I always thought the ending was fine because it fit with Joel's character. He probably has severe PTSD and Ellie's the last thing he had in his life that he cared about.

We saw him interrogate 2 guys, get the info he wanted from them and then stab one and beat the other to death with a pipe.

Very late to the party but I am fine with what Joel did

The Fireflies were flying by the seat of their pants. They had no idea if they even could find a cure after euthanizing Ellie. And given she was the only immune person they had ever encountered, they would have been best served keeping her alive. However, that's not even why Joel was right. His actions, though brutal, were justified in that Ellie was never given a choice by the Fireflies. She wasn't told she was going to be killed. The show even goes out of its way to have that stated directly, rather than imply it as the game did. So the Fireflies deceived Ellie, robbing her of her agency, and Joel rescued her. However, he did lie to her in the end. So, although his actions were correct when he rescued her, he too robbed her of her choice. Then again, her response in the first game always came across as ambiguous. As if she could tell Joel was lying but chose to accept the lie.

Spoiler:

The sequel of course eliminated any such ambiguity.

I just finished a rewatch. I initially watched this several months after it first came out because I wanted to play the game first. Then I watched this pretty much immediately after finishing the game (part 1). So I wanted to watch again with a little more distance between the game and the show. It holds up really well, and I think I liked it even more the second time.

Is this the best video game-to-screen adaptation ever? I'd say yes, at least of the ones I've seen. For one thing, the source material is just really great itself. The game's story is engaging and well-paced, and--most importantly--the characters are fleshed out so well in the game. The show makes the correct choice to lean into the character moments, and not rely too heavily on the action elements. The changes made for the show generally improve upon the story, like the episode devoted entirely to "Bill" and his backstory. In the game, Bill only appears briefly and his partner isn't present and their relationship is barely mentioned (and isn't explicitly romantic). Yet this was one of the best episodes of the season.

I'm replaying the game right now, since I purchased the PS5 remake. I'm currently at the part when you're with Bill. I gotta say, I still prefer him in the game. I know everyone adores episode 3 of the show but for me it was boring. Bill felt more real in the game ironically. And I was actually really looking forward to that episode because I knew going in that we'd get to meet Frank. But it all felt too disconnected from the rest of the show, and I really didn't find myself invested in the episode. Which sucks cos Bill, despite his brief appearance, is my favorite character in the game.

I also didn't care for how episode 5 telegraphed the twist at the end. It took away from the shock and disappointment I felt during the same events as depicted in the game.

Overall, I enjoyed the show. However, I like the game better.