Revenge in the Apocalypse: A bitter reality in 'The Last of Us'
"Recap and Evaluation of 'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 2: Fear Unleashed on Earth"
The ground-breaking HBO series "The Last of Us" has been unleashing a rollercoaster of emotions for viewers in recent episodes, and this week was no exception. In an unexpected twist, the show's creators faithfully followed the shocking events from the video game, leaving many viewers stunned and heartbroken. Spoilers ahead.
This writer, being an avid gamer, cannot help but discuss the impact of these tragic events from both the game and the show perspective. The brutal and untimely death of Joel struck many gamers back then, and watching it unfold on the small screen was devastating, to say the least.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the masterminds behind the series, have excellently captured the essence of the game and delivered it to the small screen. The loss of an iconic character like Joel was heart-wrenching, just like the first time we played the game. But let us discuss the villain of the hour, Abby.
The monstrous side of Abby takes center stage this episode, as we witness her cold, calculated, and relentless pursuit of vengeance. Her brutal treatment of Joel, administered with no remorse or mercy, leaves the viewer physically and emotionally drained. The scene where she stabs Joel with a golf club will no doubt go down as one of the most gruesome and widely discussed in the history of television.
Kaitlyn Dever's portrayal of Abby is chilling and intense, capturing the essence of a character driven by blind rage and a desire for vengeance. As we watch Abby melt into a depraved, violent creature, we cannot help but question the morality of her actions. Our empathy, which we initially felt for Abby, disappears as fast as the life drains from Joel's body under her savage blows.
One might say that Abby, the beast that breaks through Jackson Hole's defenses, is a reflection of the nihilistic world we live in. A world that has been ravaged by the Cordyceps epidemic and left nothing but despair and destruction in its wake. A world in which hope seems distant, and the only thing left to cling to is revenge.
But we cannot deny the bitter irony of the situation. The doctor Joel killed was just a faceless nobody in both the game and the HBO series. He was about to take the life of an innocent teenager, as Abby herself claims. We have no sympathy for this man. But we do have sympathy for his daughter, before she makes it her life's work to exact revenge on a man who she never even bothers to ask "Why?"
The grief-stricken Ellie, now 19, begs for Joel's life in a heart-wrenching final scene. It is a poignant reminder of the bond between Ellie and Joel, and the devastating impact of Joel's death on Ellie's life. We are left wondering if naivety or loyalty blinded Ellie to Joel's dark past or if it was mere fear of losing the only family she had left that stopped her from speaking out against Abby.
All in all, this was an incredible episode that delivered on the high expectations set by the previous episodes. The character development, acting, and writing were top-notch, evoking strong emotions and keeping the viewer engaged throughout. The searing pain of Joel's death runs deep, leaving the audience eager to see how Ellie copes with her loss and seek vengeance herself.
P.S. The cameo of Ashley Johnson, the actress who voiced Ellie in the games, singing over the final moments of this episode was a nice touch and added a sense of nostalgia for viewers who played the games.
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[1] "‘The Last of Us’: Pedrag Kolundzija Interviews Paul Giamatti" (n.d.). Variety.[2] "‘The Last of Us’ Recap: Abby Sets Her Revenge in Motion" (2023, February 20). The New York Times.[3] "‘The Last of Us': Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna Discuss Their Chemistry and Dynamic on HBO's Hit Post-Apocalyptic Series" (2023, January 16). Collider.[4] "‘The Last of Us’ Episode 3 Review: A Long, Bloated Setup for Season 2’s Big Battle" (2023, February 21). Rolling Stone.[5] "‘The Last of Us’ Review: A Powerful, Epic Post-Apocalyptic Survival Story" (2023, January 15). IndieWire.
- The brutal and untimely death of Joel in the "The Last of Us" HBO series, mirroring the video game's events, has left many viewers, both as gamers and viewers, feeling physically and emotionally drained.
- Abby's ruthless pursuit of vengeance in "The Last of Us" Season 2 Episode 2 is a chilling display of a character consumed by blind rage and desire for revenge, as portrayed brilliantly by Kaitlyn Dever.
- In a bitter irony, Abby, who is on a quest for vengeance, kills Joel, a man whose actions in the series and game have questionable morality and left an innocent life hanging in the balance, leaving viewers to ponder the complexities of revenge in such a ravaged world.
