The Last of Us: Season 2 Finale Review
Following last weekâs sojourn to the past, the season 2 finale of The Last of Us throws us right back into the aftermath of Ellie killing Nora. If there were any doubt that her innocence has been lost, Ellieâs conversation with Dina this week confirms it. Sheâs numb, looking blankly into a mirror and not quite recognising who she sees in the reflection. Itâs in stark contrast to the last time we saw Ellie commit such violence: in season one, when her emotions burst forth after fighting off David. Back then, she could collapse into Joelâs arms. But now sheâs the protector, looking after Dina and the child sheâs carrying. At least sheâs the protector in theory. Because little of what Ellie decides to do next reflects that outlook.
Instead, it’s Jesse who must act like the responsible adult, despite barely being older than Ellie or Dina. His words of warning fall on deaf ears, as Ellie refuses to see how her mission is bringing down everyone around her. It culminates in a lesson in selflessness at a Seattle bookstore in which Jesse finally admits that he voted against going after Abby in episode 3. Young Mazino is fantastic in this moment of revelation, bringing a much-needed level of maturity and level-headedness, without ever patronising Ellie. Jesse knows her too well to know she wonât react well to being told what to do, so he gently nudges her in the right direction. Sadly, she chooses a different path.
Ellieâs choice between avenging those sheâs lost or retreating back to Jackson with those who remain echoes her decision way back in episode 2. On that Wyoming mountain, she opted to follow her heart and go after Joel, rather than helping the greater Jackson community fight the flames and infected. Youâd think her journey since wouldâve been an eye-opening one, but itâs clear she hasnât learned her lesson, as the ever-strong fuel of love and hate dominate her decision making, and seemingly always will. Bella Ramsey is great in this rooftop confrontation with Jesse, displaying a sternness and personality that far outsize their stature.
The dynamic between Ellie, Dina, and Jesse makes for a strong first half to the episode, but I feel the rest of the finale loses its way. We barrel along towards its horrifying centerpiece: the murders of Mel and Owen. The realisation that Mel is pregnant is undoubtedly a real sickener, compounded further by Dinaâs situation and Ellie flicking through the pages of a children’s book only minutes prior. But I find the choice to make her death accidental a curious one. Whatâs meant to represent the lowest Ellie will sink in her quest for revenge is reduced to a tragic mishap.
Another example of this adaptation pulling its punches when it comes to moments of pure violence, numbing the impact of the story as a result.
Weâre made to feel some sympathy for Ellie in the showâs version of this event, when really, it should be the point at which we fear her most. She should feel like a lost cause, not like a lost child stumbling into a horror movie. She canât lie like Joel could. Not even a little white one to put Mel at ease. This moment acts in fantastic concert with the story of Eugene in last weekâs episode, but itâs just nowhere near as effective in its overall execution, and another example of this adaptation pulling its punches when it comes to moments of pure violence, numbing the impact of the story as a result.
Bella Ramsey is astonishing in their display of Ellieâs despair, but the scene is harmed by the speed at which their character finds herself in this situation. The episode darts from one location and set of characters to another across its final 20 minutes. We see Isaacâs armada setting off into the night, with their intentions unknown. He fully expects to die tonight, but where are they going? Itâs a mystery for another time (unless youâve played The Last of Us Part 2, of course). The moving pieces and distance covered can be a little disorientating, especially if youâre not already familiar with the gameâs plot and narrative devices. We barely know Isaac, and barely know any of the people Ellie will kill. Oh, and we even see her washed up on an island before almost being dispatched with in a uniquely Seraphite manner, only to be saved by a distant alarm. Itâs all over in the blink of an eye, and it feels like one too many ingredients have been tossed into the mix as weâre thrown around like Ellie in the choppy Pacific waters.
Weâre getting scraps of a story here, including that almost-hanging. The problem is, this is TV and viewers will have to wait many months, if not years, to see the gaps filled in, rather than the half dozen hours of game that follow in The Last of Us Part 2. I admire the decision to stick to this structure, although I do feel the main effect of the dual perspectives was to hold the reveal of Abbyâs motive until the halfway point â a revelation granted to us only two episodes into this season. I wonder how much impact seeing her perspective will have when our hatred for her hasnât been built up in quite the same way.
Even Jesseâs death is done too quickly, barely giving us a moment to sit with it before the clock rewinds. Ultimately, itâs a tough one, because itâs hard to judge just how successful this part of the story is without a third season for context. A barely half-told story is hard to evaluate, but the decision to let the viewers know that weâre following the same structure as the source material is a smart one. A smash cut to black following Abbyâs arrival wouldâve been tantilising, but I think even more bewildering for an audience not familiar with where this story goes. Rewinding time teases a whole new side to this story, one seen through the eyes of characters weâre just getting acquainted with â and without the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to anchor it. Iâm fascinated by the prospect, and eager to see Druckmann and Mazin contend with the challenge it presents.
VerdictThe season 2 finale of The Last of Us reaches its agonising cliffhanger at a breakneck speed, disorientating as much as it thrills. Ellieâs quest for vengeance reaches its lowest point yet, but its impact feels dampened due to the whiplash of the minutes leading up to it. Moments between Ellie, Dina, and Jesse prove the high points, with their earnest conversations serving as the bedrock for the shocking events that follow, but too little time is left to sit with the horrors after the fact for their effect to fully sink in. It gets us to where Ellie and Abby need to be ahead of season 3, but with an inelegance that doesnât suit its nuanced story.
