‘The Last Of Us’ Co-Creator Reveals The Series Almost Had A ‘Sadder’ Season Finale

*Warning: spoilers ahead for “The Last of Us”*

HBO’s hit series “The Last of Us” wrapped up its first season last Sunday, but it almost ended with a totally different vibe, according to the show’s co-creator.

In a recent interview with the British GQco-creator Craig Mazin revealed he and director Ali Abbasi were “playing” with a longer, more despondent ending between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

The series, based on the 2013 video game, tells the story of the couple’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world where a fungus turns humans into voracious carnivorous monsters.

During the season finale, Joel and Ellie’s cross-country trek to Salt Lake City comes to an end as they head for the fireflies. Instead of being greeted with praise for Ellie’s safe return, the Fireflies knock Joel out and take her away to prepare her for surgery that will supposedly lead to a cure.

On the other hand, the surgery would kill her in the process as it would require removing and replicating the Cordyceps that have been in her brain since birth.

Fans of the popular game should know about its controversial ending that has sparked debate since its debut a decade ago, in which Joel makes the life-changing decision to save Ellie at the expense of humanity, killing anyone in the process. Firefly Hospital that stood in its way.

In the final scene, Ellie confronts Joel and insists he promise her that everything he said about the Fireflies is factual. Joel then lies to her, explaining that there is no potential cure. Much like the endgame, Joel doubles down on his lie, swearing that everything he said is true.

“[Abbasi] had the idea to play this slightly longer, sadder version where Ellie says “okay” and then she turns and walks away. And Joel takes care of her. We see them both walking, not really together but apart, towards Jackson. It lingers and then fades. There was something beautiful about it,” Mazin told GQ.

Elsewhere in the interview, Mazin explained how the decision to honor the original ending was ultimately a safe bet, primarily for those familiar with the source material.

“Everyone was like ‘what do we do?’ And there’s been this meta discussion about whether people who’ve played the game are going to be more annoyed that they didn’t get it the way it should be, or are they going to be more annoyed that they only got this what they had before? And then how will the others feel? said Mazine.

He added: “At the end of the day, there’s something very specific to end on this close-up of Ellie. Not knowing what’s coming next. Not knowing what she’s doing. she walks away from him, does she walk with him, how does she feel?This moment is suspended definitively.

Last week, the popular series went viral after fans discovered that a real giraffe had been used to recreate one of the game’s most classic and inspiring scenes: the moment Ellie meets a giraffe for the first time.

Following the episode’s premiere, fans shared their thoughts on Twitter about the scene, after many initially assumed the giraffe was 100% computer-generated. Viewers quickly realized there was nothing simulated about the hulking creature.

According the show’s Twitter account.

Last month, HBO announced that the drama series had been renewed for a second season amid the show’s massive success.

Season 1 of “The Last of Us” is streaming on HBO Max.