It’s the weed. Honestly, if you ask most fans about the specific The Last of Us Ellie and Dina scene that takes place in the overgrown basement of a Eugene-run pharmacy, they’ll mention the joint first. But that’s just the surface level.
What Naughty Dog actually did in that moment was a masterclass in pacing. In a game that is essentially a twenty-hour panic attack, this scene acts as the only real oxygen the player gets before the descent into the nihilistic violence of Seattle. It’s quiet. It’s warm. It’s deeply human in a world that has largely forgotten what "human" feels like.
Why the Pharmacy Scene Works
Most games treat romance like a side quest or a series of "press X to flirt" prompts. This isn't that. When Ellie and Dina find that secret hideout under the floorboards, the game stops being about Infected or the WLF for a second. It becomes about two girls who grew up in an apocalypse trying to find a version of "normal."
The atmosphere is heavy with the smell of old paper and dried herbs. You can almost feel the temperature drop as they climb down. It’s intimate in a way that feels unearned in most media, but here, it’s been building since the opening dance in Jackson.
The dialogue isn't some scripted Shakespearean monologue. It’s awkward. They talk about Eugene. They talk about his "secret" stash. Dina teases Ellie about her lack of experience with certain things, and Ellie—deadly, terrifying Ellie—is suddenly just a shy teenager with a crush.
The Technical Brilliance of the Performance
You have to look at what Ashley Johnson and Shannon Woodward did with the performance capture here. It’s not just the words; it’s the micro-expressions. If you watch the scene closely, Ellie’s eyes are constantly darting. She’s checking Dina’s reaction to every single word.
Naughty Dog used a specific facial animation rig for Part II that allowed for subtle muscle movements around the eyes and mouth that were basically impossible in the first game. When Dina leans in, you see the hesitation in Ellie's shoulders. You see the way she bites her lip. It's subtle. It's real. It doesn't feel like digital puppets; it feels like a memory.
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That Song and the Chemistry
While it’s not in the basement, the "Take on Me" sequence at the Valiant Music Shop is often lumped into the same emotional arc as the The Last of Us Ellie and Dina scene in the pharmacy. They are two halves of the same coin. The pharmacy is the physical intimacy; the music shop is the emotional vulnerability.
Think about the lyrics Ellie chooses to emphasize. It’s a subversion of a high-energy 80s pop hit, turned into a melancholic plea. When she finishes, and Dina says, "You’re terrible," with that specific smirk? That’s the moment the stakes of the game triple. Now, you aren’t just playing as Ellie; you’re playing as someone who has something to lose.
The Contrast of the "Take on Me" Moment
Let's be real: the game needed this. Without the softness of these early Seattle Day 1 scenes, the rest of the journey would be a slog of misery. You need to see what Ellie is fighting for—or what she's throwing away—to understand the tragedy of the ending.
Dina serves as a moral compass throughout the game, but in this scene, she’s just a partner. She’s the one who provides the levity. When they’re sitting on those crates, the world outside doesn’t exist. No Clickers. No Shamblers. Just two people.
The Controversy and the Impact
Back when the trailers dropped, some corners of the internet were... loud. There was a lot of noise about "forced" narratives. But anyone who actually played through the The Last of Us Ellie and Dina scene realized it was the furthest thing from forced. It was the natural evolution of Ellie’s character from the Left Behind DLC.
Halley Gross, the co-writer, has spoken at length about wanting to give Ellie a "messy" love life. Real relationships aren't perfect, especially when you're being hunted by a militia. The pharmacy scene establishes a foundation of trust that makes the later fractures in their relationship—specifically in the farmhouse—hurt so much more.
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What Most People Miss
There’s a small detail in the basement. If you look around the room before sitting down with Dina, you find Eugene’s old firefly pendants and photos. It’s a reminder that even in this "safe" space, the past is always watching. Eugene had a whole life here. He had secrets. He had regrets.
It mirrors Ellie’s own path. She’s trying to have this moment of peace while carrying the weight of Joel’s death and the secret of her immunity. The juxtaposition of a budding romance against the backdrop of a dead man's hidden life is quintessential The Last of Us.
How the Scene Changed Game Design
Before Part II, romantic scenes in action-adventure games were usually cutscenes you just watched. Here, the transition between gameplay and "the scene" is almost invisible. You explore, you pick up an item, and the conversation flows naturally into the cinematic.
This "seamless transition" tech is something Naughty Dog has been perfecting since Uncharted 4, but they used it here to build emotional tension rather than just spectacle. It makes the player feel like a participant in the intimacy, not just an observer.
The Legacy of the Basement
Years after the game's release, this remains one of the most clipped and shared moments in the franchise. Why? Because it’s the last time we see Ellie truly happy.
After they leave that pharmacy, the tone shifts. The rain starts. The dogs come out. The "WLF" becomes a real, terrifying threat. That hour of gameplay—the exploration of downtown Seattle leading into the basement—is a "calm before the storm" that is practically unrivaled in the genre.
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Revisiting the Moment
If you’re going back for a grounded run or just checking out the Remastered version on PS5, pay attention to the lighting in this scene. The way the light filters through the cracks in the ceiling highlights the particles in the air—dust, spores, whatever. It creates a "haziness" that feels like a dream. It’s one of the few times the game uses warm tones (golds, oranges, deep browns) instead of the cold blues and grays of Seattle.
Actionable Tips for Players and Creators
If you are looking to experience this scene or analyze it for your own creative work, keep these points in mind:
- Look for the environmental storytelling: Don't rush to the couch. Read Eugene's notes. They provide the context for why this place exists and add a layer of melancholy to the girls' fun.
- Study the "pacing of silence": Notice how many beats pass where neither character says anything. In writing, we often feel the need to fill every second with dialogue. Naughty Dog lets the characters breathe.
- Check the photo mode: Use the "Depth of Field" settings in the pharmacy. You can see how much detail went into Dina’s character model—down to the stray hairs and the texture of her jacket. It grounds the scene in reality.
- Analyze the lighting transitions: Moving from the bright, overcast Seattle streets into the dark pharmacy and then into the "warm" basement is a deliberate emotional journey. Use this "color scripting" in your own photography or video projects.
The The Last of Us Ellie and Dina scene isn't just a break from the action. It's the heartbeat of the game. It reminds us that even at the end of the world, we’re still just humans looking for a place to hide and someone to hold.
To truly understand the weight of Ellie's journey, you have to sit with her in that basement. You have to feel the fleeting nature of that peace. Once you do, the rest of the game's brutal choices make a lot more sense.
Watch the performance again. Focus on the pauses. Notice the way the music (or lack thereof) builds the mood. It's a masterclass in interactive storytelling that doesn't need explosions to be powerful.