Part 8/13:
A significant point of critique involves the death of Joel, which many fans consider an emotionally impactful moment in the game. The TV adaptation, however, made this scene less memorable and, according to critics, botched the moral stakes. The show’s depiction implies that Joel's past decisions—particularly his refusal to let the Fireflies perform a fatal operation—were wrong, undermining the moral ambiguity that made the game compelling.
This shift reflects a broader tendency in the adaptation process to simplify complex moral dilemmas into black-and-white narratives. Many believe that the show’s articulation of Joel’s actions as outright wrong contradicts the nuanced storytelling of the original, diluting its depth.