Why were there giraffes in the Last of Us finale?

The first season with a giraffe Last of UsFor those not familiar with the game, it may have appeared daunting. Before this, you would only be able to imagine such an animal in a plushie. This is likely because it was abandoned and left out to the elements. (As we did actually see in episode 2, Easter egg). But thAt was all setting the stage for the big — or, at least, a big — scene in the season 1 finale, where Ellie gets to pet a giraffe.

Like so much of the show, it’s a moment pulled almost directly from the game. In episode 8, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), is still recovering after overcoming a fundamentalist cannibal group. Joel (Pedro Pascal) can see she’s distant and not super excited — at least, until they’re exploring Salt Lake City. This scene almost mirrors the one from the game. Ellie gives Joel the ladder and then she lets it go when she spots the animal. The two look on in wonder as a giraffe grazes on the plants overtaking the abandoned structure they’re in.

This scene may seem cheerful and bright in a post-apocalyptic world that is otherwise so dark. Like so many of the Last of UsThe giraffe scene is more poignant than the others, and it’s a quiet moment that Joel and Ellie end their conversation, sealing the beginning of the violence.

[Ed. note: The rest of this post contains spoilers for the finale of The Last of Us season 1.]

All of Last of Us, as both a first game and a first season, builds toward Joel’s rampage: After so many chapters of Joel easily justifying violence — against infected or ruthless humans — the Fireflies’ hospital feels less clear cut. On the one hand, he understands that Ellie’s immunity might be the best chance the world has for a cure. On the other, Marlene says it “could” be a cure, leaving a lot of room for him to prioritize the more important thing to him, Ellie herself.

Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO

The presence of giraffes seals that bond. After seeing her fight through so much, connecting with her through attacks from clickers and pun books alike, Joel had already stopped considering her “cargo” and started seeing her as more of a surrogate daughter. As he comforts her at the end of episode 8, “When We Are in Need,” he even calls her “baby girl,” just like he called Sarah.

His vision of him as a father is strengthened by the giraffe-chasing moment. After feeling her distance and trauma, the way Ellie lights up as she chases the giraffe is a reminder that there’s a kidThere she is, with an entire world in front of her. For Ellie, it’s a reminder that there is a peace and stillness in a world that (as we’ve seen it) has been so marked by violence and mayhem.

For Joel it’s a connection to his parental instincts (indeed, in the game Sarah even has that giraffe plushie in her room). He can be seen deciding to kill a team of doctors or Fireflies, but he will do it for her.

The giraffes may seem out of place, but they’re a final reminder for the season that something innocent and kind could survive in this world somehow. For Joel that’s Ellie; for Ellie — well, it’s a fleeting glance at the trusting life that gets corrupted by Joel’s lie. She’ll have to deal with the ramifications of his actions in season 2, after they’ve returned to the idyllic Jackson compound. But at the very least, she’ll have pet a giraffe.