As a TV adaptation of Naughty Dog's games990 Archives The Last of Usincludes more than a few hidden references and overt re-creations of the gameplay and cutscenes from The Last of Us Parts I andII.
Music references, in particular, are threaded through both seasons, from the Hank Williams connection to Season 1, episode 4; Crooked Still playing at the dance in Season 2, episode 1; to Ashley Johnson's cover of "Through the Valley" to end that brutal second episode.
SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: What are the differences between the game and the HBO show?In the fourth episode of Season 2, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) plays a tune right out of the game, in what's sure to be a moving moment for fans familiar with the TV show's source material. But what song does she play, and how is it connected to the game?
Suffice to say, Dina (Isabela Merced) loves the song. Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO In Season 2, episode 4, Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) are en route to Seattle when they need shelter. They find the one place they can fit their horse Shimmer through the door, Valiant Music Shop, an abandoned record store that's still fully stocked with Bob Marley and Tears for Fears vinyl and requisite Pearl Jam posters.
Ellie heads upstairs and finds the guitar section, where many an instrument has been eroded by the elements. But fortune smiles on an unopened case, and Ellie finds a pristine acoustic guitar within. She picks it up, takes a seat, and plays a truly beautiful, quietly romantic version of A-ha's 1985 track "Take On Me."
Music is a crucial link between Ellie and Joel (Pedro Pascal) in The Last of Us, in life and after his death. Joel gave Ellie the butterfly-necked guitar and was restringing it for her before he died, despite their rocky relationship.
The song Ellie picks to play is the same one as in The Last of Us Part II,when you play the chords yourself (this feature of the second game is a polarising one). Ramsey performs the song in the show in much the same style as Johnson does in the game, with both scenes showing Dina listening with shining eyes to Ellie's rendition.
In the game scene, Ellie actually starts to play Pearl Jam's "Future Days", a song Joel plays to Ellie at the beginning of The Last of Us Part IIwhen he gives her a guitar, and a song that's become synonymous with the franchise for fans. But then Ellie stops when Dina enters, then moving into A-ha's "Take On Me."
Ellie plays the song for Dina in "The Last of Us Part II." Credit: Naughty Dog The thing is, you could completely miss this cutscene in the game if you don't investigate the guitar room. It's not part of the main storyline, but instead it's more of a private side moment for Ellie, who is still grieving the loss of her guitar-teaching father Joel, and for Dina, who is becoming more aware of her feelings for Ellie — you try watching someone you mightlike playing music live and not falling head over heels.
But it's particularly poignant because of A-ha's lyrics, which match The Last of Us' glimmer of hope for our protagonist, with Ellie singing, "Needless to say / I'm odds and ends / But I'll be stumblin' away / Slowly learnin' that life is OK."
The Last of Us Season 2 is now streaming on Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
Watching The Last of Usand want to play the games? Here's how.
Topics HBO Streaming The Last of Us
Against Fear
In defense of loving Severus Snape, the best "Harry Potter" villain
Mike Morhaime is no longer the CEO of Blizzard
'Venom' has two end credits scenes. Here's what they mean.
Contingent No More
People are freaking out over this 'sexist,' misspelled Einstein T
Pokémon Go smart sneaker concept lets you play using your feet
Twitter comes up with a stream of titles for #DonaldTrumpTheMovie
NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for May 18: Tips to solve Connections #237
Tesla's first safety report claims drivers on Autopilot are safer, but lacks detail
Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?
9 books to read if you're mad as hell at the patriarchy
Netflix consumes 15 percent of the world’s internet traffic, report says
J.K. Rowling received 2 absolutely perfect gifts for her birthday
Waitin’ on the Student Debt Jubilee
Here's how to use an Apple Watch as a Walkie Talkie in WatchOS 5
There's now an 'Office' parody musical
Elon Musk straight
Best keyboard deals: Save on Asus gaming keyboards at Amazon
Twitter comes up with a stream of titles for #DonaldTrumpTheMovie
Google protests called off after organizers blame Trump's newest scapegoatArnold Schwarzenegger donated $100,000 to an antiBusiness media startup Cheddar adds radio to its growing TV operationNew Girl Scout badges go where Girl Scouts have never been before: SpaceStop using Johnny Cash for your hateful rallies, his children tell neoCharlottesville comes together for a candlelight vigilThe only 'Game of Thrones' recap we need is one made with corgis'Game of Thrones' is proving itself to be leakGoogle Maps just added a Q&A feature for Android users'Game of Thrones' actor Joe Dempsie says Gendry still thinks of Arya10,000 impounded bikes look like abstract artCadbury chocolate'Game of Thrones' fan has an epic theory about what's in store for Bronn7 best burns from Martin Shkreli's jury selection processHave you seen all of Rotten Tomatoes' 200 essential movies?White nationalists are flocking to genetic ancestry tests. Some don’t like what they find.An engineer designed two Nintendo Switch controller adapters to help make gaming more accessibleFacebook's mobile redesign makes reading easier but it's kind of just really grayHorde of Nintendo games and collectibles sells for $20,000Guess who's back: Daniel Craig confirms return as James Bond Staff Picks: Night Skies, B Sides, and Neon Lights by The Paris Review Staff Picks: Dictators, Deep Souls, and Doom by The Paris Review On Threads, users say they're flooded with pro Redux: Self Redux: August’s Wilt by The Paris Review Staff Picks: Billboards, Bookstores, and Butler by The Paris Review Staff Picks: Rats, Rereaders, and Radio Towers by The Paris Review Is It Too Scary? by Eula Biss Apple pulls latest iOS 17.3 beta after reports of 'boot loop' bug CES 2024: Dates, ticket prices, exhibitors, and everything else you must know The Legacy of Audre Lorde by Roxane Gay The Later Work of Dorothea Tanning by Craig Morgan Teicher Something to Hold On To: An Interview with Rumaan Alam by Cornelia Channing Cooking with Italo Calvino by Valerie Stivers How to enable Link History on Facebook 'Saltburn' and TikTok give 'Murder On The Dancefloor' new life Memory Haunts by Imani Perry What We Aren’t Seeing by Francine Prose Painting with a Moth’s Wing by The Paris Review The Nature of Gary Snyder by Robert Hass
1.9364s , 10132.1875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【1990 Archives】,Unobstructed Information Network