Craig Mazin

There was something about the amount of attention and the size of the discussion and the size of the audience, which was way beyond what we expected. There's a general ballpark that you get from HBO. We'd love to hit this number and we... shot way past that number.

There was something about the amount of attention and the size of the discussion and the size of the audience, which was way beyond what we expected. There's a general ballpark that you get from HBO. We'd love to hit this number and we... shot way past that number.

Yeah. We care about the audience. We want them to love it. But the specific criticisms or praise, ultimately you have to put a shield up or else you'll drown in it.

Yeah. We care about the audience. We want them to love it. But the specific criticisms or praise, ultimately you have to put a shield up or else you'll drown in it.

For me, the most important thing was to establish a new reality for Joel and Ellie. It's been five years. She is older. She is different. She is more independent. And Joel is older, too, and has settled into this interesting kind of mentorship life. He's become a pillar of this community that he, you know, initially was sort of at odds with.

For me, the most important thing was to establish a new reality for Joel and Ellie. It's been five years. She is older. She is different. She is more independent. And Joel is older, too, and has settled into this interesting kind of mentorship life. He's become a pillar of this community that he, you know, initially was sort of at odds with.

And the two of them are operating in a world of safety and security and confidence. Jackson is safe. The way that they're interacting with infected is different. They feel more like hunters now than victims or people who are quarry. So that and introducing the new realities for Tommy and Maria and their child, who is in Maria's belly in season one, and here he is running around as a five-year-old,

And the two of them are operating in a world of safety and security and confidence. Jackson is safe. The way that they're interacting with infected is different. They feel more like hunters now than victims or people who are quarry. So that and introducing the new realities for Tommy and Maria and their child, who is in Maria's belly in season one, and here he is running around as a five-year-old,

And meeting new people that are incredibly important to the story, Dina and Jesse. And of course, there is that moment with this absolutely new character named Abby and all the people she's with.

And meeting new people that are incredibly important to the story, Dina and Jesse. And of course, there is that moment with this absolutely new character named Abby and all the people she's with.

All those things are important to get across here because as anybody that watches The Last of Us knows, whatever reality and whatever certainty we create, we're probably going to kick it around a bit before you know it.

All those things are important to get across here because as anybody that watches The Last of Us knows, whatever reality and whatever certainty we create, we're probably going to kick it around a bit before you know it.

Yeah. So let's just go ahead and rip the scab off on what I think is going to be a lot of commentary. Future Days, that song didn't exist in 2003 when the world ended. And Neil and I... had, you know, a solid conversation and arrived at the following conclusion. We didn't give a shit. Because it is an important song to the story. And thematically, it's incredibly important.

Yeah. So let's just go ahead and rip the scab off on what I think is going to be a lot of commentary. Future Days, that song didn't exist in 2003 when the world ended. And Neil and I... had, you know, a solid conversation and arrived at the following conclusion. We didn't give a shit. Because it is an important song to the story. And thematically, it's incredibly important.

Because Joel is trying to figure out what his future is with Ellie. And Ellie is trying to figure out what her future is as herself, not as someone's kid. And where they're heading into the future, which we accelerate them into five years later, they have arrived at future days. It is, in fact, the past that is the anchor that is still holding them back.

Because Joel is trying to figure out what his future is with Ellie. And Ellie is trying to figure out what her future is as herself, not as someone's kid. And where they're heading into the future, which we accelerate them into five years later, they have arrived at future days. It is, in fact, the past that is the anchor that is still holding them back.

And the bait on the hook for me was Joel's reaction, which was new, because we never got to see it in the game. And when she says okay like that, what is he supposed to take from that? And I think it's a fantastic choice that Pedro makes there, which is... I'm pretty sure that's bad. I'm gonna choose to take it at face value anyway, because that's what's best for me. And it's fantastic.

And the bait on the hook for me was Joel's reaction, which was new, because we never got to see it in the game. And when she says okay like that, what is he supposed to take from that? And I think it's a fantastic choice that Pedro makes there, which is... I'm pretty sure that's bad. I'm gonna choose to take it at face value anyway, because that's what's best for me. And it's fantastic.

But I think, you know, Neil is absolutely right. Just that finality of ending with Ellie's okay, especially the way Bella delivered that is just incredible. But then we had a chance to come back and remind people of this moment, the key moment that generates everything from this point forward. And then to give them that little bit more to see what Joel chooses to do there.

But I think, you know, Neil is absolutely right. Just that finality of ending with Ellie's okay, especially the way Bella delivered that is just incredible. But then we had a chance to come back and remind people of this moment, the key moment that generates everything from this point forward. And then to give them that little bit more to see what Joel chooses to do there.