The repercussions of both the attack on Jackson and Joel's death take root in everyone, but especially Ellie. In The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 "Something's Got a Hold on Me", the town tries to grieve and move on, but Ellie learns how to find those responsible for Joel's death and decides to take matters into her own hands. But the trek for revenge, even alongside Dina, may be more treacherous than planned. Here's a recap and review of what happened in the latest episode of the HBO series.
This post contains spoilers from The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 from this point forward.
The aftermath of Joel's death
Joel's dead body returns to Jackson, alongside the countless others who perished in Jackson's attack. As Tommy looks over his dead brother, cleaning the blood from his body, Ellie is placed in the overcrowded hospital.
When she awakens, she immediately remembers Abby killing Joel and mentally breaks down until she is knocked unconscious. The episode then jumps to three months later, where Jackson is still recovering from the attack. Ellie awaits her hospital release and meets Gail.
During their meeting, Gail mentions her last conversation with Joel and his final words of "I saved her". Ellie, knowing what Joel meant, pretends she doesn't know. Her lie is enough to allow Gail to dismiss her, but even she knows Ellie is lying. Ellie decides to visit Joel's house, where he is fondly remembered as evidenced by all the flowers and letters left against the white picket fence (that scene had me crying).
It's clear Ellie had not been inside the home in a while as she walks about, visiting her old bedroom before entering Joel's bedroom. She retrieves his gun and breaks down in his closet upon seeing his jacket.
Hearing Dina call out to her, Ellie masks her grief, and the two sit down at the dining room table. Using cookies as a means of a peace offering, Dina reveals the names of those responsible for Joel's death, including where they are from and their group name WLF or Wolves.
Dina believes, thanks to this information (according to Eugene before his death), the group will be small and already settled back in Seattle. With a new mission in hand, Ellie and Dina go to Tommy for approval.
While he does approve of her mission to kill Abby and her friends, he still wants to go through the proper channels of a town meeting and council vote. Later, when Ellie is training with Jesse, now a member of the council, he reminds her to keep calm and write her feelings on paper to present to the council.
The vote
At the council meeting, citizens of Jackson share their opinions on whether to seek retribution for Joel's death. While some disagree, choosing mercy and reminding everyone that the town is still in disrepair, others like Seth believe retribution is the only answer.
Ellie read off her paper, calmly explaining why she wants to go with 16 members of Jackson to kill Abby and her friends; however, the council makes the final decision, denying the request. Worried that Ellie will do something stupid, Tommy seeks advice from Gail while attending a kids' baseball game.
Gail informs him that Joel couldn't have influenced Ellie to make such decisions, as she will act as she pleases. As Ellie begins preparing for her journey to Seattle, Dina arrives already taking the initiative with a map and list of supplies, thoroughly explaining the plan.
Ellie is impressed and come early morning, Seth ensures the two leave undetected while also providing his rifle with a scope.
Ellie and Dina's journey to Seattle
Ellie and Dina leave Jackson on one horse, Shimmer, visiting Joel's grave amongst others, 10 miles outside of the town. The moment is silent, but the impact is powerful. It is not until Ellie and Dina's first evening in a tent together that we learn how strained their friendship had become because of Joel's death. Dina and Jesse had gotten back together, sort of, again.
But the bigger insight was how the two felt about the kiss. They both try to play it cool, but it's obvious they enjoyed it more than they are letting on. The next day, however, Dina throws up upon the discovery of several dead bodies, all wearing ponchos with the same symbol. Unfortunately for that group, they were victims of the Wolves.
The unknown people, where members carve lines near their mouths, resemble that of a religious group, who, despite their best efforts to seek somewhere safe to live, are killed anyway. Ellie and Dina manage to reach Seattle prepared to find Abby and her friends. But what neither of them realizes is that the Wolves are larger than expected and equipped with weapons and military vehicles.
The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 review
The fallout of both Joel's death and Jackson's attack are very apparent in nearly every scene of the episode. If it's not the quiet amongst citizens, or the large graveyard outside of the town, it's in the way Joel is remembered and how his death has affected Ellie.
I am curious as to what will become of Gail as she continues to pry into Joel and Ellie's relationship. At this point, it's becoming quite obsessive, and while she might be prying in an attempt to help Ellie grieve, it somehow feels selfish.
I am happy to see Ellie and Dina's close friendship mend but equally worried about what is waiting for them in Seattle. The two of them are outnumbered, and considering what we think the Wolves did to the unknown religious group, they are not someone to mess with.
I had hoped Tommy would have joined Ellie on her mission, but considering we are only three episodes into the new season, there is still time. I am unsure how much of the show will differ from the game, but we all know Dina's sudden morning sickness is not due to the dead bodies.
While it cannot be expressed enough, the loss of Joel is raw and realistic. It was difficult to watch without thinking of the gravity of his death and how much he impacted so many lives. As I mentioned previously, his death will be a constant reminder until The Last of Us concludes.
The Last of Us season 2 releases new episodes Sundays on HBO and Max.