2 weeks Ago
Well, here we are, reliving one of the most traumatic and controversial moments in PlayStation history, albeit through the format of television. The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2, titled “Through The Valley”, upped the ante with an explosive episode that deviated wildly and stuck to the script faithfully. And we have to say, we both loved and hated this episode.
There will be some story spoilers in this review. When we originally played the game back in 2020, this section of the story — which sees Ellie and gang go out on various patrols as a snowstorm approaches — was one of the most heart-pounding gaming experiences we’ve ever had. The dread knowing full well that something was afoot, and the horror as it all came to fruition.
There are heart-pounding moments throughout this latest episode too, just not in the places you’d expect. The standout for us was an attack on Jackson village, the show flexing its big budget muscles with hordes of infected, explosions, and huge CGI bloaters. It’s a stark reminder just how much more intimidating the infected can be in this take of the story, with the sort of speed that gives the hordes of World War Z a run for their money.
This whole section was exhilarating, with the performances capturing the sense of fear from Jackson’s inhabitants, amplifying the severity of the situation. They really are in the trenches, and it kept us on the edge of our seats throughout. However, there is a second aspect to this episode: Abby and her inevitable run-in with Joel.
For the haters that were hoping for some monumental change, you won’t find it here. By and large, the infamous moment from the game is the same — golf clubs and all. Trying to remove ourselves from the original experience for a moment, this is still a traumatising and key component to Season 2’s story.
Everyone is chewing up the scenery really well, with Kaityln Dever’s Abby bringing an emotionally charged hatred, Pedro Pascal keeping that stoicism alive, and even Abby’s crew bringing across that they don’t really want to do what they are about to do. It’s arguably great. However, as is the case time and time again with this show, it just doesn’t hit the same.
And it’s not just a comparison case of “new actor versus original actor”, but to the myriad tweaks that the show is making, that in our mind are robbing the story of some of its charge. Some examples: Dina standing in where Tommy did during Joel’s run-in with Abby’s gang, or Abby no longer having the physical stature that she did in the game, or Abby laying out her entire reason for revenge in a villainous monologue. It’s not so much the impact it has in the scenes that have played out so far, but the ways in which they change fundamental moments later on in the story.
Now this may be a little contradictory of us, considering we said the show is at its best when it strays from the original, and that has proven to be the case again with the Jackson attack. However, more than anything it feels like so many great details and smaller moments are being simplified or erased in the hope to make it all more digestible. One of our favourite things about the game is how it sprinkled all these little mysteries throughout its story.
What happened at the Jackson dance the night before? Who is Abby and why does she have it out for Joel? Is it simple revenge that drives Ellie or is it something more? Not all of these questions have been answered, but an awful lot of them have. However, we’re still fairly early into things, and we don’t want to say outright that HBO has got it wrong. This show was always going to be a difficult thing for us to enjoy without getting protective of all the things that, in our mind, made the original story special.
Removing ourselves from that game, what we have here is still exciting, still riveting, and still emotionally wrought, but undoubtedly it’s lacking that visceral feel that permeated through every facet of the original. What are your thoughts on this important chapter of The Last of Us Season 2? Are you excited to see how things play out? Let us know down in the comments section below..
