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This week's The Last of Us season 2 episode finally took fans to Seattle. With the show adapting the events of Seattle - Day One from the video game The Last of Us: Part II, they get to see Ellie and Dina further pursue their mission of going after Abby to get revenge for Joel's death. The only caveat here is that the show isn't really doing a good job at that.
With The Last of Us season 2 being more than halfway through its seven-episode run, the show has been a bit mixed among the fandom. While the first season of the show faithfully adapted the game, the second season finds itself in a difficult position, as it fails to evoke the same urgency and intensity of its source material's story.
Disclaimer: The article reflects the author's opinion and not Sportskeeda as a whole.
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Joel's death ultimately feels inconsequential in The Last of Us season 2
One of the biggest deviations in the show so far has been the way Ellie is being portrayed. In The Last of Us: Part II, Ellie is shown to be someone who is completely taken over by rage. Her only mission is to get revenge for Joel's death, and she will go to any lengths to make sure that she is successful in doing so. However, in The Last of Us season 2, this characteristic seems to be missing.
While Bella Ramsey still fits the role of Ellie and puts on a great performance, it's the writing of the character that struggles so much. Rather than being obsessed with revenge, this version of Ellie still feels like she is stuck in the same mold that was seen in season 1 of the show. It all just comes to a head in the way Ellie reacts to Dina's pregnancy in episode 5.
While in the game Ellie thought of Dina as a liability when she heard of her pregnancy, in the game Ellie rather celebrates the news. It paints a different version of the character that doesn't fit with the overall story. It fails to bring forward the same sense of urgency and intensity that the game had.
Ellie, as a character, fundamentally doesn't seem to be as obsessed with wanting revenge— a characteristic that doesn't necessarily align with what's happening in the show.
The Last of Us season 2 feels like a sanitized version of the source material
This ultimately leads to a much larger issue, and it is that The Last of Us season 2 feels like a sanitized version of the source material. The show actively feels like its avoiding making it characters seem unlikable and conflicted just to deliver a more palatable experience for the television watching audiences.
While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does present a debatable outlook. While the game was determined to take risks with its major characters, the show actively feels like it's not exploring them to their fullest potential.
Future episodes of The Last of Us season 2 may paint a different picture, but there is not much to be confident about its direction so far.
For further updates, stay tuned with us.
