"Season 2 final episode of 'The Last of Us': Revenge quest veers off course"
HBO's "The Last of Us" Season 2 concludes with a gripping cliffhanger, leaving viewers on the brink of Season 3. In a shocking turn of events, the finale pits Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) against Ellie (Bella Ramsey), with Abby retaining a weapon and Ellie in tears. However, instead of a resolution, the audience is transported back to Day 1, witnessing Abby's perspective.
The penultimate episode commences immediately after last week's predominantly flashback episode, with Ellie (Ramsey) returning to the theater to find Dina (Isabela Merced) injured. Jesse (Young Mazino), despite his initial anger, helps Ellie and sends her in search of Tommy (Gabriel Luna). During their separation, Jesse confronts Ellie about her single-minded quest for revenge, putting the community and those she claims to love in danger.
Upon finding Tommy, Ellie sets out to confront Abby at the abandoned aquarium. Upon arrival, she encounters Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord), two former Fireflies who played a role in Joel's (Pedro Pascal) death. After a heated altercation, Ellie shoots and kills Owen, unintentionally wounding Mel, who later dies while Ellie awaits the return of Tommy and Jesse.
Jesse's death leaves Ellie shaken, raising questions about the wisdom of her vengeful mission. As Abby arrives and confronts Ellie, the story abruptly resets to Day 1, setting the stage for Season 3.
Lorraine Ali, Tracy Brown, and Mary McNamara discuss the finale and the season's events. McNamara, a television critic unacquainted with the game, suggests that Ellie may not be dead, hinting at the series' potential future directions. McNamara expresses frustration with the season's pacing, feeling that the story focuses too heavily on Ellie's growth without offering a satisfying resolution or emotional payoff.
In comparison to the first season, which had clear stakes and missions, the main tension of Season 2 appears to revolve around Ellie's growth and maturity, accepting that not all heroes must make life-ending sacrifices or engage in violent feuds. This theme, while commendable, seems to overshadow other elements of the story, leaving viewers with only glimpses of the larger forces at play.
With several characters, such as Mel and Owen, seemingly sacrificed for the sake of Ellie's character development and insight into a larger world, viewers are left with a sense of incompleteness. Furthermore, the introduction of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and the Seraphites remains largely unexplored, leaving room for further exploration in Season 3.
As the series transitions its focus to Abby in Season 3, fans hope for a more balanced narrative that delves deeper into the complexities of her character and the world she inhabits. Ellie's fate remains uncertain, but with Jesse's death in the finale, the series raises questions about the consequences of revenge and the survival of our fundamental humanity in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Despite its focus on Ellie's growth in Season 2, some viewers felt that the story lacked emotional payoff, with characters like Mel and Owen seemingly sacrificed for her character development.
- As the series transitions to Abby in Season 3, fans are hoping for a more balanced narrative that delves deeper into her character and the world she inhabits, while also exploring the complexities of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) and the Seraphites.
- In Los Angeles, entertainment enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the upcoming season of "The Last of Us," hoping for a resolution to Ellie's fate and the consequences of her quest for revenge, as well as a deeper understanding of the post-apocalyptic world inhabited by both the Rams (characters) and the entertainment industry.
