The final episode of the second season throws us into the emotional and physical wreckage left behind as Ellie’s quest for revenge unravels. We start back at the hotel, where Jesse helps a wounded Dina after she’s hit by an arrow. Ellie bursts in soon after, ignoring Jesse, and heads straight to Dina, unloading her guilt over Nora’s death. She let the infection do its job instead of killing her directly, a choice that haunts her.
Ellie reflects on Joel’s actions, Abby’s motivations, and the increasingly thin thread connecting her to any sense of peace. With Dina begging to return home and Jesse confessing he knows about her pregnancy, Ellie still barrels toward destruction. They head to a bookstore to meet Tommy, only to get separated after a radio call about a sniper. Jesse wants to help, but Ellie coldly walks away to chase Abby.
In a surreal, chaotic sequence, Ellie ends up captured by Seraphites, strung up, and only saved by a random alarm that spooks her captors. She escapes, conveniently finds another boat, and heads for the aquarium.
There, things get worse, she kills Owen and a very pregnant Mel. Tommy finds her, horrified, and they return to the theatre… just in time for Abby to show up and execute Jesse without warning. The episode ends with Abby holding Tommy at gunpoint, about to face Ellie again.
I’ll be honest, this finale is exhausting, not just emotionally but narratively. It tries to be bold and shocking, but it ends up feeling hollow. Jesse’s death happens in a blink, with no emotional weight. Ellie’s moral spiral isn’t explored with the depth it demands. And Abby’s return? Abrupt, forced, and lacking payoff.
Bella Ramsey continues to struggle with conveying the raw depth Ellie’s character needs. The dialogue often leans on exposition instead of a real emotional connection. We’re told Abby’s a great leader, but shown nothing to believe it. Jesse, a potentially rich character, is pushed aside without any real closure.
Worst of all, the Seraphite sequence feels laughably convenient. Ellie’s escape is pure plot armor. Every beat feels manufactured rather than earned.
It’s a frustrating end to a shaky season, one that had the heart of the original story but none of the pulse.
Season Review:
The second season of The Last of Us picks up where we left off, Joel and Ellie living in Jackson, but emotionally distant after the Firefly lab incident. The fallout from Joel’s decision to save Ellie instead of allowing a cure sets the tone for what’s to come. Things unravel fast when Abby, a new character with a vendetta, brutally kills Joel in episode 2. It’s a raw, jarring moment that completely shifts the story’s momentum.
The narrative then splits between Ellie, on a path of revenge, and glimpses of Abby’s world. The show softens Ellie’s rage, portraying her more as reactive than determined. Dina accompanies her, and their journey through post-apocalyptic Seattle is peppered with wandering, bad jokes, and some questionable decision-making, like casually banging drums in a theatre surrounded by Infected.
Mid-season, the tension fizzles out. The show introduces smarter Infected and a war between WLF and Seraphites, only to forget these threads soon after. The emotional weight of Ellie’s revenge arc fades in the noise. The pacing drags, character motivations blur, and by the finale, we’re left with a cliffhanger that doesn’t quite feel earned.
This season is a frustrating watch. It had the chance to fix the game’s most divisive choices, but doubled down instead. Bella Ramsey’s performance as Ellie lacks emotional depth, making it hard to connect with her journey. In contrast, Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, despite limited screen time, is a standout. The visuals are still impressive, Seattle looks stunning, and a few moments hit the right cinematic notes, but they aren’t enough to save the season.
Tonally, the show feels confused. Is it a gritty revenge drama or a quirky buddy trip? The dialogue tries too hard, the pacing is sluggish, and the lore inconsistencies are hard to ignore. For a story about grief and rage, this felt oddly hollow.
Rating: 3.5/5 – visually striking but narratively muddled.
