Like Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), The Last of Us fans could use a hug right now.
The Last of Us season 1 reached a remarkable 8.1 million viewers with episode 8, its most-watched of the series to date. A brutal separation ensued as Joel, barely revived, raged to find Ellie as she saved herself with cathartic blows. It all ended with Joel and Ellie’s reunion — a welcomed sigh of relief.
It seems that Pedro was also deeply affected by this emotional return. He even went on his Instagram Stories to pay tribute to the duo. Pedro reposted a graphic that depicted Joel as he found Ellie.
During the scene, he grabbed her from behind, and she resisted before realizing it was Joel. An overcome and traumatized Ellie then sobbed as Joel pulled her into a desperate hug. “It’s OK, baby girl,” he said. “I got you.”
Their endearing relationship translates offscreen, too. HBO Max cushioned all the emotion by sharing a behind-the-scenes clip on TikTok. Pedro called the casting of Joel and Ellie “a match made in heaven” and even revealed his adorable nickname for Bella.
He said in the video: “Bella Ramsey plays Ellie. I call her ‘Bellie.’ And she’s my blessing.” Seems like the feeling is mutual as Bella added, “Our relationship’s definitely developed as Joel and Ellie’s relationship has.”
The Last of Us fans couldn’t recover from it all. “STOP. MAKING. ME. CRY.” one person commented under the post. “How do I get adopted by Pedro Pascal?” another added. “They really had to post this right after episode 8,” a different person said.
If that wasn’t heartwarming enough, Bella also took to Twitter to reveal her own nickname for The Mandalorian actor. She quoted a tweet of the snippet, writing: “HOW I MISS YOU. I really really miss you. My Pedge.”
Consider our hearts, melted. More Joel and Ellie moments are yet to come as The Last of Us season finale approaches. Even better, it’s not the end of the road as the streamer has plans for a season 2 …
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Jacqueline (she/her) covers all things e-commerce in beauty, lifestyle and beyond for the Good Housekeeping Institute. Before joining GH in 2021, she was a style and beauty reviews fellow at Insider, testing viral trends, reviewing sustainable brands and more. She’s a graduate of the University of Florida’s School of Journalism, with a specialty in magazines and mass communication.
