i would have had like twice as many clips to use for this if i had just waited to upload until after ep8 came out.. 🙃

I never found Ellie annoying. As a writer, she's fascinating to me, because NO ONE write's kids like that. Every last YA book out there, the Protag is a small adult. Ellie feels like a real teen to me, still young enough to have a childlike air around her, but mature enough that she's trying to come into her own as well. I think she's beautiful, and I absolutely love what Last of Us is doing with their story as well.

That little scream escaping when Ellie witnessed someone taking themselves out was EXTREMELY natural and disturbing. I've heard people make that noise before, and I've made it myself. It cuts right into you as a human.

She doesn't seem too annoying, everyone was a jerk to her, so she's a jerk to them

Ellie has never been annoying. She’s just a traumatized child that grew up in a post apocalyptic world. She uses humor and sarcasm to help her cope. She’s a real multifaceted character

I find it a little baffling that people genuinely dislike Ellie in the show like,,, tell me you’ve never spent time around children/teens without telling me you’ve never spent time around children/teens. Part of why I honestly love tv Ellie more than game Ellie is that she ACTS like the child she really is. It’s so rare for shows to genuinely portray this age group so it’s very refreshing and makes the story all the more tragic.

i honestly never found her braindead or annoying at all, im surprised other people do. She's never aggressive without being treated aggressively first, she isnt afraid to ask questions instead of acting like she knows everything as many teens do, and she is really empathetic, optimistic, and brave as shown by how she empathizes with joel and how she tried to save sam and is unafraid of danger. I think you can say a lot of things about her but I dont personally feel like any of it as annoying

Ellie may be a very normal teenager but I wouldn't call her dumb. She does prove to be intelligent in how she figures out Joel's smuggling code and in how she learns the skills necessary to survive

I think this Ellie is a very rare instance of a realistic depiction of the modern teenager.

I honestly feel like way too many people unjustly criticize child and teen characters for being "annoying" - and I feel like that often comes from a place of not engaging with real children and teens. Are there bad writers that make them insufferable? Yeah, sure! But childhood comes with a lot of discoveries and curiosity and behaviours that haven't been corrected. It's especially wild to me how many fans criticized Ellie, for example, for showing clear signs of suffering from traumatic experiences. To mee, that's simply a realistic portrayal of a teenager carrying way more weight than they should have to. Some might no like it, but to say there's no character-driven, justifiable reasons of why a character is this way is frankly bewildering. This isn't a critique of your video! It's just something I've noticed throughout multiple media, and it bothers me so much! So sorry for venting, and thank you so much for uploading! I'm glad you addressed this in a more thought provoking way and offering a different perspective from what I usually see.

I don't think Ellie is 'brain dead' or deserving of negative judgment for what she did to try to help Sam in ep 5. I think it garners even more empathy from the audience when we see her actively trying to save her new friend from a horrible situation after she opens up about being scared of ending up alone, and telling Joel and Henry before seeing if her plan worked might get Sam killed needlessly. The whole episode we see a new side of Ellie being a 'protector' to a younger child, similar to how Joel has been for Ellie, and her immunity gives her a feeling of purpose and responsibility that she should help anyone she can. But her naivety and optimism are what sets her apart from Joel, and due to her lack of knowledge and wholehearted belief that it would work it gives the viewers hope as well- until both they and Ellie are hit by the realization that hope is a luxury in this type of world.

Seeing this video apart of me realizes why I despise her character so much in the beginning. It's centered heavily on self-loathing of the past teenager we all once were. A lot of her mannerisms and habits are very similar to the way that I was before I grew up and became "less irritating","more useful ", and yet the trade-off for these things is always your own personal happiness.

i also think that an important part of Ellie's character is how she craves attention and relationships and life because she is immuned … everyone can die of the infection, except her, so she's terrified of being alone abover everything, worst than any other teenager, she needs to hang on to life because without that she's alone in world that is rotting away without her

I also work with teenagers and young adults, and Ellie is arguably the most skillfully written teenager I've seen in a popular movie or TV show in at least the last 5 years.

I particularly love how you said that Ellie and Joel's connection was made "because of her personality, not in spite of her personality". These are such simple words yet they really encapsulate why exactly I have found so so many relationships in stories to be disengaging, or feel like they've bridged the gap between them in a way that feels more cheap than earned. I really appreciate stories that don't shy away from any of the character's particular traits, or problems they might create within a relationship, and address all of it with how the conflict between the characters is resolved. it makes everything about the characters feel meaningful and important in one way or another. the more different your characters are from one another the more work it takes to pull this off but it feels so rewarding to watch when it happens

That cry Ellie gives when Henry dies gives me chills every. single. time. I think it was one of the most impactful moments of her character until now - you can see the foundation of her liveliness and teenage recklessness sort of die in that split second.

i think what’s also important to acknowledge is that a lot of these sort of “class clown” archetypes use their humor as a coping mechanism. while you see this sort of breakdown of a character a lot, i think when it’s done thoughtfully it really works because it’s real. i have a handful of friends that have lived through so much trauma and the way they get through hard situations is making light of it. i very much see that mirrored in ellie.

Bella Ramsey's performance as Ellie is so believable and true to how Ellie is in the game, i never found ellie annoying because she reminded me so much of teenage me and she's just a rebellious idiot kid. hell, i think the way they act as her is really damn accurate, especially their voice

Ellie is amazing, there is nothing annoying about her, she's funny and brave and honest.

Maybe it's because I've been through some traumas in my life, maybe because I did some work on myself, but I never considered her annoying.

I think the character that ellie reminds of is korra from legend or korra. From the beginning the best way to describe korra is that she was a punk that wanted to explore a new world. She was loud, arrogant, made bad decisions and so much more. But after season three were korra was at her lowest, were she lost all of those traits, broke me a little. To see someone so bright, innocent and adventurous lose everything that made korra herself. She got better and matured but still lost a part of her.

From the beginning of the video, you touch in an important writing tip: a character doesn’t have to be perfect to be compelling. In fact, it’s best if they aren’t. A big critique I hear with post-apocalyptic works, especially in YA fiction, is often how capable the privileged and clueless teenage lead is. Yes, okay, self-insert glory is a valid explanation, but it still comes across as fake because most teenagers don’t have the life experience or emotional stability to handle leading a revolution or whatever. 😂 Having Ellie be somewhat flippant and irreverent is annoying, sure, but as you said, she feels more real that way and there is so much space for her to grow as a person.

You're a master at character and story analysis, schnee. It's incredibly satisfying listening to you describe things the audience feels and notices, or even the little things that subconsciously draw us to certain stories and characters. Amazing work once again with breaking down Ellie here.

I was really digging Ramsey's portrayal of Ellie a lot. But Episode 7, "Left Behind", was the one that TRULY solidified my love for her performance. Left Behind was always a part of the game that was near and dear to my heart. While I liked the episode well enough on a first viewing... I was unsure how I felt about it. Because of my love for the game's version of this segment, I was being too nitpicky and not judging this episode fairly by letting it be what it was. Then I rewatched it (while showing it to a friend. It was her first time watching it and she knows very little of the games). My opinions on the episode became clear and it shot up in my vague, personal ranking of the episodes. And it devastated me more this time around. It is such a beautiful, tender episode. With so many subtle moments that highlight who Ellie is. I loved the parallel of her holding hands with Riley, and later with Joel. She's lost too much. There's no way in hell she's gonna give up on Joel without a proper fight. Just like how the Left Behind DLC solidified my love for the character of Ellie, this episode reminded me of why I love the character of Ellie so much. She is very much like a real teenager (reminds me a lot of myself back then lol). She is bratty, doesn't follow orders all the time, she can be quick to anger (The show reveals how all of this comes from a place of fear of loneliness and abandonment). She's a truly sensitive person, despite the plucky exterior. She's someone who's only known a few joys, but that just makes her cherish what she has even more. She LOVES looking at and experiencing the beauty she can carve out in this decrepit world. And above all: She's someone who fights for every moment she can get with someone she cares for. She's also smart, and above all, she is brave as hell. Ramsey was phenomenal in this episode. Especially liked all the stolen glances at Riley, and then her face at the end as she stitches Joel up. Love how her face is full of desperation, but it can't help but betray some excitement and hope that this just might work. She's is killing it as Ellie. VERY excited for episode 8.

I'm in college for creative writing, and in the three and a half years I've been enrolled I've learned infinitely more from your videos than any of my classes. Keep up the great work Schnee, I live for these analyses!

I think Ellie is a good character. She is annoyingly accurate as a teen, and when episode 7 rolled out expositing more of her backstory really made me like her more and makes me look forward to the final two episodes

When you said "you know who's less annoying Joel, and we do not want to see Ellie become Joel" and realised that's exactly who she becomes in TLOU2, it broke my heart. Because you can see her losing more and more of herself and becoming him completely by the end and it's so sad. I love both games so much.

Perrito from Puss in Boots is another example of this “annoying” character that we love.

i feel like a comparison for a character like ellie who failed to win the audience over would be the protagonist of Forspoken. She is just SO unlikeable, rude, snarky and annoying and even though we are supposed to feel bad for her, we dont. Like Ellie, she is thrown into a situation which she cant really get out of, but unlike Ellie, instead of sucking it up, she complains THE WHOLE WAY. Even insulting the people who try to help her, and being selfish the WHOLE GAME. She has her charming moments, but its just heavily outweighed by her bitchiness.

Bella is doing an amazing job with Ellie, but I've got a big soft spot for Ashley's performance in the game. That raw spunk is super endearing.

Funny, I don't find her annoying. I think in any other setting I might but as you said, it works here. Top notch writing in making her so real, like she was written by an actual teenager.

I remember reading a book with a character like Ellie once where throughout the story he became more closed off, serious, and cold. He also reminds me of Ellie because that darkness was something he fought before it consumed him, and because it started when he lost his mom at a young age. He grows to have more joy in his life when he’s older and has kids of his own, but watching it die in the first place ever became less impactful. Throughout the story people said he was annoying because he got off topic constantly, never stopped talking, and was over confident, but when he started closing up, people missed the sound of his voice.

i think we're harsh, as adults on the characters that are children -- especially when they're in that age of 12-16. It's something about that age gap that we expect more in the child character's actions or intellect (most of the time, it's just badly written and doesn't feel human) Given the difficulty of writing a character at that age, in a dystopian apocalyptic world, who's really never known much of anything else. That is a tall order. Given all that, I think they did pretty well.

I think the most beautiful scene in the show so far is the end scene in episode 4 when Ellie tells the diarrhea joke to Joel. He has already connected to her once before with the scarecrow pun, and other than that one he has just been annoyed by them. Then in that scene, he genuinely found the joke funny not expecting it at all. He was expecting one of her random questions and got a joke and started laughing. And Ellie was happy to finally have gotten him to laugh at one of her jokes. I wouldn’t say that was when their relationship changed, but I think it was definitely a milestone in it Edit: oops I wrote this before you addressed it in the video lol

Am I the only one who saw a fun and bright character?

I thought it was the best representation of a 14 year old girl I can think of in years. I can't think of the top of my head of a better one. The way she talked, thought. Her childish sense of humour. So often young teenagers are shown as super intelligent, and wise, like a highly intelligent young adult. It's the rare occasion, where the kid is just a kid. It made Joel's character deeper. The scene on the horse where he's explaining American Football to her. Or the sheep on the moon. He's loving her as a 14 y/o daughter. Not a gifted young adult.

I love how Schnee's analysis is rooted in empathy, and that showed a lot in even the small aside about his travels. That's really hard to find in a lot of media analysis content creators, especially in the ones that aim to make inflammatory remarks or share "unpopular opinions" for engagement. Schnee's commentary feels honest and grounded in reality.

Out of all the days you could upload this lol. Feel like it's very fitting this is releasing the same day as we're getting to the winter section from the game in the show. Also, as someone who spent WAY too long talking about the pun book in their video on this series, I am so happy you mentioned it here.

I didn't even realize there were people out here calling Ellie annoying. We've just been lovingly calling her a little shit at my watch parties.

Trauma actually does translate to your children in different ways. there's studies on it

She was quite sheltered growing up in the QZ, so that’s why she asks so many “GD questions” and just kids in general tend to do that. Her brain hasn’t fully developed yet, thus not having her critical thinking skills down-pat . The breaking David’s finger to get the keys was never going to work. since they were locked onto his belt loop, not fully thinking things through. But it could have been out of desperation sensing that her circumstances were dire and growing so being in the cage. Her figuring out the bill/Joel’s 80s code meaning was quite intelligent.

I never considered her annoying though some stunts like the piano I was definitely worried for her, knowing that making noise could bring them problems. I've also watched LP of the game though when it came out so that could be why. I never considered that people would dislike her.

just a tiny thing I noticed: a lot of teenage characters in movies and shows tend to be annoying and unlikable because they try too hard to act like adults, and it’s normal for teens to do that, but it’s hard to like them when it’s all they try to do. and knowing that the character is obviously not mature enough to be an adult, they still try to act like one and it’s annoying. ellie doesn’t try to act like an adult; she just does her own thing

It makes me really happy you make content from your perspective, schnee - you have a lot of empathy a lot of critics don’t have.

I like how Joel wants to grumble when Ellie break the mirror, but then remembers that there is no traffic anymore and like "Whatever, she can look in the mirror if she wants"

at first i didnt like bella ramsey as ellie, but now i think they are perfect as ellie. i love game ellie, and like the actress better in her role, but bella ramsey portrays a 14 year old so much better and much more realistically. i dont know who to like more, but currently bella ramsey's ellie is perfect. i hope to see their talent in more movies

When Ellie thinks her blood is going to cure Sam, that was for me the ultimate moment where we see, she is just a kid with a child's innocence, thinking this will cure Sam. It was a beautiful moment, where I remember saying "oh Ellie" not with judgement but with compassion. This show is just so good at reminding us Ellie is a kid, a very smart one and slightly annoying one but it fits. It shows her vulnerability that she desperately tries to hide. Yes, she can be a little bit annoying (like all teenagers), but I never found her annoying

TV Ellie is also written slightly different than game Ellie though. She's a lot more level-headed in the game and was more immature at the beginning of the show.

I absolutely love how you break down writing tropes and tools, it's helped me to become a better writer and it puts a new perspective on how I think about storytelling in general. Thank you for that!

a lot of "annoying" characters in media are characters i like. ive never understood when people dislike them xP i like ellie a lot, and dont even see any annoyingness to her at all. the way you seem to described "good annoying" is how I view the characters people call "bad annoying". and "good annoying" characters dont come off as annoying to me at all.

This is a great video! Not only from a learn-to-write standpoint, but it's helped me distill why I find the show and game so meaningful.

The comment section is open, I was wondering why it was closed when this video was up. Anyway once again another amazing analysis video. Also you're a webtoon writer?? I just finished reading the first chapter and loved it, a hard hitting telling of day to day hardships of normal people and add saving someone from a fire, damn you've caught my attention. The specific writing of these types of stories of everyday problems with life kicking you while you're down definitely reminds me of classic spiderman stories. I guess this type of writing, you can all it the _"Spiderman Scenario"_ . Also I can definitely hear the narration in your voice. Can't wait to read more of your work.

I didn’t think she was anoying or stupid she seems generally likeable and pretty intelligent for the most part

the fact that ellie is like this now also makes it hurt all the more when it comes to the second part. i’m not going to spoil anything but watching this show makes it so nice to see ellie just act like a kid again.

It's really interesting for me to see the opinions of people who didn't play the game, who are experiencing this story for the first time. I think that you summed it up pretty well, at first, you think she's annoying and overconfident and kinda dumb, which she is. But then you see she goes through and what she's been through and, like Joel, she grows on you and you get attached.

I've been watching your videos for a good time now and I must thank you because your breaking down of series, characters, and scenes helped me a lot with my writing. I am currently writing a book with dystopian vibes (not as far as world ending and mushroom zombies though) and it follows the story of a group of teenagers from 16 to 18 years old and how they deal with life without their families, without guidance (until someone shows up and helps them), how they deal with betrayal, death, pain and all that stuff. So this video helped me a lot. I also have a recommendation if you don't mind. You should watch good omens it's a comedy/fiction by it's honestly awesome. I was also curious from what, as a writer, I can learn from it. P.S. it's based of a book. Anyway, thanks so much. Keep doing what you do, and keep being You.

Schnee, I love your video analysis’. They are very informative and point out obvious things that I never even considered before.

You are amazing at verbalizing these details - as the show progressed and Ellie became more withdrawn, I was missing her bubbly reckless personality

The only bump in this road that can't be ignored is generational trauma which IS passed down and does f you up (trust me). For example, grandparents living through the depression (no food, money) become hoarders/clean your plate/etc. and then having grandchildren live in it. This changes your relationship with food, items, money and the concept of scarcity and being insecure. Generational trauma is something that never really ends until you sever that family link or get therapy - seriously. Love your vids btw!

Damn man, your analysis is awesome. If you had published journal articles, I would happily cite you in my essays. I'd love to hear your take on analysis on topics related to the game Red dead redemption 2.

I think Ellie is great didnt find her annoying at all Bella really captures ellie for me.

Great commentary One thing that seems obvious because you forget you're seeing it, but probably the central theme of the whole show is how you pointed out that Joel is deciding whether or not to rekindle his capacity to feel while protecting her capacity to feel

I love your video!! You are absolutely right, and the episode 8 confirms all of this…. Really heartbreaking

I love her more as a character more and more with every episodes

I would be really interested to hear more about the void you brought up and Ellie’s external and internal life in episode 8, since so much happened there

I never found Ellie annoying at all. I think the people that hate her character just dislike teenagers, because she’s written pretty realistically for a teenager going through an insane amount of stress and trauma

I've grown to really love the videos where you analyse a certain character trait or archetype, like the annoying child character here. I'd absolutely watch a whole series focused on analyzing any kind of character type like this, whether it be something very broad like bravery or something specific like characters who are good at driving, or something.

I never found Ellie annoying, ever. She did “grow” on me, but it really just went from feeling somewhat “neutral” about her to liking her to loving her.

For one, she is playing a 14 year old character who is experiencing a lot of things for the very first time, like the pick up truck being a "space ship" to her. Another example is the escalator described by her as "electric stairs" . Some may find her character annoying. I do NOT. I love her character. She behaves like any teenager would in situations where you're experiencing things for the very first time. I also feel for her because she has lost people in her life to both death and being left behind. She seeks that family connection. She wants that close bond. And her and Joel are perfect, they have a great bond that's grown with each episode

As a fifteen year old, Ellie felt exactly like so many people I know, and maybe even me a little bit. Edgy comebacks. Over confidence. Goofy nature. The Last of Us portrayed her really really well, I could see myself in her.

Came ready to fight upon reading the thumbnail but left agreeing 110%. Great character work from both the writers and Bella. Also, this may be one of the best analyses of Ellie's character I have come across tbh.

This hits a very particular cord in my heart I have been through a lot of trauma throughout my childhood and now as a young adult I feel like a kid for the first time when I met the love of my life it was like I had never experienced anything before her it's crazy when I asked her out it was like she was the first girl I had ever laid eyes on to this day I feel like a new person in her presence it's awesome

What an amazing essay! One of my favourites out there - just subscribed ;)

(Spoiler!!!) Something in my brain clicked when you say people don’t want to see Ellie loses her life and become Joel, and that’s I think part of the reason why TLOU part 2 was so divisive. I couldn’t put my hands on why I felt so stressful after playing part 2, until I saw what you said. The fact that Ellie was still consumed by vengeance despite having a decent life near the end of the game, breaks me. Part 2 honesty is a walking PTSD simulator. Still like it tho.

This was an absolutely essential video essay on complex character development and I will definitely be revisiting it for my own work.

These videos are amazing bro, please keep ‘em movin can’t wait for your next Last Of Us vid 🤝🔥

Posting this a day before episode eight. Thanks. I'm in pain now.

Something I'd like to point out is that Joel never hated Ellie. From the very beginning, he cared for her, but he was so terrified of repeating the cycle of meeting someone->getting attached->losing them. He pushed her away as it's his survival instinct to act cold and uncaring. I know this is nitpicky, I'd just like to mention this.

There literally wasn’t one moment game or series I found her annoying. She definitely ain’t brain dead.

Spoilers ahead: I think we did see Ellie mature in the knew episode, even with the relationship with Joel. I really think that that episode has made an impact on her somehow (or at least traumatized her somehow , I mean- she almost gets “cut into little pieces”, got invited to a cannibal cult, had to take responsibility of Joel, beaten, and almost raped)

I think another underlaying factor why some people have found Ellie's character annoying is that fact that she's a teenage girl. Young girls are often dismissed as annoying and vapid because they're the antithesis of what the patriarchy deems as more important or valuable (stoicism, toughness, physical strength etc), traits that Joel shows. So in a way they see her as a hindrance to Joel even though he chose to help her. Her remaining innocence and curiosity at the world is interpreted into arrogance or bitchiness because she doesn't fully understand yet the real dangers or risks.

Schnee my guy you are always on point!! You truly do have a unique and gifted mind, and the way you express it when analyzing series like this is just incredible and really really enjoyable. I absolutely adored this video; adding so much depth to a story I've been infatuated with since 2014. Please keep them coming :))

Although I haven't played the game or watched the series. I've watched enough material about this franchise to really appreciate this video. Your analysis, and in this case personal experience, are always inciteful and entertaining.

I think another way of writing an annoying character is by surrounding that character by other somewhat unlikeable characters. My favourite example is Marie from Breaking Bad. Her dialogue and delivery are always absolutely insufferable and unreasonable, so the audience loves to hate her. It's not just the audience that finds her annoying though, the other characters in the story also have to deal with Marie's drama. Now, most of her interactions are with Skyler and Hank, both of whom are antagonists to the main character, at least in the earlier seasons, which makes them instantly unlikeable to the audience. Because of this, Marie being really annoying around these characters can be cathartic in a way, because we feel like it's a punishment to Skyler and Hank for being on Walters ass, so to speak. Basically, you can use annoying characters to annoy other characters within the story, which can create interesting dynamics and opportunities for humour.

I was never annoyed by Ellie. I immediately adored her. She was my favorite character from her first scene on.

I think people compare her with the original Ellie, and the writers of the show didn't exactly nail her "annoying" side, so that's the reason for all the hate.

One of my favorite, not very often used, trope is the comedic character getting serious. Not like an angry way... but when it's clear they use Comedy to hide pain but eventually the pain overcomes the funny. IDK why but I love when they do that.

Hey man. I'm a new'ish dungeon master from the other side of the world : Iran, middle east. I'm new to writing so I watch a lot of critiques to learn. your stuff is different. you don't focus on bad movies like LOTR : rings of power. you focus on good shows and why they are good and you do it with elegance. I just found you. It's the third video I'm watching from you. Pls continue the good stuff. TNX

She looks so much like Ashley too... which is just poetic

So many YA novels make teenages exactly as mature as they need to be in order for the plot to happen, and it fluxuates wildly between scenes. Sometimes a character acts like a full grown adult, sometimes they act way too immature, and neither is believable. Ellie is written like a real 14 year old, and I never found that anything other than endearing. I love her spitfire attitude and never found it annoying.

It reminds me of Luz in the owl house.

Ellie actually reminds me a lot of myself how i was when i was approaching middle school age. Curious, defiant and sassy as a baseline. I drove some people nuts with my nearly obsessive amounts of questions on EVERYTHING. I think they captured an abused but optimistic kid pretty well, even the way she forces confidence at times was spot on.

I recently watched 3rd Pirates of the Caribbean and I thought it would be super cool if you analyzed the relationship between Davy Jones and Calypso. To me it’s one of the most tragic yet heartfelt love stories of all time. I understand if u don’t have time for it tho :)

I don’t find her annoying at all. She’s such a well written character and I think the actress has nailed it 🤷

Anyone who finds Ellie annoying as a character actually just finds all teenagers to be annoying in general. She is well written and acted.

Great analysis, really enjoyed the video

In the beginning it was a little difficult for me to get used to this version of Ellie. In the game, you get so much time to get used to her and you see her helpful aspects directly in the combat. In the show she is a bit more annoying, a tiny bit less feeling. In the game, I could read Ellie's emotions quite well in the cutscenes. In the show I have a little harder time seeing what she's feeling. Maybe her acting lacks the subtleties I enjoy, like Pascal does with Joel. Or her expressions might be harder for me to read. It could be a me issue, but I feel a little less connected to this version of Ellie. Because of the nature of the show, I connect quicker with the characters they set up for each episode and the main crew is kinda along for the ride. Seeing her smile and be a kid does make me like her more. When the games came out I was Ellie's age. 08:09 I guess this is a way I haven't seen character been written as much, so it's harder to me to connect to. Emotional bond/using feeling works better with *my* psyche. I might never feel as strong of a bond with show Ellie and Joel, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the show. I do.

jeez man, ur so great at these vids...

You are just really good at Media Analysis man.

This analysis is even more accurate when you take into consideration the events that happen in ep8. Joel is currently indisposed leaving Ellie to fend for herself and protect Joel from David's gang. She's frightened and alone but she tries to make herself look big and tough and scary and dangerous when faced with intruders. She's taking in everything Joel taught her and trying to pretend like an adult in her own teenager sort of way. But to take it a step further we are scared for her when she gets kidnapped, Joel cant save her, she can only save herself. We see a new side of her during her escape, she's clever and smart and resilient and is processing a million things at once the same way Joel does when he is under pressure. She's now a survivor shaped by hardship like the previous generation, and stands out compared to any other regular teenage characters we've seen in the show because she's grown mentally through hardship. At the end of the episode we see her go berserk on David but things go down differently in the show than it does in the game. In the game Joel has to pull Ellie of of David in order to save Ellie from the burning building, but in the show Ellie is able to stop and walk out where she reunites with Joel. This is something I really liked and its important because the writers explained why they did it differently. In the show, Joel saves Ellie in a different way, instead of saving her physically like he has so many times before, he saves her mentally, he comforts her, and grounds her back to reality. had he not been there Ellie would have SPIRALED and gone insane. At this point were left wondering how this trauma is going to effect her, at this point were left hoping that after everything she's endured in this episode, she's able to pull out the book of puns and keep being a joyous curious teenager again now that Joel is back. ep9 just came out today and I haven't seen it yet but its going to be interesting seeing how Ellie copes with what happened previously and how she's grown and how she bonds with Joel further now that they've saved each other. Chances are this couldve been her breaking point, and she becomes more tough like Joel which we feared would happen. I didn't expect this comment to be so long lol, the video just kinda sparked a thought.