The Last of Us finale still has us freaking out over surprise reveals and some unexpected cameos, but even fans of the original video game series were excited to see a giraffe make its big appearance in the big season 1 ending. And while it was only a brief moment, fans of the game and now the show know what a big deal that scene is.
"There's this moment, and we really just follow the game here very closely, because it's so beautiful, where they encounter a giraffe," showrunner Crag Mazin said in the post-episode featurette.
It's not just that the giant animal is still alive in this world, but fans are particularly freaking out over the fact that it's actually a real giraffe. Unlike most things in The Last of Us universe, this wasn't just some incredible CGI that brought that sweet giraffe to life.
His name is Nabo and he's from Alberta, Canada, where some of the production for the show took place. Bella Ramsey noted in the show's special behind-the-scenes documentary that it was, "like a spiritual experience almost being so close to such a magnificent animal."
Matt Palmer, who served as the location manager for episodes 8 and 9 of the series, also added, "Yes, you can create a giraffe in visual effects, but it's just not the same."
To make the big moment happen, the team added panels with blue screens into the giraffe's enclosure before filming so the animals can get acclimated to everything that comes with being on a Hollywood set.
Right after, Joel and Ellie have a bit of a heart-to-heart about their future.
"It's a joyful moment for Ellie, and for Joel, seeing Ellie finally be a glimmer of who she used to be after the trauma that she faced," Bella Ramsey said in the post-episode featurette. "Everything that she experienced hasn't just gone away. It's just this moment of beauty. So precious, it's almost sad. But then, through speaking to Craig, I realized it was just living the truth of it. Which was, it was bittersweet, but still so, so beautiful."
Mazin also points out that it's a big scene for the two characters who, up to this point, have gone through so much but haven't been as open with each other as they should be.
"There's just a moment of awe and wonder in this world still. And the beauty of it is such that we understand why the ice melts between them. He's still trying to keep her with him," Craig said. "And saying, 'We don't have to keep going. Let me just take you back with me.' And she's saying, 'No, we have to go out and finish it.' I get emotional just thinking about it because it's their closest moment where Joel finally tells her the true story of how he got his scar."
Considering how important this scene was in the game, they definitely pulled it off in a way that only The Last of Us team can!
