'The Last of Us' season finale: Did Joel do the right thing?

Regardless of how you feel, it's pretty clear that what Joel did was selfish. He could say that it was to ensure Ellie has a future, no matter the cost. But it's undeniable that he had Sarah, his murdered daughter, in mind as he "rescued" Ellie. In episode 6, HBO laid the groundwork with his new confession (not featured in the game) to his brother Tommy: Joel struggles with the possibility of losing another young girl in his life. His biggest fear is being unable to "protect" her.