The Last Of Us Season Finale Cliffhanger Is As Frustrating As The Show Itself
Don Arnold. Getty Images.(This blog will contain spoilers of the season finale of The Last Of Us from this weekend. You've been warned.)
The Last Of Us is the rare show that ends on a cliffhanger where I don't know what I'm wanting to happen. We'll get into the ending in a bit but it may be the perfect way to end the most uneven season in television history.
Even the episode itself was very inconsistent. It takes a while to really get going as Dina's pregnancy continues to be way more of a focus than it should be. Once again, Dina knowing Ellie is immune to the biggest worldwide issue in human history is basically ignored. We do get a brief glimmer of it brought up near the end of the episode but Dina seemed far more upset that Ellie knew what Joel had done as opposed to the possibility of a cure being out there.
(As an aside, why isn't this a bigger deal? No one wants to go to Salt Lake City to find the doctor's notes to see if a cure is still somehow viable? Were the Fireflies actually onto something or was it just bad science?)
I do think the second half of the finale was much better. I liked the "community" argument between Jesse and Ellie and the showdown at the aquarium. This scene gave me a lot of hope for the future of the series. It was exciting and heartbreaking and Bella Ramsey did a nice job with it. Having the show throw a curve when most television shows have people help give birth in strange situations. There was no way Ellie was equipped to perform a C-section and what would she do with a baby if she miraculously did? That was one of the best scenes of the season.
However, reality wasn't always present in this episode. Ellie jumping on a boat seemed silly (she knows how to start and drive a boat?) but that wasn't even the worst part. For some reason, they had her hit a tidal wave which dumped her and the boat at the coast of where the Seraphites are. They are about to kill her...until they are called away. Why they don't just kill her and go fight the WLF is beyond me (especially if they think she's with the WLF).
It's an entirely needless scene that is not the fault of Ramsey or any of the actors. This falls entirely on the writing staff needing to shoehorn another Seraphite scene into the season. We get it. Neither the WLF and Seraphite's are good guys. Have some respect for the audience.
Which brings us to the giant cliffhanger. Poor Jesse gets his face blown off by Abby who then has a gun pointing at Tommy (who might be immortal by this point). A gunshot goes off and we flashback to Abby three days earlier at Lumen Field (although it would still have been named Seahawks Stadium in this timeline)?
I have never played the game so I have no idea how this will turn out. There could also be a chance that the writers resolve this their own way. Having said all of that, my theory is that Dina (who is unaccounted for in this scene) shoots Abby and that's what the gunshot is.
It's frustrating to have to wait for the next episode but that falls in line with what this season was. I imagine this is what it's like knowing someone who is very bright but then just does stupid shit. You know they are capable of so much more but also can't get out of their own way.
It sounds like we are getting Abby's story in season 3. Kaitlyn Dever is a good actress and I'm sure those scenes with Jeffrey Wright will be great. There's also part of me that's not really interested watching a whole season leading us to the moment we just witnessed.
But who am I kidding? I can't quit this show. The high points are too great and the premise is too strong. I'm as bought in as the Seraphites at this point.
SEASON 2
Episode 7: B-
Episode 6: A-
Episode 5: D+
Episode 4: C
Episode 3: B
Episode 2: A
Episode 1: B-
Season Grade: B-