Look for the Light

"Look for the Light"
The Last of Us episode
Joel and Ellie face a giraffe, which is standing in a large, grassy field.
Joel and Ellie feed a giraffe. The scene, filmed at Calgary Zoo,[1] was presented similar to the game to maintain the same impact.[2] Critics praised its presentation and emotion.[3][4][5]
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 9
Directed byAli Abbasi
Written by
Cinematography byNadim Carlsen
Editing by
  • Timothy A. Good
  • Emily Mendez
Original air dateMarch 12, 2023 (2023-03-12)
Running time43 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Look for the Light" is the ninth and final episode of the first season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. The episode was written by series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, and directed by Ali Abbasi. It aired on HBO on March 12, 2023. In the episode, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) arrive in Salt Lake City, Utah, in search for the hospital run by the Fireflies, led by Marlene (Merle Dandridge). A flashback follows Ellie's mother, Anna (Ashley Johnson), as she gives birth.

The episode was filmed in May 2022 in Calgary and Grande Prairie, Alberta. Ashley Johnson, who portrayed Ellie in the video games on which the series is based, guest starred as Anna, Ellie's mother; Mazin and Druckmann considered her inclusion important due to her proximity to the games. Druckmann had conceived Anna's story for the video games or related media but it was unused until the television series. The episode received positive reviews, with praise for its direction, cinematography, score, and performances of Pascal, Ramsey, and Johnson, though some critics found its pacing rushed. It was watched by 8.2 million viewers on its first day.

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vulture Mazin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference IGN Review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Escapist Review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SlashFilm Review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).