The Last of Us Season 2: Here's What Ellie Leaves at Joel's Grave

HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 has brought with it the tragic death of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and in Episode 3 of the season, his adoptive daughter Ellie (Bella Ramsey) left a fitting tribute on his grave.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3.

The duo's relationship was solidified throughout Season 1 of The Last of Us, but when Season 2 picked things up five years later, it was to learn Ellie and Joel weren't on the best of terms. When Joel died in the following episode at the hands of Abby, it left Ellie distraught, and much of Episode 3 explored the aftermath of that grief.

Why Ellie Leaves Coffee Beans at Joel's Grave In Last of Us Season 2

Episode 3 of The Last of Us jumps forward three months after the attack on Jackson and Joel's tragic death. Ellie is recovered from her injuries and, with Dina's (Isabela Merced) help, she prepares to travel to Seattle to hunt down Abby and get revenge.

Before they go, Ellie and Dina stop at Jackson's cemetery, which gives Ellie a moment to say goodbye to Joel. She leaves her buried father-figure a parting gift: several coffee beans. 

While this might seem odd, coffee beans are a fitting tribute to Joel and Ellie's relationship.

Ellie is first introduced to Joel's love of coffee in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4, when she awakens on their journey to find him brewing coffee in a camping kettle. Initially, she doesn't like the smell of the bitter drink. Later, while they're driving, Joel drinks coffee from a canteen, which is disgusting to Ellie:

Ellie: "Is that really what those Starbucks in the QZ used to sell?"

Joel: "Well, theirs was a lot fresher than what Bill saved up, but yeah, this is what they sold."

Ellie: "It smells like burnt shit."

This scene establishes that coffee was a part of Joel and Ellie's relationship, hinting at why she left coffee beans as a parting gift on his grave. However, the true significance of this is yet to be explained in the show, but can be seen in Naughty Dog's game, The Last of Us Part 2.

Joel's Love of Coffee Has Deeper Significance in The Last of Us Part 2

A scene from The Last of Us Part 2, which has yet to be seen in the TV show, further reveals the deeper significance of coffee to Joel and Ellie.

The Last of Us Part 2 reveals Ellie and Joel had one important conversation the night before he died. After learning Joel lied to her about what he did to save her at the Salt Lake hospital, Ellie spent months hating him, which forged a seemingly irreparable rift between them.

Then, on the night of the New Year's Eve dance, Ellie decides to hash things out with Joel. When she approaches him on the porch of his house that night, he is drinking a cup of coffee. 

Ellie: "What're you drinking?"

Joel: "Coffee."

Ellie: "Where'd you get that?"

Joel: "Those people that came through last week. I'm a little embarrassed as to what I had to trade to get it but, it's not bad."

The conversation that follows this marks a significant shift in Ellie and Joel's relationship, as she tells him that she's prepared to try and forgive him for his actions, marking the first step toward their healing. Unfortunately, Joel is murdered the next day, meaning this is the last conversation the two ever had.

This scene is revealed right at the end of The Last of Us Part 2, and thus will likely take place at a similar point in the story in the TV show, probably sometime in The Last of Us Season 3 or 4. 

If the TV show similarly approaches this scene to the game, then the motif of coffee will also be important, and this is likely what the coffee beans on Joel's grave are meant to signify in Episode 3.