There’s something electrifying about a show that’s unafraid to dig straight into the marrow of its characters. “The Last of Us” has built its reputation on layers—on what remains hidden just behind trembling lips and what the camera dares to show. Season 2, Episode 6 (“El Precio,” for those keeping count), punched fans right in the feelings with that infamous hospital confession. Yet, if you’ve spent any time lurking on Threads, Reddit, or even just doom scrolling Twitter, you know there’s far more to the story. Turns out, Joel’s confession wasn’t just a one-way street. In fact, Craig Mazin recently tipped his hand: not one, not two, but THREE different versions of that critical moment live on in the cutting room crypt.
So, buckle up as we crack open the vault on Joel’s many truths. This is for all you lore-hunters, scene sleuths, and anyone who likes their emotional trauma with a side of deleted scenes.
The Confession Scene: More Than Just One Lie
Before we ride straight into the “what-could-have-beens,” let’s get the basics laid out. Episode 6, as aired, delivers a cautious, heartbreaking showdown between Joel and Ellie. Joel lies. Maybe to protect her, maybe to shield himself from the raw ache inside. Pedro Pascal acts it with that signature, slow-burn pain we know and dread. But here’s the kicker—this was just one of three takes on the truth.
According to a now-infamous series of Threads posts from Mazin in late April, the showrunners filmed three distinct confession styles. Each one twisted the emotional blade differently, exploring every possible angle of Joel’s internal meltdown.
What Mazin Actually Said
Let’s get exact. On Threads, Mazin teased:
> “We shot three completely different versions. Each one felt truer in a different way. No wrong choices – just… heavy options.”
He described the process as “brutal” for everyone. Cast, crew, editors, test audiences. Even the showrunners kept swapping favorites.
So, why would anyone bother? Because the weight of Joel’s decision—the lie that’s haunted him and Ellie since Salt Lake City—needed exactly the right flavor. Too cold, and you miss the grief. Too hot, and you melt the careful, paternal tension that drives the series.
Flashback: The Therapy Scene That Almost Was (And Really, Still Is?)
The hospital moment didn’t explode out of nowhere. According to GamesRadar (April 2025), a therapy scene for Joel was a long-standing dream for Pascal, who apparently “fought to keep it alive” way back in Season 1 table reads. The showrunners originally thought about Joel pouring his heart out in therapy, trying (and sort of failing) to explain his choices after the Firefly massacre. Ultimately, the scene landed in the Season 2 vault, retooled as a more authentic showdown with Ellie. Pascal’s take? The therapy setup revealed “a side of Joel that can’t exist around Ellie.” But when the hospital lie returned, it was, as Mazin says, the “core of the show, unvarnished.”
The Alternate Confessions: What We Know
Now, let’s get into the good stuff. Thanks to storyboard leaks and a batch of blurred set photos—plus a few desperate DMs to a Vancouver grip whose cousin swears he saw all three filmed—here’s our best breakdown of the confession cuts that almost made it:
1. The Silent Admission
– Pascal practically chews the air with tension.
– Joel’s words hang, sticky and incomplete, while Ellie reads—everything—on his face.
– There’s almost no dialogue. Viewers have to connect the emotional dots themselves.
– Test audiences reportedly loved the rawness but wanted “just a little more clarity.”
2. The Justification Edition
– If Joel had a court-appointed defense attorney, this is the speech he’d deliver.
– Pascal launches into a careful rundown of what he did and why.
– Joel breaks down every moral crossroads, almost making himself sound like a rational, if heartbroken, man.
– Early audience testers (according to Reddit’s r/TheLastOfUsHBO) found it “captivating but a little too on-the-nose.”
3. The Emotional Outburst
– Here, Joel SPILLS. Tears, voice cracks, hands shaking—not the stoic survivor we know.
– He admits everything, seemingly in one breath, then collapses beneath the weight.
– According to one apparently-leaked storyboard, the shot lingers on his trembling hands at the end.
– Some viewers reportedly found this take “brave and brutal,” but a minority called it “melodramatic.”
Each of these routes could have rerouted the Joel/Ellie dynamic. Too reserved, and maybe fans scream, “C’mon! Say something!” Too explosive, and it risks breaking the tension that powers their bond for the entire season.
Leaked Storyboard Frames: A Taste of What Was Lost
Of course, internet sleuths waste no time. Redditors on r/TheLastOfUsTV and Twitter users have been circulating what look like actual storyboard frames from all three confession drafts. Do they show Pascal in three distinct emotional states? You bet. In one, his eyes never meet Ellie’s. In another, he’s practically clutching her hands, voice a cracked whisper. On a final page, he sits back, head in his palms, looking every year of the apocalypse.
None of these have been officially confirmed by either Mazin or HBO. But when storyboard watermarks match up to other confirmed frames, fandom fills in the blanks.
Test Audience Reactions: No Wrong Choices, But All The Drama
Insiders (a.k.a. people with LinkedIn accounts and loose lips) say HBO conducted standard test screenings of at least two different versions. Here’s the social media scuttlebutt:
- The “Silent” cut ranked best for veteran fans who appreciated subtle acting and wanted to see Ellie figure out the lie alone.
- More casual or first-time viewers leaned toward the “Justification” version, finding it powerful to get inside Joel’s head.
- The “Outburst” split the room. Some called it Emmy bait. Others? Not so much.
- Mazin, true to his word, reportedly ended those screenings still torn. His main concern: “The truest version lets neither Joel nor the viewers completely off the hook.”
Why So Many Cuts? It’s ‘The Last of Us’ DNA
Here’s the thing about this show: ambiguity is baked into its bones. Part of the original game’s emotional impact was that nobody could agree on Joel’s choices. Naughty Dog left that finale open on purpose, and Mazin, who worked hand-in-hand with Neil Druckmann, wanted that spirit alive onscreen.
And, crafting a confession that’s not too heavy-handed—but not too cagey—just might be modern TV’s greatest balancing act.
Season 2 Blu-ray: Will We See the Hidden Scenes?
Fans are already betting dinner money (and maybe a few mushroom coins?) that at least one alternate scene will appear on the Season 2 Blu-ray or HBO Max extras menu. Craig Mazin himself hyped the “No Wrong Choices” approach, and hinted on Threads that “the Blu-ray might settle the score.” Expect the marketing machine to dangle sneak peeks, especially once award season heats up.
Let’s face it, if HBO can rope in new subscribers with a “see the scene they wouldn’t air” trailer, they will. The internet would lose its collective mind. Think of the YouTube breakdowns! The “which confession nailed it?” polls! Heck, HBO, just take my money now.
Beyond the Lie: What It Means for Joel and Ellie
Three cuts, one truth: Joel’s hospital confession isn’t just about the past. It’s about how both of them, and we as viewers, move forward. Will Ellie ever believe him? Does Joel even want forgiveness, or just peace? Each alternate version probably pointed a different direction for their future.
And don’t forget—Mazin and Druckmann both love planting narrative landmines. What if, in Season 3, Ellie flashes back to a memory that never aired? What if HBO uses one of these alternate takes as the “real” memory in a future therapy scene? Fandom would eat itself alive with theories.
If You Want Happy Endings, Don’t Watch This Show
“The Last of Us” never picks the easy road. These hidden confessions prove it all over again. Will fans ever see Pedro Pascal’s full emotional range laid bare, sobbing or stoic, depending which cut survives HBO’s editorial gauntlet? Honestly—who knows? But that’s part of what keeps us glued to our screens and frantically hitting refresh on leaks.
In a world flooded with cookie-cutter TV, isn’t it nice to have a show that makes even the deleted scenes feel like vital canon? No wrong choices. Just really, really good ones left on the table.
