The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3

After last week’s episode of The Last of Us completely changed the landscape of the show forever, fans were waiting with bated breath, anticipating what HBO’s next move would be. Had the show lost its main draw, relying on the remaining cast to keep The Last of Us rolling on? Or, had the spotlight simply moved to another star, one that had a lot to prove in order to keep viewers tuning in? Well Episode 3, for this reason, is a pivotal moment for HBO’s The Last of Us, and it’s time to see what remains for the show in the absence of one of its biggest names.

Today, we’re talking all things Episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2. For this review, we’ll be avoiding any serious spoilers for the events of the episode. However, it should be made clear that I have played both of The Last of Us games, and so, it would be a lie to say I’m going into this show blind. Also, importantly, there will be spoilers for the events of Episode 2 of The Last of Us Season 2, so proceed with caution! With that being said, we’ll be steering clear of any game spoilers, so feel free to read ahead if this is your first time experiencing the story of The Last of Us. Without further ado, let’s get into this review!

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The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3 Review

Image by HBO

Well, now that the spoiler warning is out there, let’s address the elephant in the room – Joel’s death marks a huge, decisive moment for this series. While characters are important in the video game industry, I would argue that, with the absence of player-controlled gameplay, characters are far more important in the TV world, in order to keep fans tuning in. So, with Joel gone, what remains? In many ways, that is the main focus on Episode 3 of The Last of Us, with the cast of the show left to tackle one of the most brutal and shocking death scenes in modern entertainment, regardless of industry. Bella Ramsey, in particular, has a lot on their shoulders here, and thankfully, they rise to the occasion. Their performance is nuanced, controlled, and notably, emotional, throughout the entire episode.

However, while I compliment Ramsey on their performance here, it must be said that I, as a viewer, am having serious trouble connecting to this whole scenario, and really, season thus far. When I played The Last of Us: Part II back in 2020, I was left fairly shaken by Joel’s death. Here, however, I feel remarkably little attachment to the whole storyline. Maybe it’s down to how shocking and sudden the whole death scene was, and maybe it’s because I’ve already played the game, so I saw it coming. However, as someone who has re-watched plenty of shows, and felt the same emotional effects of them as the first time each re-watch, I’m starting to entertain the possibility that this emotional indifference is a flaw on the show’s part.

While Joel’s death scene was early-on in the game, it still felt rushed into in the HBO adaptation. In some ways, I think I was subconsciously expecting for the show to give us more time with Joel before the inevitable went down. What makes my emotional connection to the show more fragile is the fact that, in practice, we didn’t actually get much time with Joel in the series overall. Sure, he was the show’s main character, but in some ways, I would compare his arc to that of Ned Stark, another HBO poster-boy who was the main character of his show before his early, unexpected death. Was Ned Stark’s death sad? Sure! But, did it hit me in the gut like many of the other emotional moments in Game of Thrones did? Absolutely not. With him gone, it’s starting to feel like we never knew Joel at all – hopefully some flashbacks in future episodes can amend this feeling.

Image by HBO

A great example of this above feeling is in Joel’s dynamic with Dina. Aside from one line this season that implied that Dina acted like more of a daughter to Joel than Ellie, we saw practically nothing of the relationship between the two. In fact, the show seems to be pushing a Joel-Dina dynamic more than the game ever did, with her accompanying Joel in his death scene, with Tommy filling that role in the game. However, for all of these implications of a relationship between the two, Joel and Dina have had practically no on-screen chemistry. Yet, in this episode, Dina is particularly torn-up over his death, enough to proclaim to Ellie that she also ‘loved’ him, and is committed to avenging his death. We desperately need some flashbacks to make this make sense – these throwaway statements simply aren’t enough of a substitute for that.

Then we come to the town meeting scene, a scene that I took serious issue with. Without diving into spoilers, the meeting sees the townsfolk deciding if they should avenge Joel or not, and based on the arguments shown, I personally would vote that the ‘Joel Revenge Mission’ actually shouldn’t go ahead. This is a major blow to the storyline of the season from a relatability standpoint. There’s also an absolutely ridiculous argument made that Joel must be avenged because Abby came ‘into their home’ and killed ‘one of their own’ when, in fact, Abby never entered the Jackson settlement, and instead, kills Joel while he’s out on patrol. Do I get the point they were trying to make, and am I, ultimately, nit-picking here? Perhaps, but I can’t help but notice these things when I’m watching. Logically, if I lived in Jackson, I would oppose the revenge mission, which is not the opinion you want your viewers to hold.

This week’s episode, as strong as it was from an acting perspective, also really suffers from one of my biggest complaints from last week, that being that no one on-screen has any chemistry with each other, despite them all being very talented actors in their own right. Luckily, Ellie and Dina are starting to show signs of a fun relationship as the show carries on, but nothing is holding a candle to the dynamic between Joel and Ellie, and with Joel gone, we need something to fill that void. There’s still plenty of episodes to go, but one of my biggest fears right now is that the show’s cast are starting to feel fundamentally disconnected from each other.

Image by HBO

On the plus side, this episode did begin the evolution of The Last of Us’ major threat, from the infected to the threat of humanity. It’s been done a lot in these sort of post-apocalyptic shows and movies by now, but the biggest threat to humanity being humans themselves is a very interesting storyline in this type of media. This episode marked the change in The Last of Us, the moment where people become the biggest enemy, and it’s actually quite easy to forget that the infected even exist, except for particular set-pieces. To the show’s merit, this transition has been gradual, and ultimately, natural. I’m excited to see where the rest of the season takes this commentary for sure.

Ultimately, this was another enjoyable episode of The Last of Us, but unfortunately, my concerns for the series’ future are only growing. Based on episode previews, some serious stuff is about to go down as early as Episode 4, so let’s see if the show can come into its own with this upcoming story arc. I have the utmost faith in the cast, and the storyline from the game is solid, but let’s see if this HBO adaptation can find the sweet spot, and bring The Last of Us back to the glory of its first season.

What did you think of The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3? Are you excited for the rest of the show to unfold? If you’ve never played the games, what are your predictions for the show’s future episodes? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and thanks for reading!

See also: Invincible Season 3 Review

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Where to Watch The Last of Us?

Image by HBO

The Last of Us is a HBO original show, and is available to stream on HBO Max. For viewers outside of regions where Max is available, you can catch The Last of Us on Now TV, and on demand in the Sky TV library – or, UK viewers can enjoy the show on HBO Max by referring to our guide on how to watch Max in the UK.

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