The Last of Us Season-Finale Recap: The Monster at the End of This Season

by

In the penultimate episode of The Last of Us’ second season, instead of just being a series of flashbacks, it concluded with Ellie returning to the Pinnacle Theatre amidst heavy rainfall. This scene served as a grim echo of her actions in the previous episode where she tortured Nora. Throughout this hour-long segment, we delved into Ellie and Joel’s relationship, its highs, lows, and deep emotional turmoil. However, this ending was a stark reminder that the carefree Ellie from the first season is gone forever. Moreover, the Ellie we see now appears determined to repeat Joel’s mistakes by prioritizing revenge over the greater good.

The title “Convergence” increases the feeling of foreboding, as this season has primarily revolved around Ellie but introduced other characters like Abby and her group, the WLF organization they belong to, and the Seraphites. Additionally, there’s Tommy, who seems to be in a precarious situation somewhere. With all these elements converging, it’s unlikely that things will end peacefully. The significance of the term “convergence” becomes clearer only towards the end of the episode, where time is cleverly manipulated both at the beginning and the end, moving us from Ellie’s past to her current grim reality, and then playing with the concept of time in a surprising manner.

The final scene opens with a glimpse into what transpired prior to Ellie’s arrival, as Jesse attends to Dina’s leg wounded by a crossbow bolt. Given the agony she’s experiencing, it’s surprising that Dina declines a shot of alcohol before Jesse removes the arrow. When Ellie arrives, Dina is resting and able to tend to Ellie’s own injuries, but their situation remains grim. All Ellie could manage to get out of Nora were the words “whale” and “wheel.” Ellie shares her ordeal with Nora, explaining how effortlessly she inflicted pain on Nora. Dina suggests that Nora might have received what she deserved, but Ellie counters with, “Maybe she didn’t.” Ellie acknowledges her actions have crossed a line and wonders if it was worth it. To emphasize her uncertainty, she shares the story of Joel and the Fireflies, explaining their motive for wanting to kill Joel in the first place. Dina expresses a desire to return home, indicating her reluctance towards further violence. Ellie seems to concur with this sentiment.

As the day breaks, the title unveils “Day 3 in Seattle.” Within this scene, Jesse and Ellie prepare to depart; their intention is to connect with Tommy, while Dina hides within the theater fortress she has created. As they journey towards Tommy, Jesse discloses how he discovered their hidden theater sanctuary and suspects that Dina might be pregnant. This suspicion, unbeknownst to him, is accidentally confirmed by Ellie. With his initial dissatisfaction with Seattle, this revelation of becoming a father intensifies his sense of urgency and irritability.

In a concealed spot within a parking lot, Ellie and Jesse observe a band of Wolves brutally subjugating a young Seraphite. Ellie’s protective nature urges her to intervene, but Jesse remains hesitant. “This,” he explains to her, “is not our conflict.” However, it undeniably is the Wolves’ struggle. In WLF headquarters, Elise and Isaac strategize about the impending turmoil as Isaac seeks information regarding Abby and her companions. He might be indifferent towards the others, but Abby is the type of soldier he requires if the WLF hopes to triumph in this war, even if neither he nor Elise live long enough to witness its conclusion.

When Jesse and Ellie arrive at the agreed-upon bookstore to find Tommy, he’s missing, causing them to pass the time with a meaningful conversation instead. Jesse confesses his feelings for Dina, clarifying that they don’t pose any risk to Ellie and Dina’s bond. He admits he’d developed strong feelings for a woman who visited their town recently, but felt compelled to stay in Jackson due to the town’s dependence on him and its future leadership potential. Additionally, he was brought up with the belief that putting others before oneself is essential. At this juncture, Jackson might seem distant to Ellie, yet Jesse’s narrative echoes one of the season’s primary themes: selflessness. Although Ellie’s lack of selflessness remains unsaid, it’s implicitly understood.

Before proceeding with more discussion, the stolen walkie-talkie emits a sound signaling trouble involving Jesse and Ellie, which they recognize as Tommy’s predicament. A sniper situation. They ascend to investigate the surroundings. Jesse is confident about Tommy’s whereabouts, but Ellie too reaches a conclusion: The Ferris wheel near the aquarium, a place Nora mentioned with a whale and a wheel, could only mean one thing – it’s where Abby must be hiding. Now they face a choice: Should they approach Tommy or confront Abby? Jesse thinks they’ll head for Tommy; Ellie believes they should deal with Abby first. After all, wasn’t that the decision made at the town council meeting? But that was not the case. In fact, Jesse’s loyalty to Team Ellie doesn’t extend beyond helping her in times of need, as he explains: “Everything you do, you do for yourself.” Despite his crystal-clear message earlier, it seems it didn’t fully register with him.

As Isaac’s troops move out, Ellie journeys towards the aquarium by boat. She manages just in time, but is immediately seized by the Seraphites upon reaching land. “I’m not local. I’m not one of them!” she protests, yet it has no impact. Moments from being hanged and disemboweled according to their custom, an alarm interrupts her captors, enabling her escape and resumption of her journey towards the aquarium in search of her targets.

Instead of locating Abby directly, she stumbles upon Owen and Mel discussing Abby’s whereabouts in a heated debate. In the middle of their tense exchange, Ellie’s arrival alters their plan. Ellie orders them to mark Abby’s location on a map or face certain death. However, Owen argues that they were doomed anyway. Ellie counters this by stating she’s not like them. Owen eventually agrees to disclose the location but pulls a gun on her instead. In response, Ellie shoots and inadvertently wounds Mel in the neck. The story takes an even more grim turn when Mel, who is pregnant, pleads with Ellie to perform a cesarean section. However, Ellie fails to act, and as Mel bleeds out and her baby dies, it becomes another regrettable moment that Ellie can’t reverse.

Tommy and Jesse swiftly show up and whisk her away, yet their joyful reunion won’t last long. Back at the theater, Ellie seems stunned as Jesse and Tommy hatch an escape strategy. Despite any regret she may feel, her anger over not being able to kill Abby remains. In conversation with Jesse, they reach a mutual understanding. He despises having to abandon Jackson in search of her, but also comprehends that Ellie would go to any lengths to save him. Unfortunately, he fails to save him. Abby then makes an appearance and instantly shoots Jesse, assuming he’d killed her friends, oblivious to the fact that he was with Ellie. Without hesitation, Ellie accuses Abby of causing their deaths. She begs Abby for Tommy’s life. Abby retaliates by aiming the gun at Ellie and firing. The scene then fades to black.

However, it doesn’t remain black. In the subsequent scene, Abby is awakened and summoned by Isaac, followed by her entering the remnants of a stadium now serving as WLF headquarters. The text then reads: “Seattle: Day One.

Viewers who haven’t played the Last of Us games might find the ending and Joel’s death shocking and potentially off-putting because they were major plot points known to fans. It looks like the upcoming season will explore events following Ellie’s arrival in Seattle from a new perspective, focusing on Abby’s story instead of Joel’s as it did initially. This shift is significant since the series was primarily about Joel and Ellie, but now, with Joel gone, Ellie takes a back seat for a while, making way for Abby to take center stage.

In “The Last of Us,” the changing seasons provided numerous instances where we, like Ellie, found ourselves disliking Abby. While it showed glimpses of Abby and her companions that hinted at their shared grief, it also portrayed Abby as a merciless seeker of vengeance whose actions tested even her friends’ loyalty. This complex character becomes the central focus for an extended period in the story, which may be challenging for viewers who, quite reasonably, dislike her. However, this is precisely why we cast someone like Kaitlyn Dever, who has demonstrated her talent in her previous roles and appears ready to tackle the challenges of season three.

It’s also worth noting that Ellie seems to have lost any moral advantage she once held. All the negative aspects attributed to Abby now apply to Ellie as well. The series often shows that darkness is not just manifested by the infected; it lurks in every corner of “The Last of Us.

Infectious Bites

Are you also feeling a bit concerned about Shimmer? Though we’re informed that Ellie’s horse seems to be fine (even though she doesn’t inquire herself), isn’t it unusual to let a horse be alone for such an extended period of time?

In the final scene of the episode, the view that Abby gazes upon might seem recognizable to me, a fan who’s played The Last of Us Part II. That’s because it resembles SoundView Stadium, a location fans will recognize. Interestingly enough, this stadium was inspired by the Seattle Seahawks’ home ground. At the time when the game was set, it was known as CenturyLink Field, but today, it’s called Lumen Field.

It’s always a good idea to take note of the books that the characters in this series are reading, as it often provides insight into their thoughts and feelings. For instance, Ellie finding joy in the children’s book “The Monster at the End of This Book” is both amusing and symbolic – Grover, the character, comes to the realization that he is the monster of his own story. One might wonder if Ellie will reach a similar understanding. Is it possible for her?

Instead of “Thieves of the City” by Ben Davidoff, it’s essential to clarify that this is not an actual book. The novel Abby was reading before she fell asleep is actually a playful reference to “City of Thieves,” a different work authored by David Benioff, who also penned the novel that became Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed 2002 film “25th Hour.” Both books are highly recommended, regardless of whether or not one is a fan of “Game of Thrones.

Read More

2025-05-26 06:56