Living With B

If you haven’t watched Episode 7 yet and want to stay unspoiled, now’s your cue to tap out!

Amid the battle between Seattle’s warring factions, Ellie’s search draws her toward a devastating confrontation.

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My Thoughts on Episode 7, Convergence

We’ve finally reached the end of Season 2 of The Last of Us. The joy this brings me. I can’t believe how this season turned out… To think, I was pumped after Season 1, but now, after Season 2… I’m dreading Season 3.

Let’s start with the positives — though it’s a very short list.

I was genuinely happy to see Jesse, Tommy, and Isaac in this episode. These three men carried the season for me, and it was good to have them on screen again.

The set design, as always, is stunning! It leans heavily on the source material and is just as beautiful as in the game.

Now, I have mixed feelings about this next part, but I’ll give credit where it’s due: the scene with Mel was emotionally impactful. When she gets hit in the jugular and tells Ellie to remove the baby before she dies wrecked me! Hearing her talk to herself: “You’re doing good. You’re doing so good. Is it out?” I am shattered! I feel horrible for her. I wish she had lived to meet her baby. That scene gave me the emotional depth I’ve been craving all season.

We finally see Abby again as they set us up for Season 3. I liked Abby, I like the actress, so I’m not mad at her reentering the picture.

Anyway… A short list of positives means a long list of negatives. Buckle up.

Ellie is… annoying. Why does she look traumatized anytime she does anything? Why doesn’t she have basic survival skills despite FEDRA training? Why are the writers dragging their feet with making Ellie a badass (pardon my French)? I can’t stand this version of Ellie, or what the writers have done to her character. They’re trying to make her a “good person,” but she’s not. She is Joel. Joel is her. They are not good people.

The writers are hand-holding the viewer. Is it because some people haven’t played the game, or do they just not trust us? Either way, I’m tired of it. For example: Ellie washes up on the Seraphite/Scar island right after the W.L.F. leaves to attack it. Instead of leaving that to context, we get spoon-fed a scene to make it super clear what’s happening. Then, when she escapes, we see explosions—like, yes, babe, I could’ve figured it out without being walked through it.

And let’s talk about Ellie telling Dina what Joel did. Of course, Dina starts acting a little bitchy—why wouldn’t she? I would if my partner dropped that bomb on me. But in the game? That was a secret Ellie took to her grave. This rewrite makes no sense for her character and damages that relationship.

There’s also no continuation of the flashbacks. The most emotionally impactful scene since Episode 2 was Mel’s death—and she’s a side character. And it wasn’t even Ellie’s reaction that made it emotional—it was Mel herself. Jesse’s death broke me too, but again, not because of Ellie. It was my love for Jesse.

This season proved to me that the way they’re splitting up the story is a mistake. They already said that they will need a fourth season to tell the full arc, but honestly? The writing is weak, the pacing is rushed, and the acting is subpar.

Final Thoughts

FINALLY! My torment has ended! I’m all for going off the beaten path and improving on the game, but changing core parts of the characters and plot? It’s not helping. It’s making the show less enjoyable—at least for viewers like me. I will be sat for Season 3, and I hope it is better than this last season.

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