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When I watched Episode 4 of Season 2 of The Last of Us, I had no idea I'd be crying over a guitar. But there she was, Ellie, playing an acoustic version of Take On Me at a long-forgotten music shop. The scene strikes like a ton of bricks, especially if you've played the game. It wasn't an ordinary scene; it was a depiction of one of the most poignant moments of The Last of Us Part II.
As a witness, I couldn't help but wonder at how seriously the show staged it. No drama, no hyperbole—just Ellie, a guitar, and a sick song that brutalized the past and the future together. Surrounded by an infected planet and a desert of sorrow, that moment was somehow serene.
Game accuracy that actually mattered in The Last of Us
If you've played the game, you certainly remember the cutscene of Ellie singing Take On Me for Dina in a record store. It didn't have to advance the plot, but it gave us something richer—access to Ellie's inner life. And now, watching that same moment realized on the show, I was reminded of just how loyal the showrunners are to the emotional map of the game.
They didn't remake it—they honored it. Same mood, same vulnerability, same slow build-up of a connection between Ellie and Dina. It was like going back to the game, but I was not holding the controller this time.
A guitar that carries more than music
Joel was all over that guitar. Not in the physical sense, but emotionally. He was the one who had taught Ellie to play, and it was one of the only things that kept her sane when the world around her was crumbling. So when she sat down and played this song, it wasn't so much about Dina—it was about Joel and all that she'd lost.
I couldn't help but wonder if this was Ellie's way of grieving. No argument, no speech—only lyrics and chords that expressed everything that she couldn't.
The choice of song wasn't random in The Last of Us
A-ha's Take On Me isn't quite such a direct pick for a post-apocalyptic ballad as it appears when you listen to the lyrics. "I'll be gone in a day or two" becomes ridiculously accurate in an environment where tomorrow is never assured. Ellie screaming that to Dina, all that context-wise, resonated differently.
The scene didn't rush the moment—it let it breathe. And that's what it did. This wasn't fan service. This was about allowing Ellie a moment to be human.
Dina and Ellie: More than just survival partners in The Last of Us
I believe that this feels like it also did one other thing—it cemented the emotional bond between Dina and Ellie. They'd been in peril together, they'd shared moments of trust up until this point. But this was different. This was on a personal level. Ellie didn't simply play a song; she exposed herself. And Dina reacted not with words but with presence. It was one of the very few quiet, honest exchanges that they had.
In a world full of threats, this was a gentle but stern reminder that there was still some room for commonality.
Why this scene in The Last of Us works well in the series
We’ve seen a lot of action and emotional turmoil in The Last of Us, both in the game and the show. But scenes like this? They’re rare. They’re the moments where the noise fades, and we’re left with raw emotion. That’s why it stood out to me. It was accurate to the game, yes—but it was also genuine, and the show didn’t try to dress it up as anything more than it needed to be.
And that's what made it so brilliant.
For me, this guitar scene in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4 is perhaps the best illustration of how the show achieves action and intimacy. It didn't yell for attention, but it received it anyway. Not because it was flashy, but because it was authentic. And in a show based on survival, these moments remind me what it is to be alive.
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It’s more than just a game adaptation—it’s Ellie's story unfolding in real time, and we’re lucky enough to witness it.
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