Troy Baker
Appearances
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
And then there's a moment, Bella's performance is so powerful that for a second, because she believed, I believed, Joel was gonna stand up, brush himself off.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Before this tragic event, we really get a chance to spend some time with Ellie and find out how she feels about Joel and where she's at with that relationship.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
We've talked about the tragedy on the micro level, the one that's very personal, this tragedy that befalls not only Joel, but also Ellie. but that is mirrored by the huge epic tragedy that's happening. The day that we feared, the day that we've been preparing for is finally here when we hear that bell.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
It's coming. The storm is here. Let's talk about just envisioning what that looks like. You have this opportunity to delve deeper into what happens to the community, what happens to Jackson. Where did that start?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
So walking through kind of like the beat by beat of this, you're gonna have that big, huge, epic battle. We saw it in season one where literally, I think as you put it, the ground was vomiting infected. Here you have it as well.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
It starts with this, to me it was such a brutal imagery of here comes the horde as they're charging the gates of Jackson and they just purposefully slam themselves up against What was the discussion like as you go, as you're envisioning what this attack would look like? What were the key elements to you? And what was it like seeing that thing actually come into fruition on screen?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
It may have been a nice theory, but... Sure, you never know what your partner will do in that situation until you see him. It's like, he was just met with You know, there's the brigade of, we're the fire people. And what happens to two of them?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Absolutely. I would be one of those guys. I don't look at them as cowards. No. There is something genetically inside of me that goes, you're no longer in control. I'm going to take you out of this. And to have that then, there's a lot of mirroring. And I'm already picking up on something that I believe is intentional, which is the duality of everything.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
The duality of we see the cowardice is put on display and we see heroism. That is the pendulum swinging to the other side.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
We see these monsters that are attacking the big town, the big community. We also see the monster that's attacking one person.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Do you feel like there is this unspoken expectation now from the audience you have to set the bar of catastrophe and tragedy so high that you have to continually chase that? Was that what compelled you to follow through with this act that obviously happened in the game, but to do it as early as you did to not change the timeline? What brought you to making this decision?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
That is just as visceral a moment, if not more, than the way that that movie starts off, by the way, which is a good parallel to this. You have this huge attack the faceless horde that is attacking the faceless community for the most part, and then you make it personal by putting the lens on two specific people, which very much reflects what's happening up the mountain.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
In between the two events of Joel's death and the attack on Jackson is another incredibly epic event where Abby finds herself in the midst of this snowy graveyard. Where did that idea come up?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
That is one of the most tense moments. Again, I love my experience because, of course, in the game, I remember this, and it is so claustrophobic and oppressive. And one of my favorite shots is the infected putting so much force into his hand, he's driving his hand through the chain link fence.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
The look on her face when she realizes it's Joel.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Just like Laura, I would say Caitlin, Knowing what she's signing up for in many ways is, as Laura Bailey was for the game, the bravest person to step foot on that stage because she has to do the unthinkable. Those actors have to do the unthinkable. You're going to kill the most beloved person. So hats off to not only Laura Bailey in the game, but also to Caitlin in the show.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
So we end this episode with, for some, a very familiar song. If you'd play the game, it's actually the song that Ellie is listening to when Joel walks in to give her the guitar. In this, it's someone else singing. Let's talk about the song Through the Valley.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
The way that that trailer, the original trailer for part two ends with Ellie saying, I'm going to find and I'm going to kill every last one of them. Along with the lyrics of the song, give a pretty clear indication as to where we're headed.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
I think we're all hoping that that is true. That's where we'll leave the conversation for now. As always, thank you guys for taking the time. Thank you, Craig. And thank you, Neil, for joining us. And thank you guys for listening in. We look forward to picking up the conversation again next week. Until then, I'm Troy Baker. Endure and survive.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
This has been the official podcast for the HBO original series, The Last of Us. Our senior producer is Emmanuel Hapsis, our producer is Elliot Adler, and Darby Maloney is the editor. This episode was mixed by Raj Makhija. Our executive producers are Gabrielle Lewis and Barry Finkel. Special thanks to Becky Rowe, Alison Cohen, Aaron Kelly, and Kenya Reyes from the Max podcast team.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Production music is courtesy of HBO, and you can watch episodes of The Last of Us on Macs. And we'll see you back here next week for season two, episode three.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
I remember the first time you, Neil, talked to me about bringing this plot point in. We were in London. We were standing outside the after-after party of an award show. And you said, so I have an idea for part two. And in your very Neil way, you said, so Joel dies.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Welcome back to the official podcast for the HBO original series, The Last of Us. I'm Troy Baker, and I play Joel in The Last of Us video games. Joining me as always are the showrunners of the HBO series, Craig Mazin. Good to see you. And Neil Druckmann. Hi, Troy. Today, we are unpacking episode two of the second season. And listeners, here is your warning.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Yeah. And I, like a lot of people, had to process that. And that was something that was processed through not only hearing from you the first time, but then also seeing the script and then shooting the scene and then playing the game. What was it like for you coming from making the game, obviously, and knowing that this is coming, seeing how we're going to adapt?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Like we've talked about so many times, how do we adapt these key important events and these characters into this thing? But what was it like for you revisiting this from a different perspective?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
So much of this really started with the impetus of, you told me this once, What do I look like if this were to happen to me? What do I look like if I were to lose my daughter? So, so much of this is you as the main character. And I think for all of us that are experiencing this, we get to see ourselves as Joel, we get to see ourselves as Ellie, and with this season,
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
we will also get to see ourselves as Abby. Let's talk about Abby a little bit. We open up with this dream sequence where we watch Abby witness the aftermath of the hospital scene, the massacre that takes place in Salt Lake, and we learn a little bit more about what's driving her.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
You will want to have watched this episode in its entirety before you hear this conversation. Trust me, there are many, many spoilers ahead. This episode called Through the Valley was written by Hugh Craig and it was directed by Mark Mylod. A lot happens in this episode.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
I have waited to solve... No, just shut the fuck up and do it already!
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
After watching the episode, I'm wrestling with it. I guess in some way, kind of like what Abby's experiencing, there's the event that I've witnessed, and now there is the experiencing, the processing of that event. And even just hearing what you said, something that I think I've glossed over, don't go in there. Don't go in there. His brains are on the floor.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Neil, you've said something before to where one of the reasons why people have struggled with this is because it's not fair. It's not right. Or even more so, someone goes, well, no, I get it. That's what Joel deserves. But you said that's not how this world operates.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
including what would be one of the most controversial and biggest bombshells of the series, the death of a beloved character, Joel. Wait, what? It's a shock. People who have played the game, they've been bracing for this. They've been one step ahead of a lot of people who haven't been familiar with this story. Let's just dive straight into that.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
Would I be strong enough to take myself to the extremity of my own humanity for the purpose of saving her?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 2 - “Through the Valley”
For me, as someone who knows what's coming, the one thing you still manage to do in that scene with Joel, leading up to it, Owen says, when asked, what's the plan? He says, the plan is to talk her out of this and to go back. you gave me hope that maybe what she set out to do, she wouldn't achieve.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Another new character is, oddly enough, Jackson. This is a character in the show. Like, it's a fully functioning city and we see the community that's built up from where we were in season one.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Exactly. Let's talk about Dina, wonderfully played by Isabella Merced.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Oh. I love that you made this choice, and I feel it was a very careful misdirect of... Hey, kiddo. Hey, kiddo. You son of a bitch. We hear the hey, kiddo, and everybody at this point knows who he should be talking about, and instead we look up and we see another girl. Yeah. Dina. Let's talk about Dina.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
It became a cultural event. And that's where I got scared. For you, Neil, going into this, obviously, when the game came out, it was a remarkable release. Was there ever a part of you that said, maybe I can change some things or maybe I've got a second chance to do this again?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Another character we get to see is the character of Gale, played brilliantly by Catherine O'Hara.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
There's one very tenuous moment where Gail has to ask the question that any therapist or really the burning question is, did you hurt her? Right. And the look that Pedro gives is such a beautiful, it's like, no, like... I can't even imagine that and the fact that you would even have to ask me that. There's such a wound there and that's not what it is.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Can you please say it for me because I can't say it. And I love that Gil puts his feet to the fire and says, you have to be the one that says it.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
For people who are familiar with the games, familiar with the story, if season one taught us anything, it was you don't know what's coming. I love the perspective that sitting down watching this first episode, I have no idea what's going to happen. What was the baseline of you must know these are the things that right off the bat for this season that we want to get across from the very, very jump?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
We saw this in the trailer, and it's one of my favorite shots, actually, from the game that I was glad to see incorporated into this episode, which is the dance. It's the calm before, of course, the storm is coming. Otherwise, this is just a wonderful rom-com that, you know, it takes place in. It's not a bad idea, actually.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Just turn down the drama and the action. We have this beautiful moment of the community coming together and celebrating, ringing the new year.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
We talk about how much love is being put on display, not only with the source material and the writing, even the camera shot. And the seeming love between Ellie and Dina. And now we get to see how some people in the community feel about that.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Not only that, but I think it's important to point out that even within this small community, there is still dissent.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Welcome to the official podcast for the HBO original series, The Last of Us. Season two is here, and suffice to say, I'm very excited to be back as your host. I'm Troy Baker, and I play Joel in The Last of Us video games, but joining me as always are the creators, the writers, executive producers, and showrunners of the HBO series, Craig Mazin.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
There's one other character we haven't talked about, one element that we haven't talked about, and that is the infected.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
It's a really good springboard to talk about that moment in the supermarket where we get to see a glimpse of a new character in the form of a stalker. There's one thing to think about these infected that are just kind of operating autonomously. What we see here is something completely different.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Something that gives us an indication that we're not gonna be okay is the fibrous network in all of the pipes that is underlying everything underneath Jackson.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
We'll leave the conversation there for now. Thank you as always for joining me, Craig, and also Neil, and most importantly, you, our listener, for joining us this week. This has been the official podcast for the HBO original series, The Last of Us. Our senior producer is Emmanuel Hapsis. Our producer is Elliot Adler. And Darby Maloney is the editor. This episode was mixed by Raj Makhija.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Our executive producers are Gabrielle Lewis and Barry Finkel. Special thanks to Becky Rowe, Alison Cohen, Aaron Kelly, and Kenya Reyes from the Max podcast team. Production music is courtesy of HBO, and you can watch episodes of The Last of Us on Max. Make sure to join us next week as we talk through Season 2, Episode 2. Until then, no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
All right, let's get into episode one of season two, which you, Craig, wrote and directed, titled Future Days. Future Days is a song by Pearl Jam that in the game, Joel plays for Ellie. And we should say that some astute observers may have an issue with it.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Let's talk about why you chose to end season one the way you did and why we're starting at this point.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
And Neil Druckmann. Hi. So... We're going to continue what we did for season one. Each week we'll break down the latest episode of The Last of Us, getting into the what, why and how, unpacking and no doubt processing all of it. So I want to warn listeners, these will be very spoiler heavy conversations.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Yes. We'll help you find him. I'll help you kill him. Who is this character? And what can we expect from her in this season?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Abby was a very crucial character to introduce in the game. And obviously, Neil, you were very diligent in how you wanted to introduce that character, how she was being presented in the story. What was that conversation like between you going, hey, here's what we did, here's what we found worked, but we have an opportunity to explore something else?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
So please, by all means, watch the episode first and then you can come back and join us for the rest of the conversation. So season one came out now over two years ago. Now you go into season two and you have the burden of that success on here. How do you meet that challenge?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
What drew you to Caitlin as the choice for Abby?
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Not to draw too much of a comparison, but Abby is quite different in the game physically. She's tall, large, imposing. She works out, you could say. When we see her, she's not that. So let's talk about that decision.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Second, you can't boom motherfucker people who land a first hit on you. Square in the face, by the way.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
Otherwise, he would have knocked you out. And I don't want to have to explain that to Joel.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Episode 1 - “Future Days”
This fight that we see where she ends with a bloody nose but a smile on her face, she says something very important at the end there.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Coming Soon: The Last of Us Season 2 Podcast
The Last of Us, the HBO original series based on the critically acclaimed video game, is coming back.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Coming Soon: The Last of Us Season 2 Podcast
Set five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Coming Soon: The Last of Us Season 2 Podcast
I'm Troy Baker. I played the character Joel in the video game. And I'm also the host of HBO's official The Last of Us podcast. Each week, I'll be joined by showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, where we'll unpack every new episode right after it airs, bringing you deeper into the show. You can stream The Last of Us Season 2 starting April 13th on Max.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Coming Soon: The Last of Us Season 2 Podcast
New episodes of the podcast launch that night, so make sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a thing. You can like and follow HBO's The Last of Us on Instagram, X, Facebook, and Threads. And until then, no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.
HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
Coming Soon: The Last of Us Season 2 Podcast
By the time the sun comes up tomorrow, there's a very good chance you'll be dead.