Rather than finding peace, Ellie remains deeply affected by Joel’s murder. Sounds from everyday farm life—tools clashing or doors shutting— can throw her into a panic, hinting strongly at post-traumatic stress. One frightening episode shows her visualizing Joel in pain, calling for her help, a twisted moment of guilt and memory.
This warped image is likely rooted in her unresolved feelings about losing Riley in The Last of Us: Left Behind, worsened by recent losses—Jesse’s death, Tommy’s injury, and her belief that Joel’s actions brought this all upon them. She even tells Abby that Joel killing Abby’s father feels like her fault too.
Farm life can’t quiet the storm Ellie carries inside (Photo: The Last Of Us/PlayStation Productions, Sony Pictures Television, Naughty Dog, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games)Ellie might have put her mission to rest after killing Abby’s friends, but deep inside, it remains incomplete. Dina encourages her to move forward, believing they’ve done enough.
But once Tommy mentions Abby is in California with Lev, Ellie sees it as one last opportunity to gain closure, even if it means ruining the peace she now has. If she hadn’t heard Abby’s location, there’s a chance she would have eventually accepted things and stayed.
This moment echoes Joel’s early mindset in Part 1. Back then, Joel tried not to get attached, fearing emotional harm. He viewed escorting Ellie as just a job. Now, in Part 2, Ellie shows similar resistance—she struggles to let go of Joel and fully connect with Dina.
Caught between her grief and her new family, she mirrors Joel’s internal conflict from earlier. After Tommy’s visit, we’re taken back to the dance where Ellie and Dina first kiss. That memory leads to a flashback of Joel standing up for Ellie during a moment of public ridicule.
Though Joel meant well, their relationship had already strained after he confessed to killing the Fireflies at the end of Part 1 to save her. Given that history, it’s hard to grasp why Ellie now puts everything on the line for Joel’s revenge.
Joel’s words in Part 2’s opening—“You go halfway across the country with someone…”—underline how deeply their bond had grown. Ellie had no one growing up in the Boston Quarantine Zone and lost Riley early on. Though she’s built a new life with Dina and JJ, there’s no replacing Joel.
Even though Dina warns her that leaving again ends their life together, Ellie feels she must see things through—she sees no other way to find peace.
Ellie Spares Abby
After tracking Abby to Santa Barbara and rescuing her and Lev from the Rattlers, Ellie forces Abby into a brutal confrontation. However, right at the edge of vengeance, Ellie releases her. This change seems irrational, considering her relentless pursuit, but there’s a hint of deeper understanding.
Ellie realizes she’s about to destroy the only bond Abby has left—Lev, who has no family or allies apart from her. Doing to Lev what was done to her feels like repeating a cycle she no longer wants to be part of.
Their dynamic shows they were never just enemies but reflections of each other—different yet bound by shared pain. When Abby carries Lev to the beach after everything, it mirrors Joel carrying Ellie at the end of Part 1.
For Abby, Lev is now her only tie to humanity, the way Ellie once was to Joel. Her actions, like Joel’s, come from a place of survival and loyalty. Though Ellie’s grief drove her all this way, she may have realized vengeance won’t bring Joel back or undo the past.
Lev’s presence helps her see the cost of continuing—hurting another innocent. That final confrontation says everything: Lev stopped Abby from killing Ellie earlier; now Abby fights only to protect Lev, and Ellie stops herself after seeing Joel in her mind one last time.
Abby, who once seemed like Joel’s opposite, now shares more in common with him than Ellie can ignore.
Ellie Seeks Forgiveness Without Resolution
The Farm
As she returns to the now-empty farmhouse and plays Joel’s guitar—imperfectly, thanks to fingers lost during her fight with Abby—Ellie has another memory. This final flashback shows her and Joel on his porch after the dance.
Initially keeping her distance, Ellie eventually shares her grief: she says she was meant to die at the hospital, believing her sacrifice could have made a difference. Joel repeats that he would still save her, even knowing the consequences. She replies she might never forgive him, but she would like to try.
This last conversation reveals the deeper reason Ellie pursued Abby so obsessively. Yes, she wanted revenge, but also, Abby robbed her of something she wasn’t ready to lose—her chance to forgive Joel. That opportunity was taken, and now Joel’s image remains tied to that unfinished apology.
By choosing not to kill Abby, Ellie might be trying to find a similar path—a way to at least attempt forgiveness, however flawed. Joel’s image flashing in her mind just before sparing Abby shows she might try the same with Abby as she intended for Joel.
Whether or not either of them deserves it isn’t the point. Lev’s mercy and presence gave Ellie a reason to live and save him repay that debt. But the emotional balance between her and Abby may never be level again. Ellie’s future is now unclear. Unless The Last of Us Part 3 comes, we may never know what becomes of her.
The game closes with Ellie leaving behind Joel’s guitar, in a house already showing signs of decay. It’s clear Dina and JJ moved on once she left. Losing the ability to play is not just physical—it’s symbolic, a final severance from Joel and everything he meant.
Whether she returns to Jackson is uncertain. Tommy may resent her for letting Abby go. Dina, too, might not take her back. Her journey cost her the family she had. There’s no perfect justice here—Tommy’s missing eye symbolizes that much.
The idea that revenge evens the score is false. The Last of Us Part 2 leaves only the pieces of what’s left and the effort to preserve them.
How HBO Might Tell the Story of Part 2
Peace slips through Ellie’s fingers with every memory of him (Photo: The Last Of Us/PlayStation Productions, Sony Pictures Television, Naughty Dog, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games)Multiple Seasons Will Complicate Its Ending
HBO’s continuation of The Last of Us is set for release in 2025, with season two expected to contain seven episodes—one less than the first season.
During a conversation with Dateline, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who directed Part 2 of the game, speak about the challenge of stretching one continuous story over multiple TV seasons. Though Part 2 has distinct sections, its story flows closely from one moment to the next and uses flashbacks heavily.
Even if the show sticks close to the source material like season one did, the game’s longer length and larger character base create a need for extra care.
One possible solution might be to break the story into three seasons—one for Ellie’s trip through Seattle, one for Abby’s version of those events, and one for the journey to Santa Barbara. However, that could disrupt momentum and leave major characters out for long stretches.
Adapting Part 2 may require more inventive storytelling. Joel’s role, for example, might be extended before his death, allowing Pedro Pascal more scenes and letting viewers connect deeper with Joel and Ellie’s bond.
Doing this early could lessen the impact of Ellie’s last flashback though, which delivers a strong emotional punch late in the game. Still, this approach would free up season three to properly focus on Abby’s side and bring the story to its final act.
Mazin and Druckmann have hinted that Part 2’s adaptation could stretch beyond just two or three seasons. Mazin told Dateline, “I don’t see how we could tell the story that remains after season two is complete in one more season,” adding that the remaining plot might even require a season four.
