At the time of writing this, a large portion of the world has bonded over the collective trauma of seeing the first two harrowing episodes of The Last of Us Season 2. The train has officially left the station, and there’s no going back. Which means by now, everyone on it already knows that zero punches are getting pulled, and every blow is about to land right in the gut.

It’s going to be painful. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to be devastating and heartbreaking all at once. However, as tonight’s episode is foreshadowing to everyone, this will all be worth it.

The Last of Us is about many things, but at its core, is the theme of grief and what it can do to people. We’re seeing that very much in Season 2 as we did in the actual Part II game. With (SPOILER ALERT) Jackson dealing with the aftermath of the massive infected invasion last week, and most of all, the death of a prominent character, Ellie and the rest of the Jackson crew must figure out ways to pick up the pieces of what’s left, to rebuild, and more ominously, retaliate.

The impact of the second episode’s losses are incredibly palpable. Especially for Ellie and Tommy. We begin with Tommy looking over the corpse of a loved one with a recognizable watch. It’s incredibly different seeing this played out here than in the video game, because Tommy is actually there with Ellie instead of Dina, while the brutal murder from the previous episode is being committed. I think the decision to do this, to have Tommy stay behind in Jackson, not only gives a greater sense of purpose to Tommy as the city’s defender, but also a larger sense of regret for not being there to help Joel (not that there would have remotely been anything he could have done). “Give Sarah my love,” he says. It’s a brilliantly delivered and heart-wrenching performance from Gabriel Luna.

However, even more devastating is the following moment. We see poor Ellie on a hospital bed recovering from traumatic visions of the brutal death of her beloved father figure. The way the scene is executed is so important because we know that witnessing the events of the previous episode, unlike Tommy, but being utterly helpless to stop it is something that will truly haunt her for the rest of the series. In fact, true to the game, Ellie is the only one who witnesses the act, as Dina is unconscious. So to be so much closer to Joel than anyone else in Jackson, but also the one to witness his death – there’s literally nothing more heartbreaking.

Soon after, Ellie meets with Gail (Catherine O’Hara) and filled with denial and desperation to get out of the hospital, she lies about how she’s doing. The series does a terrific job of lingering on Bella Ramsey’s subtly expressive face as she walks away, instantly capturing without any difficulty, the true pain that lurks behind her eyes. As she comes home to explore her now empty household, she finds herself filled with regret and sadness.

The ways in which the lighting is captured in these scenes has always made me happy, considering how closely they mirror the cinematography of the game. They make the quiet and calm moments of the game (and the episode) feel tragic, lonely, and hopeless. Ellie has a terrific moment where the light catches one of Joel’s shirts in the closets, and she absolutely breaks down. It’s a powerful moment of vulnerability for a character so badly in denial about the help she needs, as well as a raw performance from Ramsey, as she is interrupted by a visit from Dina, trying to hide her sorrow.

The visit is filled with anger but also sympathy. And as much as we feel for Ellie we are quickly reminded that Dina loved Joel too. And they had gotten very close. Additionally, we see how truly tactical and intelligent Dina is, and how much Isabella Merced makes her so endearing. While in the game we do like Dina very much, the show has been doing a really terrific job of making her character even better, acting, often, as the voice of reason to Ellie’s (understandable) moments of impulsiveness and rage.

As soon as the duo approach Tommy with their plans to go after Abby and her friends, he, understandably, tells them to slow down, and let the Jackson council decide. The decision to keep Tommy at Jackson and also give him a son are exclusive changes to the TV series. And in this case, the changes are now officially paying off, given the way Tommy is approaching the news of Ellie’s new mission to go after Abby. He has a son, he has responsibilities, and he can’t just march out guns blazing. This is a tricker situation for him here than in the games, and I’m very curious to see how this larger change in Tommy’s character will end up impacting the rest of the show.

We take a break from Jackson to meet a new set of characters for the series, hundreds of miles away from Ellie, Dina, and Tommy. The group, consisting of overly religious and overly zealous “monk”— type characters wearing cloaks, is known as “The Scars.” In a smart display of showing over telling, a Scar leader is going over their religious beliefs with one of his younger colleagues (presumably his own kid daughter). We see the weapons they’re carrying are simple hammers and handhelds.

Given how much goes on in The Last of Us Part II, this makes sense for the series, and is actually a better decision, to introduce mainstream fans watching the series to The Scars as efficiently as possible. Immediately we understand The Scars use primitive weaponry, worship a female deity called “The Prophet,” communicate via ominous whistling, and are bitter enemies with the WLFs (Washington Liberation Front).

Back at Jackson the council is hearing out everyone’s suggestions for Ellie’s petition to round up a group to avenge Joel’s death. And while many of them opt-out, it’s incredibly understandable why. This is where the decision to add the Jackson invasion to the show works well, because it puts into focus the utilitarian idea that the needs of the many (in this case the community) need to outweigh the needs of the few (Ellie/Tommy/Dina). Though what the town is preaching about here, regardless of how trite or callous, is the need to move on and move forward.

With Joel’s death and Abby’s vengeance the cycle of violence can theoretically end. An eye for an eye has been served out. However, that’s not good enough for Ellie, or for that matter, even Seth. And as well organized and rational (for once) as Ellie has communicated her desire for justice, the practicality of the situation dictates otherwise. Unfortunately, given everything we know about Ellie’s past, and how Joel raised her, the ability to move on is just not possible, emotionally or mentally. With only three members voting “yes” however (presumably Tommy, Jesse, and potentially Maria), Ellie’s pleas fall on deaf ears.

In some ways, it makes the following scene between Gail and Tommy ever more poignant. Gail certainly summarizes everything Ellie is in a few sentences. She’s cut from the same cloth as Joel. And some people can’t be saved. Ellie is too far gone to be any different than who she is, and in part, who Joel inadvertently molded her to be. The traumas she has seen, even the survivor’s guilt she has, are direct mirrors of what Joel has gone through, with Sarah, Tess, and what he’s had to do to survive all these years. All they both know is violence. Joel was molded into it after Sarah’s death. Ellie was born into it.

As such, you know she’s not going to just let the council’s decision lie. And she prepares for all out war, whether anyone follows her or not. Thankfully, the brains of her new duo, decides to come along, and Dina shows up with an actual plan, route, and good tips. Again, we love Dina, and Isabella Merced. She’s just awesome. With some unlikely help with Seth, Ellie’s quest is now a full blown reality.

Before setting out, Ellie gets one more gut wrenching moment with Joel at his grave 10 miles out from Jackson. Ramsey gives such a subdued and beautifully haunting performance as she lays down the coffee beans in front of his headstone. There’s pain, there’s sadness, there’s love, and respect. All without saying a word. We’re hurting too, Ellie. We’re hurting too.

As they travel “Northwest” (really quickly on horseback apparently), we get glimpses of how the dynamic between Dina and Ellie differs significantly than what we saw with Ellie and Joel. There’s still a bit of levity and some goofiness with them playing games and making lists. But these are adult women, who share a different sort of love. These scenes may feel like filler for some, but it’s absolutely important in establishing the chemistry and attraction between them. It’s incredibly important as this relationship grows and is further established, because everything between them needs to feel earned, as the relationship with Joel and Ellie was in the first season (and first game). The closeness between them is wonderful, but different, as emphasized by Ellie’s hesitance in revealing her first kill to Dina. It took her a full season/their full journey to reveal it to Joel, and as drawn as she is to Dina, she’s just not there yet.

All the same, you simply can’t spend this much time with someone you’re attracted to without bringing up the New Year’s Eve kiss, and it’s a bit adorable. A nice bit of levity of young women talking about crushes and relationships, with Jesse before things get darker with more difficult challenges just up the road. But there’s something revealing as well about the way Dina questions herself in her ability to make Jesse happy, which Merced peppers with a tinge of sadness and self-doubt. Again strong, and subtle work here from the actors.

The episode ends with Dina and Ellie stumbling across the massacred corpses of The Scars we saw earlier in the episode, including the young child. The sight of it is jarring and horrifying, instantly reminding us that the infected are not the most brutal thing about this horrible world. Dina gets sick and throws up, which is uncommon for her, after all she’s seen. Perhaps indicative of something larger coming up just down the road.

As the duo makes it to Seattle (again in *record* time) we truly begin the main journey of The Last of Us Part II. The looming threat of the WLFs, however, persists the closer they get to the city. We get a brief glimpse of a familiar member, Danny Ramirez’s Manny (so weird seeing him be such a jerk after playing the lighthearted Joaquin Torres in Brave New World), and an almost impenetrable army that threatens our protagonists, reminding us all that though many have died, the journey here is just beginning.

Overall Score for 2×03: B+

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We have decided to move forward with recaps for The Last of Us Season 2 on a week by week basis.

As someone who is passionate about the game and the series, I feel it’s our responsibility to do what we can to combat the often cacophonous sounds of online trolls review bombing a show that features beautiful themes and incredible representation for POC leads like Merced, Luna, Pedro Pascal, and more, as well as brilliant LGBTQ+ representation. It simply does not make sense for petty individuals to get away with trying to destroy a work of art just because they don’t love what it represents and the messages it’s trying to convey. So if you’re not a fan of what we’re trying to do here, you can simply ignore this. However, for those of you who feel as strongly as we do, about continuing to promote diversity and amazing story telling within the nerd community, I encourage you to buckle up. Because we’re going to go through this harrowing journey together over the next few weeks.

Stay tuned fans!