After the shattering loss that closed last week’s episode, The Last of Us returns with a world that feels hollow, colder, and much more dangerous. Joel’s absence isn’t just felt — it screams through every empty hallway, every strained conversation, and every desperate move. Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, stands at the center of it all, left to navigate the wreckage of her heart while the world outside keeps spinning, uncaring and relentless.
In “Season 2, Episode 3, The Path” the story doesn’t slow down to mourn — it barrels forward, forcing Ellie to choose between standing still and being consumed by her grief or moving into the unknown with vengeance burning in her chest. Alongside her, Dina (played by Isabela Merced) steps up, offering not just companionship, but a roadmap for survival. As new enemies loom on the horizon and old wounds rip open wider, Ellie’s world reshapes itself into something sharper, more dangerous, and far less forgiving.
Let’s walk through every moment that defines this powerful episode.
THE FINAL FAREWELL
Inside the walls of Jackson, grief hangs heavy in the air. Joel’s body lies cold, prepared for burial. Tommy (played by Gabriel Luna) quietly steps into the room where Joel rests. With slow, deliberate movements, he uncovers his brother’s face — though the camera spares us the full view of Joel’s lifeless features, the heartbreak in Tommy’s eyes tells us everything.
Tommy gently cleans Joel’s face, pausing when he notices the broken watch — a symbol of time stopped, a life unfinished. Whispering, “Give Sarah my love,” Tommy says goodbye to his brother. As the camera pans out, it reveals a grim scene: the morgue filled with rows of bodies, the aftermath of the horde attack still raw and devastating.
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ELLIE’S AWAKENING
Far away in the hospital, Ellie regains consciousness. Memory floods back all at once — Joel’s death, the hopeless battle — and she erupts in raw screams of agony. Medical staff rush to sedate her, but the damage isn’t something that can be numbed away.
Three months pass. Jackson stitches itself back together. The hospital walls that once held Ellie captive are now ready to release her, but only if she speaks to Gail (portrayed by Catherine O’Hara). In a sterile, forced conversation, Ellie says all the right things: yes, she misses Joel; yes, she’s sad. But her words fall flat, mechanical, hollow. Gail sees through her act but still signs off her release. The truth is simple: Ellie is physically healed, but the real wounds lie much deeper.
THE EMPTINESS OF HOME
Joel’s house, once filled with life, now echoes with silence. Ellie wanders through the familiar rooms, each corner reminding her of him. She picks up Joel’s gun, tucks it into her waistband, and moves toward the closet. His clothes still hang there, untouched. Ellie runs her fingers over the fabric, finally allowing herself to break down, burying her face in the sleeve of his shirt, clutching the remnants of a man she loved like a father.
Downstairs, Dina arrives, bringing cookies and uncomfortable truths. She admits she lied during Ellie’s recovery — she does know the names of Joel’s killers and where they are headed. Ellie’s anger is swift and fierce, but Dina matches it with honesty: acting too soon would have cost them their lives. As tears threaten Dina’s own composure, she reminds Ellie that Joel mattered to her too. Their shared pain finally bridges the distance between them.
A PLAN TAKES SHAPE
Dina reveals what she knows: among the attackers are Abby, Manny, Owen, Nora, and Mel. One of them bore the insignia of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), a militant group resisting FEDRA in Seattle. Though hesitant, Dina sees no choice but to support Ellie — but they need more than anger. They need a real plan.
Together, they approach Tommy. Ellie expects him to jump at the chance for revenge. Instead, Tommy hesitates. He reminds Ellie that Joel carried his guilt like armor, not vengeance. Sometimes, the people you love don’t need saving — they need mourning. Tommy promises to back Ellie if she brings it to the town council, but he also gently offers her something more personal: Joel’s grave, resting quietly ten miles south of Jackson.
NEW THREATS IN THE WILD
Beyond Jackson’s safety, danger stirs. A group of nomads trudges through the forest, marked by their scarred faces and the crude fish symbols on their clothes. Men with shaved heads, women with braided hair, even children bear the brutal marks of their faction’s culture. They speak in whispers of a long-dead prophet and a world of demons and wolves.
When danger whistles through the trees, they scatter, hiding from an unseen threat. “Wolves,” one man mutters to his daughter — not the beasts of nature, but something far worse. A new faction is rising in the chaos, promising violence ahead.
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THE COUNCIL’S DECISION
The night of the town meeting arrives. Ellie stands before Jackson’s people, making her case. Emotions are high. Some plead for mercy, wanting to distance themselves from the bloodthirsty past. Others, like Seth (played by Robert John Burke), call for swift justice, warning that forgiveness only invites more death.
When her turn comes, Ellie reads from a letter Jesse helped her write. Her voice trembles but doesn’t break. She doesn’t speak of revenge — she demands justice. She begs Jackson not to become victims. Tears shimmer in her eyes, but the council votes 8-3 against her.
The town wants to heal. Ellie wants to fight.
A SECRET ESCAPE
Later that night, Ellie readies to leave alone. Plans sketched in her mind, weapons packed tightly. But before she can slip away, Dina arrives, catching her in the act. Rather than stop her, Dina offers a better way.
They’ll go together.
Dina has already secured supplies and even convinced Seth to help them. In a moment of quiet solidarity, Seth hands over a better gun, swapping it for Ellie’s. It’s not forgiveness, but it’s something.
At sunrise, Ellie visits Joel’s grave. She leaves behind coffee beans — a simple, fitting tribute. Then, without a word, she mounts Shimmer, the horse she and Dina will ride, and sets off toward Seattle.
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DANGERS ON THE ROAD
The journey is slow and harsh. Rain pours down as they make camp under an outcropping. As they settle in for the night, a lingering tension surfaces. Dina brings up the kiss they shared at the dance — an awkward, sweet memory blurred by pain. Ellie shrugs it off, joking that it was a “six out of ten,” but Dina, voice soft in the darkness, clarifies: she wasn’t that high.
Morning brings a grim discovery. Ten miles outside Seattle, they find the corpse of one of the scarred nomads. His back is riddled with bullet wounds, and he wears the familiar fish symbol. Dina investigates deeper into the woods — and what she finds is so horrific she vomits on the spot.
HORROR IN THE FOREST
Ellie follows Dina to find the source of her horror: the trees are filled with hanging bodies, mutilated and left as warnings. The wolves — the WLF — have marked their territory.
There’s no more illusion. The road ahead is soaked in blood, and there will be no safe arrival.
Ellie looks toward Seattle with steel in her eyes. Joel’s death demands more than sorrow. It demands action.
Their journey has truly begun.
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