'The Last of Us' Episode 3: Silence Follows the Tempest

This message includes spoilers for this week's episode. The Last of Us , which is now available on Max.

Amid its large-scale action sequences and the harsh killing off of one of the series' main protagonists, the previous installment of The Last of Us , "Through the Valley," was about as seismic as an hour of TV can be for a drama like this. The death of Joel, the timing of it this early in the season, and the sadistic fashion in which it happened, have left gamers and non-gamers alike talking all week - with some questioning whether they're still interested When watching the show, if the focus isn’t primarily on Joel and Ellie’s relationship.

Before writing this episode, Craig Mazin had to know that Joel's death would be divisive, just as it was when it happened early in the second game. So, this episode has two big tasks to perform. The first is to allow viewers to take a breath from the intensity of "Through the Valley" while Mazin and company set up the series' next big arc: Abby and Dina preparing to ride to Seattle to seek revenge against Abby. The second is to try to establish that the series can go on without Joel - that Ellie is a compelling solo lead even without her surrogate father, and that her interplay with this much-expanded cast makes up for a lot of what we've lost with Pedro Pascal's exit.

It unquestionably excels in its initial task. However, the outcome of the second endeavor remains undetermined, although there are positive indications in Bella Ramsey’s collaboration with Isabela Merced as Dina.

Following the brutal assault (or fiery attack, or piercing pain) during the siege at Jackson’s place and Joel's tragic death, a calmer, bridging episode allows both the characters and the audience to recompose themselves. The scene picks up shortly after these dual calamities unfold. Tommy, somberly tending to his sibling’s remains, attempts to find solace amidst the horror by saying, “Tell Sarah I said hello.” Meanwhile, Ellie awakens in the hospital connected to an intravenous line (*). She is still reeling from her experiences, which marks our final glimpse into those early phases of mourning.

(*) Raise your hands for everybody viewer of The Pitt Who watched this and instantly started pondering about the procedures that Doctor Trinity Santos is undertaking in this post-apocalyptic setting.

Following the end credits, three months have elapsed. The town remains unharmed, and efforts to reinforce the walls continue. Physically, Ellie is prepared to depart from the hospital; however, she must first endure a therapy session with Gail. Neither party wishes for this encounter—Gail continues practicing solely due to her being the sole psychologist alive within the entire area. In season one, viewers witnessed how resiliently Ellie could rise above life’s grim realities, finding joy amidst despair. Yet, during this scene and throughout subsequent interactions in the episode, she behaves differently. Despite attempting to appear upbeat and well-adjusted, it becomes evident that she struggles internally. As an accomplished actress, Bella Ramsey excels at portraying this delicate balance perfectly. Her portrayal conveys just enough artificiality for observers like us—and presumably others in Jackson—to recognize her facade without making it too obvious to those around her who might confront her over it. Ellie's apparent emotional healing seems accepted by the community, perhaps driven by their collective affection for Joel(*) and desire to shield his legacy, represented now through Ellie.

(*) We notice that there remains an extensive tribute dedicated to Joel, adorned with numerous flowers and messages of appreciation. Should the others who perished that day have received comparable recognition, their memorials aren’t visible to us since these individuals were merely anonymous background characters without significance to our narrative. Alternatively, maybe Joel—who happens to be the brother-in-law of Jackson’s leader and holds a position of authority himself within patrol duties and building projects—was regarded as considerably more important compared to someone like Joe Random, who fell victim to the Bloater.

Once Ellie arrives home, Dina reveals some information she’s been withholding for quite some time: Abby and her team are members of a group called the WLF, based in Seattle. This stands for Washington Liberation Front. Eager to track down these individuals, Dina expresses her readiness to join forces with Ellie. However, Tommy suggests presenting their plans to the local town council and pledges his support should they decide to proceed.

Next, we shift our focus to Seattle where we encounter a different scene altogether. Instead of checking up on Abby, we're introduced to an unusual sect—a religious cult known for wearing identical attire and bearing similar facial markings. This community opts for archery over firearms and has developed intricate whistle signals, which they plan to pass down; one member mentions teaching these to his little girl someday. During a woodland trek, this collective faces an ambush from assailants they identify as “Wolves” or more formally referred to as the WLF.

Here, placing this scenario offers an intriguing yet somewhat unsatisfying decision. It introduces a touch of excitement into an episode dominated by dialogue and stunning scenery shots. This segment portrays the Wolves as genuine adversaries, reinforcing their menace well ahead of the concluding moments when Dina and Ellie stumble upon their remains, revealing these creatures to be far larger and more structured than our protagonists naively believed. However, the cultists, characters originating from the game, bring about certain absurd and overly dramatic aspects. The Walking Dead Additionally, the threat posed by the Wolves could have been conveyed effectively without including that particular segment. It would also make sense to maintain our focus through Ellie’s perspective for the time being, despite the series having diverged previously this season to explain why Abby initially sought vengeance against Joel.

The town council meeting features a humorous segment where a guy called Scott essentially behaves similar to Colin Robinson, the energy vampire from How We Operate at Night In the aftermath of the apocalypse, much of the discussion revolves around farming instead of addressing more pressing matters such as Ellie and Dina’s proposal. The conversation surrounding their proposal does not proceed smoothly, largely due to those opposing it having valid points. Given the harsh realities of this new world, pursuing Abby serves little purpose; doing so would only squander valuable resources and personnel. Additionally, targeting Abby could draw unwanted attention from rival groups towards Jackson, threatening everything Maria and the community have worked hard to establish. Despite remaining composed, Ellie frames her intentions as driven by justice rather than retaliation. However, these concepts are essentially synonymous within this context, leading the council to rightfully reject her stance. Compounding Ellie and Dina’s situation further, one of the strongest advocates for revenge turns out to be Seth—a vocal homophobic individual known for his derogatory remarks toward them during last year’s New Year’s celebration.

Prior to the voting, Ellie pledges to follow whatever choice the council makes; however, she intends to head for Seattle regardless of their verdict. Shortly after, both she and Dina pack supplies and armaments—Ellie accepts a sniper rifle from Seth instead of keeping her current weapon—and embark on an approximately 800-mile journey towards the northwest.

Is anybody really shocked? Not if they have been acquainted with Ellie over half a decade. During an earlier part of this segment, Gail—who comes off as much harsher and more misanthropic than one would hope from someone in her role—directly informs Tommy, “There are individuals who simply cannot be rescued.” What Ellie is currently undertaking is remarkably foolish and serves little purpose. The act of Joel eliminating the Fireflies had some merit—it aimed to save her life. Were Joel able to communicate with her during her visit to his gravesite, he’d likely yell at her to return home and carry on living.

But lots of drama involves characters who make choices that are obviously bad the instant they make them. And in the short term, the journey(*) forces Ellie and Dina even closer than they were in Jackson. Jesse's not around to distract or tempt Dina. There's no one else there who can make Ellie feel self-conscious, even if she's afraid to accept the signals that Dina keeps giving her - "I wasn't that "High," she remarks about their kiss—owing to her fear of opening herself up to potential rejection. While nothing can match the connection between Ramsey and Pascal, Merced offers an intriguing counterpart. This dynamic allows Ellie’s difficulty in maintaining her defenses around her crush to provide substantial content for Ramsey to work with, ensuring that Ellie isn’t just portrayed as fixated on her misguided scheme.

(*) As they discuss music during their journey, they often refer to earlier artists such as Frank Zappa. This is fitting not just because Ellie frequently interacted with the elderly Joel, and due to the abundance and ease of playing vinyl records in this setting, but also because in the show’s timeline, the cordyceps outbreak occurred in 2003. Within this cosmos, figures like Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and even Beyoncé herself did not have the careers they know today.

Should they encounter any infected during their travel, we do not witness it. However, the suggestion is that the trip is episodic and lacking significant events. This seems fitting, not merely because it offers a break from the large group attack on Jackson seen previously, but also serves as a reminder that the infected serve primarily as a backdrop for this narrative. They set up a chaotic, anarchic, perilous environment where character-driven stories such as Ellie’s can unfold.

It's a poor decision for Ellie and Dina to head to Seattle, and we haven't yet determined if their move will prove to be a detrimental and overly dramatized choice. The Last of Us .

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