‘The Last of Us’ co-creator Neil Druckmann couldn’t bear to watch the dailies for this scene in episode 8

HBO’s The Last of Us spared no expense to make sure that certain scenes from the game made their way to the screen without any compromises. And the same can be said for episode eight, for which showrunner Craig Mazin ensured that a certain crucial scene in the game was done proper justice; that of Ellie’s showdown with the sinister minister David, played in the series by Scott Shepherd. But the fight scene’s high stakes also led to a bout of anxiety for the game’s (and HBO series’) co-creator, Neil Druckmann.

Sony Global released part two of their Creator to Creator video series today, titled “The Last of Us cast & creators on violence & shoot-delaying laughs,” in which Druckmann, Mazin, Pedro Pascal, and Bella Ramsey sat together in a roundtable-like situation to talk about the making of the show. In it, Druckmann reveals that he wanted the reunion between Joel and Ellie — and the nerve-shredding battle leading up to it — to be “as good as the game, if not better.” He was so invested in the scene’s success, in fact, that he couldn’t bring himself to take a peek at the daily footage as the sequence was being filmed. “I don’t think I told you that,” he confesses to Mazin.

Luckily, the fight sequence lived up to his expectations, and more. Druckmann revealed that the David sequence in the show, where Ellie slaughters David during their final confrontation, was “more brutal” and “more disturbing” than in the game. Druckmann had been apprehensive about the scene’s adaptation due to “certain fan expectations,” as well as his own; he hoped the scene would stay true to the tone of the gameplay, while also throwing a narrative curveball.

“And somehow, the David sequence is more brutal than the game, it’s more disturbing, it’s harder to watch. Because someone that’s familiar with the game, you have certain expectation that Joel’s gonna come in right there and grab Ellie, and he doesn’t. And you’re like, ‘OK, what’s happening?’ It just kind of throws you off.”

While this scene stayed true to the source material (with some adjustments), it was also revealed that there were some scenes changed in episode eight. Most notably, the steakhouse scene, and the shift to having Joel save Ellie emotionally, rather than physically, a payoff whose dramatic power shocked even Druckmann.

“And Ellie kind of stumbles outside, and she’s covered in blood, and … the way [she] reaches forwards and hugs [Joel], I was just like, just — tears, like, down my face. I had to pause it. I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ I immediately grabbed my phone, I text Craig, and I just said, ‘we did it.’”

Episode eight of The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.