Now that HBO has begun casting for The Last of Us live-action series, speculation is swirling regarding which storylines the show will adapt. Considering creator Neil Druckmann is involved in writing the series, fans are certainly hoping to see a faithful adaptation of the material.
2020’s The Last of Us Part II expands the world by following two adjacent journeys, Ellie’s and Abby’s, that occur simultaneously over three days in Seattle. To flesh out the necessary backstory leading up to these three days, numerous flashback sequences were peppered throughout the narrative. Some of these scenes were better than others. Of course, a spoiler alert is in effect!
10 Winter Visit
Taking place four months prior to being rescued by Lev and Yara, Abby’s flashback to visiting Owen at his Aquarium residence is actually her last in the game. Though this flashback is fairly slow, there’s a quick game of playing with a toy bow and arrow to try and beat Owen and Mel’s high scores.
Abby reveals that she’s found Tommy and explains the others are on board to leave the following week, putting the sequence shortly before the game’s main timeline. The sequence feels uncharacteristically dull and unnecessary, considering the information provided offers little to the story and feels more like an excuse to give Abby and Owen more screen-time.
9 The Aquarium
Taking place in the same locale, this flashback offers more of what made The Last of Us so enthralling: exploring old-world environments that have become ancient relics. After jumping off a ferris wheel into the marina, Owen invites Abby to follow him into the Aquarium, where players are slowly introduced to its beautiful inner workings.
The pair explore the overgrown aquatic playland, where they learn of a family who’d previously inhabited the premises. The drawings on the wall and cardboard fort entrance to “Max’s Place” conjure up fond memories of Ish and his companions in the sewers of the first game. Unfortunately, the notes (and body) left behind indicate a sad ending for the previous occupants.
8 The Farm
This flashback was originally included as part of the E3 gameplay trailer fans witnessed in 2018. Ellie attends a party in Jackson when she meets up with Jesse and Dina. Dina pulls a reluctant Ellie towards the dance floor to dance and they share a kiss, which is where the E3 demo left off.
In the game, Ellie and Dina are then interrupted and asked to leave by a loudmouth named Seth, whom Joel gets into an altercation with. Ellie lambasts Joel for getting involved and leaves, further exemplifying their fractured relationship. Overall, the sequence is very well-done but feels slightly less impactful considering gamers had already seen a majority of it in 2018.
7 Tracking Lesson
Taking place four years prior to the main story, this section launches the beginning of Abby’s story. After Abby and her father, Jerry, help an injured zebra near an old zoo, they meet up with Owen outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, the site of the previous game’s climax.
The connection of Abby’s earliest flashback to the hospital immediately lends Abby’s story some needed emotional weight. Additionally, the inclusion of the zoo creatively connects to one of the first game’s most memorable sequences with the giraffes. A devastating sense of tragedy swells however after the characters walk away, excited at the possibility of a vaccine, as the camera lingers on the image of the hospital for several seconds.
6 The Hospital
Immediately following the tracking chapter, the flashback cuts to Jerry speaking with Marlene over the ethical dilemma of sacrificing Ellie for a vaccine. While Marlene seemed willing to make this sacrifice in the first game, players now see how difficult that decision was for her to accept.
Finally, the aftermath of Joel’s hospital massacre is seen from the other side as Abby creeps through the pediatrics ward, sirens still screaming, and enters the surgical suite to find her father dead. In this moment, there are multiple seeds of devastation sown, both for Abby losing her father and for Joel robbing Ellie and Jerry of their greater purpose to the world.
5 Prologue
Part II picks the story up nearly right where the first one left off, with Joel recounting his hospital escape (and subsequent lie) to his brother Tommy. The opening horse ride feels like the perfect way to re-introduce this beautifully tragic world to the player as the brothers make their way through the mountains of Wyoming while Gustavo Santaolalla’s haunting track “Unbroken” plays underneath.
After Tommy promises Joel he’ll keep his secret, Joel visits Ellie and offers her a new guitar. Seeing him playing guitar and making jokes with Ellie just creates such an emotional payoff to their relationship, ensuring it still remains at the center of the brutal revenge story to follow.
4 Finding Strings
This chapter occurs two years prior to the events of Part II. It begins with Tommy and Ellie practicing long-range hunting of infected before meeting Joel in an abandoned lodge. Joel and Ellie leave to find guitar strings and do a sweep of the premises, battling the game’s first Bloater and other infected.
They soon discover the remains of a runaway couple from Jackson who became infected. Ellie passive-aggressively laments, “If only they were immune, right?” Joel attempts to sidestep the conversation but Ellie challenges him, questioning his claim about there being other immune survivors. Joel again blatantly lies to her about what happened at the hospital, establishing that as they get further from Salt Lake City, Ellie’s mistrust for Joel is only growing.
3 St. Mary’s Hospital
The straw that finally breaks the camel’s back comes when Ellie revisits the site of Joel’s lie. There’s an intense feeling of dread as Ellie wanders the halls of the hospital, looking for clues as to what happened while she was unconscious. She uncovers cryptic details of the event before finding a Firefly tape recorder that was left behind.
As Ellie listens to the unknown voice explain what happened, Joel rides up on horseback and berates Ellie for running off. Ellie orders him to tell her the truth or they’re done, to which Joel finally confesses. The heartbreak Ellie feels is overwhelming as she collapses, grabbing her chest, tears streaming down her face.
2 Epilogue
Following the events of the Jackson dance party, Ellie meets with Joel on his porch. As the most recent flashback to occur leading into the main storyline’s events, it offers one last glimpse into Ellie and Joel’s relationship before Joel’s death.
Ellie explains how Joel took away her sense of purpose and choice when he took her from the hospital, exclaiming her life “would have f***ing mattered.” Joel reveals even if he had a second chance, he’d do it all over again. They each fight back tears as Ellie says that despite the fact she may never be able to forgive him, she’d like to try.
1 The Birthday Gift
It’s no surprise that the greatest sequence in the entire game fondly reflects on the core of what made The Last of Us so beautiful. In this chapter, Joel and Ellie joke around while going on a romp through the woods towards a mysterious birthday gift Joel has planned for Ellie. The thick forest eventually gives way to a massive dinosaur statue, which guards the Wyoming Museum of History and Science.
Ellie can barely contain her excitement as she begins exploring the museum. She plays on the huge dinosaur displays while Joel lays down a bit of knowledge on dinosaurs (which seems to mostly come from watching a certain sci-fi franchise). However, the moment doesn’t just rest on the laurels of seeing Joel and Ellie happy again, it also progresses their family bond. Joel gifts Ellie a tape of a space shuttle launch, which she plays while donning an astronaut helmet inside a spacecraft. Seeing Ellie close her eyes and visualize taking off into space reminds us of the wonderment and magic that The Last of Us universe is capable of delivering, and it’s warmly embraced with open arms.
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