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The Last of Us Fans FREAK OUT Over Ellie’s Joke Book in Episode 4


WARNING: If you aren’t caught up with The Last of Us series on HBO Max, this article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Episode 4. Read at your own risk!

The Last of Us Episode 3 may have featured one of the most heartbreaking love stories in the HBO series thus far, but The Last of Us Episode 4 “lightens the mood” for a bit as it introduced fans to one of Ellie’s favorite things in the game: her joke book titled "No Pun Intended: Volume Too" by Will Livingston.

Ellie's joke book, "No Pun Intended: Volume Too" by Will Livingston
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Credit: The Last of Us Episode 4, HBO Max
Ellie's joke book, "No Pun Intended: Volume Too" by Will Livingston

WHY IS ELLIE’S JOKE BOOK IMPORTANT IN THE SERIES?


The joke book may seem arbitrary in the apocalyptic setting of the series, however, video gamers of The Last of Us are well aware this is one of the best scenes the Naughty Dog game featured as it sets the realistic tone of how Ellie is still human.

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Credit: The Last of Us video game still


If you had played The Last of Us, you’d know Ellie likes to collect comic books and joke books along the way. Fans of the game were introduced to this when in the middle of exploration, Ellie suggests it’s “time to lighten the mood” in which she pulls out her joke book.


She keeps the joke book in her bag at all times, and pulls it out to read whenever she’s anxious or frightened. In The Last of Us Episode 4, she pretty much kept the book close whenever she and Joel were about to sleep in the middle of nowhere.


THE LAST OF US FANS FREAK OUT OVER ELLIE’S JOKE BOOK

In The Last of Us Episode 4, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) pulls out her joke book and sprung up a dad joke to Joel, who was busy getting their ride to start for the road. As promised and wholly kept by showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, they have been keeping the series pretty close to the game, where by the end of the episode, we even get to see Joel break character for the first time! Check out some of the fan reactions on the episode below:


THE LAST OF US EPISODE 4 BROUGHT JOEL AND ELLIE CLOSER

After being ambushed and nearly killed in their truck, Joel and Ellie have grown close, enough for Joel to even reveal a little backstory on how he’s been on “both sides” to survive. Joel tried to comfort Ellie after the ambush, distraught that a girl her age had to experience that too early, which pretty much sums up the title of the episode: “Please Hold My Hand”.

Joel teaches Ellie how to use a gun
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Credit: The Last of Us Episode 4, HBO Max
Joel teaches Ellie how to use a gun


Episode 4 got Joel to teach Ellie how to properly use the gun she had on her. When asked if he ever killed innocent people, he dodges the question to move forward. Ellie did the same, even though she admitted it wasn’t her first time hurting other people.


By the end of the episode, just as they were about to fall asleep, Ellie cracks another joke: “Did you know diarrhea is hereditary? It runs in your jeans.” Which surprisingly brings Joel to tears, trying to hide his laugh.


The Last of Us Episodes 1-4 are now available to stream on HBO Max.


ALSO READ: Captain Marvel Star Brie Larson Worries About Becoming The Last of Us Clicker

For more articles like this, take a look at our The Last of Us, HBO, and Geek Culture pages.