The Last of Us season 2 started with Joel and Ellie’s relationship being ruined, but we didn't know why. Whatever happened after they returned to the Jackson, Wyoming community was unknown... and it remained that way until episode 6. That’s where you see the good times the two had on Ellie’s birthdays, the moment when Joel realized he had to let Ellie be herself, and why things went bad between them. And, after everything was said and done, "The Price" became the best episode of TV you’ll see in 2025.
The episode begins in 1983 with Joel talking to his father (who’s played by Tony Dalton) after almost getting arrested. Luckily, Joel’s father is a cop, otherwise, things could have gotten worse. This leads to a deep conversation about how each generation of fathers is going to mess up, and it’s up to the next to be better.
He put it perfectly, saying, “I’m doing a little bit better than my father did. And when it’s your turn, I hope you do a little better than me.”
You couldn’t have asked for a better opening. You get to see why Joel parents the way that he does and why, sometimes, there's anger in his eyes when Ellie acts up. However, you also notice the tolerance. That comes from his father; not just the bad, but the good. You learn that Joel understands that he needs to be better, but he will make mistakes. That part comes into play at the end of the episode.
Nine months after Ellie exposes that Joel lied about Eugene’s death to Gail (his wife), and the night of the New Year’s Eve party, Ellie confronts Joel about Utah. He tells her the truth, and you can see the heartbreak in their eyes as they cry. And when Ellie says he did it because he’s selfish, Joel explains that it was out of love and says to her what his dad said to him. “If you should ever have [a child] of your own, well then, I hope you do a little better than me.”
Pedro Pascal is an amazing actor, but he doesn’t have an Emmy or a Golden Globe just yet. This episode of HBO’s The Last of Us will change that. He deserves all the nominations after this one, as he showed every emotion possible in less than an hour. For example, there was a look of joy when Ellie was taking her journey into space that was just so perfectly displayed; you couldn't help but smile at the fatherly love in his eyes. Then, the happiness ends, and Pascal took things up a notch.
The heartbreaking scenes were just as good, if not better. Seeing the disappointment in himself when he realized how much of a jerk he was to Ellie for smoking, getting a tattoo, and "experimenting" was exactly how you'd expect a good father to react. He knew he was wrong and did his best to make up for it. Then, there's the embarrassment when Ellie told Gail the truth about what happened to Eugene after Joel lied. All of these emotions were so brilliantly captured by Pascal, who has quickly become one of the finest performers of his generation.
You heard it here first. Pedro Pascal will win an award for this episode. If he doesn't, it will be the biggest snub of the year. A world class performance for a world class episode.