'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
HBO's The Last of Us season 2 episode 3, which aired on the streamer on April 27, 2025, brought fans a tragic scene. Not only did the infected assault Jackson, leaving plenty of people dead, but the episode also killed off one of the key characters in the series: Pedro Pascal's Joel. Months after the incident, Joel's adoptive daughter, Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, wants revenge.
But before she heads out to make the people who killed Joey pay, she leaves a fitting tribute to the man who cared for her. Ellie left coffee beans on Joel's grave, her parting gift to Joel, who loved coffee, and her way to sort of memorialize one of their earliest formative moments.
Find out more about Ellie's tribute to Joel in The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 and the significance of the coffee beans in their relationship.
Trending
Disclaimer: This article contains some spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 3. Reader's discretion is advised.
The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 recap: Why did Ellie leave coffee beans in Joel's grave?
The Last of Us coffee beans scene in episode 3 of the second season left a lasting impact on fans who have closely followed Ellie and Joel's journey since The Last of Us season 1. Abby killed Joel, Jackson is rebuilding after the attack of the infected, and Ellie is done convalescing.
Fast forward to three months after the attack in The Last of Us season 2 episode 3, Ellie is ready to give Joel the justice he deserves. But, after failing to get the vote from the council to send a group to Seattle after Abby, there was nothing Ellie could do but get the job done herself. On her way out of Jackson and to Seattle to hunt down Abby, with Dina with her, they stop by Jackson's cemetery.
There, she spent a moment saying goodbye to Joel as she embarked on a journey to avenge him. She also left her fallen father figure a fitting parting gift: coffee beans. It wasn't a random thing, as coffee was something that Joel loved. Ellie was first introduced to Joel's love of coffee in the first season of The Last of Us, specifically in episode 4.
She found Joel brewing coffee in a camping kettle during one of their journeys, and she wasn't particularly fond of the bitter drink. She calls the smells of coffee "burnt sh*t" and couldn't believe that it was what "those Starbucks in the QZ used to sell."
Ellie's The Last of Us coffee beans scene in Joel's grave appears to be her final gift to Joel, just because he loves coffee. In some way, she was also fondly reminiscing about one of her shared moments with Joel, and the scene in The Last of Us season 1 episode 4 establishes that coffee was somehow a part of their relationship.
What else could the coffee beans in The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 mean?
Although The Last of Us Part 2, the 2020 game that inspired the second season of the series, reveals a deeper significance to the coffee beans Ellie left in Joel's grave, it wasn't shown in The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 or anywhere in the series. However, in the game, there was a heartfelt scene between Ellie and Joel the night before he died, which signified a breakthrough in their relationship.
The two have been on the outs after Ellie learned that Joel lied to her, but the night before he died, she decided to approach Joel on the porch of his house. She asked him what he was drinking, to which he answered, "Coffee." He also revealed that he was a little embarrassed about what he had to trade for the coffee beans, another comment establishing how he loved the drink.
During the same conversation, Ellie told Joel that she wanted to try to forgive him after months of hating him. It was a positive direction for each of their healing. So, when Joel died the following day, it could be that Ellie left the coffee beans in his grave because it reminded her of their last conversation.
The coffee beans could also signify the turn in their relationship, a chance that never fully materialized because Joel was murdered. It shows how, despite their issues, Ellie is ready to forgive Joel, that he misses him, and how he values their relationship. After all, she's hunting the people who killed him.
Catch The Last of Us season 2 episode 3, along with other previous episodes of the series, streaming on Max.
