Episode 4 of Season 2 of "The Last of Us" unfolds in the Seattle Quarantine Zone, the calendar flipping to 2018. A contingent of Fedra soldiers marches out, their lips curling into sneers as they refer to the civilians as "voters"—a mocking reminder of the rights they've stripped away. Leading this ruthless pack is Isaac, whose watchful eye oversees a tense confrontation on the road. Emerging from the shadows is a disorderly mob: the WLF rebels, helmed by a fierce woman named Hanrahan.
After a brief exchange of identities, Isaac springs into action, hurling a hail of grenades into a police van and slamming the doors shut. The sole soldier he spares is a man who harbors doubts about the morality of authoritarian rule; he stands alongside Isaac, both now aligned with the rebel cause.
Switching to our present timeline, Dina and Ellie embark on a scavenger hunt for resources. Dina stumbles upon something she keeps from Ellie—pregnancy tests, which we later uncover. Together, they venture deeper into Seattle, their curiosity piqued by the rainbow flags and the Pride mural adorning a wall.
The duo discovers a satellite perched atop a building, graffiti reading "WLF" tagging it. Ellie's instinct is to charge in with guns blazing, but Dina reins her in. Such reckless bravado would be suicidal. Instead, they devise a plan to wait in a record store until darkness falls, then creep inside.
While waiting, Ellie's fingers dance over a guitar strings, and she breaks into a rendition of "Take On Me," her voice weaving a spell that brings Dina to tears. This tender moment serves as the calm before the tempest, for once inside, they encounter a grim tableau: bodies strewn about, the walls smeared with blood and the chilling message "Feel her love"—a grim hallmark of the Scars.
WLF guards soon arrive, their footsteps echoing through the room, oblivious to Ellie and Dina's presence. Ellie stealthily ascends to the second floor, while Dina remains hidden, choking a guard unconscious. Dina catches up with Ellie, and the duo dashes into the transit tunnels, dispatching another soldier before squeezing through a narrow gap, narrowly escaping capture.
Meanwhile, Isaac initiates an intense interrogation of one of the cultists from the previous episode, presumably the sole survivor of the grim forest massacre. The captive, stripped bare and shackled to the wall, endures excruciating torment with a scalding hot frying pan pressed against his flesh, as Isaac relentlessly pursues the answer to where the Scars intend to strike next. The fragile truce between these adversarial factions has shattered, though the exact catalyst remains obscured. The conversation descends into a forbidden territory—the mutual atrocity of children being slain by both sides—irrevocably dashing any hopes of collaboration between them.
Elsewhere, Dina and Ellie find themselves in a perilous pursuit by soldiers as they plunge into the labyrinthine subway tunnels. The soldiers' boisterous advance and the detonation of flares incite a fray of infected creatures, affording our duo a narrow window of escape through the tunnels and into the refuge of an abandoned hotel. Dina's heart races when she discovers Ellie's bite wound, fearing the worst until Ellie confides in her immunity. Trust established, and with Ellie allowed to rest, Dina reveals a personal secret—her pregnancy. With this new revelation unveiled, their passions ignite, and they embark on an impromptu and fervent embrace, culminating in an intimate union sprawled across the hotel floor. In the throes of passion, Dina opens up about her bisexuality and acknowledges her affection for Ellie, while acknowledging that Jesse, though liked, is not her soulmate. Ellie, stepping into the breach, decides to embark on co-parenting with Dina.
Their conversation is abruptly interrupted by a crackling message over their walkie-talkie, alerting them to the proximity of the WLF. The distant rumble of an explosion and gunshots pinpoint the location of Abby's group. Yet, unwavering in her loyalty, Dina vows to stand by Ellie's side as they boldly confront whatever challenges lie ahead, united in their determination.
