Spoilers Ahead for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 5Season 2, Episode 5 of The Last of Us may very well have been its most intense one thus far. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina’s (Isabela Merced) second day in Seattle has further introduced the duo to the warring factions in the area, with the Seraphites and Washington Liberation Front each showing their ugliest sides to our main characters. Stalkers would have nearly killed the two characters before being saved by Jesse (Young Mazino), who traveled from Jackson to retrieve them. As if the episode couldn’t get any more intense, an unexpected attack from Seraphites leads to Ellie being separated, revealing a darker side of her own.
Episode 5 features a pivotal moment for Ellie, adapted nearly shot-for-shot from The Last of Us Part II video game. Finally reaching the hospital where Nora is stationed, Ellie has her sights set on the first target for her vengeance. The incredibly tense sequence ends with Ellie cornering an infected Nora, who is tortured for information regarding Abby’s whereabouts instead of being given a quick death. Five episodes in, The Last of Us Season 2 has finally given viewers a taste of the darker thematic content that made the game so successful. But has it done so too late in the season, with only two episodes left?
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s television adaptation has taken Ellie’s journey for vengeance in an interesting direction. While the new creative choices might provide new depth to the characters, they could also undermine the larger point of the story.
Ellie’s Emotional Journey in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Is More Inward Than Outward
Much of The Last of Us Season 2’s criticism has mainly been towards how Ellie is written as a character. Bella Ramsey’s performance across both seasons thus far has been phenomenal, with the first season in particular showcasing the actor’s ability to channel the grit and fortitude of the character despite their age. However, the show’s second season, which is based on The Last of Us Part II video game, features an older and slightly more nihilistic Ellie. The way the character’s relationship with Joel (Pedro Pascal) slowly deteriorated over five years hasn’t been shown in the series (yet). Still, there have been hints of Ellie’s existential struggles through her obsession with the symbol of a moth.
Unfortunately, the subtle instances in which series writer Craig Mazin has displayed Ellie’s inner darkness are overshadowed by stark departures from the source material. One of the most significant talking points on social media lately has been Ellie’s reaction to Dina being pregnant in Episode 4. In the game, Ellie is much more upset, calling Dina a “burden” and very outwardly focused on finding the people who killed Joel. On the other hand, Ellie’s dialogue in the series is much more lighthearted, making jokes about parenthood and not seeing an issue with Dina’s situation amid a warzone.
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It’s only towards the end of the fifth episode that viewers are treated to a more outward version of Ellie that aligns more with the original version of the character. The scene features intense red-lighting and camerawork that depicts Ellie towering over Nora. There’s a real sense of hatred from Ellie that hasn’t been seen since the second episode of the season. Despite Nora’s pleas and justifications, Ellie’s unflinching attitude leads to a powerhouse performance from both actors. It reinforces how this path the character has set on isn’t going to end well for her physically or mentally. The scene more than makes up for the seeming lack of awareness Ellie displayed with Dina’s pregnancy in the previous episode.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Features the Same Themes as the Game in Different Ways
Following Ellie’s intense confrontation with Nora, the episode ends with a tonally jarring flashback of Joel waking Ellie on a quiet morning in Jackson. The structure of The Last of Us Part II has Ellie’s darker moments juxtaposed with flashbacks of her relationship with Joel before his death, further putting players in the mindset of the character’s guilt and justifying (from Ellie’s perspective) the violent acts she commits in the game. Five episodes into the seven-episode season, this is the first instance that the series emulates the structure that made the themes of hate and vengeance so prevalent in the source material. What’s most perplexing is how well this works in the show’s context, and why it’s introduced so late into the season.
However, Ellie’s lack of outward hatred in the show isn’t without its positives. There’s a chance that The Last of Us Season 2 is building up to a cathartic release of emotions for Ellie. Moreover, while the series hasn’t explicitly shown Ellie’s fractured emotional state, it has explored the themes of vengeance, tribalism, and the cycle of violence through the lens of communities instead of individuals. Figures of authority in Jackson and Seattle have been a primary focus, and a whole episode dedicated to the Jackson community’s reaction to Ellie’s wish to go to Seattle has explored the themes of the games through exciting new avenues.
Ellie’s Journey in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Is Far From Over
Overall, The Last of Us Season 2 has continued to surprise fans of both the show and the game alike, keeping viewers engaged with its incredible cast, production design, and, of course, story. While there has been some controversy surrounding how the creatives behind the show have decided to portray Ellie’s quest for vengeance, it has still gotten the essential aspects of the game right thus far. It may have taken some time for the series to advance Ellie’s goal while also showing the character on a single-minded path of violence, but it at least established that she hasn’t lost sight of what she is in Seattle for.
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The Last of Us has just two episodes left in its second season to tell more of Joel and Ellie’s story. Fans of the video game will know that there is more to show of the duo’s relationship from the five years they spent together in Jackson, something that the series could take advantage of to remind viewers of why Ellie has put herself and Dina in danger in Seattle.
While it may have taken some time to show Ellie’s darker side, the series has stayed afloat and spiritually true with smart writing from Mazin and the impressive direction from the myriad of talent who have contributed thus far. Hopefully, the remaining episodes of the season will do justice to the ambitious and heart-wrenching story of the game. The Last of Us is streaming on Max.