There were a lot of awesome things in the latest episode of The Last of Us but one thing appears to be living rent-free in people's minds: At the end of Episode 8, Joel and Ellie finally reunited after her gruelling ordeal and Joel comforts her by saying, "It's OK, baby girl."
It's not the first time that Joel has called someone "baby girl" in the HBO series. In the premiere episode, he repeatedly calls his daughter Sarah the same thing. However, the nickname didn't originate in the show. Troy Baker, who originally played Joel in The Last of Us video game, admitted he somehow made it a thing in the Naughty Dog title.
Troy Baker recently got his own The Last of Us featurette focusing on his appearance in Episode 8 where he played James. In the featurette, Baker revealed that while working on the original game, he accidentally said, "Good night, baby girl" in the scene where Joel carries Sarah and puts her to bed.
“And that’s just a thing about growing up in Texas. ‘Baby girl’ is just something that you say,” Baker explained. Still, it didn't go unnoticed as series co-creator Neil Druckmann asked, “’What did you just say?’”
“I was like, ‘I don’t know, good night?’ and he goes ‘No, no. What’d you call her?’ I was like, ‘Baby girl.’ He goes, ‘That. That is what Joel is going to call Ellie,’” Baker shared.
It's great to know that an accident led to one of the most memorable lines both in the game and the live-action adaptation. Needless to say, it is heartwarming to know that Pedro Pascal's Joel now sees Bella Ramsey's Ellie as a daughter he needs to protect.
The Last of Us Episode 8 is now streaming on HBO Max. The ninth and final episode of the first season is titled Look For The Light and will premiere on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Related: The Last of Us Showrunner Explains Major Change to Joel and Ellie's Emotional Reunion
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