Season 2 Episode 3 – After Dina shares crucial intel, Ellie prepares to petition the town council. Near Seattle, a religious group flees a war.
Please note, our reviews are based on likes and dislikes. These contain significant spoilers and I will reference the video game. 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. Tommy’s reaction is heart-wrenching as he walks into the morgue and sees Joel’s lifeless body on the table. It’s of course slightly different from the way the game played out because in that, Tommy was with Joel at the end but this is still incredibly emotional. It’s even more so in the series considering Joel saw Jackson under attack before being a golf ball.
2. We’re introduced to the Seraphites which is a good start. They do play a very big part in the game itself so I’m glad to see this group be introduced pretty early on. It’s a small like but this group is terrifying and viscous.
3. The council begins to hear the proposal of sending a party of 16 to Seattle to find and kill Abby. Two of the citizens stand up in protest to the proposal, explaining that Jackson is still recovering after the attack. Ellie’s speech was a good one but Seth had the best. He exploded to the others who were in protest explaining that justice needs to be served essentially. Unfortunately, the proposal was rejected by the council but it was great to see how the votes come together.
4. Dina and Ellie head out in the early hours of the morning to hunt Abby thanks to Seth’s help. On their way, they decide to visit the gravesite from the attack which includes Joel’s final resting place. It’s an emotional moment as Ellie looks on. I liked this moment more than anything, it’s touching and plays solid homage to Joel.
5. Of course, when we saw the Seraphites earlier on, I knew it had to be for a reason. They become under fire at the end of the scene but we do see what happens after. Dina and Ellie on their travels stumble across the same road they were on. Every single one of them is dead. That was awful to see in the grand schemes of things, pure horror, especially the little girl.
What I Disliked
There was literally zero action in this episode. I understand this is not meant to be an episode and was rather a drama-filled episode with emotional moments. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fantastic episode but I do miss episodes when there’s not even a small section of action.
Favorite Moment
A direct video game to a live-action scene happens as Ellie returns home. She seems fine at first glance until she goes through Joel’s things. People often say that Bella Ramsey was a poor cast choice but she nailed that entire scene. When she’s holding Joel’s shirt, likely to get a sense of Joel’s scent, is just unbelievably emotional. A very good scene.
Standout Character
Ellie is my standout. Seeing her reaction to Joel’s scent in his house was depressing and it’s meant to be. She played Ellie fantastically in this episode. I haven’t shied away from the fact I’m a huge fan of the game and I feel like Bella played Ellie extremely well from start to finish.
Verdict
A very good episode that followed the natural events of the game. We mourn Joel and we look forward to Ellie’s quest for justice and revenge. There was no action in the episode but it was an episode that was setting up the first of the 3 days for Ellie.
Rating 7.8/10
The Review
Story - 9
Action - 0
Characters - 10
Entertainment - 10
Quality - 10
7.8
Good
A very good episode that followed the natural events of the game. We mourn Joel and we look forward to Ellie's quest for justice and revenge. There was no action in the episode but it was an episode that was setting up the first of the 3 days for Ellie.
