Spoilers for “The Last of Us” Season 2, Episode 4 below.
The most memorable part of “The Last of Us Part II” has nothing to do with killing fungus-infested zombies or fighting off deadly cultists. Instead, it’s a moment of blissful peace in which the protagonist, Ellie, plays a song on the guitar. That cutscene, with its hauntingly beautiful acoustic rendition of A-ha’s 1980s-era synth-pop hit “Take on Me,” became one of the game’s most talked-about moments when it debuted in 2020. Now, HBO’s TV adaptation has recreated that moment — and possibly made it even better.
Both versions of the scene start in pretty much the same way. Ellie (Bella Ramsey in the show; Ashley Johnson in the game) finds an old music shop in Seattle and decides to explore. She soon finds a guitar, and as she starts to strum, her companion Dina (Isabela Merced in the show; Shannon Woodward in the game) enters the room. Ellie then plays and sings “Take on Me,” while Dina stares at her lovingly. It sounds simple, but watch either version and you’ll understand just how well the entire thing works. You might even find yourself tearing up just like Dina does in the show’s latest episode.
The HBO version may seem identical to the video game, but there are a few key differences. For one thing, in the game, the entire scene is optional. You can play “The Last of Us Part II” and never set foot in that music store (although the experience is designed to push you toward it), but that obviously isn’t an option in a non-interactive TV show. Also, no shade, but Johnson is a better singer than Ramsey (and that’s after Johnson worked with a vocal coach to make her performance sound less refined).
But the biggest difference is how each version defines Ellie and Dina’s relationship. In the game, they’re already romantically involved at this point, and Ellie’s performance is how she opens herself up further in their relationship. In the show, they’re still just friends (albeit friends who kissed once on New Year’s Eve), and this scene is the moment that Dina falls in love with Ellie. Near the end of the episode, they sleep together and complete the transformation from friends to something more.
So while both versions of the scene are great in their own way, the HBO version manages to take the original scene and imbue it with new meaning — just like a good cover should.
“The Last of Us” airs Sunday nights on HBO. It is also streaming on Max.
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