The Last of Us Season 2: "Through the Valley" Review

 The Last of Us Season 2: "Through the Valley" Review

By: Olivia Kelly

SPOILER WARNING FOR BOTH THE LAST OF US SEASON 2 AND THE LAST OF US  PART II GAME.

The anticipation leading up to Episode Two of HBO’s The Last of Us was palpable, as long- time fans of the game dreaded the inevitable but brutal death of Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal. This is now the second instance of a HBO show seeing Pedro Pascal's skull smashed in, and somehow it managed to be even more hard to watch than the first.  The show's second episode ‘Through the Valley’ (named after a symbolic song, taught by Joel to Ellie in the game) almost perfectly re-captured the harrowing feeling of watching Joel be taken from Ellie for the first time. The episode differs in some notable ways from the narrative of the original game, for example Dina being with Joel when they encounter Abby, instead of on a mission with Ellie is a significant change, as we miss out on some key (steamy) development in the relationship between Ellie and Dina, which one can only hope comes at a later point in the series. Also an intense attack on the town of survivors, Jackson, allows us to see the strength and determination of Joel’s brother, Tommy. These fight sequences in Episode Two elevate the level of action in the episode and increase the level of threat faced by every single character, not just Joel. Creator and Writer on the show Craig Mazin stated they ‘had an opportunity to create even more of a sense of vulnerability’, to make it so that ‘everyone was in trouble’.1

These are interesting choices from the producers of the show that will hopefully inform the rest of the narrative, as HBO has demonstrated various changes in the story of the game that have elevated its characters, and helped bring it to life in this new format, overall going down very well with fans. 
Among these changes in the episode, the moment fans of the game had been waiting for since the announcement of a TV Adaptation of The Last of Us back in 2022 had finally arrived. Minus Kaitlyn Dever's Abby being strangely fixated on the fact Joel is actually quite handsome (not wrong, but definitely a weird choice by the writers for some comic relief) the moment was reenacted almost scene by scene to the game, with the addition of a couple even MORE heartbreaking moments, just to rub salt in the wound. It makes use of the same dialogue and camera angles, allowing for fans to relive the powerful moment, and new viewers to experience it for the first time. Bella Ramsey’s performance as Ellie is devastating, as she channels Ellie's rage, loss and guilt perfectly, a vital moment as it paves the way for the rest of the story of The Last of Us. Kaitlyn Dever as Abby was a controversial casting decision. Unlike with the groups of incel reddit-user men STILL complaining about the casting of Bella Ramsey as Ellie, there are some valid criticisms of Dever’s casting. The Emmy-sweep of season one proves Bella Ramsey’s strength in the role, but even still, male fans complain about her casting because of her appearance, and because they don’t want to sexualise her like they do to the game version of Ellie. Abby is extremely muscular, tall and imposing in her appearance, whilst Dever, by no fault of her own, is not. It is a big part of her character as it shows the rage she has harboured for so long, getting stronger in order to make sure she can defeat Joel. Dever’s Abby lacks this, but in terms of her performance in Episode Two, she was able to portray Abby’s thirst for blood and determination excellently. The build up to the appearance of Abby in the game is unexpected, and answers are drip-fed to the players slowly and strategically through multiple flashbacks. This is obviously harder to do in the format of a TV show, especially considering the amount of plot there is to cover in this second game. This means for the show Abby is less of an enigmatic and terrifying presence than in the game. I believe audience’s should be prepared for some differences in the HBO version of Abby, potentially making her character even more aligned to Ellie through their experiences and the challenges they will face, making them even bigger foils to one another.  

 

The Last of Us 2, despite winning Game of the Year in 2020, was not shy of controversy. Many fans of the first game were disappointed with the decision to stray from the Ellie and Joel, Father - Daughter dynamic they had come to love, to the painful story of revenge and grief seen in the second game, the reaction being reminiscent of Season 7 Episode 1 of The Walking Dead (iykyk). The narrative here follows not only Ellie, our well known protagonist, but also Joel’s killer Abby. Every fibre of our being as players (and now as viewers) wants to hate Abby, but in this game we are forced to play as her and learn about her motives, and why she did what she did, as well as learn about her situation and the people around her. It becomes obvious she is a foil to Ellie, trapped in a cycle of revenge, guilt and hatred. We don't have to like her, but the game forces us to understand her in a way that cannot be ignored. This narrative plays out as one of self-discovery for both its characters and the player, as you are forced to face the consequences of your own desire to avenge Joel through Elllie, destroying her relationships and morals, questioning your own, and contemplating whether this path of revenge is the right one. In the gaming world The Last of Us 2 is marked as one of those games you either love or hate.

It is a complicated and heartbreaking story, and not what fans of the first game expected from developers Naughty Dog, with some people finding it unrealistic and overly convenient in places, a review from Forbes in 2020 a couple months after the games release even stating ‘It masquerades at depth and meaning but fails to deliver either’.2 Quite harsh. The ending of The Last of Us left the player with many unanswered questions: Did Joel make the right decision saving Ellie? Will the Fireflies come after him? Will Ellie ever learn the truth of what he did at the hospital? The second game answers it all in the most gut wrenching, but probably the most realistic way possible. Some players decided after the release of this game, that maybe those questions should not have been answered, as it ruined the satisfying blend of hope and happiness and guilt and shame left behind by the first game’s morally questionable ending. 

 

HBO’s tackling of The Last of Us’ story has already introduced more depth to background characters from the game, and altered the way different groups or characters are presented, building on a key theme of the game, that violence isn’t black or white, and there are two sides to every story. If Season 2 Episode 2 proves anything to the people who disliked the narrative of The Last of Us 2, it’s that it might be worth giving it another go, as many characters are expanded on, and are given much more space to flesh out the story than the estimated 3.5 hours of cutscenes featured in the second game. Ultimately it is clear the story is in attentive and loving hands with its writers, producers and cast, and it will be fascinating to see how the rest of Season Two, as well as its confirmed Third Season, plays out.  

All photos provided via cap-that.com.