the boat scene is better than you think | Scene Analysis - The Last of Us Part II
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- Please enjoy this in-depth scene analysis of the boat scene from The Last of Us Part II.
This video was created for educational purposes only. This is my own interpretation of the scene based on multiple playthroughs and hundreds of gameplay hours, my experience as a writer/director, and listening to interviews with/commentary by the creators of the game.
Music by Gustavo Santaolalla and Mac Quayle.
Follow me on TikTok for more TLOU content: / tlouexplained
Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/tlouexplained
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:55 Context
08:40 Given Circumstances
09:31 Desired Outcomes
11:53 Subtext
22:01 Intimacy
25:21 The Elephant in the Room
28:00 Conclusion - เกม
![[s1] joel having beef with ellie for 9 minutes](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z-NF5RVdDJY/mqdefault.jpg)
thanks for bearing with this reupload and excessive censoring yall, youtube demonetized the original😢
I was wondering why I saw this video uploaded 2hrs ago. Like I knew I watched it before. :o
That being said very good dive into this scene!
Keep going! The videos are great
why though?
watching this a few times with the volume down, love your work, love the essays. Gotta get those view numbers up!
@@Mac-Ole wow thanks so much, I really appreciate that!!
It genuinely never occurred to me that both of the sex scenes that we saw in the game were Ellie and Abby’s ‘first time’ before it was mentioned here. That was a really good spot!
How people react to this scene is a great litmus test on someone’s level of maturity.
My reaction was weirded out because it had a little bit of SA feel to it at first rather than a consensual encounter. But on my second playthrough I recognized it for what it was: a goodbye, an affirmation of life after more than a lifetime of trauma and death, and the culmination of the end of their relationship.
way to tell on yourself lol, their comment wasn't even about finding Abby attractive?
@@makhibarber7213 LMAO thanks for proving my point completely. I said nothing about finding Abby attractive just pointing out the blatant immaturity of people like you who can't handle a sex scene and react so negatively to it.
@@makhibarber7213 finding a sex scene "gross" because you're not attracted to the people involved is very immature lmao
@@makhibarber7213 You're telling on yourself there. There's absolutely nothing gross about it to any mature reasonable person who doesn't have an unhealthy relationship with sex.
Like I said. This scene is a great litmus test on someone's maturity and you are proving it more and more with each comment.
I figured this scene was included to contrast how happy Ellie and Dina were as a couple having sex vs. Abby's unhappy relationship, further illustrating how killing Joel didn't heal her trauma. Abby doesn't necessarily look happy having sex, and she's faced away from Owen so it's less intimate too. Your analysis is wonderful, it adds so much more depth to her character and this scene!
"Sex is a normal part of being an adult" She said while censoring the word "sex" because youtube has taken censorship, way too far and are now actively hurting the content on the site. But that's nothing new with youtube.
My jaw hit the floor when you brought up Owen struggling to kill the older Seraphite comparing him to Joel! How did I never piece that together?! I have watched TLOU2 full playthrough many times on different channels and I never even considered that! Thank you for a different perspective of things in the game. I subbed so I can be notified of any new TLOU content you post in the future🙂
I never considered how it could have been their first time with each other, or Abby’s first ever. It makes so much sense after everything we’ve seen with them, the years of tension broken in an aggressive, passionate, extremely emotional moment, a touch. Amazing video, thank you for understanding the real meaning of this story; seeing all the people who wrote off the entire game for choices they don’t approve of (in turn proving the point of the game as you said) continues to dishearten me. So thanks for seeing the humanity in ALL of the characters!
I can't believe how actually difficult this game is to comprehend... I'm still finding new things out about the plot after 2 years of having accomplished it. The amount of subtext in here is crazy, and so much is hidden behind the scenes, too. Neil did a very good job of getting us confused with this way of story-telling, every vital piece of each character's life is just scattered across the game, and you make the puzzle yourself. This is incredibly unusual for today's level of gaming, really.
And your analysis is amazing, made me tear up even.
I’m impressed by how thorough this is while still feeling tight and pointed. Well written and also very well narrated.
Holy shit I never realised the parallel that Owen saw the Scar as Joel
When Owen was shot and he dies, it stuck with me when I heard him say "shes pregnant" to Ellie after she had killed Mel.
He was dying and he still had his humanity right up until he stopped breathing. It made me tearful...
This game is simply incredible 🤷♂️
Okay, the whole analysis was already really compelling and quite needed, but my god, that call to introspection at 27:24 felt like witnessing a knock-out.
Many thanks for bringing out all this stuff about this scene (and all the commentary surrounding it) in such a exhaustive and logic manner.
First time I see the video, it appears to be a reupload.
I hope youtube would leave the video alone this time, and I wish you the rime and ressources needed to deliver more banger like these. Good writing in video games deserves more comentary like this.
Yeah, there are quite a few people who are outraged that female video game characters allegedly have become less attractive over the last couple of years, when in reality many of them just look like real people. "Conventionally attractive" has just become "photoshopped into oblivion". It's also sad how common it is to openly bully people because they don't look like one's set of accepted stereotypes, and by proxy, in this case, bullying people who exist in the real world who look, for instance, like Abby.
I love your comment about how this scene is "traumatizing" to some. I completely agree with you, if this scenes makes people use that word as being "uncomfortable", probably they shouldn't be playing a game for mature audiences.
That's a very immature look at things.....people have different traumas that present in different ways. I found the scene uncomfortable because it resonated with me and many traumatic things that happened in my own life; it wasn't pleasant to have something similar thrusted at me from a character I already did not like
Of COURSE having the mirror of humanity suddenly placed in front of you is uncomfortable. It forces vulnerability. If it DIDN'T make ypu uncomfortable at all then that's more a red flag of a broken mind that has been heavily desensitized
The only reason this scene made me uncomfortable is because my mom walked in on it happening. (And the Ellie & Dina one). But other then that… experience (I got in trouble) I didn’t necessarily care.
I really appreciate your analysis of these scenes and look forward to more in the future. It's been a big help in understanding the story better! Right now, I'm working on my own analysis just to get a clearer picture of everything.
is youtube letting this banger stay this time ???😢
we shall see🤞🏼
I see what you did there
@@tlou_explainedit's cuz Dina and ellie was ss
@@tlou_explainedalso, you are like my hero TlouEx. You have saved me from many boring midnights
I only played for the first time last year, and now it;s a game that I have 100%'d and played at least 5 times through. I had a lot of people "warn" me about a boat scene, and never really thought of anything aside from a potential boss fight (similar to the rat king crawling up the ambulance) I would never have guessed people were being so immature to talk about a very emotional, gut-wrenching sex scene between two people that have had their entire world flipped in a very quick period of time. It works, and the scene is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable, confused, bc that's how Abby & Owen feel.
Owens lines in the scene when he’s talking about how he couldn’t bring himself to kill that old man were acted just as good as you would see in any sort of medium whether it be TV show or movie the voice actor who played Owen and the script that he was given are amazing. Owen is a good person who makes mistakes but in the end he REALLY was trying to “look for the light”. This scene is great and passionate but you need to be an adult with a brain and heart to understand it.
This was so well explained! I always was a bit confused about the boat scene but now it makes total sense! Thank you!
I said it once and ill say it again, but making the connection between Joel and the old guy Owen couldn't kill still baffles my mind. Youre the first analysts i think I've ever heard made that observation. 💜💜
I have to say that was one of the most thoughtful, articulate, and descriptive analysis I have ever seen. I've played and beat the game, and think it is PERFECT! That being said, I did a whole 4 part series on the game zbout a year ago (you can find that on the channel) This must have taken a LONG time you put together (writing the script, editing,, recording etc.) I very much look forward to your next video.
I truly love how the game transformed me as a person, since the moment I controlled and moved around the game as Abby the first thing I did was try to intentionally k!ll her off, running into infected and jumping out of map, in that anger and disgust I heard how she screams when she’s hurt and it did not make me feel any better, then learned about her fear of heights and how she got strong to take revenge and never let that kind of thing happen to someone she cares about, the fight with the scars and the rat king made me appreciate how physically capable she is of handling shit and not see hir as a monster, I went from hating her and considering not playing the game altogether to the very end crying and wishing Ellie has a change of heart for the sake of Lev and to stop the cycle of violence nobody asked for, in the end I felt a great relief and sadness when Abby got shown how much she is hated by the world, and Ellie was left with nothing and no one crying and bleeding into the ocean while repressed memories of Joel came flooding her with grief. This game was a masterpiece for anyone mature enough to grow and enjoy imperfection and human shortcomings. Love how you put things into perspective in the video this scene was one of the things I didn’t fully understand ❤️
The storytelling in this game is just on another level. I literally can’t think of a single other game outside of this franchise where you could analyse a single scene so deeply for this long. Lucky if even the best AAA games outside of this series could sustain such scrutiny for even a 10 minute video in totality. It will forever be an absolute masterpiece. Bring us TLOU3 please.
Wow, I've been through the game multiple times and your thoughtful and insightful analysis got me thinking about things in a new light that I hadn't considered before! Really well done, can't wait to see more scenes analyzed!
I have to say it, I love your analysis!!! Makes me see these scenes on a different level completely, amazing!
Wonderful, wonderful analysis. I agree fully and have been arguing many of your points for a while now. Glad I stumbled across this.
thank you SO much for making these! Theyre truly brilliant.
The main reason why people especially guys find the sex scene uncomfortable is because of Abby’s physique, they consider it weird and borderline gross that a girl with muscles is having consensual sex in front of them which I don’t really understand imo and while I personally don’t like her as a character I find this scene completely believable and very naturally human
Yeah, I’ve watched a couple of otherwise entertaining play throughs where the gamers are so icked out about this scene, particularly when you see Abby’s breasts, and it’s sort of embarrassing. It also speaks volumes that people are more grossed out by that scene but excited by the gratuitous violence throughout the game.
them when a woman in a video game doesn't exist solely to visually please them: 🤯
There’s a lot of homophobia and transphobia tied into it to, all over her physique. Which is insane considering this is a straight sex scene.
This is an amazing video and you have helped me fully realize why I love TLOU2. Please keep making more videos analyzing and contextualizing these scenes and characters. I would love to see a video on abby and levs relationship. :)
These analysis videos are amazing! Please keep them coming.
Glad to see this is back up. It deserves to be seen
Thank god someone appreciates this game as much as I do, and can even articulate it more analytically... great content!
I never even thought about it being abbys first time thats a whole other level
THANK YOU! I’ve been telling people for years of WHY Abby tortured Joel. I always saw her putting him down quickly especially after him saving her but since Joel showed no type of remorse and belittled her with his “why don’t you say whatever speech you have rehearsed and get this over with” comment; she decided to belittle him and knock him off that tough guy pedestal.
I never thought of it that way until this video and it makes so much sense I still loved the game but man this makes me love it more
Yay this beautiful positive explanation is back ❤
There were far too many people who watched the leaked cutscenes and made up their minds about the game from there. They’ve missed hours upon hours of subtext and casual conversation that adds to context.
Have you seen the TLOU subreddit? It’s really heartbreaking how badly some people hate this game. I even saw a video of Abby kneeling to Ellie in the water at the end of their second fight. The title of the post said something along the lines of “look at this pathetic coward, can’t defend herself” (yes, the same Abby that was tortured and starved for months lol). Truly weird.
But regardless those leaks and the outrage that followed was still rooted not just in misogyny but transphobia too many people were upset and alleged trans woman killed Joel
Thanks for these videos. TLOU2 Is my favourite game ever. Still discover new things even after having played it 4 times. Best and most immersive game I’ve played
This is just a test to my loyalty to Ellie
This is such a good analysis and I'm so glad to finally have found someone that doesn't say "tHe cReAtOrS aRe tRyiNg sO HaRd fOr uS tO LiKe AbByyYyyY". Geez!
I'm also not impressed you're a fellow woman, gurl. We see things differently, and calling out misogyny and Abby's appearance was just *chef's kiss*. You nailed it! I couldn't find a way to explain this point and you did it perfectly. Thank you so much for this.
So glad this has been reuploaded, this is one of my favourite analysis videos of Abby’s story
such a great analysis. This definetley earned a sub from me lol. The acting and writing in this game is so great and constantly overlooked. Also owens monologue is one of the best acted scenes in the game, it gives me chills every time. His facial expressions, his line delivery, everything is just perfect about it.
What an analysis, I played through this game at least 5 times now and every single time I learn something new and deep about the world, story and characters. Your thoughts and disscection of the scenes are very enlightning and minuscious, great job you are very smart and explains very well.
This was so well written and thought out. Personally, I love this scene so much because it felt so real. You hit the nail on the head when you said Owen cheating on Mel humanized him. Up until that point, Owen has been on a moral high ground over everyone else so far, being the one to let Ellie and Joel live, not being able to finish the old man, opposing war. Him sleeping with abby just goes to show that much like abby herself, he is not innocent.
I hate that people took down your video just because they don't like the game. I watched it when it originally came out and thought it was good and helped me genuinely understand the point of the scene, as before I didn't think it added too much.
I think everyone who doesn't like the game just doesn't really understand Abby's story. :/ I also liked your other video about the "what happened to us" scene and I hope you just keep making videos like this as I find them quite enjoyable.
Sorry for the long comment, I just wanted to give my support on this video as it deserves it.
I’m excited to watch this again. Thank you for putting it back up 🖤
It's rare I watch a video which introduces such well-thought out original ideas and analysis of my favourite game after all these years but I'm really impressed. Ellie leaving Dina at the farm scene next?
I understand better after listening to the directors cut commentary that the tone of the sex scenes were so much more important than the actual content or how much was shown.
arguably the most human scene to be shown in the series, it’s so heavily nuanced and raw and people are too quick to look the other way.
This video was amazing dude 🫡
Incredible essays, really enriches the memory and understanding of the game’s narrative. Haven’t play it again since it’s release and I’m excited to see the next season of the show’s adaption. To see what people make of her journey in that format all over again will be amazing.
I am replaying the game and just rewatched this scene. It made me uncomfortable, but its supposed to. I think you nailed every point. Especially the flawed humans stuff
such a good analysis!!
Tlou 2 is my favorite game of all time. Maybe the best content that i ever consumed. With that said, im loving your content. It brings soo many layers of the story. Many different perspectives that makes the history even more profound. Waiting for the nexts videos! Congrats on your work on this videos ❤
THIS!! i also think the parallel of owen telling the scar/danny’s story is a parallel to lev and abby
Well, seems like I’ll have to watch it again!❤
this is like the best video ever 😭
This is rlly well done
Thank you for doing this at first when I saw this I did not dig deeper than "oh they had sex...ok" but seeing you explain the sub text just makes this scene better for me
right? i never cared much for this scene but the creator does an amazing job providing subtext and fleshing this scene out.
I was waiting for the reupload, I love how humanizing your analysis is for Abby.
Loving this series!! I've played this game three times and it never damned on me that the boat scene is the first time that Abby and Owen are meeting since Jackson.
What a great break down of the game well done👏
I love your analysis. Peoples reaction to this game in my opinion says more about them than the game itself. I felt the same about the entirety and the end of The Sopranos when that happened haha.
The Abby-Owen-Mel love triangle… to me, at least, is a perfect display of what happens when people jump into relationships without dealing with their traumas first. Abby and Owen almost feed off the pain they cause each other and but recognize how toxic they are for each other. They embark on their own personal missions to move on by preoccupying themselves with distractions; Owen with Mel and Abby with her revenge. But that’s not DEALING with it, it’s ignoring it. That trauma only gets bigger and more painful and destroys everything in its path, ie: Mel
great analysis!
Can you please do the final fight scene?! I believe your analysis would be so insightful compared to some other breakdown videos I’ve seen of it!!
You are ridiculously good at this. Amazing analysis and I can’t wait for more if thats in your future plans.
I never really understood the hate for the boat scene. But like you said I think there’s elements of blatant or at the very least internalized misogyny. Yes it’s uncomfortable but it’s 💯 percent suppose to be. It’s a beautiful moment of raw, messy humanity.
Yay, it was re-uploaded!
SUCH GOOD POINTS!
Next, I’d like to request Joel meeting Abby, up until the moment he is shot.
People present this as evidence that they’ve softened Joel’s character, made him stupid, and unaware. That he would never allow himself to be caught in such a situation.
Most importantly, they blame Joel for giving his name to Abby, but Tommy has already done so. Joel admitting his name is not new information.
Fantastic analysis. I never really understood why people had such an issue with this scene in particular. As you said in the video, with all the information we’re given about these two characters, there’s no other way for this scene to end. It was always going to happen. It’s a beautifully messy moment in a beautifully messy story. Subscribed
I would love to see the scene analysed in which Dina and Ellie talking in their house before Ellie leaves to go to Santa Barbara.
I watched this before, sad about TH-cam doing that :( great video, it really made me appreciate the scene more. I was really caught off guard the first time I saw it tho ngl
This is probably one of the best analysis I’ve heard, my only critique would be after you pick up with Abby Seattle day 1 you did say it has been at least two weeks since she’s killed
Joel but in actuality it’s been a few months. Due to how far along Mel is in her pregnancy at the time.
yeah that was an error, it was actually more like six weeks!
The idea that Abby may have been a virgin before the boat scene makes me see it way differently now. Despite being an adult, she’s stunted in terms of intimacy and that was her coming of age.
Well done! I did a video on Abby not too long ago emphasizing this scene and how it was her turning point towards redemption. I utterly agree this wasn’t only necessary, but TREMENDOUS acting by both characters. GOD I love how good gaming has gotten over the years. This scene as good as any movie I’ve experienced in decades
Re-watching because some debag got it demonetised the first time and I appreciate decent content obviously as do the rest of us as well
This is a beautiful analysis. Both Abby and Owen are my favorite characters in Part 2, and this scene is one of my favorites. You have just added more to think about in this video which makes me appreciate it even more.
I hope you will do more analysis 🖤
I quite like this scene if you analyze it as an adult with common sense and not as a child who is seeing a scene that ends in sex for the first time. You can get a lot of messages about the story of the game like Owen was traumatized by Joel's death and that's why he left the Seraphite alive which is the same thing Abby does later also showing that Abby was also bad and traumatized by Joel's death too It shows how illogical the war of factions is and how hatred makes you blind. how Owen and Abby still loved each other and endured what they felt for each other because of the relationship they had with Mel and that Owen walked away from Abby because of the whole revenge thing is a very deep scene but I don't expect the haters of the never understand the game since they don't usually use their brains XD
Fantastic video. I don’t remember commenting before so I’ll drop my thoughts. I don’t feel that Abby and owen hadn’t slept together before. I think they probably hooked up a few times over the years. But she just wouldn’t/couldnt commit. It would be the aquarium scene al over again. I don’t think the position was something they’d do if they hadn’t ever done it before. And I also don’t think we saw Ellie’s either. I think Ellie probably slept with kat as they had a relationship first. I remember a poem in Ellie’s diary around the time she was with kat and being like ‘shit did Ellie just lose her virginity?’ 🥹🤧 baby girl is all grown up.
Fantastic video, I’m so excited to see content made by someone that loves the game as much as I do and nerds out with me about it! 😄 excited for the next!
TLOU pary II: wins many awards
Niel Druckmann: *wants to follow Elden Ring's Story Format*
I played this over and over several time. And this game doesnt need to follow Miyazaki's way of storytelling.
This game is a masterpiece in its own right.
Plus your explaining (although i finally got the context of it) puts more depth into the name of the game title "The Last of Us".
One of the best TLOU2 analysis videos!!
Before playing this game, I remember being on TikTok and people were whining about this infamous “boat scene”. All I knew was that it involved a s3x scene with Owen and Abby: this huge amount of hate it received made me think it was going to be SA and that definitely ruined my experience with Owen’s character, because I was constantly worried it was going to go there.
Now Owen is one of my favorite characters and his relationship with Abby is one of the most interesting parts to this game, in my opinion.
Even though that's some good circumstantial evidence, I don't think it was Abby's first time - she seems too certain in taking off his shirt and assuming this submissive position. I think these are two people who know what the other likes. If it was the case, I think it would have been woven into the character.
22:35 in my opinion, Abby never feels guilty for taking apart of the cheating with Owen
In her Santa Barbara writings you find in the boat she very much writes about him in a very doey-eyed lost lover sort of way
She clearly wouldn't write about him this if she had any guilt or regret over Betraying Mel and sleeping with Owen. Considering both are passed away.
You also go on to seemingly trivialize the cheating by even questioning why people have a problem with it. It's like you or any of the writers have never been cheated on before.
I think that goes into the why a lot of people don't like this scene. You talk about it like it's a beautiful expression of connection when its built on lie and betrayal.
what an interesting assumption to make about someone you don't know! in fact I have been cheated on. it sucks. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I don't think I trivialized it or excused it in the video at all. I even said it was a shitty thing for them to do. I just think a lot of the characters (including our faves Ellie and Joel) arguably do worse things than cheat, like torture and mass murder. I also think the cheating doesn't inherently make them bad people - even the irl person who cheated on me I don't think is inherently a bad person just cuz they did something shitty. obviously ppl are gonna have different opinions on that but that's my view, especially since as I said that's one of the themes of the game.
I also think contradicting things can be true at the same time. Abby can feel guilt about participating in infidelity (which she ABSOLUTELY DOES, as I explain quite thoroughly in the video; it's one of the reasons she goes on a whole redemption arc to begin with, and one of the reasons she doesn't disagree when Mel calls her a piece of shit), and still have feelings for Owen, and still express those feelings after he has passed away.
in the same vein, this scene can be both a betrayal (which I literally called it in the video) and a demonstration of a passionate connection between two people. both can be true at the same time. you could argue that Joel and Ellie's relationship is also built on a lie and betrayal, but it's also a beautiful connection. this game is all about the duality of humans. if you start writing one character off for one sin but not other characters for similar or worse sins, that defeats the story's purpose.
Imo The sex scene is key to ellie having a more hopeful ending abby feels she cant be with owen because of the event they shared together (joels death) the fact that ellie didn't finish it with abby means that there is a still a chance that she could go back to dina and make things work...
is good to shine a new ligth for this scene, but it will never stop to make me uncofy lmao
I noticed you had to remove the part about people saying that owen and Abby were together before Abby was 'ready'. Sucks that had to be removed but I understand it lol. I never thought about that detail and I agree with your assessment, she was already ready lol
Noo, because my first playthrough i was like there is too much tension between them that seems unresolved, ?? and when the boat scene came i was like , it was so inevitable and your analysis was so amazing.
This scene is a fucking masterpiece in writing. The way you react to it says a lot about your ability to understand literature. People bashed TLOU 2 for shoving 'woke' themes down your throat but it handles these themes in a way that's far more careful, unique, considerate and realistic than most of the other garbage out there nowadays. Simply beautiful
Omg i watched this game so many times but i never realized that Owen was throwing Abby's words back in her face while saying "It's a lead, I gotta see it through" GENIUS! Also, I was always cringing over that sex scene but not in a reaproachful way like "I hate this scene!". I was just cringing a little inside and felt weird because it suddenly happens and all, I couldn't look at that scene. But I like this analysis so much. Such a great insight! Thanks!
Yet again your video made me rethink and understand things about this game. I really disliked Owen when I first encountered this game,(also I didnt remember anything abt the Danny thing) but now I think I see that he is just as human as anybody else is and this is so interesting. I loved your video. Thank you.
How are you see so deeply into the writing and meaning of this story and characters. Where can I learn this?
The traumetizing factor was just that it was cheating and I dont like cheating partners
And that it looked veryyyy messy and violent
Thats it
Thats my personal trigger to it. And i understand why it's there why it's been shown.
Let’s re watch it then! :))
I appreciate you trying to break down Abbys scenes. I love The Last of Us Part 2, but ive always focused that on Ellie's side of the game. And looked at Abby as a mirror for Ellie and not much else.
This isnt just a plot summary too. Great stuff.
I think you should go into deeper analysis with Owen he is a well written character and I’m still not happy with his death and how people overlook him. I also see why he didn’t kill that old saraphyte, the scar is old and defensless like Joel
Oh, I love you see the complexity of writing, it so annoying how reductionist people can be about this story and characters, which are not simple by any stretch of imagination.
i’m watching this twice
Thank you for these videos! I initially disliked TLOU 2 and as many others complained about it being too much of a “teenage drama”, but your videos gave me a new perspective and something to think about.
To be honest, I could take it, or leave it with the scene. The scene is kind of pointless to me. But watching his video made me look at scenes differently. Keep up the good work.
I'm glad you are looking at scenes differently, but you really watched the whole video and still think the scene is pointless?😬
owens a way better artiest then me i cant even drew a person much less a city sky line and its amazeing that he remembered what the city of selt lake city looked like i never notice the painting of salt lake city