The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 stand tall among the greatest video games I have played in my lifetime. One thing that sets these two games apart from other post-apocalyptic adventures is that they leave a lasting emotional mark on you. While the sequel mostly focuses on revenge, there is a poetic scene involving Ellie and Dina in the initial part of the story, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most iconic moments in the TLOU franchise.
Ellie singing her version of “Take on Me” to Dina with a guitar she finds in an abandoned Seattle music shop is one of my favorite moments from The Last of Us Part 2 video game (review). So I was naturally worried about how the showrunners are going to handle the scene in The Last of Us Season 2. Well, not just me, but every gamer’s favorite guitar sequence just got the live-action treatment in Season 2 Episode 4, and it’s perfect!
In line with the magical moment of Ellie and Joel seeing the Giraffe in the prequel, Ellie playing a cover of the ‘Take on Me’ song (with the guitar she found in a music shop) is one of the most beautiful moments in the history of video games. While we often found ourselves on a thrilling run from the infected and human enemies in TLOU, this was one of the heartwarming moments where I put my controller down and just adored the beauty of an emotional singing scene.
Bella Ramsey played this part to perfection by exquisitely performing the song like Ashley Johnson (who played Ellie in the game), who sang it with heartfelt emotion in the sequel. Isabela Merced’s eyes are filled with adoration as she revels in Ellie’s music just like Dina does in the game.
The creators remained faithful to the scene and wonderfully recreated this beloved scene for the TV show viewers to enjoy to the fullest, equal to the gamers. The show beautifully breathed life into one of the fan-favorite moments in Season 2, and they did justice to it.
From now on, the story of Season 2 will delve deeper into the darker parts as indicated right from the start. We hope the creators stay faithful to the source material and recreate the vital moments, similar to how they nailed the scene here. That said, let us know your thoughts about Ellie’s guitar scene in The Last of Us Season 2 in the comments below.
