Hello again it’s me your resident ‘Ellie automatically started accommodating for Joel’s hearing loss as soon as she knew about it and I have proof even if the show runners refuse to acknowledge it’ bringing you yet another analysis. Also featuring moments of Pedro somehow managing to exceed my extremely high expectations
I’m risking my hotspot data before the finale for this but I GOTTA DO IT
TL:DR she does more to protect him than he will ever realize
Okay. Onto episode six, aka the one that really made me go
Okay. Rolling 7 and 8 into one because there really isn’t much in them. Episode nine will probably come Monday, assuming any of us survive the finale.
There really isn’t much to do with Joel laying on the floor for every interaction. BUT, it’s consistent.
And it’s stuff like this that has me believing that its NOT intentional. With the layout of this set, from a cinematography standpoint she has to be on his left. That’s where the space is- that’s where the light is. There has been a theme of Ellie being Joel’s light while he’s lost in the darkness for the entire season. She’s backlit for a symbolic reason
On the other hand, from a character standpoint, it would make more sense for her to be on the right. It would keep her shadow off the injury, keep her from having to reach all the way across to put pressure on, give her a better angle to work. But none of that is Ellie’s focus. She needs Joel to hear her because dammit, she’s not letting him die. So she is on the left.
(This isn’t significant I’m just crying about it again)
Look at the shadows, particularly directing before this when she’s actually stitching. She’s blocking her own light trying to do this from his left side, but she’s on his left because that’s where she goes. Even though they don’t say a word for this scene. It would have made more sense to be on his right, but she’s not.
Onto episode 8, where we see her on his right while checking on the stitches. However
When she actually talks to him, she leans in close and partially across him. Not on the right anymore. On the left.
Back with the meds and she’s on the right to made the most of the fading light. But when she’s taking to him directly? She’s nearly shouting. Partially because he’s knocked the fuck out. Partially because she’s on the wrong side.
I have nothing really to add here other than she absolutely shifted him to the right side of the mattress so there would be space for her to lay on his left also hi I’m crying again
Yet another moment of her interacting with him on the left but treating him on the right. And it contrasts from the previous episode because he’s not conscious here. He’s not awake to hear her, so she’s making things easy for herself rather than accommodate for him.
And the final scene. The most important thing she has ever said to him, directly to the left ear. You listen to me now, you hear me. You stay alive, you kill them dead.
And he does.
