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The Last Of Us Season 2 Finale Live Blog Starts Here
First and foremost, a big thanks to all of YOU for showing up week after week, with the same amount of thankful grace shown to anyone who’s following along for the first time. I can appreciate the irony in jumping on board right when the ride is ending. What a ride I’m expecting it to be.
Before the festivities kick off, here are a few anti-predictions for what I definitely don’t expect to happen during the episode:
- Ellie will find Abby and before they can fight, they both bond really hardcore over a shared love of ‘90s grunge rock.
- Tommy will wear a totally faded shirt that wouldn’t stick out against any background.
- Jesse will be totally cool with every aspect of Ellie and Dina’s burgeoning relationship and won’t say anything harsh.
- TV’s first Clicker-on-Clicker sex scene, coinciding with TV’s last Clicker-on-Clicker sex scene.
No Cold Open
Considering most cold opens end on a somber note that the opening titles serve to punctuate, I guess it’s a positive thing that the finale is just getting straight into the meat of it all. Coulda used another smack of Pedro Pascal’s Joel, especially after seeing the return of the single figure at the end. Sigh.
Dr. Jesse Operates On Dina’s Gnarly Leg Wound
It’s bonkers to me that Jesse and Dina traveled all the way back to the theater before doing something about the arrow in her leg. I understand why they had to hoof it, of course, but I’m not sure my own body would have followed suit so successfully. Also, is it a bad omen that Dina starts this episode off saying Jesse can’t let her die? I choose to say no.
If only all doctors told their patients to shut up and drink alcohol before an operation. Surely Jesse is wondering why Dina would refuse the booze, right?
I gotta say, the sound of the arrow being pushed through the back of Dina’s leg would be enough to get me to down a shot or two, even if I was pregnant. (Considering I’m male, the leg wound wouldn’t be the one topping the list of medical anomalies.) I now feel bad for Isabela Merced having to act with Dina’s wound for the rest of the episode and beyond.
A Shimmer Reference!
Fans have been waiting for an update about Ellie’s horse since the old gal was left behind in the record shop to munch on some grass. Although I’m not sure if it counts that Jesse namechecked the animal as a form of security to make sure it was Ellie banging on the door.
- “Shimmer. I’m alone. Open the fucking door!” – Ellie, alone and wet and horseless
Still no actual update though…
Dina Cleanses Ellie’s Wounds And Soul
Though they haven’t been away from each other for that long, quite a lot transpired since Ellie and Dina were in the same space. And bless Dina for her first move to be to take care of Ellie, already letting the motherly feelings set in.
Also, holy fuck, Ellie’s back.
Ellie comes clean about what happened with Nora after I initially thought she’d lie about it, reflecting Joel’s lies to Gail about Eugene. She says she left Nora for dead, which is probably the truth, though she doesn’t mention the spores at all. Still, this confession was enough.
- “I made her talk. I thought it would be harder to do, but it wasn’t. It was easy. I just kept hurting her.” – Repentant Ellie
Ellie then comes clean and gives Dina the TLDR version of events that led to Abby murdering Joel, confirming that she took a trip out to Salt Lake City and learned what Joel did to Abby’s father. I wasn’t even sure if Ellie was telling Nora the truth in saying she knew what Joel did, but this brings the story closer to the game’s version of events.
“I knew” could become the newest version of “You swore.”
Dina Gives Ellie THE BRACELET
It’s unclear whether or not the bracelet will come up again in this particular finale, but anyone watching who didn’t play the games should keep an eye on Ellie’s wrist in future episodes. It may not be quite as meaningful as Joel’s watch, but give it time.
SHIMMER LIVES!!!
Aw hell yeah, Jesse, for this update:
- “We followed the likeliest path into the city. Found the place you stashed Shimmer. She’s still there doing alright, not that you asked.” – Jesse, not horsing around
Three cheers!
Everything Changing Doesn’t Have To Change Things
Ellie may have grown up a lot since her time as a 14-year-old, but one talk with Jesse is a quick reminder that she has a long way to go still.
Jesse is indeed all clued in about Dina’s pregnancy, which he tricked Ellie into admitting, and is going forward with the knowledge that he needs to survive long enough to make sure Dina and his kid make it back to safety. Because that kind of plan goes REALLY WELL in this universe.
Jesse Doomed Himself, Didn’t He?
As soon as Jesse says the words “I’m not dying” in any context, it kinda sealed his doom in my mind. One can hope for the better, but one doesn’t get to take amoral stances on children getting killed by WLF soldiers right after talking about wanting to keep his unborn child safe. Something doesn’t add up there, Jesse.
Costco Cameo!
I love that this wasn’t just a generically named store, and is 100% a Costco.
Abby Is Isaac’s WLF Successor
Abby’s importance within the WLF is set up pretty well here, and without really putting a bow on it. Elise initially suspects Isaac is horned up for Abby, but soon learns of Isaac’s other plans for the future, involving the possible death of all his soldiers on what sounds like a dangerous mission.
Grover Cameo!
One of my favorite books of all time is The Monster at the End of This Book. I still have my original softcover, as well as the newer version bought for my daughters. The Last of Us won my heart once more when Ellie picked that book up. We’re all the monsters here.
Jesse Is Maria’s Jackson Successor (I.E. Saint Jesse Of Wyoming Is Super-Doomed)
I love that Jesse and Ellie’s heartfelt conversation happens in the bookstore that looks so close to the game’s version.
Jesse’s attempt to once again school Ellie in responsibilities was met with this hilarious reaction:
- “Oookay. Got it. So you’re St. Jesse of Wyoming, and everyone else is a fucking asshole.” – Ellie on a pedestal
Bwahahaha.
The Truth About Jesse’s Vote
Aha! After the episde in which Ellie sought to get assistance on her revenge quest, she was voted down by Jackson’s city council, and it wasn’t clear at the time who voted for or against Ellie. Now we know that Jesse was one of the dissenting votes. And we know that Ellie did not take that news very lightly, nor did she buy into his community-based defense.
- “Fuck the community! You let a kid die today Jesse. Because why, because he wasn’t in your community?” – Ellie, still on a rampage
Can’t blame her for immediately invoking Joel’s memory there. Read the room, Jesse, especially after you were just in a bookstore.
So Many WLF Soldiers Going On This Mission
Remember when Dina and Ellie were in that one building with all the stalkers, and they realized they were surrounded by way more of them than they expected? That’s exactly what it was like to see all those boat lights come on just as Ellie was about to make her presence known via gunshots.
Isaac is not fucking around here. I hope this wasn’t the last we see of Jeffrey Wright.
Ellie Doomed Boat Ride
I get why Ellie felt the need to go out in the worst elements possible, but that massive wave was a good indicator of why she should have reconsidered it a few dozen times.
But wait, what shore did she wash up on?
Is Ellie’s Hanging A Game Swap?
The video game features a key sequence where Abby is discovered by Seraphites and strung up by rope in a way that’s pretty similar to what happens with Ellie in the TV show. It’s also a point where another pair of very important characters are introduced, which doesn’t happen here.
And no one even dies during the scene, as the Scars are distracted by the wave of destruction happening elsewhere on the island. And then Ellie gets back in her boat and makes it to the other island without issue. So….I don’t know if I understand the decisions made here.
Ellie Enters The Aquarium
The aquarium where Owen and Mel are holed up is a vital location in the game, and will no doubt be explored way more in Season 3. Because we only get to see it in the darkness here, with a cold and wet Ellie skulking around. Still, I do love those jellyfish decorations and the hanging sharks.
I kept an eye out for targets in the main room, but didn’t see anything.
R.I.P. Owen And Mel
Ellie finds Owen and Mel talking about leaving, with Abby’s location being discussed. We’ll no doubt learn more about that at a later date. But it means nothing for now, because Owen’s stupid move to go for a weapon instead of show Ellie his map got him shot in the throat.
Not only that, but the bullet exited cleanly enough to nick the side of Mel’s throat, and it’s immediately clear that she’s a goner. What isn’t quite clear yet is that Mel is pregnant, presumably with Owen’s child.
In what will likely go down as one of this show’s Top 5 Most Heartbreaking Scenes, Mel attempts to direct Ellie through delivering the baby before she dies, and isn’t capable of understanding that Ellie is panicking and not actually helping.
- “is it out?” – Mel, destroying my soul
Ellie seems to be way more destroyed by this turn of events than she expected, since she only aimed to kill Abby in the same way Abby aimed directly for Joel. The way Bella Ramsey’s voice broke on the line “I’m not like you” was everything. What a tragic goddamned scene.
Tommy And Jesse Rescue Ellie Once More
Tommy’s attempt to make Ellie feel better doesn’t really do that, and only speaks to the heinous lack of innocence in this universe.
- “They were part of it too. They made their choices. That’s all there is to it.” – Cold, Hard Tommy
If only it was that easy, Tommy.
R.I.P. Jesse
Even with all the foreshadowing, seeing Jesse get shot and put down with such quickness was still a jolt to all my nerve endings. And there’s no questioning whether he survived this one, either.
Abby’s Back, Motherfuckers
Anyone wondering where Abby’s been needs not wonder anymore. The episode’s current-day timeline ends with Jesse dead on the floor, Tommy still alive on the floor at gunpoint, and Ellie potentially at the receiving end of Abby’s final gunshot.
- “I let you live. I let you live, and you wasted it!” – Abby as Terminator’s Sarah Connor
Kaitlyn Dever looks so damned cool in this scene, man. I know we’re supposed to be all against Abby and everything, but how can I hate someone that oozes badassery like that?
Another Fun Book Cameo
The mini-flashback kicks off with Abby waking up on a couch while prominently holding a book titled Thieves of the City, as written by Ben Davidoff. That title and author are actually a nod to the real-life historical fiction novel City of Thieves by former Game of Thrones co-showrunner David Benioff.
Fun Fact: The Last of Us Part II’s key character Lev, who has yet to be introduced in live-action, was named in part after the main character Lev in Benioff’s novel.
Return To Day One – Abby’s Version
After all the darkness, rain and run-down indoor spaces that marked Ellie and Dina’s trip to Seattle, The Last of Us‘ second season finale ends on a wildly bright note as Abby walks outside to the WLF’s main compound, which fills up a literal football stadium, with tons of military buildings, farm crops and more makeshift settlement elements taking up the bulk of what appears to be Lumen Field.
Interestingly, the stadium opened in 2002, so the Seahawks would have only played a single season there before the world went kablooey with cordyceps the next year. I’d love to know how much research went into this part of the live-action series.
“Convergence” Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Monsters At The End Of This Live Blog
It’ll take a bit for me to properly assess what I think about the pacing and episode order of Season 2, but I can’t deny that this show takes me on an emotional ride like few others. Even when I already know that huge characters deaths are around the corner, my insides still turn into a neurotic butterfly convention at various points in each episode. So even if all seven episodes in a row might give me cause to nitpick, thinking about each ep individually is easier on the brain.
As a finale, “Convergence” taps into certain cliffhanger frustrations, and the thought that we might be waiting most of Season 3 to learn what happens in the aftermath of that final scene is agony to consider.
But given the unique nature of Season 3 exploring the backstories of Abby and her group, this finale sets up some pretty tragic outcomes that will be interesting to get more context for in later episodes. It’s not the normal way for TV storytelling to work, and I’m confident this creative team can make it work in live-action despite TV audiences having to wait so long to learn what happens next, while gamers just needed to keep playing.
Thank You For Following Along
Covering The Last of Us Season 2 was in some ways just as fun as playing it and watching it, even if the stress level was a bit higher. So I once again thank everyone for reading along week to week! Let’s all meet up again for Season 3, shall we? Just remember to bring food and supplies, unlike Ellie.