The conclusion of The Last of Us Season 2 brought several questions to the surface while giving viewers more clarity on the personal journeys of its key characters. Unlike the first season, which focused more on survival and emotional bonding, this season placed deeper emphasis on decisions that carried heavy consequences.
It left a lasting impression because of the choices made by both Ellie and Abby, two characters shaped by pain and experience. Their paths were marked by emotional trauma, revenge, and moments of uncertainty, but the way the story closed suggested a turning point for both.
Ellie, who carried the burden of loss and guilt from Season 1, appeared more distant and emotionally isolated as the new season progressed. The end showed how her pursuit of vengeance did not bring her the peace she thought it would.
Abby searches for light after walking through darkness (Photo: The Last of Us Season 2/Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games)
In Abby’s case, her journey away from revenge and toward something resembling hope served as a direct contrast to Ellie’s choices. The final episode left many wondering whether healing is possible when both sides have caused harm.
Ellie’s Journey Toward a Difficult Realisation
Throughout Season 2, Ellie was driven by an emotional need to balance the pain she felt from losing Joel. Her obsession with retaliation consumed her, and this began to eat away at her sense of identity. While she had once been hopeful and full of life, her expressions became colder, her tone more distant, and her purpose narrowed to one task alone.
By the last episode, viewers could see how much she had changed. Her relationship with Dina had already suffered, and the farmhouse scene reminded everyone that peace remained just out of reach.
Even when she had the chance to rebuild, her need to pursue Abby pulled her away from that possibility. The conclusion brought her to a quiet but emotional point. She chose to walk away from Abby when she had the chance to end her. That choice did not bring closure but marked a change in her mindset.
Abby’s Transition from Vengeance to Something Else
Abby started off the season with the same thirst for revenge that Ellie carried. After the death of her father, which occurred in the first season, Abby’s sole mission was to make Joel pay.
She did exactly that, but as time went on, the satisfaction faded. The more she interacted with characters like Lev, the clearer it became that she wanted to leave the violence behind.
Her connection with Lev became the most important part of her character arc. Lev offered a chance at starting again, free from the cycles of revenge and bloodshed that had shaped Abby’s choices.
By the final scenes of the season, Abby had been captured, tortured, and weakened, but she had not lost her humanity. Her decision not to fight Ellie during their final encounter was a reflection of her desire to stop the cycle of violence.
The Final Confrontation: A Moment of Reflection
The fight between Ellie and Abby in the water was filled with pain, regret, and desperation. It was not a moment of action but one of emotional weight. Ellie’s hands trembled, her face marked by hesitation. She could have ended it all right there, but the memory of Joel at peace on the porch returned to her.
That memory, brief but full of meaning, changed her mind. Letting Abby live did not erase what had happened, but it stopped Ellie from becoming someone she could no longer recognise.
Her fingers, already missing two due to injuries, could no longer play the guitar—another reminder that she had lost more than she had gained from the pursuit of revenge.
Dina’s Silence and What It Suggests
Ellie returned to the farmhouse only to discover that Dina and the baby were gone. The emptiness of that home reflected the damage her actions had caused to her personal life. Dina had warned her, asked her to stay, and when Ellie chose otherwise, that relationship broke down.
Her decision to leave again meant that Dina had no choice but to protect herself and her child. That silence spoke volumes. Dina’s absence in the final moments of the season was not just physical. It highlighted the emotional separation that had grown between them.
Joel’s Presence Even in Death
Even though Joel was gone, his presence remained throughout the season. Through flashbacks, viewers saw the complicated but heartfelt bond he shared with Ellie. He had lied to protect her, a decision that created distance between them, but also deep love. The memory that returned to Ellie at the river was of a time when they spoke quietly about forgiveness.
This conversation, where Ellie told Joel she wanted to try to forgive him, played a major role in her final decision to walk away from Abby. That moment showed that Joel’s influence remained strong. It was no longer about taking revenge for him but learning to carry his memory without more bloodshed.
Themes of Memory, Grief, and Redemption
The season reflected how personal grief can take different forms. For Ellie, the weight of Joel’s loss pushed her toward anger and revenge.
The final choice speaks louder than any battle ever could (Photo: The Last of Us Season 2/Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games)
For Abby, it began the same way but gradually changed into a desire to care for someone else. Lev gave Abby a new purpose, while Ellie’s loss of Dina reminded her of the cost of choosing vengeance over love.
Both women faced difficult situations, but their decisions led them down different paths. By the final scene, Ellie had walked away from both revenge and her old life. Whether she would ever return to Jackson or reconnect with Dina remained unclear. Her journey had brought her to a place of quiet reflection.
The Guitar Scene and Its Meaning
When Ellie tried to play the guitar one last time, her fingers failed her. This moment was deeply symbolic. It showed how much she had lost—Joel, Dina, her fingers, and a part of herself. That guitar represented her connection to Joel, and now, even that had slipped from her reach.
She left the guitar behind and walked away. This was not a victorious moment but one filled with sorrow. The silence in the final minutes said more than words ever could. Ellie’s next steps were unknown, but it was clear that she could no longer return to who she once was.
What the Ending Suggests for the Future
With both main characters choosing to step away from violence, there is space for a different kind of journey in the next season. Ellie may try to rebuild, or she might continue moving from place to place without a clear goal. Abby and Lev could find the Fireflies and begin again, though nothing is certain.
This season brought emotional weight and decisions that left lasting marks. It asked hard questions about justice, loyalty, and the cost of holding on to pain. While the story provided some answers, it also left room for the characters to continue their journeys, shaped by their past but no longer ruled by it.
For those who have not seen it or wish to watch again with fresh understanding, The Last of Us Season 2 is available for streaming on HBO Max in the United States.
The final moments of Stranger Things Season 4 brought several intense developments that left viewers with many questions. After a series filled with emotional turns, brutal battles, and deeper looks into character pasts, the last episode tied together many threads while creating new ones for future episodes.
The story moved between Hawkins, Nevada, and the Upside Down, as the group of teenagers fought against the growing threat of Vecna, whose reach continued to expand. The events leading to the end of the season saw the characters facing dangers on multiple fronts.
Creel House becomes ground zero for fear and fire (Photo: Stranger Things/21 Laps Entertainment and Monkey Massacre Productions)
While Eleven tried to regain her powers in the secret facility where Dr Brenner took her, the others in Hawkins were drawing up plans to confront Vecna directly.
These storylines ran parallel but were deeply connected, and the final episode showed how each group’s actions affected the rest. The pace remained tense, and the risk of losing main characters stayed present until the last scene.
The season’s emotional weight increased as relationships faced pressure. Max, who had been dealing with grief from the previous season, played a major part in the fight. Her scenes with Lucas showed how the stress of their world was affecting them personally.
Meanwhile, Hopper’s journey in the Russian prison added a different kind of danger and revealed how far Joyce was willing to go to save him. Each story brought a different form of struggle, and the result was a tense and moving build-up.
The Fight at Creel House and Vecna’s Plan
The central plan involved luring Vecna into exposing himself while attacking Max, who he had marked earlier in the season. The Hawkins group believed Max could act as bait, giving them a chance to stop him.
As Max volunteered, the tension rose. While she allowed herself to be vulnerable to Vecna, the others fought their way into the Upside Down version of Creel House to launch their own attack.
Things took a darker turn when Vecna managed to overpower Max despite her efforts and the group’s attempts to stop him. Eleven, using her reawakened powers, entered Max’s mind to try to stop Vecna from completing his plan.
Although she tried to fight him off, the damage had already started. Vecna succeeded in opening gates between the Upside Down and Hawkins by causing Max to die briefly, completing the fourth death needed to break the boundary.
The Hawkins team failed to kill Vecna completely, and even though they set him on fire and pushed him out a window, his body was missing when they looked for it. The fight appeared to slow him down, but it did not end him. The repercussion of the battle left Max in a coma, barely alive, with Lucas by her side, shaken and heartbroken.
Eleven’s Powers Return but the Cost Is High
Throughout the season, Eleven struggled with her powers. She began in a weakened state, living with the Byers family in California and facing bullying at school. But the return of Dr Brenner and the experimental sessions helped her reconnect with her past and understand how her powers first developed. The flashbacks also revealed more about Henry Creel, who became Vecna, and how Eleven once banished him to the Upside Down.
By the time she regained her powers, the danger to her friends was too severe to ignore. She left the facility, went against Brenner’s wishes, and headed back to try to help. Her mental connection with Max and Vecna during the final fight showed how strong her abilities had become again. Yet, this return came too late to stop the major damage.
After Max’s near-death, Eleven attempted to save her by using her powers in a different way. She reached into Max’s mind and heart to bring her back, but Max remained unresponsive. This moment left many wondering whether Max would return fully or remain trapped in her current condition.
Hawkins Falls into Chaos
Once Vecna completed his plan, the gates from the Upside Down destructively broke through Hawkins. A massive fissure opened in the town, tearing through streets and buildings, killing several people, and causing residents to flee. The town authorities labeled it as an earthquake, but those close to the truth knew what really happened.
Hawkins teens fight monsters while carrying their scars (Photo: Stranger Things/21 Laps Entertainment and Monkey Massacre Productions)
In the final moments, the group reunited in Hawkins. Joyce and Hopper returned with Murray, and there was a brief moment of joy as Eleven and Hopper embraced. But their happiness was short-lived, as it became clear that the town had changed forever. Dark clouds began to form, and the Upside Down started leaking into Hawkins.
The sky turned grey, plants began to rot, and people sensed that something was wrong. Will, who had always shared a connection with the Upside Down, confirmed that Vecna was still present. He could feel him nearby, stronger than before. The season ended with the group standing together and facing the storm rolling in over their town.
Character Growth and Emotional Moments
This season allowed deeper focus on characters who had been more in the background before. Eddie Munson became a fan favourite with his loyalty and bravery. His decision to stay behind and protect the group cost him his life, and Dustin’s reaction to Eddie’s death showed how deeply connected they had become in a short time.
Steve and Nancy, who had grown closer again, found themselves questioning their feelings while trying to protect others. Robin also developed confidence, moving from anxious to brave, especially in scenes where she worked alongside Nancy. These character developments gave more weight to the season’s dramatic moments and added emotional depth.
The show balanced action and emotion in a way that kept viewers invested. Scenes of friendship, sacrifice, and tension came together to paint a bigger picture. Each person had something to lose, and this season reminded the audience that no one was completely safe.
The final scenes prepared the stage for the next chapter. Hawkins is now facing a danger more visible than ever. The group may have delayed Vecna’s goals, but they did not destroy him. Eleven’s powers have returned, but whether they will be enough remains to be seen. Max’s future is still uncertain, and the group’s unity will be tested again.
Questions about Vecna’s connection to the Mind Flayer, and how the Upside Down first came to exist, are still unanswered. Season 5 is likely to deal with the final battle and could bring closure to the long-running fight between the Upside Down and the real world.
