The Last Of Us: Season 2 Episode 6 “The Price” – Recap & Review (With Spoilers)

The background of Ellie’s beef with Joel is explored from earlier this season.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Episode 6 “The Price” Details

  • Available On: HBO Max
  • Public Release Date: May 18, 2025
  • Director(s): Neil Druckmann
  • Writer(s): Neil Druckmann, Halley Gross, Craig Mazin

Episode 6 “The Price” Recap (With Spoilers)

Just Trying To Provide A Better Childhood Than I Had: Mr. Miller, Joel, Tommy, Ellie

The primary focus of the episode is Joel being a parent which doesn’t mean including his biological daughter but getting to understand how he was raised by his dad, Mr. Miller, a cop, and how, like many, that inspired him to try to do the opposite, if not better, than the one he loved. Note, was Mr. Miller the absolute worst father? No. But, there was a level of fear when it came to him, which made Tommy fear how violent he would be, and, as the elder brother, Joel felt the need to step in.

So when it came to Ellie, while she had a sharp tongue and certainly was nothing like his daughter, or the trajectory she was on, this is what he had, and he wanted to try his best. For example, he would make her a custom guitar and teach her how to play, take her to a local museum for her birthday, and make it so there could be bright spots amongst a hard life, like any parent or extended family would try to provide a child. Something to come back to so that, while there might be a lot of criticism, they ultimately could say, their guardian did their best.

When Things Turnt Left At 17: Joel, Ellie, Eugene, Gail

While Joel and Ellie were close, she was still a teenager, so Joel didn’t know about her being with girls, getting a tattoo, and trying drugs—he just stumbled into it and didn’t necessarily handle it the best way. The tattoo thing he was able to admit was cool, alongside understanding Ellie burning herself and later getting said tattoo because she wanted to wear short sleeves.

However, the drugs and girls? It seemingly took years for Joel to ask about Ellie being queer, who she liked and things like that and as seen with many a queer kid, rejecting or ignoring that part of them can create a wall. The type a birthday cake can’t solve, so, 17 was around the time Ellie moved into the garage and Joel refurnished it, without fuss, so she could have her own space. Thus allowing more distance between them.

But it was when Ellie was 19 that Joel truly broke Ellie’s heart. You may remember Eugene being talked about since he had a place where he dried weed. He is also the husband of the town’s therapist, Gail, but we haven’t seen him thus far. In this episode, we do, and we learn why Gail has such a hard time with Joel and why Ellie really soured on Joel.

You see, Eugene did get bitten, but Ellie believed he had enough time to say his goodbyes to Gail before he turned. Joel, operating on the safe side, promised he’d let Eugene see Gail and take him back, but he ended up sending Ellie ahead and killing Eugene in cold blood. Then, to add to this, Joel lied to Gail’s face, originally painting Eugene as brave and that Eugene pulled the trigger himself. Unable to stomach the lie, Ellie told the truth, and thus Gail went from seeking comfort from Joel to slapping him and having a type of animosity she just couldn’t set aside for logic.

New Year’s 2029: Joel, Ellie

Hence why, when Joel stepped in when Seth was making comments to Dina and Ellie, it felt performative, a gesture to apologize, and Ellie rejected it then. But, as Ellie came to realize, Joel was at a loss on how to apologize and, being old school as he is, and stepping up was the most certain way he could think to show he still loved and cared about Ellie. Was it a bit late to care about Ellie’s experience as a queer woman in a small town? Maybe. But it did open the door for reconciliation.

To further open the door, Joel was asked for the radical truth about what really happened with the Fireflies, and with him admitting there were no raiders and the story he told was a big lie, she holds him accountable. Ellie calls him selfish, questions why he changed her fate, and with only being able to say it is because he loves her, it hurts both of them. But, with opening the wound, it seems some of the past infection gets removed, and Ellie wants them to genuinely reconcile. It is just a challenge because she has to come to love Joel as he is, not who she saw or wanted him to be.

New Cast and Characters

Mr. Miller (Tony Dalton)

  • Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
  • Character Summary: Mr. Miller was a cop, the father of Joel and Tommy, who wasn’t against corporal punishment but conveyed to Joel that, while he isn’t the best father, he is trying to be better than his own. A statement Joel kept in his heart and passed on to Ellie when admitting his own faults as a guardian.

Eugene (Joe Pantoliano)

  • Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
  • Character Summary: Eugene was Gail’s husband, a generally fun guy to be around, according to Jesse, who dried weed at a closed-down market.

Other Noteworthy Information

  • Andrew Diaz played young Joel
  • David Miranda played young Tommy

Review and Commentary

Highlights

Joel’s Struggle With Being A Good Father [87/100]

Take note, Pascal’s performance trying to balance the hardships Joel went through to be a successful, and still alive, smuggler, paired with tapping into who he was before the pandemic: a father, a brother, part of a legitimate family who existed beyond the need for survival. The two sides are hard to balance. Especially for Joel, who sometimes doesn’t seem capable of the grey and only switching to one side or the other.

Yet, for Ellie, he tries to create this gray for he knows she needs the guardian who can teach her about the world, be playful, a safe space, yet also she needs to engage, learn, and how to navigate his cold and matter-of-fact side, for if she leaves Jackson, she needs to be prepared for people who operated like he did or does. How do you become a good parent to someone when the rules of the world you grew up in are gone? Never mind, as said, the child Joel was originally raising wasn’t likely going to become like Ellie. So, just getting back in that mindset has to be tough.

Add in Joel’s own upbringing with a Baby Boomer parent, in Texas, in the times of “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” and wanting to do better than what he was given, you can see the push and pull constantly with Joel. Letting Ellie be who she is keeps her close and safe, but she needs to learn respect, patience, and the discernment of when to push back or take orders and keep your head down.

It’s what made that moment when Joel and Ellie were crying so impactful. He has been trying to do everything he can, and he knows he is far from perfect, but there is hope that, because she has seen so much of him and hopefully understands his motivation, she can forgive him. I assume most parents would want this from their kids as they come to the point of handing over the reins of their lives.

But, unfortunately, Ellie, while she wants to reconcile, and maybe to some point understands, it is complicated, and while complicated isn’t being disowned, it still means walking on eggshells and presents the idea that things will never be like they used to. So while good moments can still be made, it does present the need to fear that one slip up eclipses all the good you’ve done, just because you never really got forgiveness, the other party just tried to bury their feelings and move on.

On The Fence

The Struggles This Show Will Deal With Going Forward [74/100]

This episode is why we sometimes worry about The Last Of Us going forward. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal’s dynamic is the heart of the show and what initially sold it. And while we enjoy Ellie and Dina, this didn’t start as a show about two young women trying to survive the apocalypse together. Following the game, it is about Ellie’s revenge over her father figure and at this point, Bella Ramsey, without Pedro Pascal, leaves The Last Of Us in a bit of a lurch.

Now, let it be clear, we do think Ellie and Dina are cute. However, at times, it really does seem that Ramsey needs someone who is a strong or stronger actor to really get where she needs. And we don’t mean strong like a man or older actor, but someone who can challenge her in the scene and bring her the best out. She isn’t yet at that point where she can get another actor to step up their game. She is still sharpening her tools.

Which is why the various pairings she has, whether it is Jesse, Dina, Tommy, or others, while by no means terrible, don’t feel good enough. And considering how Ellie’s revenge has been thus far in season 2, there is a need to worry that Ramsey isn’t ready to be the star rather than one half of a duo.  

Overall

Our Overall Rating [80/100]

As The Last Of Us fills in the gap and gives Joel a proper goodbye, there is reason to question, like when any lead character is killed off and the chance for flashbacks become nil, how does the show move forward? Yes, we know Ellie’s journey will be working her way towards Abby for potentially one or two seasons, and the show could very well promote Abby to be co-lead, as she was in the video game. However, with the taste of Ellie as the sole lead given throughout this season, there is a need to question who and when Ramsey will have someone who challenges and makes her great as Pascal did?

For right now, the actors who could be are part of a separate storyline, and not on Ellie’s path of destruction. So, what is the path forward to keep this show engaging, when, unlike the video game, you don’t have control through a gamepad in your hands?

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.