last of Us' conclusion is, in general, the most potent and contentious episode so far. Many viewers are debating whether Joel's actions were actually justified in light of the final scene. Fans disagree over whether it was worthwhile risking the survival of the entire world to save one girl when Joel goes on a rampage in order to ensure the survival of his surrogate daughter, Ellie.
Source: Rahman Shaukat