Overview

• Episode 6 opens with a 1983 flashback showing Joel’s father wearing the watch later gifted to him by Sarah, establishing it as a family heirloom.
• The flashback reveals Joel’s father reflecting on his own abusive upbringing and expressing hope that Joel will be a better parent, paralleling Joel’s later relationship with Ellie.
• Joel’s watch, broken during Sarah’s death, becomes a symbol of loss and trauma, representing stolen time in a violent world.
• After Joel’s death in Episode 3, his brother Tommy retrieves the watch and passes it to Ellie, signifying the continuation of their familial bond.
• Showrunners consolidated flashbacks this season to heighten emotional resonance, emphasizing the watch’s role in exploring generational trauma and shifting fatherhood dynamics.