The Last of Us - Season 2 (1 Viewer)

[Tino]

While I didn't know how the episode would exactly play out, it sort of went the way I expected. I can't say I am overly fond of the final episode. Color me frustrated. I may feel differently later, but at the moment I feel like I am done with this show.

Spoiler

I did not like all of the bickering and conflict between Jessie and Ellie. Just established very bad vibes throughout the episode. Just a complete turn-off.

While I understand that Owen had no reason to trust Ellie, going for a weapon when someone has their gun aimed on you is just stupid beyond belief.

Was there a point to the boat ride other than establishing the W.L.F. was attacking an island Seraphite community? Seems like that could have been accomplished a lot more efficiently instead of a boat ride, a near death experience, and a GTFO boat ride back to shore which essentially felt like a waste of screen time.

If I interpreted the finale of the episode correctly, we are going to be getting an Abby-centric season three. A wait for season three's production, and then another season to get Abby's perspective on the final scene with Ellie. No thanks. I am not invested in Abby and I believe the baggage already associated with her killing Joel will prevent me from being able to follow her character in season three.

I was not whelmed by this episode. Very disappointing. We set through the whole f**king episode and that is how it ends? Very much a Lucy Van Pelt football moment with me as Charlie Brown.

- Walter.

I felt the same way about Abby as you did Walter when I played the game. I HATED her. However I can tell you after playing the game multiple times, I now LOVE the Abby character. Her character arc is brilliant and I trust Mazin and Druckmann to deliver. Be patient and let the story play out. You won’t be disappointed.

 

[Joe Wong]

While knowing that this S2 finale was going to leave things unfinished, I did find some aspects frustrating/confusing.

Spoiler

* Ellie knocked off the boat by a wave, then getting caught and hung, ready to be quartered, and then deus ex machina at the right moment!

* Ellie was all prepared to go home with Dina and Jessie, as if she realized her vengeance odyssey was wavering. Then she gets a glimpse of the wheel, and is all in again! Even going through rough seas, and not knowing what is waiting for her? And woefully under-resourced.

* I know Ellie is headstrong, and maybe has a god complex given her immunity, but there’s an army out there!

* I don’t know if gamers hated what Ellie had become in the game, but she doesn’t have much to like at this point.

* If you view everything from Abby’s perspective, is she wrong to do what she has done? While I wouldn’t say I like her character yet, I can understand why gamers would be shocked when she killed Joel when playing her as a POV character. But when you learn why she killed Joel…

 

[DaveF]

I enjoy Season 2, but I don’t disagree with the critiques:

'The Last of Us' Episode 6: The Way We Were

A flashback episode lets us see how Joel was raised — and what really happened between him and Ellie before Abby got her revenge.

www.rollingstone.com

'The Last of Us' Season 2 Ends With Confusion and a Phony Cliffhanger

'The Last of Us' Season 2 ends on questionable choices by Ellie and the creators, bringing this chapter of the series to an abrupt, unsatisfying close

www.rollingstone.com

 

[DaveF]

Having not played the second game and apparently avoided production news and rumors on the second season, I was completely surprised and baffled by the finale last night.

If this were 1990’s TV and Season 3 starts up in September, four months from now, this would be a bold cliffhanger. But if Season 3 isn’t resuming until…a year, two, more from now … this could be a terrible cliffhanger decision.

It’s 2025. I don’t know why we’re still producing TV shows with 7 episode seasons and multi year breaks between massive cliffhangers.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I understand (or at least I believe I understand) the cycle of violence questions the series raises on both the macro and micro levels (as mentioned by Adam). I think the biggest issue I have with Abby at this point boils down to this difference:

Joel killed everyone in the hospital to save Ellie and for the most part (Marlene being the exception) dispatched them quickly.
Abby slowly killed Joel to feed her need for vengeance.

For me, two entirely different types of violence; which is why the focus on Abby is (at least at this moment) anathema to me. (Tino is telling me to be patient. )

I agree with Dave about the consternation over long production breaks coupled with cliffhangers. As I have observed before, I am not getting any younger.

- Walter.

 

[DaveF]

I felt the same way about Abby as you did Walter when I played the game. I HATED her. However I can tell you after playing the game multiple times, I now LOVE the Abby character. Her character arc is brilliant and I trust Mazin and Druckmann to deliver. Be patient and let the story play out. You won’t be disappointed.

This is why I like Season 2. The choice was made to kill Joel and play out the consequences because of who Ellie is. She has no impulse control. She is angry and vengeful. She would (unwittingly) sacrifice everyone she loves in pursuit of her personal vendetta. Ellie doesn’t mature, doesn’t grow past these limits, without profound failures on this path.

But is Bella Ramsey on a deeply stupid rampage for an entire season, absent Pedro Pascal, the best TV this could have been? Probably not. And should it have ended as it did with a multi-year gap to then come back and presumably leave her story fallow for another season the best TV this could have been? I guess we’ll find out.

 

[benbess]

Wow. Blown away. I had a guess where it seemed "logically" this season should end up, more or less, even before they got into Seattle, because of the mission they were on. But for some reason I didn't really think they were really going to take it all the way there. But they did. I thought it was both devastating and awesome. Grim, obviously. It was the kind of ending that stays with you. And yet, then a slightly hopeful note at the very end with "Seattle: Day One."

 

[WillG]

Well thanks HBO for one third of a story that won’t conclude until 2029 at the earliest (if the show even gets a fourth season)

 

[WillG]

So is the third season just going to retell this season from Abby's perspective? And if so, are we going to have to wait until season four to get resolution to this cliffhanger?

Yes

 

[WillG]

While I didn't know how the episode would exactly play out, it sort of went the way I expected. I can't say I am overly fond of the final episode. Color me frustrated. I may feel differently later, but at the moment I feel like I am done with this show.

Spoiler

I did not like all of the bickering and conflict between Jessie and Ellie. Just established very bad vibes throughout the episode. Just a complete turn-off.

While I understand that Owen had no reason to trust Ellie, going for a weapon when someone has their gun aimed on you is just stupid beyond belief.

Was there a point to the boat ride other than establishing the W.L.F. was attacking an island Seraphite community? Seems like that could have been accomplished a lot more efficiently instead of a boat ride, a near death experience, and a GTFO boat ride back to shore which essentially felt like a waste of screen time.

If I interpreted the finale of the episode correctly, we are going to be getting an Abby-centric season three. A wait for season three's production, and then another season to get Abby's perspective on the final scene with Ellie. No thanks. I am not invested in Abby and I believe the baggage already associated with her killing Joel will prevent me from being able to follow her character in season three.

I was not whelmed by this episode. Very disappointing. We set through the whole f**king episode and that is how it ends? Very much a Lucy Van Pelt football moment with me as Charlie Brown.

- Walter.

I can’t agree more

Also

Spoiler

Ellie getting captured by the scars for a minute and a half before the bell to BINGO sounded. What was the point? It didn’t happen in the game

 

[WillG]

Wow, I’m actually joyous to see people finally coming to the realization how shit this season was. It actually does what I thought would be impossible and that is making the game look like a masterpiece by comparison.

A zombie apocalypse show with about 6 minutes all season of zombies

 

[Tino]

A terrific season that does the games justice. I also hate that we likely have to wait years to see the conclusion of this story. But I’ll be patient and eagerly anticipating its return. A true masterpiece of a show.

 

[Tino]

Also Ellie getting captured by the Scars was originally going to be in the game. This is explained in the short making of following the finale.

 

[Tino]

Wow, I’m actually joyous to see people finally coming to the realization how shit this season was

The vast majority of reactions I’ve read have loved this season.

 

[ScottRE]

I don't play the game. I didn't even know there WAS a game until I watched the entire first season. A friend recommended the series because the relationship between Pedro and Bella (not Joel and Ellie) is a lot like one we share. And I just like end of the world horror TV and movies. So all of the plot turns are new to me. I honestly don't care if it happens in the game or what. Adaptations often skew from source material (The Walking Dead for example). There is plenty of material to fill multiple seasons if they decide to depart from the game and just trust themselves to write stuff. My thoughts on casting are based solely on actors and performances, not whether or not they match the sources. So I like everyone in the cast, only their actions and arcs impact me.

Without game familiarity, I am reacting to this show as honestly I feel a lot of people will: as a TV show. And because of that, episode two was unexpected, infuriating and heartbreaking.

As a "regular viewer" - like everyone else in my family (again, we don't play video games) - the finale was a confusing mess. The cliffhanger was unsatisfying and frustrating. The fact that there are only 7 episodes and by the time we get to the premiere, I'll forget everything that happened in this episode and will have lost all interest by then, is disheartening. I'll watch it, but man I miss the days of a finale in May and a resolution in September and a nice long season to build. This felt rushed and meandering at the same time. Joel is gone but nobody good took his place. There were plenty of places where they could have expanded on the people at the community, the WLF and the weird people who quarter folks. This could have been a fuller, more satisfying experience to me at 10-13 episodes if they weren't tying themselves to a pre-existing narrative.

I hate cliffhangers that end with "did they kill the main character?" Because 9 out of 10 times, the answer is no. And if Ellie is dead, I followed her for nothing, because she learned nothing. She's still an impetuous a-hole. Y'all who played the game know what happens, and I hate spoilers so I'll wait, but damn, as a TV watcher, this finale was a poor way to end a season. Great for going into episode 8 but not a finale.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I am repeating myself a bit here, but I will expand upon this thought a bit. The cliffhanger ending with the 'is someone dead or not?' is a poor way to end a season when it is coupled with a long production delay to next season. For me, this is a poor implementation of an adaptation of an existing work. When you play a game, generally speaking there isn't a delay in the narrative. You can proceed at whatever pace you desire. Sure, there are DLCs and sequels / prequels for successful game franchises but when you purchase a video game you can almost always count on a complete narrative with no interminable waits for a resolution.

As per Tino, the boat ride / capture / boat ride sequence is a 'cut scene' from the game. Unless this has some significant impact upon season three then its inclusion in a finale that tries to pack in so much just feels even more unnecessary and feels like so much 'fan service'.

There hasn't been a lot of talk about Jesse's demise at the hands of Abby. Seriously, she has killed arguably the two most likable male characters (excluding Tommy) in the series. Just even more reason to not give a damn about a season three based on her character's experience in Seattle (with likely one or more flashbacks.)

This post is mostly academic since the likelihood of me returning for season three feels very small at the moment. I will add some speculation about the 'blackout - bang' sequence at the end of episode seven.

Spoiler

My guess is that Dina shoots Abby, saving Ellie.

- Walter.

 

[Greg.K]

I'm sure I'll be back for season 3 to see how this all plays out, but I agree with most of the criticism of this season.

Maybe it'll be worth it but perhaps they should have done the Abby perspective as maybe an episode or two of this season, and done at least 10 episodes. 7 just didn't cut it.

 

[Tino]

As per Tino, the boat ride / capture / boat ride sequence is a 'cut scene' from the game. Unless this has some significant impact upon season three

It does.

 

[Tino]

When you play a game, generally speaking there isn't a delay in the narrative

The game changes perspective at the same moment the finale does. Pretty much the halfway point. We don’t find out what happens to Ellie until we play thru as Abby.

 

[Tino]

Look. I get the complaints. And most are valid. All I can say is wait until the whole story is done. I promise you it will all make sense.

But then again I may be full of shit. Your mileage will vary.