The season finale of The Last of Us Season 2 has finally arrived. And if you find yourself feeling shocked or even emotionally drained after viewing it, you’re not alone. HBO’s second season didn’t attempt to retell the entire story of The Last of Us Part II, but rather focused on Ellie’s traumatic first three days in Seattle. The result is a heart-wrenching season finale full of blood, emotional trauma, and a confrontation that utterly changes the show’s tone.
Let’s break down what really happened in the season finale, what it means for Ellie and Abby, and why it sets Season 3 on a very different course.
Table of Contents
A Relentless Pursuit Ends in Blood
Episode 7 begins immediately after Ellie’s terrifying encounter with Nora. Dina and Jesse have returned to the theater, and Ellie is emotionally and physically shattered but not in spirit. She returns to the chaos of Seattle with Jesse, trying to find Tommy and, most importantly, Abby. When the two split up to cover more ground, it is apparent that Ellie’s choices are no longer driven by strategy but pure revenge.
Before Ellie can so much as make her next move, the story delivers its biggest surprise yet. Abby ambushes Ellie and Jesse as they return to the theater. Jesse is gunned down in an instant, and Abby holds Ellie at gunpoint. Right after that, the screen goes black, only to resume on a new scene with Abby walking through the WLF compound, as ‘Seattle: Day One’ appears on the screen. It’s a clear narrative twist, but it leaves the viewers with no real sense of resolution.
What Just Happened? The Theater Showdown, Explained
This transition may be jarring or confusing for newcomers, but for those familiar with the game, it mirrors a pivotal moment from the game almost exactly. The initial three days in Seattle, which Ellie has experienced, have been an emotional and bloody rollercoaster. But in the game, when Ellie’s journey is at breaking point, players see the same sequence shift to Abby, so they relive the same events as her. That moment has now come to the series.
The shot when the screen blacks out is a new element, possibly intended as a dramatic cliffhanger moment rather than as confirmation that Abby pulled the trigger. Jesse’s death is confirmed, just as in the game. Tommy’s fate remains uncertain, though as of this point, indications are he has severe, but hopefully non-lethal, injuries at least for the time being.
Abby’s Mysterious Return
One of the greatest surprises of the finale is Abby’s return. Having not been sighted for a few episodes, she bursts into the theater with deadly precision. But how did she just happen to stumble upon Ellie, anyway?
In the series, Abby follows Ellie out after accidentally coming upon a map at the aquarium, one Ellie had left behind in her haste. That pivotal scene is absent in the series, and viewers may wonder how Abby learned about the theater. Perhaps Season 3 will revisit and fill in the gaps, as the focus starts to turn towards Abby’s story and her point of view in Seattle.
The Real Cost of Revenge
This also drives home one of the series’ best themes: the never-ending cycle of violence. When Dina learns the truth about Joel’s past, how he killed Abby’s father and destroyed the Fireflies’ hope of a cure, it all comes crashing down.
Her vision of Ellie’s mission begins to crumble. Joel isn’t simply a tragic hero to Dina now; he’s the one who’s guilty of all this blood that’s being spilled. She suggests they head back to Jackson with the hope of salvaging what’s left of their lives.
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But Ellie won’t let go. Even though she loves Dina, even though she’s witnessed all of this killing before, she believes she has to kill Abby to find peace. That just isolates her even further.
Jesse’s Role and the Emotional Fallout
Portrayed with quiet determination by Young Mazino, Jesse is Ellie’s moral guide throughout Season 2. He tries to guide her towards sanity, but even he cannot restrain her from the path of self-destruction that she has set out on herself. His sudden death is devastating, a brutal event marking the end of Ellie’s downward spiral.
Jesse wasn’t an extra. He was a force of community, hope, and healing. His death underscores just how far Ellie has wandered from the people who love her, and how much she’s already lost.
What’s Happening With the WLF and Abby’s Future?
While Ellie’s story dominates the finale, we learn more about the larger conflict that is happening in Seattle. The WLF is gearing up to make a move on the Seraphite island, increasing their violent war on the cult. Meanwhile, Abby and some of her friends disappear, apparently laying the groundwork for her storyline in Season 3.
This is also connected to her building of a relationship with Lev, which is probably the most emotionally intense relationship in the game. Abby’s decision to go rogue from the WLF is not necessarily about revenge, this may be the beginning of her transformation into a person who wants something other than revenge.
Ellie’s Breaking Point and What It Means for Season 3
By the end of Season 2, Ellie is more isolated than ever. Dina is pulling away, Jesse is gone, and Tommy’s fate is uncertain. What began as a pursuit of justice now seems like a descent into madness. When Ellie finally confronts Dina about what Joel did at the hospital, it is clear she’s coming to terms with the consequences of those decisions and the blood on her own hands.
But instead of turning back, she pushes forward. In her mind, Abby’s death is the path to closure. But, as The Last of Us has shown many times, violence only breeds more violence. As the screen fades to black, one thing is certain: the cycle isn’t over. It’s the beginning of a much darker road.
Final Thoughts: A Story Half-Told
The Season 2 finale doesn’t offer a conclusion, but a turning point. It brings Ellie to the edge and then cuts to Abby, paving the way for an entirely new direction for Season 3. As in the game, the series forces viewers to question their loyalties, definitions of justice, and capacity to feel empathy.
And it will hurt. Abby’s story is not meant to be easy to watch, it’s meant to make us question all that we think and know about right and wrong. Season 3 will be even more emotionally charged than anything we’ve seen so far. But if there’s one thing The Last of Us makes crystal clear, it’s this: even in humanity’s darkest moments, there are still flickers of light worth fighting for.
