The seventh episode of "The Last of Us" Season 2 kicks off right back at the hotel, where Jesse is seen valiantly attempting to assist Dina, who is in a state of sheer panic after being struck by an arrow. With a steady hand and soothing words, Jesse manages to quell her fears and eventually extracts the arrow from her wound. Notably, Dina declines his offer of alcohol to ease the pain, preferring to soldier through it.
As she recuperates in one of the rooms, Ellie bursts in through the main door, her knocks resonating with urgency. She ignores Jesse entirely and rushes up to see Dina, her gaze falling upon the scratches and grazes adorning Dina's back. With tender care, Dina aids in cleaning her wounds, providing a moment of respite. However, Ellie can't help but bring up Nora's death, recounting how effortlessly she coerced the girl into talking. Though Ellie didn't physically end Nora's life, she allowed the infection to take its natural course.
Ellie delves further into the past, discussing the hospital incident and addressing the deviations from the game's narrative regarding the cure for Ellie – a detail never explicitly disclosed in the show, with audio tapes hinting at the Fireflies' previous, failed experiments on immunes. She also revisits why Abby initially sought out Joel.
Upon hearing these revelations, Dina decides that it's time to return home. It's now Day Three in Seattle, and as Dina presents Ellie with a bracelet for good luck, Jesse and Ellie prepare to rendezvous with Tommy at a nearby bookstore, their designated meeting point. Along the way, Jesse reveals that he knows Dina is pregnant, quickly clarifying that Ellie is in no way the father – it's him. He vows to survive this ordeal and ensure his child's safety.
As they make their way to the bookstore, the duo stumbles upon a cultist being hunted down by the WLF. Ellie, for some inexplicable reason, is inclined to intervene, but Jesse manages to talk her out of it, highlighting the escalating war between the two factions. The WLF, heavily reliant on Abby as their future leader and a natural commander, finds itself in a precarious position given her current absence.
At the cozy confines of the bookstore, Jesse confessionally unveiled his affection for Dina, yet admitted it paled in comparison to the bond Ellie and Dina shared. Just then, the radio burst to life with urgent news of a nearby sniper, presumed to be Tommy, though Ellie's mind was laser-focused on pursuing Abby. Through a storm of bitter recounts and emotional manipulation, Jesse was guilt-tripped into abandoning any notion of aiding the Seraphite child, and the duo parted ways amidst the weight of communal shortcomings.
Ellie set her sights on the dock, seizing a boat and boldly steering towards the pier. Little did she foresee the treacherous weather (or perhaps, the narrative's oversight) that would soon engulf her in a towering wave. Though tossed ashore, she found herself surrounded and swiftly apprehended by the Seraphites. They dragged her into the depths of the woods, where a grim noose awaited, suspended and ready for its grim duty. Ellie fought with all her might, yet her efforts proved futile. At the brink of her demise, distant alarms blared, prompting the Seraphites to abandon their grim task and flee.
As they scattered, Ellie scrambled back to the shore, where, as if by fate's design, a sturdy boat beckoned her onward journey. Beyond the horizon, a village blazed, signaling some catastrophic event. Ellie reached the pier and ventured into the aquarium, encountering Owen, who instinctively reached for his firearm. In a heart-stopping instant, Ellie's trigger finger responded, leading to a tragic double fatality. It transpired that Mel, now heavily pregnant, whispered her final words before succumbing to fate.
Tommy eventually caught up with Ellie, a broken soul barely clinging to sanity. The beleaguered trio retreated to the theater, devising an escape route from Seattle's clutches. However, their hopes were dashed when Abby appeared, swiftly ending Jesse's life with a precision shot to the head. With Tommy at her mercy and the gun now trained on Ellie, Abby pulled the trigger.
The narrative then flashed back three days, revealing Abby's collapse on a sofa. Isaac's urgent summons revealed their location: Seattle, within the Seahawks stadium, now a fortified WLF base, poised for the drama of Season 3.
