The season 2 finale of The Last of Us leaves fans reeling, with heartbreak, bloodshed, and a haunting cliffhanger that refuses to tie up its emotional chaos neatly. As Ellie spirals deeper into her revenge-fueled quest, the consequences reach a devastating peak — not just for her, but for nearly everyone close to her.
It begins with Ellie finally confessing to Dina about Joel’s controversial actions at the Salt Lake City hospital — a truth she’s carried like a wound. Not long after, she and Jesse set out to locate Tommy, but their search quickly fractures. Tensions boil over in an argument, splitting them apart. This sets Ellie on a path to the aquarium, where she tragically kills Owen and Mel — only to discover, far too late, that Mel was pregnant. The horror and regret in that moment hang heavy, echoing the emotional weight this show never shies away from.
Jesse’s death is abrupt and brutal. When Abby storms the theater later, she finds the group mid-reunion. Without warning, she shoots Jesse point-blank, killing him instantly. It’s a shocking moment — not just for its suddenness, but because it closes the door on a character who’d long tried to hold things together. Abby then turns her gun on Tommy and calls Ellie out from hiding. Her chilling words — “I let you live. And you wasted it.” — hang in the air just before the screen goes black following a single gunshot. Whether Ellie survives or not is left unanswered, deliberately, agonizingly so.
Meanwhile, the episode also offers a brief, quieter return to Abby’s world. We flash back to her time inside the WLF stadium, on “Seattle: Day 1,” where she’s summoned by Isaac as the WLF prepares for an all-out confrontation. This interlude reminds viewers that Abby’s not simply an antagonist — she’s fighting her own battles, and they’re far from over.
By the time credits roll, we’re left with more questions than closure. Did Ellie survive? Is Abby done with her quest for justice — or vengeance? Has Dina reached her limit? And where does the story go from here?
One thing’s certain: The Last of Us continues to explore the brutal cost of revenge and the murky, painful terrain of survival. And as fans now anxiously await Season 3, the only safe bet is that nothing — and no one — is truly safe.