What that movie reference in 'The Last of Us' episode 6 means for Joel and Ellie

Trekking through an America overrun by zombie-making fungus, not to mention raiders and tyrants vying for power, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) finally found some respite in episode 6 of The Last of Us. They even have the chance to watch a movie, 20 years after the world as we know it fell to ruin. But what is the movie playing in the crowded theater? And what does it have to say about this addictive TV adaptation? 

Let's explore. 

What happens in episode 6 of The Last of Us? 

After many brushes with death, Joel finally reunites with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), who is living in a peaceful community that boasts mighty protection, menstrual cups, "proper meals," and running electricity. Both Joel and Ellie are in awe of the cozy town, which is not only surviving but thriving post-apocalypse. In fact, seeing how his brother is setting down roots — including finding a wife and having a baby — Joel begins to think Ellie would be safer here, under their care. Ellie disagrees, to put it mildly. 

Though the show (and the video game on which it's based) are rife with action, the core of its story centers on the emerging bond between Joel and Ellie, the reluctant father figure and the foul-mouthed kid. Their arc is mirrored in the film seen in this pivotal ep, The Goodbye Girl. 

The Goodbye Girl is the movie playing in the background of The Last of Us, episode 6. 

Released in 1977, The Goodbye Girl is a romantic comedy that earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay for popular playwright Neil Simon, and Best Acting noms for its three stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, and Quinn Cummings. Only Dreyfuss would take home the gold, but Cummings made history as the then-youngest Oscar nominee, being just 10 years old at the time. That fun fact might give you some hint into what a charming '70s rom-com has in common with a post-apocalyptic TV drama. 

Set in New York City, The Goodbye Girl centers on single mother Paula McFadden (Mason) and her young daughter Lucy (Cummings), whose lives — and apartment — are thrown for a loop when the former's lout of a boyfriend abruptly bails on them. A dashing actor with a wandering heart, it's bad enough that Tony leaves them with no notice just as he's about to make it big. But worse yet, he sublets the apartment to a scruffy stranger, who turns up ornery and soaking wet on a rainy night. Enter Dreyfuss as cocky theater actor Elliot Garfield. 

Grudgingly, Paula admits Elliot into the two-bedroom apartment, brokering a deal where the three of them will live together. Elliot barrelling into this volatile living arrangement is the first scene seen in episode 6 of The Last of Us. 

"Elliot Garfield," he says, shaking the hand of a confused Lucy. "I'm moving into the other room." In The Last Of Us's theater, a room full of children watch this introduction while Ellie looks around, probably for Joel. Unknowingly, she's turning away from a character who understands what she's feeling right now. 

In The Goodbye Girl, Simons orchestrates the enemies-to-lovers trope, with Elliot and Paula bickering their way into a passionate romance. Meanwhile, young Lucy becomes attached to Elliot, which is nerve-racking as she's been abandoned by a string of her mother's boyfriends, all of whom give her pet names and presents before moving on without a second thought.

Before The Last of Us cuts from the theater back to Joel, we can hear Elliot say, "I told her I was moving into the other room. She seemed to take in stride." It's a subtle note: Lucy's been burned before, and soon Ellie will spill out her pain over being left behind.

What does The Goodbye Girl tell us about Joel and Ellie? 

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After Joel and Tommy have a harrowing heart-to-heart about fatherhood and the fear of failing at it, Joel is at his lowest point since his daughter Sarah died 20 years before. He's seriously considering leaving Ellie behind because he fears he can't care for her. The show then follows Tommy back to the theater, where Elliot is also at his low point, bombing as the leading man of a terribly directed version of Richard III. 

It was supposed to be his big break, but a cretinous director has led the wanna-be star to ruin. Elliot is embarrassed, fearing he's a failure. Worse yet, Paula and Lucy were in the audience.

"He'll know we thought it was lousy if we don't say hello," Lucy pleads, urging her mother to take her backstage after the final curtain. Paula concedes but urges, "Be tactful." When the precocious kid asks, "What's 'tactful'?" Paula says simply, "Lie." 

In the movie, it's a good punchline, leading to a defeated Elliot being cautiously comforted by his adoring roommates. But in the context of episode 6, this scene draws a clear parallel between Elliot and Joel. Both men are determined and resilient but — in this moment — crushed by the weight of their own failings. As Joel heads to the house where Ellie waits, his shoulders sag with the burden of disappointing her. 

"Do you give a shit about me or not?" Ellie challenges, when Joel suggests Tommy would be a better protector. "Of course I do," he says softly but seriously. "Then what are you so afraid of?" They both know the answer to that. Ellie has seen the memorial to Joel's lost daughter, Sarah. Ellie fires back that she's lost people too: "Everybody I've cared for has either died or left me. Everybody except for you!" She cries. "So don't tell me I'd be better off...because the truth is, I'd just be more scared!"

It's a shame neither sees the end of The Goodbye Girl; it might have given them comfort. Despite the critical spanking that Elliot receives, he gets a second chance with a promising role in a movie. He's on the brink of success. And unlike that cad Tony, he's sticking with Paula and Lucy. The Goodbye Girl ends with him waving goodbye as he heads to the shoot with them cheering him on, confident he'll return to them once the movie wraps. 

Here is where The Last of Us is a bit different. While Joel sticks with Ellie, he won't leave her behind, even for a shoot(out). She won't let him. So, they saddle up on a horse and ride off to their next adventure. But in both cases, this father figure, bearded, gruff, but lovable, is dedicated to the mouthy daughter he's adopted as his own, appreciating her for all her quirks and chaos. In this way, The Last of Us and The Goodbye Girl — despite their wildly different tones and genres — play out a beautiful parallel. 

The Last of Us is on HBO and HBO Max.