Every week, I talk about how HBO’s The Last of Us altered things from the video game. Sometimes, they’re subtle changes that impact small things. Other times, you get new additions to the story like the battle of Jackson. This episode does something bolder by changing everything involving Ellie’s campaign to find Abby. And, honestly, it makes more sense.
After Ellie learns that Dina is pregnant in The Last of Us Part II video game, she leaves her at the theater as they decide that the best thing for Dina and her unborn child is to stay hidden. With the infected running around and the Washington Liberation Front (or WLF) killing everything that isn’t with them, there’s a high chance she’d die. However, all of the dangers mentioned are more of a reason for Dina to go with Ellie.
*** SPOILERS for HBO's The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 ahead. ***
During the third episode of season 2, Dina pointed out that Ellie is awful at planning. That’s repeatedly confirmed in the fourth episode when Ellie wanted to infiltrate the news station during the day, and again in episode 5 when Dina was triangulating where the WLFs were going. Plus, while they’re still outnumbered, having two people looking out for WLFs and infected is better than one impulsive Ellie.
Having Dina stay with Ellie also allows for more dialogue. When you’re playing a video game, you don’t need someone talking throughout; every so often is enough. If you’re watching a TV show like this, however, extended periods of silence can be boring. With that in mind, the creative team made the right choice in having Dina accompany Ellie. It also raises the stakes as Dina is, of course, at risk in the same way that Ellie is and she gets to remain on-screen during those situations. You don’t know how Ellie will react to dangerous situations, and you’re on the edge of your seat, hoping nothing happens, Dina.
Jesse to the rescue
Jesse’s appearance in the show was also different from the video game. Instead of saving Ellie from WLFs, he stopped her and Dina from getting killed by stalkers. He came in silently and killed any infected threats to his friends. It was bolder than it happened in the source material, and it looked good then, too. Another change was how he reacted to Ellie when they were escaping.
Jesse was furious. It seemed like more than just taking Dina and putting them both in danger. They disobeyed the decision of the town. There’s no way that the other council members didn’t look at him differently. Jesse is supposed to be their future leader. If he can’t get the people closest to him to listen, how can he be trusted to keep everyone safe and in line?
This version of Jesse is more interesting. He was given time to evolve, cared about more than his friends, and understood what needed to be done to protect the people of Jackson, Wyoming. And when he encountered his friends, he maintained the sense of urgency while remaining human and showing his anger. It was flawlessly done.
They're officially a cult
If there was any confusion about some of the Seraphites being culitsh, that's gone. The creative team perfectly shows viewers what this group is capable of by using a lot of the traits associated with other cults. For example, the people blindly following their "priest" as someone is brutally murdered in accordance with their beliefs.
It’s “understandable” that the Seraphites would want to kill the WLFs; they're trying to exterminate them. However, as one of the Seraphites said in episode 4, some of the WLFs are joining them. Things could have been done peacefully. It's a shame that we're way past negotiations and all that's left is war. And, as the proverb goes, "When elephants fight, the grass suffers."
The Last of Us season 2 continues with another gripping episode of television that sets itself apart from the source material, enhancing what was already there in a very convincing manner.