Ok so a mom of 3 boys here so I found this super interesting! My husband and I kept asking each other after the movie--which we watched with our boys--if the fight (and the deadly sacrifices) was REALLY worth it, It felt like it was a fight of egos and it felt it was straight to the big guns without even a negotiation. and the son just wanted to follow his father's footsteps and make him proud so he took these crazy risks because he thought that's what would earn them.... my thoughts.
I think she knows he's not telling her everything. But she decides to trust him. And Joel is so afraid of losing her that he is blind to the fact that he's driving a wedge between them. Or maybe he does know and decides that it's the only way.
When I first played it, I was childless. In my infinite wisdom, I was mad at Joel because he doomed the human race with a self-serving decision that added insult to injury by going against Ellie’s wishes.
But now that I have kids. I don’t know. Here, doctor, cut my daughter’s brain out. It’s fine. It might save the world.
Having kids certainly made me think much, much differently about the choice Joel makes. I can’t really fault him. And frankly - the world was shit. Why even try to save it?
In the latest episode of the podcast, they said that when they were playtesting the original game, they asked "did Joel do the right thing" and it was 50/50. But with players who were also parents they said yes 100% of the time.
Like you, I was a huge fan of the game. I played it twice, and--long before the HBO adaptation was announced--had my then girlfriend, now wife watch a compilation of the cutscenes on Youtube.
We both enjoyed the show, but I don’t know how I would have felt if I’d never played the game. So much of Ellie and Joel’s relationship I had to fill in with my residual emotional attachment from the game. In a vacuum, they handled the finale perfectly, but for a nine episode season with only six and a half featuring Joel and Ellie together, it all felt very rushed. The high-water mark was definitely the Sam and Henry episode. “When We Are In Need”, episode 8, absolutely biffed what remains in my opinion one of the most intense, realistic portrayals of human evil in video game history.
That said, it seems to have inspired a very good newsletter. Realize enjoyed reading your thoughts on fatherhood in video games--medium and industry.
Ok so a mom of 3 boys here so I found this super interesting! My husband and I kept asking each other after the movie--which we watched with our boys--if the fight (and the deadly sacrifices) was REALLY worth it, It felt like it was a fight of egos and it felt it was straight to the big guns without even a negotiation. and the son just wanted to follow his father's footsteps and make him proud so he took these crazy risks because he thought that's what would earn them.... my thoughts.
Watching Joel lie to Ellie’s face and watching her react was as big of a gut punch as any moment of violence in the show.
She doesn't believe him, right? I mean, she chooses to play along. But it's all different from that moment forward.
I think she knows he's not telling her everything. But she decides to trust him. And Joel is so afraid of losing her that he is blind to the fact that he's driving a wedge between them. Or maybe he does know and decides that it's the only way.
When I first played it, I was childless. In my infinite wisdom, I was mad at Joel because he doomed the human race with a self-serving decision that added insult to injury by going against Ellie’s wishes.
But now that I have kids. I don’t know. Here, doctor, cut my daughter’s brain out. It’s fine. It might save the world.
Sorry, premature send.
Having kids certainly made me think much, much differently about the choice Joel makes. I can’t really fault him. And frankly - the world was shit. Why even try to save it?
In the latest episode of the podcast, they said that when they were playtesting the original game, they asked "did Joel do the right thing" and it was 50/50. But with players who were also parents they said yes 100% of the time.
Literally just heard that on my dog walk this morning haha. Interestingly, my wife was 50/50 on it.
Like you, I was a huge fan of the game. I played it twice, and--long before the HBO adaptation was announced--had my then girlfriend, now wife watch a compilation of the cutscenes on Youtube.
We both enjoyed the show, but I don’t know how I would have felt if I’d never played the game. So much of Ellie and Joel’s relationship I had to fill in with my residual emotional attachment from the game. In a vacuum, they handled the finale perfectly, but for a nine episode season with only six and a half featuring Joel and Ellie together, it all felt very rushed. The high-water mark was definitely the Sam and Henry episode. “When We Are In Need”, episode 8, absolutely biffed what remains in my opinion one of the most intense, realistic portrayals of human evil in video game history.
That said, it seems to have inspired a very good newsletter. Realize enjoyed reading your thoughts on fatherhood in video games--medium and industry.
Thanks Benji! Yeah, I can see how some might have felt David wasn't quite as terrifying as he was in the game.