A bit of housecleaning before we dive into the review. I have not played The Last of Us and have (miraculously) managed to remain completely in the dark about the contents of the second game – upon which this and the third and final season of the series will be based. So, these reviews will not call out events to come in the story but will treat the series as a series and not an adaptation (even though it is absolutely an adaptation). If you’re looking for a review that will call out Easter eggs and hints of what is to come, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking to remain spoiler-free, well, I’m your gal.
Ah, the joys of 19-year-olds. They think they know everything and can do anything they want, damn the consequences. And sure, when you’re immune to the global pandemic that’s out there, you might feel invincible. But there are plenty of people and things out there that can kill you, Ellie. So, maybe you should be a tad more careful?
Anyway, here we are, after a couple of years away, rejoining Ellie, Joel, Tommy, and meeting a bunch of new people in Jackson, Wyoming following a five-year time jump. Things aren’t exactly going great for our surrogate father-daughter duo. Something that happened before we parachuted in on the pair – during that five-year jump – caused a rift in their relationship; something that Joel doesn’t want to talk about, and Ellie can’t seem to forgive him for. Growing pains in familial relationships are normal (as Gail, played by the incredible Catherine O’Hara, points out), but this seems to be something more than that. Joel’s insistence that he “saved her” rather than hurt her does get one’s Spidey Senses up. After all, one person’s definition of “saving” might be vastly different than another’s. Especially when that other person happens to be a teenager. But the source of the rift is still unknown to us, and that troubles me a bit.
It also troubles me a bit that Gail is angry at Joel over Joel having to kill her husband – even though she knew it was the right thing to do. That hints to me that he got bit out on patrol and needed to be put down. But her statement that she’s mad at “how” Joel did it rather than that he did it is what gives me pause. What, precisely, does she mean by that? Was it drawn out? Did he not allow him a chance to say goodbye when that was possible? Or was this not a humane “put down someone who got bit” situation after all? What, exactly, has Joel been up to lately to alienate Ellie and get Gail so mad at him for doing the right thing?
Well, I have a suspicion the Ellie thing, at least, is related to Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby. I know simply from existing online that Abby is a crucial character in the story, and from her introduction in the flashback – at the grave site for the various Fireflies Joel murdered to save Ellie’s life – she’s got a serious desire to kill Joel slowly and painfully. That tells me two things. First, Joel killed someone she loved deeply – a partner, parent, or other family member. And second, I don’t believe for a second that it took her and her team five years to catch up to Joel and Ellie. I suspect there was something that went down with them all in the past – perhaps linked to Joel’s lie to Ellie about just what the Fireflies were up to when he killed them all – that led to the severing of Joel and Ellie’s relationship. Whatever it was or wasn’t, Abby is knocking on the door of Jackson and if that cordyceps doesn’t fuck up the town first, things are about to get heavy in that apparent safe haven.
Outside of the expositional work – which was exceptional and really set the tone for the season and did a great job of introducing the new key players for this story arc – it was so wonderful to see how much more layered and complex the characters of Joel and Ellie are this time around. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal are just so damn good in these roles and their work in this episode showing us how both characters have grown in the time we’ve been away from them was nothing short of stellar. The deep pain in Pascal’s performance, showing us just how much Joel has been hurt by losing Ellie’s trust, was so different than the stilted moments of love and acceptance we got in season one. Yes, Joel isn’t her father, but he absolutely sees her as his daughter. And yes, he’s absolutely willing to do whatever it takes to protect her – whether it’s still out of guilt over not being able to protect his actual daughter or because he truly sees Ellie as his now is something I suspect the series is going to have both Joel and Ellie wrestle with this season. And then there’s Ramsey’s performance. They are so good at letting us see the small moments of joy that break through the tough exterior of Ellie – a thick skin built up over years of knowing that if she lets people get close, she might have to deal with losing them. And Ellie’s budding relationship with Dina (a vibrant Isabela Merced) has all the hallmarks of something that is going to absolutely devastate Ellie down the line. It also doesn’t help that Dina seems to be playing with Ellie’s affections a bit at the moment, which is always a bit troubling, but again, they’re young adults – it’s not exactly a shock to see that happen either.
But man, have I missed this series. The gorgeous visuals, the smart writing, the compelling characters. The Last of Us is truly one of the best dramas on television (boy is HBO having a hell of a spring run of series) and I cannot wait to see how this section of the story plays out. It’s so great to have this show back.
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Writing
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Acting
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