The Last of Us Season 2 Finale: A Disastrous Cliffhanger That Left Fans Fuming!

by

Many timeless TV series have left their audiences eagerly anticipating the next season due to captivating cliffhangers. Shows such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Dallas,” “Friends,” “The Simpsons,” “Game of Thrones,” “Lost,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Twin Peaks,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and “Severance” are examples. However, there’s one show that doesn’t fit in this list: HBO’s “The Last of Us.” Despite having a strong season overall, its finale was disappointing and frustrating. This was surprising because it adhered to the storyline of “The Last of Us Part II” video game.

In the second season of “The Last of Us”, the narrative primarily focused on the inevitable confrontation between Abby and Ellie. This climactic moment was the central point of their character arcs. However, instead of providing a resolution to this conflict, the series abruptly ended, leaving us in suspense about the outcomes for both Tommy and Ellie. While this cliffhanger might be frustrating, it’s not necessarily a negative aspect as long as it effectively leaves viewers eager to find out what happens next. However, the most successful cliffhangers still manage to offer some form of resolution, even if minor, to their storylines. As an example, in another series, a character accidentally saying his ex-lover’s name at the altar hinted that he was not fully over her, resolving one of the major questions of that season.

A true cliffhanger doesn’t resolve a conflict; instead, it sets up another. For instance, when Mr. Burns succeeded in his dreadful plot, who intervened next? When the Borg transformed Picard into one of them, what became of him then? However, The Last of Us failed to deliver such a cliffhanger. It merely paused the scene intended to wrap up the season’s primary storyline, leaving us with an ambiguous ending like ‘Abby aims a gun at Ellie’, which falls short as a conclusion.

Although part of the reason, it’s not the only one, that the Season 2 finale of “The Last of Us” felt unsatisfying is because it didn’t provide a conclusion, but instead took us back to the beginning in Seattle. This is where Ellie and Dina entered the city, while we saw Abby surveying W.L.F. forces at an abandoned football stadium. This hints that Season 3 will explain why Abby apparently defected from the militia just before its attack on the Seraphites. Essentially, not only did the show fail to offer any resolution, it also teased that none would be given when the series returns. Instead of moving forward with the main character’s story, we are going to start afresh by focusing on Abby, at least for now, which could potentially change the entire focus of the show.

In “The Last of Us Part II”, the narrative takes an unexpected turn during an encounter between characters Ellie and Abby. This confrontation at the theater results in Tommy being attacked, Jesse getting killed, and Abby aiming her gun at Ellie. However, rather than revealing Abby’s actions, the game switches perspectives, making players take control of Abby to understand her motivations. Previously, we had a brief stint playing as Abby at the start of the game when she confronted Joel. This change in perspective helps us uncover who Abby is, her connections with her friends, and why she isn’t solely considered a villain – she has justifications similar to those of Joel and Ellie.

In HBO’s series, it was one of the initial revelations about her character. This alteration was implemented for sound, strategic reasons as explained by the showrunners. However, the ripple effects of this change have not been entirely positive. When the storyline reverses in a crucial scene, it becomes evident that Abby shares a link with the Fireflies whom Joel had killed in Salt Lake City. Yet, her connection to the doctor who could have potentially saved mankind remains hidden.

In a more engaging and casual manner: Instead of wondering why a talented, enigmatic woman stopped working for W.L.F., a place we all admired, it’s far more intriguing to ponder why she’s spent years seeking revenge against our beloved main character. HBO is betting that viewers will be captivated by this mystery in season three. However, one must question if the audience truly cares as deeply about W.L.F. and the Scars as they once did. They are intriguing factions, but they’re only a part of a larger city’s conflicts. Turf wars like these occur everywhere, and ultimately, their resolutions don’t hold much significance. It didn’t matter to the wider world in Kansas City, Boston, or even Seattle, and it doesn’t seem to matter here either.

The significance of those locations stemmed from our deep affection for Ellie and Joel. For us to understand why Abby left W.L.F., it’s crucial that we develop a similar level of emotional investment in her character. To achieve this understanding, we must first invest time getting to know Abby better… which inevitably delays the revelation about the theater incident, a matter that will always hold greater importance for us than any other aspect of Abby’s storyline.

In essence, HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us faltered in its season two finale by sticking too closely to the video game. Unlike the sequel, The Last of Us Part II, where you initially exit the theater and rewind time to control Abby for an extended period. However, this lengthy episode lasts a full ten hours, offering an immersive gaming experience before finally resolving the storyline.

It’s been confirmed that HBO’s The Last of Us won’t begin filming season 3 until as late as 2026, which means it likely won’t air before 2027 since production takes time. Just a reminder, we’re in 2025 already! Even if they started shooting today, it’s not like the old days of 1995 where shows could return quickly after a short break. Instead, fans will have to wait at least two and potentially three years before the show resumes. And when it does, we might first encounter an entirely new narrative with a new protagonist before picking up where we left off in this cliffhanger.

Extremely intense and harsh, this is not just for those with patience but also for those who lack it. Some impatient viewers might end up spoiling the scene for themselves due to their eagerness. Unlike gamers who can revisit a cliffhanger by enjoying the gameplay (for approximately ten hours), answers for the show’s fans are readily available online. It’s far less frustrating for them to find an answer in just seconds, rather than waiting for years.

Adaptations often falter when they stray too far from the exceptional original content that warranted adaptation in the first place. However, television, particularly today’s prestige TV with its prolonged intervals between seasons, is not akin to a video game. It’s an entirely distinct medium with a unique rhythm and user experience. While The Last of Us generally adhered to its source material throughout season two, the cliffhanger was a risky deviation that the show perhaps shouldn’t have taken.

Read More

2025-05-26 05:33