The eagerly awaited second season of The Last of Us is finally here, and I cannot wait to see what’s ahead. Internet Daddy Pedro Pascal returns as Joel with Bella Ramsey back as Ellie, and the heads are ready to roll. Fans of the game have been clamoring for the conclusion, and S2 gets us closer. Since we’re chomping at the bit, let’s dig in.
We pick back up immediately from the end of last season with Ellie asking Joel if he’s telling the truth about what happened in the Firefly hospital. He swears it was true, but you can see something in Ellie’s eyes that don’t entirely believe him. Those lies shift the relationship. Meanwhile, back in Salt Lake City, the remaining Fireflies are burying their dead and watching the giraffes. Such a beautiful juxtaposition between the absolute insanity of an apocalypse and just some giraffes casually munching on grass. And I needed the reminder of truly how much damage Joel did to this group. Since I didn’t rewatch the first season, I couldn’t quite remember how badly it went. The screen pan shows us quite well. At first, you only see a handful of graves, and then the camera pans and you remember how many people Joel slaughtered to get Ellie out of there.
It is here that we meet Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever), who is mourning not only the whole group but also her father. She vows revenge and the other members check her on it, just a little bit. She wants to kill Joel slowly, but they tell her to bide her time because they need resources first. They do not have enough information to just go after this guy. They need to regroup and consider the next step. She’s hesitant, but she agrees, as long as they’ll help her kill Joel. I’ll admit, I’ve lost people tragically, but not by the direct and murderous hand of another. So, to be honest, I don’t fully understand the bloodlust. But at the same time, she lost almost everyone. Her dad, yes, but also almost the whole group of Fireflies was demolished. I can imagine how angry that would make someone, but it’s gonna take her some time to get there.
5 Years Later…
Ellie is sparring with a guy, asking for punches not to be pulled. She’s 19 years old and ok, yes, she wants to prove she’s tough. But if that grown man doesn’t pull his punches, it could literally kill you. So, while you might not like it, it’s kind of important that he doesn’t completely obliterate you. The Jackson, Wyoming community continues to grow but too fast for Joel to keep up with. He’s tinkering away, helping fix some electronics. But something is going on with Ellie, enough that even her best friend, Dina (Isabela Merced), is asking Joel what’s going on with her. Ellie’s withdrawn and sullen, you know, like a damn teenager. But Joel’s in therapy, and he wants to find a solution. It absolutely cracks me up that the therapist is Catherine O’Hara. She’s buzzing on booze when he gets there, and she offers up her own uncomfortable truth: she doesn’t like Joel. In fact, she can’t stand him because he killed her husband. Damn, that’s awkward.
“You can’t heal something unless you’re brave enough to say it out loud.”
Yes, she says her hard words, but she can’t get Joel to admit what happened. She worked in therapy for years, she knows how to read people. She knows that there’s something he’s holding back and that it is most likely the issue, and that’s probably why Ellie is really withdrawing.
“What did you do?” “I saved her.”
But on Ellie’s end, she’s far more focused on shooting and preparing for the Alpine Run. Which she’s lucky to get put on, given she has a penchant for not following rules. Listen, I know I’m not the most easy-going person. But if it’s a goddamn zombie apocalypse, I’m going to be listening and not doing anything dumb and rash. On Ellie’s end, even if it is the big unspoken secret, she knows she’s immune. It wouldn’t stop them from potentially killing her completely, but she’s safe from bites. I can imagine that would lead to someone being a little reckless with zombies.
Unsurprisingly, Ellie and Dina are similar and while Dina is the more logical, she can’t completely save Ellie from herself. Ellie ends up dealing with something new. And here’s where my panic set in. Because evolution isn’t only for people. Everything evolves, including mold and mushrooms. This isn’t a usual zombie. It’s smart, and it hides. It’s everything that should scare the pants off you. Because if they can get smarter, then the shit is really about to hit the fan. They return from the run and give their testimony to the council, including Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and his wife Maria (Rutina Wesley). But it’s New Year’s Eve, so why worry when we can celebrate?
Joel is trying with Ellie, offering to fix her guitar strings. But she’s got something else…or someone else on her mind. Maybe Dina is more than just a friend. And as luck would have it, Dina sees things the same way. They’re both a little tipsy, but there’s something there, and they share a kiss. However, they’re in a church, and it only takes a minute before some dude calls them something not nice. Ellie is prepared to handle it herself when Joel comes literally flying in. The superhero savior that she most definitely didn’t ask for. She’s so embarrassed, but in the end, so is he. If she doesn’t need him, then what even is he to her anymore? And while this is nothing new and different for a teen daughter and their father, they aren’t father and daughter. There are complications in their relationship. However, there are also complications brewing for the compound, both in the pipes and outside the walls. It might have been 5 years, but the Fireflies have arrived, and that isn’t the only problem threatening the compound. All is not safe in Jackson!
