Fans of the HBO show The Last of Us will never forget the heartbreaking scene in Season 2, Episode 2. The episode shows why Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever), plays by Kaitlyn Dever, does the horrible things she does to Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal). This article keeps things simple and clear by explaining what happened to Abby, whether she’s alive or dead, and who killed Joel so violently.
A Dream of Vengeance
In the beginning of the episode, Abby is stuck in a bad dream while sleeping in a lodge close to Jackson. At the Firefly hospital in Salt Lake City, she sees two different versions of herself in it. Two Abbys try to keep one from going into a room where “his brains are on the floor.” This dream gives us a hint about her inner conflict and the trauma from her past, which sets the stage for what she does later in the episode.
Abby wakes up with her team around her. They used to be Fireflies and are now part of the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.). They are checking out Jackson, a fortified town, and see that it has a lot of guns. Abby, on the other hand, is determined to get back at Joel. Abby’s teammates are cautious, but she has only one goal in mind: she wants Joel dead no matter what.
Abby’s Solo Mission
Abby doesn’t follow her team’s plan and goes into the snowy wilderness by herself. Owen (Spencer Lord), her teammate, tries to get her to give up on her quest by telling her that their group could die if they go after Jackson. This won’t change Abby’s mind, though. When infected people hiding in the snow surprise her, her journey takes a dangerous turn. These exciting scenes remind us of how dangerous the infected are all the time, just like the intense action in Season 1.
Just when it looks like Abby might not make it, Joel shows up and saves her. He takes her to a nearby building where Isabela Merced’s character Dina is waiting. Abby suggests going to the lodge where her team is stationed to get away from the infected. This choice sets the stage for the sad ending of the episode.
Jackson Under Threat
In Jackson, on the other hand, everyone is very alert. They found a pile of frozen infected bodies with 30 living infected people under them. This made people worry that there may be more hidden threats. As Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Jesse (Young Mazino) walk along the path, they learn about this danger. She also talks about her troubled relationship with Joel, saying that it’s “complicated” but that they will never break up.
As it starts to snow, Tommy (Gabriel Luna) tells the patrol to go back to Jackson. Jesse suggests that they hide out in a building that Eugene uses for his weed farm. Maria (Rutina Wesley), however, doesn’t like this idea. In Jackson, people are getting ready for a possible attack. The young and old are being told to stay inside, while others climb to the roofs armed and ready.
The Confrontation at the Lodge
Abby, Dina, and Joel get to the lodge, where Abby’s team is already there. Joel, who doesn’t know what Abby is up to, tells everyone that they’ll be leaving in three minutes to help Jackson, which is now being attacked by infected. But Abby has something else in mind. She says she knows who Joel is, and Dina notices the W.L.F. wolf patches on Abby’s gear, which are a sign of her Firefly ties. Dina is put under a drug and knocked out before she can do anything.
Abby confronts Joel and asks him to tell her the truth about where he saw the Fireflies last. Joel says that the place where he saved Ellie’s life was Salt Lake City. “What life?” is Abby’s scary answer. She shoots Joel in the leg, which shows what her real goal is. Jerry Anderson was her father and the Firefly doctor. Joel also killed 18 soldiers and other people in the hospital. Abby was 19 years old when she saw her father die, and the pain of it has made her want to get even ever since.
The Brutal Death of Joel
That’s how cruel Abby’s anger is. She hits Joel with a golf club and then punches him over and over while tears run down her face. In spite of being taught not to kill people who aren’t hurt, she tells him she will make an exception for Joel. If Ellie gets to the lodge by then, Joel is barely alive and covered in blood. While she is still very angry, Abby stabs Joel in the neck with a broken golf club.
Ellie is held back by Abby’s team and can only look on in horror. “I’m going to kill you!” she screams. Her voice broke with sadness as she said, “You’re all going to f—king die.” The mission is over for Abby and her team so they leave the lodge. She crawls up to Joel’s body, pulls the golf club off his neck and cries on him while resting her head on him. At the end of the episode, Ellie, Dina and Jesse ride back to Jackson while pulling Joel’s body behind them.
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Why did Abby kill Joel?
Abby does what she does because she lost her father, Jerry Anderson, who was the Firefly doctor that Joel killed in Salt Lake City. In the show, Jerry died because Joel chose to save Ellie from the Fireflies’ plan, which broke Abby’s heart. Because she is sad and angry, she wants to find Joel and kill him in the worst way possible. The golf club, which is a weapon from the video game, represents her pain as she causes Joel the same pain she’s been feeling since her father died.
This act of revenge isn’t just about a personal loss; it has to do with Season 2’s main themes, which are violence, revenge, and the cycles that they create. In some ways, Abby’s story is like Joel’s. Both are motivated by love and loss, but the choices they make have terrible results. Fans may be sad about Joel’s death, but Abby’s point of view shows how expensive revenge can be, which is likely something the show will explore more.
Abby’s future is uncertain now that she has lived. Ellie’s promise to find her sets the stage for them to run into each other. The show might go into more detail about Abby’s past, showing her time with the Fireflies and her relationship with her dad. As the season goes on, Abby may have to deal with the consequences of her actions, especially since Ellie is out to get her own back.
In Canada, you can watch Season 2 of The Last of Us on Crave. In the US, you can watch it on HBO or Max. With a total of seven episodes, the show continues to deliver intense drama and moments that viewers will never forget.
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