The Last of Us – Through the Valley review S2 E2
Through the Valley felt like one of those defining episodes of the series fans will reference for many years to come. It was all around excellent TV that ranks right alongside the best episodes of zeitgeist action/drama shows like Lost, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. For fans who haven’t played The Last of Us Part II (available now on Amazon), this episode was full of amazing moments culminating in an unforgettable final act.
Look for this episode to be a major player for Emmy and any other TV awards.
It’s January 2 and winter is not only coming — it’s here. Tommy assembles the Jackson community for a breakdown of current events some might have forgotten in all of the New Year’s Eve revelry. A patrol found 30 infected hiding under the snow under their own. Clearly, they’re getting smarter. Thankfully Tommy is no idiot and doesn’t wait for more red flags before sounding the alarm. He goes over emergency procedures and siege defense tactics.
If Through the Valley did nothing else, it succeeded for simply having a community leader take the initiative and be proactive in defense. There was no waiting around for things to get worse and more community members turned up dead. This approach would save countless lives.
Jesse partners with Ellie, who is hungover and isn’t in love with the idea of going with Jackson’s Captain America/future leader. Ellie would rather go with Joel, but he already left with Dina since he wanted Ellie to have more time to sleep in.
Before they go, Maria brings Ellie over to Seth to make sure he apologizes — however begrudgingly — for his hateful remarks the previous night. See? A community can actively hold members accountable for their ugly actions without the world shattering. Hmmn, about that…
Abby and her crew are amazed to see Jackson is a whole community. They got a glimpse last night and have holed up in a lodge in the distance. It’s her turn to observe and Abby fights back the bitter cold to check things out.
A massive snowstorm rolls in prompting Tommy to call all the patrols back in. Jesse and Ellie can’t make it back in time and hole up at small business district complete with a 7-Eleven that Eugene made over into a weed factory. Yes, the same Eugene that Joel killed earlier and whose wife, is still angry at him for taking down. Jesse said it was a bad deal what happened, but Joel had to take Eugene down. This backstory is very intriguing.
When they learn Joel hasn’t responded to the check-in, Ellie and Jesse immediately head out. Credit to Jesse for not bothering to waste time trying to talk sense into Ellie about waiting out the storm.
Abby tries scaling down a mountain for a better look and ends up triggering infected lying in wait under the snow. In this case, she unleashes a murderous avalanche. She manages to make it to another area with a large fence. Under the onslaught of the infected it barely holds.
Things are looking bleak for Abby until a gunshot saves her life. The man that pulled the trigger, ironically was Joel. He knows how dire the situation is with these infected, but they can’t make it in time. Abby suggests the lodge and Joel and Dina head up the mountain to some form of “safety.”
As they ride, the Jackson watchtowers notice the large surge of infected on their way. Good thing they’re ready for them. By ready, it’s a full-on oil cans to catapult into the distance, a plan for the senior citizens and children, snipers on rooftops, trucks barricading the main gate and flame throwers. If the infected get through the valley of the Jackson defenses, it won’t be easy.
Even then, the horde of infected is insane. Through the Valley has the intensity and crazy action of GOT’s Hardhome, which in many ways felt like a fight scene equal to any blockbuster effort. This battle is every bit as good with the added bonus of so many different layers of the fight.
Tommy spots a bloater, which has the potential to wreck the defense plans and warns the snipers to prepare for a breach. The breach sequence is incredible. Director Mark Mylod (The Menu) stages a chaotic moment in a manner to push the wildness of the infected incursion while still making it very easy to follow. Tommy notices the bloater turning its attention to Maria and yells out for it.
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This seems like the kind of sacrifice play that would make Through the Valley so memorable. Armed with a flamethrower that doesn’t seem to be doing enough damage, Tommy keeps scorching the bloater as the heated oil gets exhausted. It’s spent as the bloater keeps walking, but it finally dies before killing Tommy. Yes! No one has to get killed in Through the Valley after all. Soooo, about that…
Maria releases the hounds (!) and the attack dogs go nuts taking out the infected like they’re their last meal. Jackson needs to lead Ted Talks on defending your territory from infected.
Back at the lodge, the group is shocked to see Abby with company. She says to help them as she introduces Dina “and he…is Joel.” This immediately changes the mood in the lodge, but Joel is too preoccupied with wanting to get back to the compound to notice. This is incredibly bad fortune for Joel. Abby’s closest confidant, Owen, was trying to figure out a way to convince her to return home as they were going to get killed for her revenge mission to kill Joel.
Not only did Joel save the one person intent on killing him, but he delivers himself straight to the lion’s den. Abby orders Mel to put Dina to sleep and tells Joel they won’t hurt her so long as he cooperates. Joel pieces together that they’re fireflies. Abby shoots his knee with a shotgun and gives her “villain” monologue.
Of the 10 people he killed while getting Ellie out, one of them was a doctor who was her father. Maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference, but perhaps Joel should have explained why he killed the doctor who was going to take out Ellie’s brain?
Instead, Joel tells her to “just shut up and do it already.” Abby won’t oblige taking a golf club to his leg and just pummeling him with her fists. This is taking too much time. Time enough for Ellie to get into the lodge and scream when she sees Joel. That’s enough for Manny to grab and disarm her. Ellie’s lack of treating dangerous situations seriously comes back to hurt her.
Owen tells Abby to end it as Ellie pleads with them not to kill Joel. Abby doesn’t listen and takes a pipe through Joel’s head! Through the Valley just killed off one of the main characters in the series. And in completely unexpected fashion since Ellie will now never know what he did to save her. And what about Eugene?
Ellie does know and tells Abby and the others that she will kill them. Manny makes the most sense here trying to convince Owen they should take her out. How else do they expect this cycle of violence to end if they let a person who has the same kind of hatred vendetta that Abby had to stay alive? Not smart.
Tommy, Maria and the other survivors take in the decimated city they’ve created in ruins. But at least they’re alive. Abby and her crew take the long hike back while Jesse and Dina take a grieving Ellie and the wrapped body of Joel back to the city. What an amazing episode.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: HBO
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