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The finale of The Last of Us season 2 is almost upon us - and things just keep getting more and more heartbreaking.
The Last of Us season 2 adapts the dense, harrowing story of The Last of Us Part 2 - which is nearly 40 hours of gameplay and has not one, but two complex storylines that are jampacked with grief, heartache, and so much violence and gore. Because of this, there's a plethora of changes between the show and the game in order to make the story digestible for the small screen - and we've rounded them all up so you don't have to go replaying or Google-searching. Scroll on down for the biggest changes between The Last of Us season 2 and The Last of US Part 2 video game.
We flashback to Joel and Tommy's father - who isn't in the games
Episode 6 introduces a brand new character that isn't in the games - but is vital to Joel and Tommy nonetheless.
In the scene, Joel is worried about Tommy getting hit by their dad, so he decides to take the wrap for whatever bad thing Tommy did. This doesn't work, however, as Joel Sr. (played by Tony Dalton), a cop, enters the home and immediately knows that it was Tommy who bought drugs and Joel who beat up the guys that Tommy was buying from. Joel warns that he won't let his dad hurt Tommy, but Joel Sr. responds with a story about his own father breaking his jaw for stealing a candy bar. Joel asks him why he hits his sons now if he knows what it feels like, and his dad responds that he would never take it that far. "When it's your turn," he tells Joel. "I hope you do a little better than me."
It's likely that Joel and Tommy's father was added to the show to give a little perspective as to how and why Joel acts the way he does - and it's possible that we may see him in another flashback later on.
Eugene dies on screen and in a completely different way
In the game, Eugene is a character who is mentioned but is never actually shown on screen. We know from conversation that Eugene was a Firefly who was partnered with Tommy, and abandoned his wife and child to become one. After settling in Jackson, he takes Dina out on patrol, and the two become close, though she refers to him as a "lonely man." While on patrol, Ellie and Dina remark that he died at 73 from a stroke. Later, on their quest to find Abby, they take shelter in an abandoned library and find some of his belongings, including his Firefly pendant. (This may very well be the Firefly pendant that Ellie picks up for a second in episode 5).
In the TV show, Eugene is the husband of Jackson's local therapist Gail. While Joel and Ellie are out on patrol, they get radioed about an emergency and find Eugene alone in the forest, having been bitten by an infected. Joel moves to kill him on sight, but he asks to see his wife one last time - and Ellie insists that they have time. While on the way back to Jackson, however, Eugene gradually starts to become worse. Joel, fearing that he could turn at any moment, shoots him dead - an devastates Ellie. Joel lies to Gail about his manner of death, saying that he shot himself, but Ellie quickly tells Gail that this is a lie.
Ellie finds out what Joel did in Salt Lake in a completely different way - and has a different reaction
Halfway through the episode, in a flashback, Ellie is sitting on her bed planning to ask Joel what happened in Salt Lake City. She has a list of questions that poke holes in each of Joel's lies. Instead of asking him, however, she gets nervous and is blindsided by his offer to take her out on patrol for her birthday. She still thinks about it while on patrol, but what happens with Eugene is enough to make her stop talking to him again.
Shortly before Joel's death and after the conflict at the barn party, Ellie finally learns the truth. She asks what happened in Salt Lake City, and he tells her that the only way to make the cure was to kill her - so he saved her. Upset, Ellie says that was her purpose - and took that from her. Joel replies, "I love you in a way that you don't understand" and Ellie says that she doesn't know how she can forgive him, but that she'd like to try.
In the game, we flashback two years prior to Ellie deciding to explore Saint Mary's Hospital - where she was taken to by the Fireflies to be operated on in order for them to find a cure for the Cordyceps virus. While exploring the hospital, she finds a tape recorder that plays a conversation between the fireflies about Ellie's immunity and making a cure. In the recording, a woman's voice says that it doesn't matter if they find someone else who is immune, because the only person capable of making a vaccine is dead. Joel, who was out searching for Ellie, finally catches up to her - and she asks him to tell her the truth. Joel tells her that making a vaccine would've killed her, so he "stopped them." Ellie immediately breaks down and says that she'll go back to Jackson, but she and him are done. This is the player's explanation for why Ellie and Joel were at odds, and answers the question as to whether Ellie ever knew the truth before Joel's death.
The Last of Us airs on Sundays in the US on HBO and Max, before landing on Sky and NOW in the UK the following day. Ensure you don't miss an episode with our guide to The Last of Us season 2 release schedule.
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