It is time for critical flashbacks to get Pedro Pascal’s Joel back on the screen and reveal important dynamics we have missed from his and Ellie’s relationship. Yes, it will be another heartbreaker for some.
“The Price” shows us Joel’s struggle to be the best father or father figure he could be. It is rooted, of course, in how his father treated him, and we get a strong sense of that as the episode begins. He tried his best with his biological daughter Sarah, but he failed to keep her safe and lost her. Now there is Ellie. He bonded with her over their travels. He taught her to defend & fight, to survive, and when to move on when they needed to and hold up when they had to as the situation warranted. He was a father figure to her, but due to tensions and mistrust, he was struggling to maintain that bond. He couldn’t face losing her as well. They never had a chance to correct all that; the last time Ellie saw Joel alive, they argued hard, and the results of that festered within each of them. It was not until Ellie was on her revenge trip that she would find time to reflect on all that had gone down and all that she had lost.
The flashbacks we see were all cut-scenes in the games; they did not play out all at once, but their placement and thus their impact helped make the games win acclaim. In fact, some of the moments we see in Episode 6 don’t play out until late in the game, but if the show followed that exact linear pattern, the moment would not be seen until a later season of the show, and by then, the impact would possibly not be as strongly felt. Of course, there are embellishments in the series; some accept them, others not so much. Regardless, what plays out builds a somber, serious reflection on the relationship that has stirred so many.
Now, I’m not so sure that episode 6 was the right place to observe this dynamic, as crucial as it is to understanding Joel & Ellie. I guess it is a way to keep Pascal on the screen a bit longer, but the construct of these moments feels so right and cuts to the soul as they should. Where does that leave us with just the final episode of the season to go? We will have to wait for that. For now, we’ll break down some key moments from this episode. The crux of the matter, of course, is what transpired in Salt Lake City. As Ellie sees it, it was not Joel’s call on whether to save her or not. At stake was the survival of humanity. Ellie likely held the means to stop the Infected from growing, literally & figuratively. It was her valiant call to make. She 
stumbles a number of times, as observed, to broach the subject, to call him out. There were downtimes, like at the museum, to bring it to light. When the subject was finally broached, there was an outburst; bottled-up emotions erupted. Another incident that occurred that showed Joel’s impulsive actions was the death of Eugene (Joe Pantoliano). He was ambushed and bitten. He knew his fate, but he wanted to say goodbye to Gail and his friends before the cordyceps took over his body. Ellie & Joel were in agreement to allow that to happen out of decency, but no sooner as Ellie turned her back, did Joel make the mercy killing. The incident helped embed the thread of distrust that had been building between the two.
One of the best sequences for me, in both game & show, because it shows Joel & Ellie at their happiest as father/daughter, is the museum sequence. Druckmann & Mazin recreated it spot on perfect for the series. You wish the impact of that sequence would dominate Ellie’s thoughts instead of all the tragic moments that permeate since moment one. Another powerful moment is the “You swore” delivery from Ellie to Joel when they tell Gail what happened to Eugene. As the Inside The Episode clip below affirms, Joel not only swore to buy Eugene some time, but he swore all about the Firefly and the hospital, and he broke those promises, and that hurt Ellie. Consequently then, the only best foot Joel could put forward at that time is the full honest truth. Thus, the Porch Scene holds weight as well, at the opposite end of the emotional arc. It is so palpable and raw, you can’t let it go. Little did he and Ellie know, that would be the last time they would ever speak to each other. Now Ellie moves on towards Abby, wherever she is, with those thoughts lingering.
