‘The Final of Us’ Season 2 completely recreates Ellie and Dina’s dance scene

Probably the most iconic and butterfly-inducing scenes (and my private favorite) in The Final of Us video games comes within the sequel, through which Ellie and Dina dance collectively and kiss on the city of Jackson’s massive shindig.

It is the scene that led The Final of Us Half II‘s first gameplay footage proven at E3 2018, and to me, it was a slam dunk to observe our kick-ass protagonist Ellie confirmed as a lesbian in a AAA recreation (although Ellie was actually first confirmed as canonically homosexual in 2014’s The Final of Us DLC Left Behind, which Season 1, episode 7 relies on).

Co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (co-president of Naughty Canine and creator of The Final of Us) pay greater than homage to the scene in Season 2 of their HBO adaptation, with actors Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced, as Ellie and Dina, going nearly line-for-line, shot-for-shot, by means of the scene initially co-written by Druckmann and Halley Gross.

“That was a really special day just having a bunch of people in a room together having a good time. It doesn’t really happen in The Last of Us very often, with music, pretty lighting, and a dance,” Ramsey advised Mashable’s Belen Edwards.

In each the sport and the TV collection, a flannel-shirted Ellie begrudgingly attends the Jackson dance (within the present, this marks New Years’ Eve 2029). The digicam stands behind Ellie, centered in body among the many festoon lighting of the city corridor, after which strikes in entrance of her as she watches the dance. Preferring to stay to the bar, Ellie watches as Dina dances joyously with various townspeople. We all know Ellie has emotions for Dina at this level; within the TV present, Mazin and Druckmann have Dina come to Ellie’s home earlier to assist her prepare for a patrol (within the recreation, it is a related scene, however that includes Jesse, Ellie’s buddy and Dina’s ex). On this scene, Ellie’s emotions for Dina are apparent to us as viewers by means of her reactions, but it surely’s unclear what Dina is aware of.

Again on the dance (in each the collection and the sport), Jesse joins Ellie as a fellow wallflower and remarks of his former companion, “She’s put on quite the show.” Dina comes over, downs Jesse’s drink, and drags Ellie to the dance ground, the place they slowly transfer the vibe from goofy to nervous and intimate. Dina gives Ellie the chic line, “Everyone should be terrified of you,” and the pair kiss.

Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) in “The Last of Us” Season 2, episode 1.
Credit score: Liane Hentscher / HBO

This warmly lit room, filled with merriment and normality, gives a uncommon and exquisite human second in a brutal world overrun with aggression, blood, an infection, and demise. Between the grim actuality of butchering former people contaminated by Cordyceps, escaping cannibals, and scraping dwindling provides collectively to outlive, there’s by some means nonetheless room for human intimacy, love, and the fantastic awkwardness of a primary kiss.

“The kiss between them just felt like a really tender moment and a complicated one for Ellie.”

“The kiss between them just felt like a really tender moment and a complicated one for Ellie, because I think there’s an element of self-protection there. Obviously she feels a certain way about Dina, and she’s not sure how Dina feels about her, and whether it’s just for fun or whether she has deeper feelings like Ellie has,” Ramsey advised Edwards.

“All of that going into it, it was a very layered scene and very beautiful and I’m so happy to see how it turned out. The actual shooting of that scene was beautiful, and we were supported on set by our amazing intimacy coordinator Kathy [Kadler]. It was a really safe environment to be able to explore this first romantic, intimate moment between Ellie and Dina,” Ramsey added.

In an actual deal with for followers, The Final of Us episode even options the music from the dance in The Final of Us Half II, with an look from Crooked Nonetheless taking part in their songs “Little Sadie” and “Ecstasy” — they’re credited within the collection as Brittany and the Jug Boys. And recreating such a second for the collection concerned each Mazin and Druckmann guiding the best way on set.

“Neil was on set for some of those days and Craig was directing that episode, so you have the OG creators of the show and the creator of the game, so we were really well-informed,” Merced advised Mashable. “We did many, many different takes, versions, and angles, but what was crazy was you could feel the magic in the room as we were doing it — and [it was] the kind of magic I initially felt when I was watching that cutscene. Everyone felt it that day and the preciousness of the moment, how scary it probably was but also thrilling for these two characters.”

The Final of Us Season 2 is now streaming on Max. New episodes air weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.