
Previously: Ellie and Dina realize Seattle has its own issues aside from Ellie’s revenge quest as they stumble in a turf war between the WLFs—led by enigmatic Isaac—and the Seraphites. Ellie’s immunity is revealed, Dina’s pregnancy is revealed, and a relationship is formed.
Well, better late than never for this post! To answer Mandy W.’s question from last week, I think I’d raid one of those camping stores like REI or Academy. If I gotta live through the apocalypse, at least let’s make sure I have the best “roughing it” tools looting can provide. I’d also hit up a hobby store and load up on Lego and puzzles and learn how to knit so I can occupy the time I spend in my hidey-hole, because there’s no way I’m venturing out unless I have to.
Apocalypse Now
In the unspecified past, Hanrahan (Alanna Ubach), Isaac’s (I assume) second-in-command meets with a shaken officer in the Lakehill hospital. The officer tells her she had a team clearing out infected in Basement level 2 when they frantically called to say, “it’s in the air!” and to seal them in. Turns out it was the officer’s son, which…really sucks, but she had them barricade the only stairwell shut permanently.
Like a trained intelligence officer, Dina (Isabela Merced) is able to triangulate the WLF’s security outposts and paths of travel so she and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) can sneak over to the hospital undetected. Unfortunately, the route is through an abandoned building teeming with Stalkers, so they have to abandon their well-thought-out plan of “knives or run” when they are massively outnumbered. Ellie sends Dina to (relative) safety while she draws the Stalkers to her…but while she is immune from infection, she isn’t immune to being torn the eff apart!! Right as she’s getting good and chomped on, a rugged, angelic-like figure comes to her rescue—Jesse!! He’s handy with a shottie and super pissed that he and Tommy had to leave Jackson to save them. All the shooting drew the attention of the WLF, but they refuse to give chase as the trio runs into a park…and that’s because it’s Seraphite territory, where they like to gather for a good disembowelment-hang. Dina gets a literal arrow to the knee before Jesse scoops her up and runs her to safety, while Ellie once again draws the enemy’s attention. In her scramble through the brush, she spies the hospital in the distance, and the urge for revenge overrides any thoughts of, ya know, making sure her girlfriend is okay.
Inside the hospital, Ellie confronts Nora (Tati Gabrielle), who seems to realize that no matter what she says to Ellie her number is up, so she goes all in with, “the little bitch got what he deserved!” and flees, Ellie right on her heels. The chase leads a desperate Nora to the elevator shaft, where she accidentally falls into Basement level 2(!!), and we learn the spores are airborne in a truly awesome-looking piece of set décor. Ellie will be fine (physically. Emotionally, well…) but Nora is a dying, coughing mess. Ellie asks again for Abby’s location, and when no information is forthcoming, she takes a pipe and turns on torture-mode a la Joel searching for a kidnapped Ellie. As Mandy W. put it, “Joel’s daughter INDEED.”
The State Of Us
Ellie and Dina are already at the ILU stage and grinning goofily at each other, and it kinda feels like we better enjoy it while it lasts. Dina also opens up to Ellie about the death of her family and her own short-lived/immediate vengeance on the raider who killed them.
The Strange Benefits of the Apocalypse
I guess if you’ve always wanted to live out your fantasies of being on stage at a venue for hundreds, then the apocalypse is your chance, whether or not you’re good or only decide to strum a few lines. (Ellie trying to play this song was a point in the game where the flashbacks from next week begin, so I’m pumped for that!).
Survivor of the Week
Ellie probably deserves this for making it out of a Stalker ambush, a Seraphite ambush, and the basement of airborne DEATH with nary a scratch.
Pour One Out For
Nora? The general consensus of the internet can probably be summed up in the WLF addendum, “FEEL THIS, BITCH” to the Seraphites’ prophet graffiti, but I imagine it’s gotta suck to be tortured while you’re also turning into an infected.
Best Time To Cover Your Eyes
When that second, third, no, FOURTH freaking Stalker pops up, NOPE. And the ones crawling on the cage bending the wires open to get to Dina?? That messed me up more than the disembowelment, though I think that’s where most people would look away. Even Ellie looked disgusted, and the show, more so than the game, has leaned into her seemingly vicious side that enjoys these things.
We Must Adapt To Survive
- The dogs! Oh, no…the dogs. My least favorite part of the game. The dog scenting Ellie and following the trail was a very amusing callback—too bad Ellie can’t use her listening powers to…also see her scent trail? (Video games don’t always make sense.)
- I torture myself reading the message boards and the “fans” who complain about every little change and deviation, so I was whispering, “suck it” under my breath as Jesse confirms Tommy IS in Seattle, and Ellie goes full-on rage-face in that sweet, sweet creepy red lighting.
- The cordyceps on the walls were stunning in a gross way, and so reminiscent of parts of the game. I tensed, expecting one of the people stuck in the wall to jump out a la the Stalkers from the game (on my repeat replays I shoot them all preemptively, but I’ve still gotten burned).
- The Ellie and Nora scenes are very “line by line”, so while great, it was fun to see the changes made during the Stalker ambush since I had no idea where it was going.
- The park with the whistles and torches and giant trees was so EFFING GOOD looking. Even the way Ellie drops to the ground to shimmy on her belly felt like you were in the game.
Graffiti On The Wall
- The cycle of violence continues with the slaughtered group of Seraphites piled carelessly under the graffiti of the prophet juxtaposed with the fanatical, ritualistic-like hanging of the lone WLF (heh) in the park. Neither side is looking good the more we learn about this turf war.
- I think it’s going to be difficult—if not impossible—for Ellie to turn off her rage again when she gets back to Dina and Jesse. I feel like the show has been using the slow-burn of Dina and Ellie getting together as a way to show how Ellie has been using Dina as an emotional crutch, and now that she’s got a taste of being on her own and being able to final enact her revenge, it’s going to snowball. It won’t be enough for the haters with the never ending complaints, but fuck ‘em.
- It’s an interesting choice to stick all the flashback moments in one episode, but I guess with the shorter episode runtime it would be hard to break up the present-day action and switch back and forth. I’m looking forward to seeing Joel again, but my heart isn’t ready for these moments coming up.
My question for you all and Mandy W. is, how do you feel about flashback episodes, on the whole? Helpful backstory or current-plot ruiner?
– The B2 set decor was hauntingly gorgeous! The crew continues to bring it.
– Disembowelment was FOR SURE my hardest to watch scene lol. But I usually find the human stuff more brutal.
– Ellie torturing Nora was also hard to watch. And maybe this would be asking for too much in the heat of the moment, but I found it interesting that Ellie never offered a quick death to Nora in return for Abby’s location. Maybe because Nora seemed unlikely to turn on Abby anyway, but I’m also interpreting it as Ellie WANTING that vengeance and showing no mercy; torturing Nora became more important than finding Abby.
– Gonna be interesting to see the aftermath of all this, especially Ellie’s future interactions with Dina/Jesse/Tommy. Just one episode ago, Ellie and Dina were sharing their first kill stories, but those were always done out of survival. (Even if younger Ellie did have a bit of bloodlust too.)
– Yeah, especially with Dina’s earlier discussion of like, Joel may have been bad but he deserve to go out THAT way, and then Ellie goes and essentially also tortures someone to death. FWIW, in the game she DOES offer to make it quick for Nora if she gives up Abby’s location, but she refuses and so Ellie still has to torture her “anyway”, so I guess in the long-run the offer doesn’t matter much if you’re still willing to beat someone to death with a pipe to make them talk… lol. It does make me wonder like what Dina expects Ellie to do when she finds Abby. Just like a quick shot to the head to make it quick? Vengeance is served but not in a brutal way?
Good point! Totally “I can excuse revenge, but I draw the line at enjoying it”