Breaking Down the Brutal Ending of Episode 5 of The Last of Us Season 2

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Episode 5 of The Last of Us Season 2.

Ever since Joel (Pedro Pascal) was brutally murdered by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) in the second episode of The Last of Us Season 2, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) has made it clear she’s pretty intent on seeking vengeance for his death. But in the past few episodes, there hasn’t been much progress on that front.

Given the fact that Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) had to make the journey to Seattle, figure out the city’s layout while avoiding the Wolves and Seraphites, and determine where exactly Abby’s crew was, it was obviously going to take a little bit of time to get things rolling. But Ellie’s positive reaction in Episode 4 to the news of Dina’s pregnancy—a deviation from her blatant displeasure in The Last of Us Part II video game—may have left some viewers feeling like she was acting a little too happy-go-lucky for the situation at hand.

In Episode 5, though, vindictive Ellie finally reared her head again. After a cold open that introduced the concept of spores—particles expelled into the air by infected in the last stage of their life cycle that can transfer to anyone who breathes them in—the closing minutes saw Ellie finally hunt down a member of Abby’s entourage, Nora (Tati Gabrielle).

The sequence played out pretty similarly to how it does in the game, with Ellie tracking Nora down at Lakehill Hospital and initiating a confrontation in which Nora mocked Joel before managing to lose Ellie for a few minutes by escaping into the basement. However, as we knew from the beginning of the episode, the hospital basement was full of spores, meaning Nora was done for pretty much the second she went down there. Ellie, on the other hand, was able to take advantage of her immunity to follow Nora and once again demand that she reveal where Abby was. It was at this point Nora put together that Ellie was the immune girl that Joel had killed all the Fireflies, including Abby’s dad, to save.

In spite of her past hangups about Joel’s choices, Ellie was quick to clarify that she no longer cares what Joel did or didn’t do. She then proceeded to start savagely beating Nora with a metal pipe when she continued to refuse to give up Abby’s location. After a few swings, the episode cut to a final flashback that showed Joel waking Ellie up in her room in Jackson at a time when they were both happy, seemingly giving us a glimpse into how Ellie is choosing to remember Joel.

Like in the show, the game also ends the Nora scene before we see Ellie actually kill her. However, it’s later revealed that Ellie tortured her to the point that she did in fact give up Abby’s whereabouts. We also learn that Ellie, instead of feeling triumphant or satisfied, is incredibly shaken by what she’s done and ends up deeply traumatized by her own actions. Although Ellie has killed people before out of necessity, this is the first time she’s mercilessly tortured someone who couldn’t defend themself.

It’s a defining moment for Ellie, as it sends her spiraling down into a vicious cycle of violence, guilt, and shame. It also speaks to the story’s overarching message about the futility and destructive nature of revenge.