Season 2 Episode 7 – Amid the battle between Seattle’s warring factions, Ellie’s search draws her toward a devastating confrontation.
Please note, our reviews are based on likes and dislikes. These contain significant spoilers. If you haven’t already watched the episode, we recommend that you click off the article and come back once you have watched the episode. Enjoy!
What I Liked
1. It’s taken a while before anything decent happens, but Jesse’s logical sense is key here. Once he realises Dina is pregnant, his number 1 aim is to get home. I get it. Yet he’s there because of Ellie. When the WLF lynch a Scar, Ellie attempts to intervene, but Jesse stops her like he should. I couldn’t agree more with the fact that they should engage and risk their lives? It’s something small, but I did enjoy Jesse’s character in the game.
2. We now know that Abby isn’t with the WLF. As per the conversation between Isaac and Elise, we understand Abby is MIA. In the game, we know that she’s currently with Lev and Yara doing her own thing. It’s taken a while, but in the game, it’s Abby who’s playing catch-up. We start with Ellie’s 3 days, and then we follow Abby’s thereafter. Abby is always slightly behind Ellie, so we see the impact of what she’s done. This is seemingly the same route, which is good.
3. In the game, Ellie kills Alice, the dog that accompanies Abby and her friends throughout. Thankfully, they left this out of the show.
4. Owen and Mel reach their end at the hands of Ellie with a couple of shots after Owen attempts to shoot first. Mel is heavily pregnant, and I feel like this scene was done with better care than the game. It’s incredibly sad, and you can only imagine the immense guilt any of us would feel with that. Bella Ramsey does a decent job of portraying that guilt.
What I Disliked
1. Tommy is in action on the bridge with the sniper. I’m marking this as a dislike purely because of how criminally underused he is. It’s the exact same, if not worse, in the series. Plus, where’s Manny’s death? This hasn’t happened, or are they leaving it for season 3? Tommy has not impressed me at all this season. He didn’t impress me in the game either, but it’s frustrating because he’s a great character who has so much to offer. I thought with the series tweaking certain things, he’d be one of them.
2. Ellie is captured by the Scars. Why? This didn’t happen in the game. Let her get to the aquarium instead of wasting time. This was a complete waste of time just to show that the WLF is invading the Scar’s village. We know this already.
3. This season has often felt rushed. I mean, I’m glad I’m not in the writer’s room at times because the second video game was massive compared to the first. Understandably, some sections needed to be pulled out, but what I don’t understand is the executives saying they can’t finish this in 3 seasons. I mean, you can. If you follow this path, then you absolutely can. Ellie’s death count only consists of a handful compared to the game, and we already see the guilt being shown. Seattle hasn’t had this overly traumatic 3-day event that the game shows. Granted, there is some trauma, of course, especially after Owen and Mel’s harrowing deaths, but it’s largely been empty and rushed.
Favorite Moment
“I let you live, and you wasted it!” After Jesse takes one to the head, Tommy’s hit, Ellie’s terrified. I cannot wait for Abby’s 3 days in season. She’s one of the better casting choices despite not having the build of the game version.
Standout Character
For me, it’s Abby. In that one small scene, she made the biggest impact. I think I may be biased, as I loved Abby’s character in the game, despite that being the unpopular opinion, but Ellie didn’t do enough for me here. We know there’s a huge fight that happens afterwards, and I can’t wait for it. It was by far the best scene of the episode as well.
Verdict
I’m torn on this episode overall. On one hand, I liked how it paid homage to the game itself, especially the final scenes, but this episode was rushed. It’s been a similar theme to how the season has gone. I am hoping Abby’s 3 days will be a little more fleshed out, considering it took until episode 4 for Ellie to leave Jackson. I feel like these 3 days could’ve been fleshed out a bit more and added more depth. The ending here would’ve been more impactful that way.
Rating 6.6/10
The Review
Story - 6
Action - 6
Characters - 7
Entertainment - 7
Quality - 7
6.6
Okay
xI'm torn on this episode overall. On one hand, I liked how it paid homage to the game itself, especially the final scenes, but this episode was rushed. It's been a similar theme to how the season has gone. I am hoping Abby's 3 days will be a little more fleshed out, considering it took until episode 4 for Ellie to leave Jackson. I feel like these 3 days could've been fleshed out a bit more and added more depth. The ending here would've been more impactful that way.
