There were plenty of Easter Eggs throughout the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. Like all good video game adaptations, there were nods and references to the surce material upon which it was based, but The Last of Us had some major ones. For example, there have been multiple hints that the rat king could be coming in season 3.
However, there were five particularly important ones in the season 2 finale. The best part is that they directly connect to everything that will happen to Abby in season 3 and beyond.
*** SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2 (and potentially season 3) ahead ***
The bloody rags
When Ellie gets to the aquarium, there’s a table with bloody rags and surgical tools. There’s no way viewers saw this and didn’t wonder what happened. If you’ve played The Last of Us Part II, then you know what this was. If you haven’t, then you’re in for a treat.
This is one of the first times Abby goes above and beyond for someone who’s not part of her community, and it leads to her conquering a fear.
The bridge
As Jesse and Ellie start their journey to save Tommy, there’s a red crane in the background connected to a building. It may have been a random part of the background to some, but fans of The Last of Us Part II no doubt recognized it. They were likely excited to see it because it hints at an important part of Abby’s story.
The bridge represents a big part of Abby’s growth. Not only does she confront her fear of heights, but she also learns a lesson about trust thanks to a Seraphite named Lev. Without the two combined, Abby wouldn’t have overcome nightmares that plagued her since her father was killed. And while the moment didn’t end the way she hoped, it became a defining moment for her.
Isaac is looking for Abby
Before the Washington Liberation Front (or WLF) started their attack on the Seraphites, Isaac and Sgt. Elise Park sat down and talked about the plan. Sgt. Park was concerned that Isaac was too worried about Abby’s disappearance. But it wasn’t because he cared about her. He knew that Abby was the only person who could lead the WLFs after they died.
This moment lets people know that Abby left and that it’s a big deal. She’s someone who follows orders and doesn’t abandon her team. It also shows that there’s a story behind Abby’s disappearance. The Easter Egg is that it connects to the story about Abby going to find Owen after he kills one of their own.
WLFs vs Seraphites
After Ellie is captured by the Seraphites, she’s spared because they have more important things to worry about. Among them are the invading WLFs. As important as that was to the first episode, there's more to the scene that wasn't shown.
We see that there’s a fight coming early on, but now, it's actually happening. What fans of the game know that others don’t is that Abby is in the middle of the war. Not because she’s fighting for either side. She’s protecting her new family, Yara and Lev.
Owen and Mel's argument
Before Ellie shoots and kills Owen and Mel, the couple is arguing. Owen wants to find Abby, but Mel is against it because she hates her. If things are like they were in the game, Mel’s feelings are justified because Owen cheated on her with Abby the night before.
A lot of bad decisions are made by the characters in The Last of Us that lead to unfortunate events, and this is one of them. If Owen hadn’t cheated with Abby, maybe he and Mel wouldn't have been arguing and they would have heard Ellie coming. Instead, they and their unborn child don’t survive.
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