Blast from the Past in “The Last of Us”
Date: May 18, 2025
Fans of space exploration and “The Last of Us” have something exciting to talk about! The penultimate episode of the second season aired on HBO Max, featuring a nostalgic visit to the Wyoming Museum of Science and History.
Warning: If you haven’t watched Season 2, Episode 6 of “The Last of Us,” you might want to stop here, as there are a few minor spoilers ahead. For those unfamiliar with the series or the game, the story follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a battle-hardened survivor in a post-apocalyptic world, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a teenage girl he protects, who might just be humanity’s last hope.
In the episode, Joel surprises Ellie with a trip to the museum. Inside the space and astronomy hall, Ellie is thrilled as her interest in flight—themes of escape and self-determination—is a recurring element throughout the series. They discover a functioning orrery, historic spacesuits, and an Apollo command module in the main hall.
Ellie whispers, “Is it real?” To which Joel replies, “It is real; that one went up and back, Apollo 15 in 1971.” After picking out a Gemini astronaut helmet, Ellie enters the capsule, and Joel follows, closing the hatch. She excitedly begins flicking switches, accompanied by sound effects, as Joel surprises her with a tape cassette of the Apollo 11 launch countdown narrated by NASA’s Jack King.
The real Apollo 15 command module, known as “Endeavour,” is currently housed at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Unlike the one in the show, which features vines and has a fictionalized design, the real module lacks interior panels. Production designer Don Macaulay mentions that they increased the size slightly for practical reasons while striving for authenticity.
Macaulay and his team meticulously recreated the module, starting with a 3D-printed model, progressing to a full-scale foam version, and finally to a detailed interior and exterior. They were inspired by “The Last of Us Part II,” and aimed to capture the essence of the space museum from the game. Props, including spacesuits and a lunar rover, were utilized to enhance the scene, even though some elements, like an entire dinosaur exhibit, didn’t make it to the final cut.
Ultimately, even as the series diverges from the game, the attention to detail in sets like the space museum remains significant. Macaulay emphasizes capturing iconic moments, such as Joel and Ellie standing before the capsule. As for the command module’s future, Macaulay stated, “We still have it; there’s potential demand, or HBO Max might keep it for future productions.”
