The fifth episode of Season 2 of "The Last of Us" kicks off with Hanrahan grilling Sergeant Park about the pivotal hospital situated within the town. Park recounts the harrowing tale of her son, Leon, who unfortunately succumbed to the Cordyceps virus in the hospital's shadowy basement, compelling her to make the heart-wrenching decision to isolate them both behind a locked door. Recognizing the hospital as an invaluable asset that the WLF cannot afford to relinquish, the higher-ups devise a strategy to rectify the situation, focusing on sealing off the basement access and restricting operations to the upper floors.
As Seattle braces for Day Two, Dina tunes into the crackling radio transmissions, scribbling down whatever information she can decipher while pinpointing the signal's origin. Meanwhile, Ellie, with a playful twist, manages to fire up the generator downstairs, confident that Dina's intel will pave their way into the hospital. In the midst of this, Ellie stumbles upon a concert hall and, in a moment of whimsical defiance despite the perilous world filled with sound-attracted post-apocalyptic monsters and soldiers camping nearby, decides to strike a few chords on the piano. However, her musical interlude is cut short after just a couple of notes, mercifully averting potential disaster.
Dina soon joins her, revealing that she's charted a path through the patrol routes, albeit one that entails traversing a formidable structure shunned by the patrols due to the presence of infected within. They are acutely aware of the risks and proceed with caution. Amidst more light-hearted jibes about Dina's soon-to-arrive bundle of joy, they encounter a grim scene – a pile of corpses accompanied by a chilling graffiti that reads "Feel her love," a hallmark of the Scars' grim handiwork. Ellie ponders whether Dina, now pregnant, should reconsider her involvement and return home, but Dina steadfastly reminds her of their mission, urging them to press ahead undeterred.
The duo silently slips into the building, their footsteps barely audible. Dina whispers urgently to Ellie, reminding her that their best chance for survival lies in fleeing, not engaging in a fight. Ellie nods, albeit momentarily distracted as she inquiries with a tender glance if Dina harbors feelings for her. Yet, the gravity of their situation quickly reasserts itself in the following scene.
Inside the building, Ellie and Dina encounter a cluster of intelligent infected, their prospects looking increasingly grim. Just when all seems lost, Jesse arrives like a knight in shining armor, turning the tide with his prowess. He's accompanied by Tommy but they've split up to cover more territory, planning to reunite at the theater in the morning. It seems Jesse tracked them down because Ellie and Dina had carelessly left their belongings, including the triangulation map, scattered around the theater.
However, their relief is short-lived as WLF soldiers encircle the building, forcing them to scramble for another escape route. The trio dashes into the park, hoping to lose the soldiers in its labyrinthine pathways. Yet, the soldiers don't pursue, sensing a more menacing presence lurking nearby. This presence reveals itself as the Scars, a cult who performs a ritual sacrifice of one of their soldiers in honor of their goddess.
Dina is soon struck by an arrow, her cries piercing the air. Ellie decoys the cultists, buying Dina and Jesse precious time to escape the woods. Meanwhile, Ellie charges through the park, narrowly dodging a soldier with a menacing dog and manages to sneak into the hospital undetected.
Ellie navigates her way to the ward, where she confronts Nora, her eyes burning with urgency. She demands to know Abby's whereabouts, but Nora, agile and clever, eludes her grasp and dashes through the corridors, crying out for assistance. Soldiers open fire, but Ellie remains undeterred, her focus singularly on Nora.
Inside the elevator shaft, the lift plunges to B2, the same area previously sealed off earlier in the episode. Nora descends into this labyrinthine depth, and Ellie follows suit, her ears attuned to Nora's soft coughing. She tracks Nora to her hiding spot, where Nora, in a moment of desperation, reveals the truth about Abby's father and Joel's grim deed.
Ellie persists, her voice a mixture of fury and desperation, demanding to know where Abby is. She strikes Nora's leg with a pipe, the blows unyielding. As the episode draws to a close, the screen flashes back to a tender memory of Joel visiting Ellie in her room, a stark contrast to the violence and betrayal that has unfolded.
