HBO’s The Last of Us continuously proved that changing the source material can make something better. However, season 2, episode 2 changed almost everything from The Last of Us video game. With this episode being one of the most important of the series, that was a bold move. Nevertheless, not only did it work, but it will be mentioned among the best TV show moments of the year.
WARNING! SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2, EPISODE OF THE LAST OF US AHEAD!
Joel's ending in The Last of Us
The most obvious thing to mention is Joel’s death. If you’re a fan of the video game, you were bracing yourself for this scene since the show was announced. And while it was a heartbreaking moment, the creative team made it even more so by adding Dina to Abby and Joel’s confrontation instead of Tommy (more on him later). Dina is young and innocent, but all Abby cares about is revenge. Even the rest of her crew felt off about her threatening Dina. If Tommy were in this situation, the scene wouldn’t have felt the same. He's an adult with just as much blood on his hands as Joel.
When it finally came for Abby to get her revenge, Kaitlyn Dever showed why she was picked for this role. She wasn’t just angry while she was talking to Joel. There was a calm fury as she was giving him the speech about who he (Joel) killed and how things were going to play out. Then, when the time came for her to unleash her rage on Joel, it was as brutal as you’d want it to be. Five stars all around.
The fight for Jackson
While Joel is getting his head bashed in, Tommy and the Jackson, Wyoming community are fighting for their lives. Unlike the game, none of this happened. Instead, the creative team decided to show that you’re never safe in this world. It also showed that the infected may be mindless, but they aren't dumb.
With that also came Tommy looking like a major bad-@$$. Not only because he defeated a bloater, but the way he gave orders and had everyone prepared for the worst was amazing. He was the exact type of leader you’d want in this situation. He was tough, selfless, and didn’t get emotional until the danger was over.
This was one of the best action scenes I’ve ever seen. There were dozens (if not hundreds) of infected people rushing at and into Jackson, but it was always clear. It wasn’t like the white walker battle in Game of Thrones when everything was hard to see. It was clear who the infected were and how they were getting attacked and attacking.
When it ended, you saw the collateral damage. Not just from the people who were hurt physically, and buildings in the town being destroyed. You could tell people were scared again. It'll be interesting to see how the creators add that to the story. We'll have to wait for episode 3 to find out.
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