'The Last of Us' season 2 finale live — reactions, who survived, recap and more

This season's most shocking moment may have come in last week's penultimate episode

This season finale had no shortage of shocking moments. It's been a shocking season overall, for those who've never played the games.

But even if you played the games, last week's penultimate episode dropped a bombshell revelation, though it took a second for me to register it.

In the games, there's no definitive ruling on whether or not the Fireflies could produce a cure with a 100% guarantee. Even last season, it didn't quite feel like it was a lock.

But last week, Joel revealed to Ellie that yes, they would have definitely made a cure, and she was the only one that could have provided it. This is something game creator Neil Druckmann has confirmed in subsequent interviews, and it adds an extra layer to Joel's earth-shattering decision to kill everyone in the Salt Lake City hospital.

What we expect from Abby in season 3

For those who’ve played "The Last of Us Part II," it seems pretty clear that season 3 is headed for a major narrative shift. And as an Abby apologist (my girl did nothing wrong, your honor), I’m already excited for fans of the show to hate it as much as fans of the games did the first time around.

Abby hasn’t shown up in season 2 since Joel met his bloody end at her hands. But if season is anything like The Last of Us 2, she’ll take center stage while Ellie’s story takes a backseat.

Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t played the games, season 3 will likely dive deep into Abby’s arc, following her return to Seattle after killing Joel. With her quest for revenge complete, she helps her fellow WLF soldiers wage war against the Seraphites, the religious cult introduced in season 2 episode 3.

But when a rescue mission leads her deep into Seraphite territory, she gains a new perspective on the battle she’s fighting. It’s one lesson that Ellie, still hellbent on hunting her down, could stand to learn as well. — Alyse Stanley

This finale did what it needed to do — but I’m worried how some people will react

This finale delivered exactly what I expected. Ellie found where Abby was hiding, found Owen and Mel instead, and killed them both in horrifying fashion. No, it wasn’t exactly like the video game, but I think I might have preferred this version more. Regardless, the end result was a devastated Ellie, shaken to her core about killing Mel’s unborn child.

Speaking of impactful deaths, Abby shooting Jesse was perfectly executed. If you’re a fan of the games, you should feel like it was done properly. If you have only watched the show, then it should have been a true shock when Abby drops him with a single shot without any preamble.

But now, we’ve officially shifted to Abby as our main point-of-view character, and I’m worried about how fans of the show that don’t know the games are going to feel about the change. Fans of the game will be looking forward to it, and I certainly don’t think Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann should be doing it any differently at this point, I just hope people don’t give up on the show now that it’s next season might not feature Pedro Pascal or Bella Ramsey.

It's Abby's world now, we're just living in it

Abby wakes up after the cut to black and we find her in Seattle — three days earlier.

Now, it's time for season 3, and time for Abby to become our main character.

Jesse is down

Abby has found them and she is pissed. She attacks Tommy, which causes Jesse and Ellie to run out with guns drawn.

But Abby is the faster shot and hits Jesse, killing him instantly. She then turns on Ellie, realizes who Ellie is, and after a heated exchange, she pulls the trigger.

Cut to black.

The cavalry's here

Tommy and Jesse arrive to find Ellie distraught over Mel's corpse. Tommy grabs

They get her back to the theater, and then regroup and plan their retreat back to Jackson.

Three kills with one bullet

And suffer they do. Owen reaches for a gun and Ellie shoots. It kills Owen.

But then we see the bullet also hit Mel. And that Mel's pregnant, which is something fans of the game had wondered would hold true in the show given Mel didn't seem pregnant in episode 2 in Jackson.

Mel begs Ellie to save her unborn child, and while Ellie is willing to try, she can't figure it out before Mel dies.

Ellie finds Owen and Mel

A set of footprints leads Ellie to Owen and Mel arguing over one of Abby's battle plans. Ellie pulls a gun on them, and tells them to point on a map where Abby is … or suffer the consequences.

Who will find who first?

Ellie has arrived at the aquarium and find the remains of medical supplies. Someone has been treated for a wound here, and recently.

But she hasn't found is Abby — or (unbeknownst to her) Owen or Mel.

Our brief detour is over

Ellie is now back in the boat, headed to the aquarium, as we see what looks like Isaac and the WLF bombing the Seraphite village.

Ellie lives … for now

Ellie has made it to shore, only to be found by a Seraphite child. The child then brings other to kill Ellie, but they have to run when their village sounds the alarm that intruders — likely Isaac and the WLF — have arrived.

Ellie overboard

Ellie grabs a small boat with an outboard motor and heads for the aquarium. But before she can get there, a giant wave capsizes her craft and pops back up without her in it

Jesse and Ellie split up after a bitter argument

Wow. Jesse just dropped a bombshell on Ellie.

As a member of Jackson's leadership, he voted not to go after Abby earlier in the season.

This revelation causes Ellie to lose it. She tells Jesse that her community was Joel, not Jackson, and that she is going to avenge her community. Jesse tells her good luck and leaves.

Ellie spots Abby’s possible location

We've potentially found Tommy, but we've also found a problem.

Ellie spots a whale and a wheel — the aquarium. Ellie wants to go there now, but Jesse says that they need to go to Tommy and neither of them is backing down.

Where's Tommy?

Ellie and Jesse have made it to the rendezvous, but Tommy isn't there. What is there is a children's book that Ellie picks up for Dina.

That sparks an emotional conversation with Jesse, where he reveals he loved a girl who swung through Jackson for a few weeks, but let her go because he had responsibilities.

Ellie responds with anger, it before the conversation gets much further, they overhear the WLF panicked about a sniper. Thinking it must be Tommy, they head out to find him.

Has Abby gone AWOL?

Now we switch to Isaac, who, it seems, has something major planned in the war against the Seraphites. It's going down tonight and Abby, Owen and Mel have seemingly disappeared and Isaac is pissed.

Why is he pissed? Because he's pretty sure that he is going to die in the upcoming battle, and he thinks Abby is the only one to lead the WLF once he does

Ellie and Jesse are close to Tommy now

Ellie and Jesse are now two blocks away, but get caught in a skirmish between the WLF and a Seraphite. Ellie wants to intervene but Jesse reminds her that it's not their place and they could help anyway.

Jesse knows he's going to be a father

Things are still visibly awkward for Ellie and Dina, but it's being set aside for now. Tommy is at the rendezvous point and Ellie and Jesse are leaving Dina behind while they go on ahead to bring him back. The hope is that it's an uneventful trip and they're back before sundown.

On the walk, though, Jesse reveals that he knows Dina is pregnant. Except, he didn't actually know, and now he's … struggling to process things.

One thing he has processed? They need to get out of Seattle. Now.

Ellie just told Dina a shocking revelation

Ellie just told Dina what happened in Salt Lake City. She's clearly wracked with guilt about everything — being saved even though it dooms the world, leaving Nora there, what Joel did to Abby's father.

Dina doesn't chastise her or freak out, but it's clear she's no longer thirsting for vengeance. She simply tells Ellie, “We need to go home,” and Ellie doesn't argue back

Abby’s location revealed — but there’s a catch

We now know where Abby is, but not what the directions mean. Ellie tortured Nora until Nora revealed two words — “wheel whale” — in an attempt to give up Ellie's location. She was already infected by that point, and Ellie just left her there.

Ellie is back

Ellie returns. Jesse accosts her about where she's been and she ignores it to go check on Dina right away

Close your eyes if you're squeamish

Jesse is going full field medic on Dina's arrow wound right now and it is not a pretty sight. If you can't handle an arrow sticking through a leg, you may want to look away

We're live!

The show theme plays one last time this season, meaning it's time to buckle up for what could be a wild ride

We’re just 20 minutes away from the season 2 finale

“The Last of Us” season 2 finale is just mere minutes away. In under 20 minutes, you’ll be able to watch on HBO or Max.

It’s a 60-minute finale, so it won’t be an extra-long episode. But now’s the time to go to the bathroom, make sure the TV is set up and you’re logged into Max or tuned into HBO.

When you get back, we’ll be reacting live to everything from this (hopefully) epic finale.

Here are our predictions for the season 2 finale

Note: this section has some game spoilers, but only based on what we expect to be brought from the game into this episode.

Rory Mellon — Senior Editor, Entertainment:

I’ve played “The Last of Us Part II” video game several times, so I consider myself pretty well versed in the story currently being adapted by the TV show. I could make a “safe” prediction based on that prior knowledge.

However, the HBO show has proved itself unafraid to make significant changes several times, so I’m going to make a bolder guess here and say the show takes another major divergence and that character death in the Seattle theatre won’t happen. Instead, the show will plot a new course as we enter an Abby-focused season 3.

Kelly Woo — Managing Editor, Streaming:

I’ve never played the games, but it’s clear that the episodes so far have driven to what can only be a showdown between Ellie and Abby. Knowing a third season is in the works (and possibly a fourth), I doubt one kills the other. So, I fear for the others in this setpiece: Dina, Jesse, and Tommy (currently in Seattle but off-screen so far). This is the season finale, so someone important has to die.

Martin Shore — Staff Writer, Streaming:

Look, most of us who’ve played the games are thinking this season ends with that one scene, so I don’t want to dwell on it any further. Instead, I’m actually intrigued to see how we cover the final beats leading up to that theater confrontation.

Going by how her journey pans out in the game, Ellie’s still got to cross paths with a couple more members of Abby’s crew, and if that scene’s coming up, I’m predicting an even grimmer end for those other foes.

Alyse Stanley — Weekend Editor:

If the finale doesn’t end with Abby’s confrontation with Ellie and Jesse at the theater, I’ll be surprised. It’s a succinct and explosive way to bring Abby back into the fold if season 3 ends up being the shift to her perspective that all signs point to it being.

Malcolm McMillan — Editor, Streaming:

Those who know “The Last of Us Part II” are likely expecting a certain showdown and a certain character's death. I think we get that in this episode, and that the episode ends with Abby waking up three days earlier, now our main character. The show will then cut to black and roll credits.

That’s my prediction — I’m calling my shot.

The Tom’s Guide Streaming team reflects on the season so far — here are our 5 favorite moments from season 2

Rory Mellon — Senior Editor, Entertainment:

I suspect the common consensus for season 2’s best moment will be the large-scale siege on Jackson in episode 2, but as a passionate fan of “The Last of Us” games, this TV show invention just didn’t work for me. The 3-month time skip in the next episode really didn’t help matters either, robbing us of the chance to see the real fallout of such a devastating attack.

Instead, I’m going for a subtler moment, which was the decision to use original Ellie voice actor, Ashley Johnson’s, quietly-raging cover of Shawn James’ “Through the Valley” to close out the flagship second episode. It was an awesome easter egg for video game fans, and a great way of blending the two mediums. In a season that’s often left me confused (and even rather annoyed), this music choice created a powerful moment that gave me chills.

Kelly Woo — Managing Editor, Streaming:

I’m going with Joel and Ellie’s trip to the natural history museum. It’s a totally normal father/daughter birthday outing — except nothing is normal in their world. I just loved seeing Ellie be a carefree kid as she climbed onto that dinosaur and into the Apollo module and Joel be a proud, loving dad. Moments of happiness are rare in “The Last of Us,” and it ended up being one of the last ones they experienced together.

Martin Shore — Staff Writer, Streaming:

I think I’d be lying if I didn’t point to the Battle of Jackson. Sure, plenty of people have picked holes in some of Jackson’s defensive strategies, but I’m a sucker for a goot setpiece, and this was truly thrilling stuff, up there with some of HBO’s very best.

Alyse Stanley — Weekend Editor:

Season 2 has splintered off from the games in several ways, but easily my favorite new addition is the opening flashback in episode 6 between Joel and his father. We’ve already seen how Joel bludgeons his way through emotions, but he didn’t invent this approach: He inherited it from his abusive dad, who learned it from his own. And now Ellie’s showing signs of being caught in that same cycle of violence. It’s heartbreaking, but it paints a clearer picture of how far back the damage goes.

Malcolm McMillan — Editor, Streaming:

The Battle of Jackson and Astronaut Ellie would both be worthy picks here. But for me, the moment that sticks with me is the first showdown between Ellie and a Stalker in the grocery store in Jackson. It’s a perfectly executed action sequence, only slightly undercut by the fact that the Stalkers haven’t continued to play a grave threat as the season’s gone on.

Abby came in like a wrecking ball — and we haven’t seen her since

In the first two episodes, Abby was shaping up to be a major character. The show even made an effort to give us her backstory and reveal her motivations behind killing Joel, something the game doesn’t do until much later.

Yet, she’s been absent ever since we saw her brutally murder Joel. That is keeping with what Neil Druckmann chose to do in “The Last of Us Part II,” but that makes the show’s decision to give us more of Abby’s backstory perplexing.

On the one hand, it gives those who have only ever seen the show a deeper villain. On the other hand, given that we still abandon the character after Joel’s death, we’re not capitalizing on the decision to make her a more complex character, and for fans of the games, it was a notable deviation that ruffled some feathers.

While I would have liked to have seen more of Abby this season, given the choice to initially expand on her character in the first episode, I’m confident now that we’ll get to see her again this episode. She may even prove to be the most important character of the episode, if showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann hold to the source material.

Jesse has been there when Ellie (and Dina) need him most

Jesse is a real fan-favorite character for The Last of Us video game fans, and Young Mazino has certainly done the role justice through “The Last of Us” season 2. Introduced in the first episode, “Future Days,” he’s presented as a dependable friend, and one part of a developing love triangle also involving Ellie and Dina.

After being absent from the fourth episode of the season, he came back into the frame shortly afterward, coming in clutch to save Ellie and Dina when they found themselves in a sticky situation in an abandoned warehouse overflowing with mutated infected. His dramatic eleventh-hour appearance was a real fist-pumping moment, and in a sophomore season that hasn’t quite hit the height of its predecessor, Jesse is a character that’s been translated over to the television medium in just the right way (at least, in this TLOU fan's opinion).

What’s next for Jesse in this finale? Well, I suspect he’ll be the voice of reason, trying to convince Ellie that her revenge mission will only lead to more death and dire consequences. But Ellie isn’t the type to listen to reason, certainly not when she’s carrying the intense pain of Joel’s tragic death. He’s also unaware that Dina is currently pregnant with his child, so when that particular cat is out of the bag, it’ll be interesting to see how his priorities shift. — RM

The curious case of Tommy Miller

*Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 video game follow*

Perhaps one of the biggest oddities surrounding “The Last of Us” season 2 has been the absence of Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel’s brother, since episode 3, “The Path.” If your first experience with The Last of Us has been via the TV show, then Tommy sticking around in Jackson while Ellie and Dina head to Seattle to track down Abby might not seem all that strange, but if you’ve played The Last of Us Part 2 game, you’ll know this is a major change.

In the game, Tommy journeys to Seattle first, with Ellie and Dina following in his trail of destruction and death. However, in the TV show’s second season, Tommy has played a largely peripheral role. He's presented as more of a family man (he has a wife in the game, but no child) and a leader of the community with a key position on the Jackson council. Which isn’t to say he’s not had his moments. His time to shine came in the blockbuster siege of Jackson shown in episode 2, and that flamethrower sequence remains a season highlight.

Since then, Tommy has been left behind to continue rebuilding Jackson following the attack, but we learned in episode 5 that he’s come along with Jesse to find Ellie and Dina in a bit of a role reversal compared to the game (though he didn’t appear on screen). It’s a change that has been controversial among fans of the game, and for me, Luna plays the role so well, so I’m glad that at least he should have a larger role to play in the season 2 finale episode. — Rory Mellon

Nobody can fill Joel’s boots, but Dina holds her own

Joel’s death in episode 2 left a massive hole in the show that couldn’t be completely filled by any one character. Still, I have grown to appreciate Dina (Isabella Merced) as Ellie’s new primary scene partner.

In episode 1, Dina comes across as flirtatious and flighty — not a serious person. That side of Dina adds some much-needed levity and brings out a similar side to Ellie. Their burgeoning romance is a welcome spark in what can be a dark, heavy show.

Of course, kissing at the dance becomes a distant memory after Joel is brutally killed, with Dina as a witness for some of it. And when Ellie wants to go after Abby, Dina is right there with her. In fact, I don’t think Ellie would’ve gotten as far without her.

Though they are just a few years apart, Dina seems much more mature and wise — an interesting turnabout from how she comes across in episode 1. When it comes down to it, flirty, flighty Dina disappears and map-wielding, supplies-gathering, practical Dina emerges.

As the finale looms, we now know Dina is pregnant. She’s also very injured. But neither fact has stopped her from supporting Ellie in this quest for vengeance. The only question is if Dina can stop Ellie from going too far. - Kelly Woo

With Joel gone, Ellie is now truly the last of us

Ellie hasn’t exactly had an easy life, and in season 2, things have only gotten harder. Across this second season, we’ve seen her get into numerous scrapes, but the thrust of Season 2’s story revolves around her and the fallout from Joel’s death.

Despite the duo growing apart during their years together in Jackson (she’d grown skeptical and eventually challenged him for the truth of what really happened with the Fireflies), Joel still meant a lot to her.

Our story kicked into gear when Abby got her revenge on Joel and brutally beat him to death before Ellie’s very eyes. Ellie swore she’d kill Abby, and she subsequently left Jackson (with Dina in tow) to do just that.

Ellie and Dina have grown closer on that journey; Ellie’s revealed to Dina that she’s immune, and Dina, in turn, has let slip she’s pregnant, and the pair are preparing to form a family unit together. On their journey, they’ve crossed paths with WLF soldiers (locked in combat with the Seraphites), more Infected, and set up a sort of base inside a Seattle theater.

Aside from the flashback episode, we last saw her returning to the theater after heading to the Lakehill hospital on her own in search of Nora and info on Abby’s whereabouts. — Martin Shore

Welcome to ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 finale — here’s what you may have missed so far this season

Before we dive into predictions and what’s happened to the show’s most important characters, let's do a quick recap on what’s happened in “The Last of Us” season 2 so far. Final spoiler warning — from here out, anything that’s happened in the show is on the table.

The season picks up five years after the events of season 1. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) are still living in Jackson, but it’s clear there’s been a division between the two. We’ll learn why later in the season, but for now, we can only speculate that it’s related to what happened at the end of season 1, where Joel massacred a hospital full of Fireflies.

One of those Fireflies was a doctor, Jerry Anderson, and it’s revealed to us that his daughter Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) wants vengeance. She gets that vengeance in the second episode, when fate and a horde of infected drive her and some of her friends straight into Joel’s path, and she drives a golf club straight into Joel’s head.

Ellie and her budding love interest Dina (Isablea Merced) both witness this horror, and so when they return to Jackson and heal from the encounter, they’re ready to get vengeance of their own. But the rest of Jackson is still reeling from an attack from the same infected horde that drove Abby and Joel together, so they do not join her.

Ellie and Dina ultimately make it to Seattle, where Abby and her friends in the Washington Liberation Front (WLF) are trying to return to their normal lives — a civil war with a band of religious fanatics known as the Seraphites.

So now, Ellie and Dina have to avoid the ongoing conflict and infected if they want to get to Abby and her friends.

That doesn’t go smoothly. Ellie gets bitten trying to protect Dina. She reveals to Dina that she’s immune, and Dina reveals that she’s pregnant with her ex, Jesse’s (Young Mazino) child. The overwhelming emotions of the moment finally allow them to realize their feelings for each other, and they hook up.

While it’s great that they can finally be a couple, there’s still the whole revenge quest to finish. They ultimately catch a break when they discover one of Abby’s friends, Nora (Tati Gabrielle), is at a nearby hospital.

Dina gets wounded on the approach to the hospital, but luckily Jesse arrives out of nowhere to save the day. That gives Ellie the chance she needs to get Nora — which she does, beating the WLF soldier mercilessly with a pipe to find Abby’s location in the city.

That’s as far as we’ve made it in Seattle, but in last week’s episode, we got some incredible flashbacks. We get an incredible moment in a science museum between Ellie and Joel, revealing that the relationship between them didn’t immediately break down after season 1.

Sadly, we also learn why the relationship between them deteriorated, because we see Joel finally forced to reveal to Ellie that he lied to her about what happened at the Firefly hospital. She then reveals she wants to try and forgive him, but we already know she’ll never get that chance.