‘The Last of Us’ showrunners explain the absence of one of Joel’s most emotionally charged lines of dialogue

The showrunners for The Last of Us unpacked their decision not to include what some consider one of Joel’s most iconic lines in the game.

Troy Baker interviewed Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann about latest chapter “Kin” on the official Last of Us podcast, and asked about the puzzling absence in an unforgettable dialogue between Joel and Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey), in which the former says, “You’re treading on mighty thin ice.”

Mazin explained the line’s removal was a natural consequence of the creative choice not to include a physical act of aggression to which Joel was reacting. explaining that “the scene wasn’t written with that shove.”

The absence of the shove necessitated a different response. Instead of a warning, the showrunners opted to turn to have Joel’s request, echoing a scene from a previous episode, as Mazin clarified.

“It wasn’t a threat. Again, he’s pleading. It’s almost the same as the same, ‘please, don’t,’ that he gave to the sniper.”

Both showrunners agreed that both scenes channeled the same energy. Mazin explained that they had initially intended to use the line, but it seemed somehow asymmetrical in the small screen adaptation.

Druckmann echoed that sentiment, and underscored the differences between Joel in the game and the series, explaining that while they are the same character, they are not identical, and the creative team felt the line was not consistent with the version of Joel presented.

“It’s because this Joel’s a little bit different. His dialect is a little bit different. If that line stayed in there I think it would have stood out in a way that would have taken away from this version of the scene.”

Mazin told Baker that the equilibrium of the scene remained intact despite alterations to the dialogue.

“The scene doesn’t change the subtext of, ‘you’re treading on mighty thin ice, and don’t say another word.’ The context is exactly the same: ‘Stop in your tracks. Turn around. Go back.’ And in both scenes Ellie does not. Ellie moves forward. “

The showrunners shed some light on their decision to exclude one of Joel’s most famous lines, as well as other changes made for the television version of the story. Mazin and Druckmann believe that including the line in the show would have diminished the scene as Joel has evolved in some different ways from the in-game version of the character.