The Last of Us Season 2 is following a similar pattern to Season 1. Episode 2 was intense, and episode 3 gives us a bit more calm, though it doesn’t skimp on the foreshadowing for what’s to come. It still leaves us with a sense of foreboding and concern for the characters. Before I dig in, there are spoilers ahead. So if you plan to watch it, definitely do that first.
What Happened to Joel
The Last of Us Season 2 episode 3 opens where things left off in episode 2. Tommy is left with the aftermath of losing Joel. There’s a sense of melancholy as we see Tommy with the body, and the streets full of the bodies of the infected. It’s quiet, and the scenes have a dim light that lends itself well to the feeling.
Ellie was badly injured by the WLF as well. She’s in the hospital along with a lot of other people who were injured in the battle for the town. She wakes up, and you can see that, in her mind, she’s still there watching Joel die. She suddenly sits up and starts screaming in anguish. It’s difficult to watch. Bella Ramsey’s performance is heartwrenching, even more so if you’ve ever experienced a deep loss like that.
Hospital and Therapy
The story jumps three months after the events in episode 2. The streets have been cleaned up, and folks are working to repair the damage that was done. Ellie has been hospitalized for the duration. She’s seen by a doctor who says she can leave, but after she sees one more person. Gail (Catherine O’Hara), the therapist, is that person. She tries to tease out what happened between Ellie and Joel, what the bad thing was that he did to Ellie. But Ellie is a sealed vault. She isn’t giving up the information, though it’s clear Gail sees that she’s lying.
It must be frustrating to be Gail. She’s the only therapist, and she has a lot of very damaged people to help. Tommy also seeks her out a bit later. He’s worried about Ellie. Gail tells him that some people can’t be saved.
Grief
Ellie returns to the house she shared with Joel. She’s confronted first by all of the tributes left along the fence. The flowers and notes show how much Joel meant to everyone. And, maybe they mean to offer comfort to Ellie, too. Inside the house, there’s a feeling of emptiness. She looks into her own room first before going into Joel’s. In his room, she finds a box on the bed. It contains his watch, which he’s worn since the beginning, and his handgun.
She leaves the watch but puts the gun in the back of her pants. We see a moment of true vulnerability and grief when she goes to his closet. She holds the sleeve of his jacket that’s hanging there, and she cries into it. It’s another display from Bella Ramsey that brings home just how much Joel meant to her.
Justice or Vengeance
Dina (Isabela Merced) comes to the house looking for Ellie. So, Ellie has to hastily compose herself. Dina is waiting at the dining table. She’s brought a box of cookies as an advance peace offering. Then she tells Ellie what she knows about the people who killed Joel. Ellie quickly gets past her anger at Dina. Dina loved him too, and she reasoned, it’s better to go after them at their destination than to try to chase them. We learn that the group was from the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) based in Seattle.
After they take the information to Tommy (Gabriel Luna), he arranges a town meeting so everyone can share their thoughts about going after the WLF. Ellie is told to write down what she wants to say. And she follows through with that. At the town meeting, after hearing from someone who thinks they need to focus on rebuilding and from a surprise speaker, Seth, who wants to go after them, Ellie gets to speak. She reads her impassioned speech and tries to convince the council that they’re in it together and that it’s about justice, not vengeance.
The vote does not go in Ellie’s favor, and, even though she said she’ll abide by the decision, it’s not a surprise when she makes other plans.
Seraphites
We were introduced to a new group of people, the Seraphites. In The Last of Us Season 2 episode 3, we are not given this name, though. The group seems to be peaceful and includes women and children. We meet a man and his daughter, and see that the hammer is an important symbol and weapon for them. Each person has a scar on each cheek, and there is a symbol on the backs of their clothing.
The man leading and someone following far behind communicate through whistles. The girl identifies the meanings of them, so we understand they’re signaling that it’s clear and OK to continue. But soon after, the whistles indicate an alarm, and the man yells for them all to hide.
Ellie and Dina
Dina goes to see Ellie and finds her preparing to leave. Dina argues that she needs to be more prepared and shows Ellie the list she made and the route they should take. Dina is demonstrating she’s definitely the thinker of this pair, while Ellie is the brawn. And Dina tells Ellie that she has lined up the supplies they need, and the supplies aren’t coming from Jesse (Young Mazino).
After dark, Ellie and Dina are leaving. They have one horse, and it is Seth who meets them with the promised supplies. He also swaps rifles with Ellie because his is better. Before the two ride away, he shakes Ellie’s hand. It’s good to see they’ve made peace.
The journey is relaxed for quite a while. When they camp for the night, they discuss the kiss at the dance. Dina confirms she’s back with Jesse, but there’s definitely a hint of interest for Ellie as well. Dina states that Ellie is gay while she isn’t. But we’re not so sure that’s completely true.
The pair comes upon the remains of the Seraphites. They’ve been massacred, and it was through the use of guns. Ellie looks at the shell casings and identifies that they’re from multiple calibers, so it can’t be Fedra. They assume that it could have been the WLF group that killed Joel, and this spurs them on.
Seattle
Their first view of Seattle is somewhat beautiful, but they cannot know what’s happening within. For now, they aren’t being shot at. But we soon see Manny (Danny Ramirez), one of the people that was with the group that killed Joel. He seems to be up in the Space Needle acting as a lookout. Someone calls on the radio, and he confirms their path is clear. Then we see armored vehicles and a large number of marching soldiers. The vehicles and people are marked with the WLF name and symbol.
Wrapping it Up
Throughout The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3, it looks like Ellie is stepping into the role vacated by Joel. She’s taking the lead, acting as a lone wolf, and not minding what others will think. When she and Dina are riding together, Ellie is in front. Dina is the planner, though. Without her, Ellie would have run off with little in the way of supplies. And she wouldn’t have had a plan of where to go.
The overall feeling of The Last of Us Season 2 episode 3 was one of planning, of building up to what’s next. The way it closed with the soldiers on the move leaves us with a sense of dread. Ellie and Dina are expecting the WLF to be a small group that can be easily handled. But that won’t be the case.
And what will Tommy and Jesse do when they realize that Ellie and Dina have left? Seth knows their plans, so maybe he’ll tell them where the pair has gone. Will this lead to Tommy and Jesse following after? It’s too soon to know. The preview for episode 4 hasn’t revealed that. But we can expect there to be more infections and intense danger. That is, after all, the pattern for the series.
We’re waiting anxiously for what comes next!
