Warning! This article contains minor spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 3.
The Last of Usseason 2, episode 3 opens with Ellie spending an extended period in hospital, with the reasoning linking to her physical and mental health.The Last of Usseason 2, episode 2’s endingfeatured an incredibly traumatic event with Joel being killed by Abby. This was brought about by theending ofThe Last of Usseason 1and Joel’s murder of the Fireflies, leading to Abby’s revenge and the next stage in the violent cycle as Ellie and Dina leave for Seattle.
The latter half ofThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 3detailed the journey to Seattle and the quest to find the Wolves, or W.L.F. AlthoughThe Last of Usseason 2also introduced the Seraphites and teased a much bigger conflict between factions of the ruined world, Ellie’s recovery was highlighted first. For the majority ofThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 3, Ellie spent time in the hospital of Jackson after episode 2’s traumatic events, begging the question of why she had to endure such long treatment.
Ellie Received Some Harsh Blows
Image via Max
The first, and most obvious, reason as to why Ellie spent three months in the hospital is the physical injuries she sustained during Joel’s death. After being detained and threatening to kill Abby and her friends, the character of Manny attacked Ellie. He was shown kicking Ellie hard in the stomach, leading her to crawl over to Joel’s body and await rescue by Jesse. Although it was not immediately evident inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 2, this kick seemingly severely injured Ellie.
The kick from Manny likely broke some bones above Ellie’s stomach, potentially her ribs. Beyond that, some of her important organs were likely damaged. For this reason, Ellie spent three months recuperating. These injuries would certainly take around this time to heal completely, marking an interestinggame change fromThe Last of Us Part II.In the original story, Tommy leaves for Seattle a day after Joel’s death, with Dina and Ellie close behind him. In the show, Ellie’s injuries and Tommy’s rebuild of Jackson saw three months pass, with the former firmly in the midst of a healing process.
As Proven By One Of Episode 3’s Most Harrowing Scenes
More than just her surface-level injuries, though, Ellie’s hospital stay was designed to mend her inner trauma too.The Last of Usseason 2, episode 3 highlights this when Ellie first awakens in the hospital. Ellie begins screaming and crying as she imagines Abby sticking the broken golf club into Joel’s neck, proving the levels of PTSD Ellie now suffers after having to watch something so dark. Evidently,the pain of Joel’s death for Ellie goes much deeper, explaining why she may have had to stay in the hospital after her physical wounds healed and talk to another character.
The character in question is Gail, Jackson’s therapist. Ellie was told that she must speak with Gail before being allowed to leave the hospital, proving just how much mental strain the ordeal with Abby and Joel placed on her. Ellie is clearly not someone who thinks therapy holds much weight, however, leading her to mostly lie to Gail about her mental state, with the latter pointing out as much to Tommy later in the episode.
Why Ellie’s Long Recovery Makes Sense For The Last Of Us Season 2
It Makes The Events Of Episode 2 Feel More Consequential
As already alluded to,The Last of Usseason 2, episode 3 features some big changes to the video game on which the show is based. In the game, Tommy is the one who leaves Jackson in a rageful bid for revenge only a day after Joel’s death, with Ellie and Dina following. However, the timeline change gives thecharacters ofThe Last of Usseason 2much more time to breathe after not only Joel’s murder but also the massive infected attack against Jackson, which was also not part of the original game.
With three months having passed,The Last of Usseason 2, episode 3 effectively showcases how the massive events of episode 2 are not so easily forgotten. The town of Jackson was damaged almost irreparably, with episode 3’s time jump proving how much work needed to be put in to even come close to restoring it to what it once was. All of this was positioned in comparison to Ellie’s recovery.
From a more logical perspective, the three-month time skip also supports Dina’s plan to let Abby and her group get back to Seattle before following them.
From Ellie’s perspective specifically, the time jump proves how deeply she has been affected by Abby’s actions. If only a day had passed, it would be easy to discard Ellie’s impulsivity as sheer blind rage. With the three-month jump inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 3, though,this blind rage is turned into a much deeper, slow-building need for revenge that will threaten to consume Ellieno matter how far removed she becomes from Joel’s death. Overall, the time skip makes sense as a way of driving home the show’s main theme, despite being a game change.
