The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 6

At a critical point in the plot—just as Ellie fully embarks on her path of revenge—the show slows things down to deliver a lengthy flashback that takes up the entire episode.

The timing is strange: just when the story finally seems to pick up pace, with Ellie setting off on her mission, we’re taken on a long journey into the past. As useful as this flashback may be, it’s still a risky narrative choice that can hurt the story’s momentum. However, with only one episode left, the risk isn’t huge.

In my opinion, the timing isn’t poorly chosen—on the contrary, since the previous episodes haven’t quite managed to convince us of Ellie’s bottomless rage, a flashback can be really helpful in giving her motivation a proper boost. Theoretically, then, this sixth episode should work perfectly. And yet, there are some—probably inevitable at this stage—problems.

The episode introduces some interesting ideas. The inclusion of Joel’s father at the beginning is a nice touch—though I’m getting a bit tired of this recurring intro pattern. Tony Dalton is excellent in the role.

Unfortunately, the short duration of the introductory scene doesn’t allow it to carry the emotional weight it deserves. There’s no time or space for development, and the writing ends up feeling rushed: it tries to cram too many heavy issues into a short opener, and the result feels a bit shallow (“write something morally gray, give these characters some backstory to justify their actions, throw in a quote we can reuse later—ideally at the end of the episode”). These are familiar, tried-and-true storytelling techniques, but they’re a little too obvious here.

After the intro, the episode follows a solid structure, jumping from year to year, each time on Ellie’s birthday, leading up to the New Year’s Eve dance—this time from Joel’s perspective. We see several key moments: how Joel found out about Ellie’s sexuality, how he made her a guitar, how she got her tattoo to cover the bite mark (and the burn that first tried to hide the scar), Joel singing—and generally, we get a good glimpse into how their relationship evolved.

Thankfully, I was satisfied with these scenes. They’re well-shot, effectively written, and superbly acted. And that’s where a problem arises: the difference becomes clear between what the show was before and what it became after Joel’s death.

Joel and Ellie’s relationship is at the heart of this episode, and it works as flawlessly as we remember. It works in the game, it worked in Season 1 of the show, and this new episode constantly reminds us of it—and inevitably also reminds us: the show no longer works as well as it once did. Nothing has managed to replace that central bond in the story’s core—something the game handled better, using its medium’s strengths.

The entire episode continues this way: Joel and Ellie’s relationship is engaging, the scenes are beautiful, funny, and moving (especially the scene with the “rocket launch,” with shadows playing across Ellie’s face and excellent staging overall), and the dynamic between them is far more interesting than anything else Season 2 has offered.

Ellie, in particular, “shines” here and reminds us how great her performance was in Season 1—but also how different things feel now in Season 2, due to weaker character development and overall approach.

Her performance is ideal for a rebellious teenager struggling with a parental figure in a broken world—but not quite right for a hardened, furious adult version of Ellie on a path of vengeance. I don’t think the actress is at fault—the main issue lies with the writing.

That said, the structure works well moving forward too. As the episode jumps from birthday to birthday, there’s a constant sense of emotional distance between the two leads. Something is simmering, a gap is growing deeper. That part was well-handled, I think, and faithfully adapted from the game.

Another smart idea: when Ellie finally decides to ask Joel what really happened that day with the Fireflies, her decision seems prompted by Eugene’s death at Joel’s hand.

Throughout the episode, Joel and Ellie argue about things that could belong in our own, pre-apocalypse world—drugs, tattoos, sex. Joel is awkward in the father role, Ellie has a lot on her mind (the "moths" stuff in the journals felt clumsy, and the psychologist scene even more so—like it was just inserted to set up a future moment in the finale).

Joel and Ellie go through ups and downs, but something always lingers between them. Until Ellie finally asks what really happened (she’s rehearsed the question—it’s clearly been weighing on her). We didn’t need obvious reminders through notebooks and awkward exposition, like Joel asking what her drawings mean just to find out they mean… DEATH!!!

The final scene with Eugene is more The Last of Us than anything we’ve seen in Season 2. A human story in the chaos, a scene that can break you and make you cry. Joe Pantoliano gives a phenomenal performance in just a few minutes, making you unexpectedly care about his character. Eugene’s scenes (not in the game) are heartbreaking and cleverly used as a narrative bridge between Joel and Ellie. They also serve as a reminder: this world is fundamentally changed—it’s not our safe reality (I tend to forget that, seeing people enjoying coffee and beer, casually talking to psychologists, getting tattoos, arguing about normal stuff—I’d prefer a different approach here, one more distanced from today’s normalcy).

A great detail: the absence of gunfire sound when Joel pulls the trigger. The direction in general is great, the outdoor shots stunning, and the actors do excellent work in these scenes. This—this—is The Last of Us.

The final scene is devastating too. The dialogue between Joel and Ellie is once again perfect: fantastic game adaptation, superb performances, powerful writing, solid directing. The mention of Joel’s father in the final scene felt slightly unnecessary, as this circular reference narrative style is starting to feel more like a gimmick.

Also, this sixth episode feels like a reminder: Ellie is angry and out for revenge because she lost everything we’ve just seen in this hour. And sadly, this flashback might be the most effective tool the show has used so far to convince us that Ellie is truly that angry and capable of destruction.

All in all, one of the most valuable moments in a season that didn’t quite maintain a high level. The new episode is intense, with well-placed humor and genuine emotion. It stands out as a brilliant standalone chapter—but it also emphasizes the contrast: it has everything the second season is missing.