HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 delivered emotional trauma and breathtaking action, but nothing quite triggered fans like Ellie’s now-infamous line in episode 4: “I’m gonna be a dad.” Now, director Craig Mazin, co-creator of the series, has finally stepped in with an explanation of the line’s origin.
In the episode titled Day One, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) brave a rough first day in Seattle, fending off infected and dodging bullets from WLF soldiers. But all of that chaos takes a backseat when Ellie finds out Dina is pregnant. In a moment that’s equal parts awkward, hilarious, and sweet, Ellie smiles and says, “I’m gonna be a dad.”
Cue the memes. Cue the backlash. Cue the internet chaos.
Talking to Gamespot, Mazin revealed the line wasn’t originally in the script. “Bella and I were talking about that episode, and I like to run things past them all the time. And I was like, okay, this just popped into my head. I don’t know why. It just felt right,” he said. “It’s not an expression of even gender as much as state of mind. Bella said, ‘I own it. I have to.’”
Bella Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie has always had a cheeky, self-aware edge, so it tracks. She just reacted the way this version of Ellie would. As Mazin put it: “The joy that just burbles out of Bella when they say ‘I’m gonna be a dad.’ It’s wonderful.”
Of course, not everyone thought so. “The moment the show jumped the mushroom shark,” wrote one furious Facebook user. “Cringe lol, hope the memes never stop,” added another. Others quoted a Batman line: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
The thing is, the TV show Ellie was never a carbon copy of the game version, and she shouldn’t be. Part of the joy is seeing familiar moments reimagined. This Ellie is still immune. She’s still traumatized. She’s still figuring out life. But she’s also very different, just like all the other characters in the show. And that’s okay.
And if you’re still mad, well, you’re not alone. Season 2 started strong with 5.3 million viewers, but by the finale, that number dropped to 3.7 million, a 30% nosedive that lines up perfectly with Joel’s death in Episode 2. According to Nielsen, Season 2 lost over half its audience compared to Season 1.
Still, despite the huge drop, critics continue to call The Last of Us the gold standard of video game adaptations. Season 2 may have divided the fandom, but it also proved the showrunners aren’t afraid to take risks.
