'The Last of Us' Showrunner Defends Ellie's Controversial and Ridiculed "Dad" Line

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to The Last of Us Season 2 — and not all of it has gone over smoothly. But one line in particular has become a lightning rod for criticism: Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) now-infamous “I’m going to be a dad” moment. A tonal shift that left longtime fans scratching their heads (and making memes), the line has now been directly addressed by showrunner Craig Mazin, who offered a window into how the scene came to life… and why he’s standing by it.

The moment arrives early in the season, as Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) continue their post-apocalyptic journey. Dina has been throwing up regularly, which Ellie initially chalks up to trauma or stress — understandable, considering the brutality they’ve been facing. But when they stop at a pharmacy and Dina grabs a handful of expired pregnancy tests, the truth comes out: she’s pregnant with Jesse’s (Young Mazino) child.

In the show, this bombshell leads to a surprisingly upbeat reaction. Ellie quickly processes the news and chirps, “So we’re all having a baby.” She then follows it up with a deep breath and the punchline: “I’m going to be a dad!”

Was the Pregnancy Announcement Scene Different in the Game?

Fans of the Naughty Dog game series remember the same scene unfolding very differently. There, Dina breaks the news in tears, unsure and anxious about how Ellie will react. And Ellie does not take it well. Instead of cracking jokes, she lashes out, calling Dina a “burden.” The moment is raw, emotionally complicated, and sets the tone for Ellie’s later decisions — including her inability to let go of her mission for revenge. By contrast, the TV version felt too lighthearted for many fans. Critics say it downplays the emotional weight of the moment and contributes to what they see as a broader issue: a portrayal of Ellie as immature and cartoonish.

In a behind-the-scenes clip shared by Sky Ireland on TikTok, Craig Mazin gave insight into how that now-notorious line made it into the script.

“Bella and I were talking about that episode, I like to run things past them all the time. And I was like — this just popped into my head. I don’t know why, it just felt right. It’s not an expression of gender as much as state of mind.”

 

So, not a profound character revelation. More of a vibe. Mazin clarified that he doesn’t make decisions like this in a vacuum. For him, it all comes down to the actor’s gut reaction.

“The joy that just burbles out of Bella when they say, ‘I’m going to be a dad,’ it’s wonderful."

Unfortunately for Mazin (and Bella Ramsey), that joy didn’t translate for everyone. The line was quickly turned into a meme, and not a particularly flattering one. Type “Ellie I’m going to be a dad” into Google, and the search engine practically begs to autocomplete it with “meme.” In defending the line, Mazin essentially confirmed what some fans already suspected: the show’s deviations are not always the result of a long-planned masterstroke. Sometimes, it’s just what “feels right” in the moment. Whether that approach will continue to pay off remains to be seen.