Season 2 of The Last of Us ended a few weeks ago. While a season 4 already seems to be in the works, it's season 3 that everyone is waiting for, but perhaps not for the right reasons. Indeed, this second season attracted a lot of criticism, and fans are hoping that the sequel will right the ship. Their hope rests on a specific element that has been sorely lacking until now.
The Last of Us Season 2: The Case of Ellie
Fans of Naughty Dog's video games have noticed that season 2 of The Last of Us has taken some liberties, with several major differences. This is not surprising for an adaptation, as the first season did the same, but certain choices have been strongly criticized. This is particularly the case for changing the game's narrative by revealing Abby's intentions from the beginning, or by directly introducing the Scars. However, the main problem with this second season is Ellie.
In the HBO series, Ellie is a very different character than in the games. She's still on a quest for revenge, but it's treated more lightly, to the point where she sometimes seems to forget her mission. Season 2 clearly seeks to humanize her by constantly justifying her actions with extenuating circumstances or even removing reprehensible actions, which is absolutely not the case in the original material. Unlike the player, the viewer is therefore never swept away by her emotions, nor involved in her journey. Dina, for her part, even seems to take this quest more seriously than Ellie, which is problematic. With this personality change, we can legitimately wonder what will happen to Abby in season 3.
The Last of Us season 3 will have to succeed with Abby
It was recently confirmed that season 3 of The Last of Us will be entirely dedicated to Abby, as it was in the game. She, too, underwent significant changes in season 2. Firstly, physically, since the actress did not adopt the muscular build of the original character, and then on a narrative level, with the stakes being presented in the very first scene of the first episode. Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for the future, although there is still hope.
The show achieved what many fans expected: to make us hate Abby. However, it got a bit muddled in the rest. By lacking nuance and revealing the reasons for her hatred of Joel too early, it spoiled the emotional impact we could have felt for Abby later. Personality-wise, the show almost reversed the roles between Ellie and Abby. In the game, a moment with Owen shows that Abby can be endearing, her rage only truly emerging in Joel's presence. Season 3 will therefore have to redouble its efforts to make us feel empathy for her, while also showing her exploits. It is imperative that she succeeds, otherwise the series risks falling apart.
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