TV Show Review: The Last of Us (HBO) Season 2 Episode 3 - Setting the Stage for a Revenge Odyssey

HBO’s The Last of Us deals with the aftermath of last week’s brutal events in its latest episode, setting the stage for a revenge-filled odyssey. While we’ve blown hot and cold on the show so far, we really appreciate this season’s slower pace, which is showcased most prominently in its latest episode, 'The Path'.

This review will feature story spoilers.

It starts by picking up the pieces of both the attack on Jackson, and the big death of the season, Joel. With the burning infected still crisping away by the outer wall, we get a heartbreaking scene between Tommy and his now deceased brother. It’s a lovely moment, not just highlighting the relationship between two brothers, but also calling back to season one's first episode, showcasing just how far we’ve come in the story.

The big differentiator between the show and the game at this point is time. In the game we’re not really given too much of a breather before Ellie is packed up and ready to kill. Here, however, showrunner and writer Craig Mazin has pumped the brakes to highlight life in Jackson in the aftermath of tremendous loss – and the impact that has on the characters that gestate in that loss.

Does it work entirely? Not quite. Ellie’s gaunt stare really hits in the game, but here we have her cheeky self at times. Where the immediate reaction in the game is primordial and emotional, here we have committees and town hall meetings involved. There are reasons for having more of a breather narratively, with the character jiggery pokery we’ve become accustomed to with this show still present, but it's lacking that dazed and raw feeling brought on by a catastrophic loss such as the one we just went through.

The show also takes the time to set up other narrative threads, like the introduction of the Seraphites. We can’t lie, this one kind of hurt to see brought into the show with no real tee-up. Like we mentioned last week, the way the show is changing things may be spoiling moments that crop up later in the story. Anyone that played The Last of Us Part II will have their first encounter with the Seraphites burned into their brain.

To be fair, we don’t think it would've ever been quite as impactful in the television format, especially as we were learning about the Seraphites naturally before ever crossing paths with them in the game, through the environment and optional dialogue. That’s not to say the show can’t do it well, but some of the mystique is already lost.

However, as we felt in the first episode of this season, the relationship between Ellie and Dina is really where everything starts to fall in place. We’ve had some doubts with Bella Ramsey’s performance, especially with last week’s emotional scenes. But in the wake of all that, Ramsey is making Ellie their own in some ways. A scene featuring Joel’s jacket is particularly moving.

Both Ramsey and Merced have fantastic chemistry together, and with their relationship being at the core of season two’s story, that’s a great foundation to have. Leaving the confines of Jackson we’re really on board to see how things progress with their relationship, even if we know ultimately where it’s heading.

We have to add, we love the way that Seattle is established here. With Ellie and Dina approaching slowly but surely, the city feels like a big daunting monster. It looks harmless from a distance, but there are evils lurking within its streets and buildings. With its set up alone, we were dying to get our hands on the next episode for the first time this season.

With just four episodes left in this season, there's still so much to come — even if this season ends where we think it will. From what we've seen so far, HBO seems content to take its time, and that's a great thing. Hopefully it doesn't decide to speed things up and skim across all the good bits. The set up has, for the most part, been successful, so it's now time for what comes after. That's where the success of this adaptation will be defined.

So what are your thoughts on the third episode of The Last of Us TV show? Do you think the show is setting up the remaining story well? Let us know down in the comments section below.