The Last of Us Recap: Truth and Consequences

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Discussing this particular episode of ‘The Last of Us‘ necessitates beginning at its poignant conclusion: Joel meets his untimely end, leaving no room for doubt. His lifeless body is dragged back to Jackson in a gruesome scene that shocks even those who anticipated his demise. This moment recalls the impact of the infamous ‘Red Wedding’ episode from ‘Game of Thrones’. Regardless of prior knowledge, this development strikes a chord with viewers who have followed the series. Throughout its run, ‘The Last of Us’ has explored themes such as family, growth, the essence of civilization, the undead, and witty humor. However, the bond between Joel and Ellie has been the heart of the story since its inception. With Joel gone, Ellie is left with memories of him and the choices she must make concerning those recollections.

Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that the story initiates not with Ellie or Joel, but with Abby, who starts off in a state of distress as she recalls walking into the operating room where Joel had killed her father. She finds herself in what used to be opulent surroundings, a lodge overlooking Jackson. Accompanying her are Owen and other survivors from Joel’s massacre five years ago in Salt Lake City: Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer), and Manny (Danny Ramirez). As they survey Jackson, they acknowledge the challenges of their mission to seek retribution against Joel. It’s a heavily fortified settlement and they have no clue where Joel is. Furthermore, Abby’s associates are willing to aid her, but they propose certain conditions. Primarily, they want to ensure that only Joel suffers harm.

Although it’s a challenging predicament, Owen suggests he’s started forming an idea for a potential solution, albeit tentatively so. It’s not the most reassuring update, but it’s something to hold onto, perhaps. Meanwhile, away from Abby, Owen shares his proposed strategy with the other Junior Fireflies: They aim to persuade Abby to abandon her quest for revenge. However, this might prove trickier than breaching Jackson’s defenses.

In the town of Jackson, Ellie is dealing with the aftermath of a heavy night when Jesse arrives, pretending to be shocked by her admission that she and Dina shared a kiss (he was aware of it already). He then accuses her of neglecting her patrol duties. The town has been busy lately due to a recent assault, hinting at a potential large number of infected lurking. Ellie questions the possibility of a thousand, expressing skepticism with an exasperated “A thousand? You’ve got to be kidding me!” (This could be setting up a future event.)

Despite any impending threats or not, Ellie’s temper is quick to ignite. She’s mortified that the town is gossiping about her and Joel’s incident at the dance last night. However, she reassures Jesse, “I’m still the same Ellie, he’s still Joel, and nothing will ever alter that fact.” And if Jesse doesn’t mind, she’d prefer to join Joel on patrol, as it feels akin to a Father-Daughter Day outing. The catch is that Joel has already departed with Dina. Since he’s still present, Jesse suggests that Ellie might want to visit the restaurant instead, where Maria wants to discuss something privately.

Upon arrival, Ellie discovers the restaurant bustling, with Tommy in a commanding role, instructing townsfolk on how to ready themselves for potential danger. His demeanor was relaxed yet firm. It seemed like a review of prior strategies, one might think. After all, it’s just a drill, isn’t it? Ellie queries Maria, seeking comfort. Not long after, she grows agitated over another matter when Maria leads her to Seth. Seth apologizes for his past words and offers sandwiches to Jesse and Ellie. Ellie’s response can be seen as courteous, but it’s clear that Seth has not been forgiven yet.

With the approaching storm, Ellie and Jesse take shelter within what Jesse calls “a 7-Eleven filled with marijuana.” It’s actually an old hideout/pot farm that belonged to Eugene, a man Gail mentioned during her therapy session with Joel in the previous episode. While they hunker down, Ellie discovers that Eugene was once a Firefly and a Vietnam veteran. According to Jesse, this means that Eugene’s end was particularly unfortunate or unjust. It’s clear that Ellie shares this opinion, although we haven’t learned all the details yet.

In another location, Abby slips and falls into a snow-covered area surrounded by infected beings, not corpses, who are partially thawed. Abby and Joel manage to enter an abandoned building together after her failed attempt at escape. Abby recognizes Joel but doesn’t reveal this fact. Dina is wary of the newcomer but has little time to ponder her identity as they discuss a possible escape route. Abby proposes they return to her lodge, and Joel reluctantly agrees, unknowingly setting his destiny in motion.

In quick succession, a multitude of unfavorable events befall Jesse and Ellie. After learning that Joel and Dina haven’t returned as expected due to information provided by Reedan Elizabeth (Jackson’s communications expert), the odd pipes in Jackson cause strange movements. With Jesse and Ellie searching for their missing friends, while Joel, Dina, and Abby strive to escape a horde of infected, it turns out that this horde is also making its way towards Jackson. As the town enacts its emergency plan, it becomes evident just how resourceful they are in dealing with such a crisis.

However, even with their strategic planning and arsenal of defense, it might not suffice. In the thrilling, fortified battle scene from The Last of Us so far – a siege where the infected relentlessly breach one defensive line after another in Jackson – Abby and her rescuers make their way to the lodge. Despite the cautious approach taken by Abby’s companions, it turns out to be a misstep. As Joel attempts to rally everyone for a charge towards Jackson to aid in the fight, the Fireflies forcibly detain Dina at gunpoint and threaten to sedate her temporarily. They don’t intend to harm Dina, but they do seek to inflict pain on Joel.

In Dina’s absence, Abby starts harassing Joel instead. She threatens to harm Dina unless he reveals the truth. This action deviates from the agreed-upon plan among her group members, but they choose to comply. They do so reluctantly as the torment escalates. Abby vows to kill Joel gradually and proceeds to carry out her promise, explaining her rationale first. “There are certain actions that everyone can agree are utterly unacceptable,” she remarks, concluding her argument.

It’s not evident how deeply thought out Abby’s statement is. Despite Joel’s actions being inexcusable, they can be easily comprehended. On the other hand, what Abby does to Joel is equally questionable, yet she has her motives as well. The episode focuses on this critical moment. Abby, who’s been eager to take action for years, seizes a golf club and begins to wreak havoc on Joel, while those watching can only grow increasingly terrified.

By the point Ellie arrives, Abby and her group are almost pleading for her to stop, yet she persists. With a broken golf club, Abby delivers the fatal blow to Ellie who is pinned on the ground. “You’re all going to fucking die!” screams Ellie in desperation. The Fireflies must understand that she means it, but they let her live. Once they depart, Ellie crawls towards Joel’s lifeless body to embrace him. Their conflicts will never be resolved now. In the closing scenes of the episode, Abby and her team leave the lodge, Jackson starts rebuilding, and Jesse, Dina, and Ellie bring Joel’s corpse back to town. Life will never be the same again, and what comes next is still a mystery.

Infectious Bites

In some instances, a show reaches a pivotal moment that splits it into “before” and “after.” For example, before Sam and Diane got together on Cheers and after. And when Diane leaves, the series is also divided into before and after. Occasionally, these moments serve as starting points. Those who started watching The Last of Us for more of Ellie and Joel’s ongoing tale might hesitate to continue (although it should be mentioned that Joel continues to play a significant role throughout the season). However, the series has concluded telling their story. Now, it is telling a different kind of narrative.

The way Amy manages communications from her wheelchair evokes thoughts of Barbara Gordon, who assumed the role of Oracle when her paralysis led to a temporary retirement as Batgirl.

It’s clear that you will be leading Jackson at some point in the future, isn’t it? There’s definitely an air of leadership about Jesse.

In this episode, it’s Mark Mylod – known for his work on ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Succession’, and numerous other productions – who takes the helm. Given his expertise, he seems an apt choice when the action escalates to such a grand scale. The siege scene is a testament to impressive action directing, made even more impactful by the scenes detailing Jackson’s defense strategy.

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2025-04-21 06:58