Ellie leaving coffee beans on Joel's grave in The Last of Us Season 2 has a deeper meaning (and it makes the death even more heartbreaking)

It's been a week since The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2, Through the Valley, dropped on HBO and Max, and honestly, it was quite hard to move on from the shocking events of it. The fortified town of Jackson, which was considered a haven, was attacked brutally by the Infected—all that was left were debris and dead bodies.

However, Joel Miller's death at the hands of the vengeful Abby was the most brutal and shocking moment of the episode. Abby tricked Joel and Dina into the chalet, tortured and stabbed him to death in front of his adoptive daughter Ellie. Out of pain, loss, and rage, Ellie swore to take revenge on Abby.

But as the wise say, life goes on. The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3, The Path, featured Jackson (three-month leap) being rebuilt and the injured, such as Ellie, recovering from the torture and trauma.

However, even though Ellie recovered physically, she still planned to take revenge on Abby for Joel's death. After the council's votes disallowed the sixteen-person crew, Ellie and Dina decided to venture on their own. They loaded their guns, took a map and backpacks, and set out on this journey to seek revenge. Previously, Dina and Ellie found out that the assailants belonged to a group called WLF (Washington Liberation Front).

Before starting their journey to Seattle, Ellie and Dina went to Joel's grave to pay their tributes. Ellie went forward and knelt in front of the wooden grave. She took out some coffee beans and gently placed them on the grave. This quiet gesture of leaving coffee on Joel's grave speaks volumes. This small but deeply symbolic act isn't simply a tribute but a symbol of their complicated father-daughter bond, Joel's humanity, and the grief Ellie carries into her quest for revenge.

Coffee, a bittersweet tribute to Joel's humanity in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3

Coffee was one of Joel's few remaining comforts in a broken world. From the show's first season, we saw him trade precious supplies for coffee beans, savoring a taste of the past in a way that defined his stubborn, tender nature. Ellie, who mocked his love for the 'bitter dirt water' then, leaves those same beans at his grave—a final offering that says more than the words could.

Coffee was a luxury commodity in the post-apocalyptic world, and Ellie's choice was deeply personal. Ellie's heartfelt gesture of putting coffee beans on Joel's grave was not just for honoring his humanity but also for how he protected Ellie from all the dangers, even if it meant his death.

By giving his favorite coffee beans as a tribute, Ellie acknowledged the man who was her protector—the one who clung to small joys of life, the one who shared jokes with her, and, despite the recent fractured bond, remained her father in every possible way.

A silent goodbye before the storm: The Last of Us Season 2

With no dialogue and somber background music, the scene when Ellie paid her quiet farewell to Joel was tender, sweet, and emotional. It felt like a moment of silence before Ellie and Dina rode towards seeking revenge. The coffee beans stand for all the things that were left unsaid—her anger, her love, and the guilt of losing him before they could reconcile. This gesture mirrors Joel's past when, in Season 1, he kept his broken watch (a gift from his daughter Sarah) for decades, a relic of a life lost. Now Ellie leaves behind coffee beans—a piece of him.

As Ellie walked away from Joel's grave, the beans remained—a silent restatement of a love that endures beyond death.

To know more about what happens next, watch The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 4 Action on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT on HBO and Max.

Trending

Tune in to SoapCentral for more such updates.

Read more : I wasn’t ready for this heartbreaking change in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3's opening credits after Joel’s death

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback