Without getting into spoilers for Part II (since a friend who I want to read this hasn’t played it yet), I’ll summarize one of the “defenses” of Joel that is used as a criticism for the second game:
“What Joel did was right because vaccine distribution would have been implausible in this dog eat dog world.”
The most basic problem with this defense is that it renders the entire first game worthless. If distributing the vaccine is so implausible, then I guess Joel and Ellie’s life threatening adventure that encompasses the vast majority of the game is not only worthless, but absurd. After all, if killing Ellie over an implausibly distributed vaccine is a bad idea, then I guess putting her life at risk on their months and states-spanning journey is also a bad idea.
The other problem with the “implausible vaccine distribution” defense is that it arguably suggests that the people making it would be okay with killing an unconscious 14 year old if distributing a vaccine was “more plausible.”
“Well, back when the vaccine distribution seemed implausible I wouldn’t have killed the unconscious 14 year old, but now that it looks plausible…”
But nothing I’ve said so far properly encompasses the main problem with the defense of “implausible vaccine distribution.” These points have touched upon the biggest problem, being splintered fragments of the true light*, but they are splintered nonetheless.
*(Forgive that forced reference, I just adore that Tolkien quote)
The biggest problem with the “implausible vaccine distribution” is not that it renders the conflict of the game worthless (though that is a problem), nor is it that it seems to suggest that “plausible vaccine distribution” was the core issue at hand and not the murder of an unconscious 14 year old (though that is also a problem).
No, the biggest problem of these attempts to defend Joel is that it absolutely slaughters the actual catharsis of the ending and denies the actual bravery of Joel’s actions.
When Joel is running with Ellie in his arms, I don’t tear up because this action dares to question the plausibility of their vaccine distribution. He is not running from incompetent vaccine distributors.
He is running from the world.
Here come The Last Of Us Part II spoilers, Chris
It is precisely this kind of bravery that makes the premise of The Last Of Us Part II so powerful, and it is precisely this power that certain Last Of Us Part II critics seek to destroy in their pouty “NO, there’s NO REASON TO DISLIKE JOEL, the VACCINE WOULDN’T HAVE WORKED ANYWAY” tirades. They want to focus on the man who killed an attempted child murderer and just pretend that that attempted child murderer wasn’t also an attempted savior of humanity.
To these certain fans, Joel is the cool guy who likes kicking ass and using facts and logic.
And it is precisely this simplistic breakdown that leads to the worst criticism of The Last Of Us Part II; the people who are upset that Ellie retained her humanity and stopped herself from fulfilling the goal that ruined her life. It’s why we get absurd memes in which more black-and-white revenge tales like Kill Bill or The Princess Bride are given oh-so-hilarious alternate endings where the person seeking vengeance says “I forgive you!”
To reduce Ellie’s action to “I forgive you” is itself a sign that the ending went over their heads. Ellie’s pursuit is barely about vengeance or hatred of Abby by the end. It’s instead about “freeing” her of her horrific nightmares and images. Killing Abby is not an end, but a means to one, and a terrible means (dare I say implausible?) at that.
Because in her pursuit, she gave up what Joel wanted for her. Joel wanted Ellie to play guitar and have a life with Dina, and her vain, misguided pursuit cost her both of those things.
To this, some say “well, by the end she already gave up the life with Dina and she already lost her guitar fingers! She went all this way! She might as well kill Abby!”
And it’s here that Ellie learns the lesson that Abby is confronted with but doesn’t follow through on as she raises the golf club for the fatal blow.
The lesson we need to confront isn’t “well, you’ve already done all these bad things, you might as well go that extra step and do one more bad thing.”
The lesson is “it’s never too late to stop.”
And the absurdity of condemning Abby’s initial disregard of that lesson while shouting at hilltops that Ellie embraced it is something that shouldn’t even need to be called absurd.
devilsadvocritic 