THE LAST OF US Season 2's Latest Episode Features A Big Cameo And Interesting Changes To The Game - SPOILERS

THE LAST OF US Season 2's Latest Episode Features A Big Cameo And Interesting Changes To The Game - SPOILERS

Tonight’s episode of The Last of Us explored Joel and Ellie’s relationship between the events of the first and season seasons, while an unexpected MCU actor shows up in a key role. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - May 18, 2025 10:05 PM EST
Filed Under: Last of Us
Source: GameFragger.com

This article was originally published on GameFragger.com.

The latest episode of The Last of Us, "The Price," opens with a flashback to Joel’s teenage years and an argument with his father (played by Hawkeye and Daredevil: Born Again star Tony Dalton). He regularly beats his sons, but explains to Joel that he's trying to be better than his father by not putting them through what he went through, so that's…something.

Generational trauma is the theme here, with this instalment exploring how the violence inflicted on Joel by his father ultimately passes down to Ellie. 

Before getting there, we find Joel making Ellie a guitar for her birthday. She's burned her arm to hide the bite mark, and a year later, she and Joel celebrate her 16th by visiting a nearby museum where she gets to sit inside a space shuttle (this is pretty much a direct adaptation of what we saw in the game). 

Another year passes, and Ellie is quickly starting to grow up; Joel isn't happy with her taking drugs, getting a tattoo, and having sex, and doesn’t respond as well as he probably should have to learning that she's gay. They somewhat reconcile in the years that follow and go out on patrol together. 

They encounter therapist Gail Lyden's husband. He's been bitten, and Joel and Ellie disagree about how to handle the situation. He placates her by saying they'll take him home to say goodbye to his wife, but Joel shoots and kills him as soon as Ellie is gone. This is the tipping point for the teenager, and she angrily tells Gail what Joel did and figures out that he lied to her about what happened when he “saved” her from the Fireflies at the end of season 1.

They stop speaking, and we're eventually taken back to New Year's Eve and see Joel and Ellie talk on the porch after she returns home. He echoes his father's words about doing better, and while she can’t forgive him, she would like to try. Unfortunately, Ellie never gets a chance, as it’s the next day that Abby murders him. 

There are some differences from the game here, including where certain moments are revealed in the story (the conversation on the porch is saved for the end of The Last of Us Part II) with Gail's husband, and Joel telling Ellie another lie, the main new additions. The amount of time Joel and Ellie don’t speak is also shortened, though these moments still pack a powerful punch and that works better in the context of a TV series. 

The Last of Us season 2's returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria.

Other announced new additions include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

In our The Last of Us season 2 review, we concluded with, "Pedro Pascal is a force to be reckoned with in The Last of Us, and with Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced matching him beat for beat, season 2 is a powerful, rousing triumph that cements this series as the best video game adaptation ever."

What did you think about The Last of Us' latest episode?

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HistoryofMatt
HistoryofMatt - 5/18/2025, 10:15 PM
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PatientXero
PatientXero - 5/18/2025, 10:54 PM
I enjoyed this episode. I watched this with my niece, who is a lot more like a daughter. I’m ok with the Ellie finding out change. The tattoo scene and her arm was dumb.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 5/18/2025, 11:12 PM
The entire aubreddit is bashing the porch scene for it not being saved for the end of the story like in the game, but I haven't played the game and thought the scene was great.
AlexGSpeaks
AlexGSpeaks - 5/19/2025, 1:09 AM
@McMurdo - Given this is the end of the season (just about) and S3 will probably take another year to air, I'd say the porch scene is in the perfect spot.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 5/19/2025, 3:12 AM
@AlexGSpeaks - season 3 is the second half of the Last of Us 2. This season won't culminate in the end of that game.
Waifuslayer2
Waifuslayer2 - 5/18/2025, 11:25 PM
"i'M gOInG TO bE uH dAD?"

This show is trash and Bella is the worst actress working today.
asherman93
asherman93 - 5/18/2025, 11:31 PM
@Waifuslayer2 - She is mid at worst.
Waifuslayer2
Waifuslayer2 - 5/18/2025, 11:36 PM
@asherman93 - you're wrong, but whatever. Her performance and interpretation of the character is laughable. Literally turns the show into a comedy.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 5/18/2025, 11:49 PM
@Waifuslayer2 - Since you’re already upset, you might as well read through this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Ramsey?wprov=sfti1#Awards_and_nominations
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 5/18/2025, 11:54 PM
@Waifuslayer2 -

She's definitely terrible as Ellie, as she has absolutely nothing in common with her game counterpart, both in terms of appearance and personality. She was by far the worst part of season one, so I can't imagine an entire season just focused on her. This show may have been more acceptable to me if it was under a different name inspired by The Last of Us, but this show is no Last of Us.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 5/19/2025, 12:23 AM
I thoroughly enjoyed it. This show just feels so much better to me when Pascal gets to share the screen with Ramsey.
DarthAlgar
DarthAlgar - 5/19/2025, 12:31 AM
I'd wager in 5-10 years Bella Ramsey will be Brad Ramsey if she keeps it up.

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Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 5/19/2025, 1:10 PM
@DarthAlgar - Is that Shane Gillis?
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 5/19/2025, 1:40 AM
Solid episode. Was great to see Pedro back.
LibraMatter
LibraMatter - 5/19/2025, 1:59 AM
It’s weird that people don’t understand that actors are auditioned along with a bunch of other actors and the one that does the best and gives the closest interpretation of the character that fits the vision of the director(of the movie not the game) gets the role? Bella may not look exactly or even close to the video game but this is not the video game. It’s a show based on the video game. There are different scenes and added characters and some people don’t look like the video game. I’m sure they had people who looked exactly like the Ellie in the video game, audition and they just didn’t do well or feel right for the role. Even Pedro doesn’t look exactly like the video game, Joel. As someone who only played very little of Last of Us 1, on PlayStation, maybe I’m just not super precious with the characters. Although, I’m the same way with things I’m super precious about. It’s like comics, different writers will create different interpretations of the same character. Films and tv also change them. It’s not a surprise.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 5/19/2025, 2:44 AM
@LibraMatter - The issue isn't just that she doesn't look like Ellie from the games, she doesn't act anything like her as well. If an actor doesn't look like the character or act like them, then they're pretty much a different character at that point. What's the point of calling her Ellie when she's different in nearly every way possible ?
LibraMatter
LibraMatter - 5/19/2025, 4:46 AM
@TheJok3r - It’s the directors interpretation. Maybe he likes the story of the video game and wants to have the spirit of it and yet have freedom to give her different dimensions. Most adaptations have done this forever. Walking Dead comes to mind. I watched the latest episode of the show and then watched the game comparison of the same scene and was surprised to how close to the feel of the game the show got. It was nuts. Same with the death of Joel.

I had heard how different Ellie is and any clip I have watched, she seems pretty similar. Different voice and look but fairly close in behavior and brattiness. I think the dislike for the character, that a lot of people on here have has helped me. I went in with low expectations and then was pleasantly surprised.
BreakTheCode
BreakTheCode - 5/19/2025, 7:54 AM
@LibraMatter - WB is notorious for recycling actors they’ve already had in house. No doubt in my mind Ramsey got the role because she was already in Game of Thrones.
cheeseburger
cheeseburger - 5/19/2025, 12:25 PM
@LibraMatter - shhhh. Logic doesn’t belong in here
LibraMatter
LibraMatter - 5/19/2025, 3:13 PM
@BreakTheCode - could be. I liked her in Game of Thrones. I can see why they would think she could pull this role off.
LibraMatter
LibraMatter - 5/19/2025, 3:14 PM
@cheeseburger - Yeah, haha, I can see that.
PutinsGooch
PutinsGooch - 5/19/2025, 2:34 AM
JOEL : KID ROCK
ELLIE : GINA CARANO
TOMMY : JORDAN PETERSON
MARIA : MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE
ABBY : MARIA ZAHKAROVA
OWEN : DMITRY PESKOV
MEL : LADY COLIN CAMPBELL
MANNY : RUSSELL BRAND
NORA : ROSEANNE
ISAAC : JON VOIGHT
YARA : JK ROWLING
LEV : KEVIN SORBO
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 5/19/2025, 8:19 AM
@PutinsGooch - Ellie should be played by mr Dump. What a god awful list full of awful human beings.
Ikusa
Ikusa - 5/19/2025, 8:48 AM
@Typhoon20 - Why? Because they don't believe in chicks with dicks and socialism?
SteviesRightFoo
SteviesRightFoo - 5/19/2025, 6:30 AM
Does the little boy that plays Ellie beat up any more lads twice his size and weight in this one?
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 5/19/2025, 8:16 AM
I always thought this series was like a B level zombie story. Never really rated it or its supposedly dramatic elements.
For me Rockstar are the GOATs. Wish we could have gotten a Red Dead Redemption show.

Ok so I watched like a 20 second clip of this show, yes the one where she jokes saying she's a dad. The dad *joke* aside, which was utterly cringe (I'm all about LGBTQ and representation in general but that part was just too much even for me)...This actress' acting holy shit. Might be the worst acting I've seen in a long while. Maybe there's worse out there I just haven't seen it cause I don't watch everything. Like on one hand I feel so bad for this actress, she's just trying to do her job and getting paid for it. I respect her hustle and wish her the best. But man I can't lie to myself, she's an atrocious actor.

HBO is really nosediving lately huh. They used to stand for outstanding quality. Now they're on their way to becoming just another streaming service.
BigDriggs
BigDriggs - 5/19/2025, 1:59 PM
Great episode. Didn't mind the changes from the game. I didn't like how they skipped over the downtown Seattle part, serevana hotel, and Hillcrest.

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