The second episode of The Last of Us season 2 kicks off with a haunting flashback, revealing Abby's heart-wrenching discovery of her father's demise. The poignant glimpses into her past swiftly transition to the present, where Abby and her team stand in awe, overlooking the expansive commune. Far from their expectations of a modest settlement, they behold a bustling, functioning metropolis. The question looms: How will they reach Joel? Breaking in seems an impossible feat, prompting the gang to devise an alternative strategy. Abby proposes ambushing one of the scouting parties, but her suggestion meets with skepticism and covert murmurs among her companions about abandoning the mission, weary of further violence. Oblivious to their discussions, Abby ventures out alone for reconnaissance.
Meanwhile, Ellie is jarred awake by persistent knocking at her door. Jesse stands there, reminding her of the early hour and their patrol duty. After a playful exchange, they venture into town, only to find the townsfolk in a flurry of activity. The community is on high alert; the dead have started exhibiting unexpected intelligence, using corpses as shields in ambushes against patrols.
Ellie, feeling edgy and desiring reassurance, yearns to patrol with Joel, but he's already out with Dina. Left to her own devices, she seeks solace at the diner with Maria. Maria beckons her to the counter, where Seth, looking contrite, offers her a sandwich. Ellie barely acknowledges him, and notably absent is the infamous "bigot sandwich" remark from the game's narrative.
High above, Abby notices two horses nearby and descends cautiously for a closer inspection, only to stumble into an Infected ambush. She races away from a herd of relentless, stampeding creatures. With every fiber of her being, Abby manages to escape to what appears to be an abandoned warehouse district. Just as the Infected close in for the kill, Joel appears out of nowhere, heroically rescuing her at the eleventh hour.
As the Infected close in with relentless determination, Abby urges Joel to accompany her to the mountain, where she and her friends can offer him sanctuary. Without a second thought, Joel, accompanied by Dina, blindly ride along, their trust unquestioned. Elsewhere, a fierce storm rages fiercely outside, compelling Ellie and Jesse to seek refuge in a 7/11 store, now converted into an illicit weed laboratory. Sharing a moment of solace together, they delve into conversations about the Fireflies and the implications of being part of this hidden community.
When Jesse and Ellie realize that Joel and Dina are missing, they hastily rush towards the Copper Mine area, their concern evident. Meanwhile, Jackson comes under siege from a formidable horde of infected descending from the mountain, unleashing chaos. Tommy and the others valiantly strive to fend off the onslaught, but a menacing Bloater breaches the outer defenses, chasing Tommy relentlessly. In a desperate bid for survival, Tommy unleashes a jet of flamethrower fuel at the creature before taking refuge in a corner.
As the Bloater finally succumbs, Tommy draws a handgun from his jacket—one wonders why he didn't use it sooner instead of cowering. With renewed determination, he dashes off to continue the battle. Below, flames rage fiercely, while Joel, Abby, and Dina find themselves perched atop a mountain ridge near the lodge, contemplating returning to lend aid. However, Abby persuades Joel to venture inside to gather blankets and ammunition instead.
Joel and Dina, blinded by recklessness, plunge into Abby's cabin, where Dina finds herself under the barrel of a gun while Joel turns a deaf ear to the unfolding drama, facing away from the assembled group. Suddenly, golfer Abby strides in, her timing impeccable, and sinks a perfect hole-in-one, her golf ball striking Joel with unexpected precision. Dina collapses, unconscious, and Joel is struck in the leg by a bullet. In a swift motion, Abby applies a tourniquet to his wound, her voice trembling as she recounts tales of her father—the very doctor Joel had fatally shot in the head during his daring rescue of Ellie in Season 1.
Joel, growing weary of her monologue, demands she silence herself and focus on the task at hand. Ignoring him, Abby reaches for her golf set and achieves another hole-in-one, this time using her club to repeatedly strike Joel's injured leg. Meanwhile, Ellie, racing towards the lodge with her heart pounding, arrives just in time to witness Joel in a pool of his own blood.
With a brutal finality, Abby plunges a weapon into Joel's neck, extinguishing his life force as she flees the scene. Ellie vows vengeance, swearing to消灭Abby and her entire group, only to be kicked in the stomach, the wind knocked out of her as the remaining members of the group escape, abandoning her to grieve over Joel's lifeless body.
The Jackson gang, having narrowly survived their own ambush, finds solace in their survival. Ellie, accompanied by Jesse and a semi-conscious Dina, is escorted back home, Joel's corpse dragging behind them like a grim reminder of their losses and the battles yet to come.
