The Last of Us creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin recently highlighted the important role of the songTake on Me in the newly released sequel.
Neil, who garnered recognition for creating The Last of Us video games, revealed the reason behind choosing this track for both the game and its TV adaptation.
During an exclusive interview on The Last of US podcast, Druckmann – alongside co-showrunner Craig Mazin – discussed the emotional scene featured in episode four of season two.
Speaking to the outlet, the 46-year-old explained, “As part of the process – when we made the game – we were looking for the right song. Halley Gross – my co-writer – worked on the game and is working on the show, was friends with the wife of the guitarist of A-Ha, who wrote that song. His name is Paul [Waaktaar-Savoy].
The showrunner further elaborated, recalling a touching moment on set, saying, “So when I was there on set, I was recording their performance off the monitor, and I texted it to him, and he was so moved by it. He loved that their song was being used in this kind of gorgeous way on the show.”
In the scene, Ellie finds a guitar and sings an acoustic version of Take on Me.
Later in the interview, Craig, 54, added, “If you’re going to stop a television show, to have somebody sing most of a song, one of the important things is there need to be something happening inside of it. It cannot simply be a performance.”
Mazin detailed his thoughts on the emotional structure of the show, explaining, “What Neil and I talk a lot about is how, in our action sequences, the action is there to either reveal information about a relationship or to change a relationship. And that had to happen here too, because it’s not optional for the viewer. So something has to be occurring here."
Reflecting on the emotional scene in the sequel, Mazin said, “By the point this happens in the game, Ellie and Dina have already become romantic partners. That’s not true here yet. Dina is still – she’s not ready – and maybe she’s unsure. Then Ellie sings for her, and you can watch Isabela [Merced] perform Dina falling in love. And I say perform, it’s not adequate to describe. Really, what you’re seeing is Isabella falling in love. It’s a pretty remarkable moment.”
For the unversed, the sequel to the 2023 season premiered on April 13.