The Path

I don't envy the writers of The Last of Us, having to come up with something to follow S2 Episode 2. Episode 2 was brilliant, a perfect whirlwind of action, drama and emotion. It was so climactic it felt like a season finale. A very tough episode to top.

This tragedy and finality left a lot of intrigue for Episode 3. Where to from here? Would Ellie now be the central character or would someone else emerge to at least share the spotlight? Ellie / Bella Ramsey is not capable of carrying the show, a fact which made Joel's death so much more intriguing from a plot perspective.

I was not expecting quick or elaborate answers to these questions as Episode 3, I felt, was always going to be one for regrouping rather than moving forward. And so it is, mostly, though we have some idea of where the next few episodes are taking us.

So, not the most exciting episode but that was to be expected.

I don't care about the game.

I will never play the game so I'm not tainted like many of the people commenting that this was a poor episode.

It was vastly different than the previous episode but episode 3 is about a series that takes itself seriously about character development, setting up a narrative and actual momentum building not just shoot 'em action and infected.

I thought the acting was wonderful and I also felt I was in mourning because of the tragic snd jaw-dropping moments from the previous episode.

A slow episode like this honors the previous episode much more than having an action-packed episode. The way it was done felt real and heartfelt and made me want to see what lies ahead and that's the mark of a great series.

To be honest, this was better than I expected it to be. I heard many people say that this was the worst episode of the season so far, but I actually prefer this over the first episode of this season. Not that much happened in the first episode, but this episode a decent amount of things happen, even if the pacing is a little slow it was still enjoyable enough. I'm not really sure what I think about the changes they did with Tommy's character. In the games he wanted revenge even more than Ellie, but he's not really like that in this series. Overall, I think this episode was decent enough, so far this season hasn't really been that consistent, but I hope the next episode is better!

As a fan of The Last of Us Part II, it's frustrating to see an adaptation that, despite carrying the name and basic structure of the original work, completely disregards its essence. An adaptation should honor the story and its characters - even with some creative liberties - but here we see a deep distortion of the motivations, emotions, and emotional journey that made the game so impactful.

The characters feel like mere shadows of who they once were. Their actions often make little sense, and their relationships lack depth. Ellie, for instance, is a major disappointment. It's simply not believable that four years after the events of the first game, she would show so little emotional growth. The absence of character development and the way her decisions are portrayed strip the narrative of credibility.

I don't blame the actors - many are clearly doing their best with what they're given. But it's hard to shine with a script that fails to capture the soul of the source material. The writing choices feel artificial, cold, and at times, almost disrespectful to what the original game built so carefully.

I'm really trying to enjoy it. Truly. But it's hard when you realize that what's being told is no longer the story of The Last of Us - it's a watered-down version, lacking the same weight, the same pain, the same humanity. The series doesn't just disappoint - it feels like a betrayal to those who were moved, challenged, and changed by the game.

This was a pretty bold direction to take the third episode of the show, because even though I expected a natural comedown after all that transpired in episode 2, I didn't think it would get quite this much slower.

The Path mostly works, but having such a direct focus on Ellie might've been a little detrimental? I don't know, I guess I was personally just really interested to see Abby after what happened in the last episode. She had a huge episode 2, sure, but she wasn't seen much in episode 1, and then wasn't seen at all in episode 3, and season 2 is only seven episodes, so skipping over her entirely felt weird. But, if the structure now is to kind of focus on either Ellie or Abby, alternating each episode, before they clash by the end, I could see that potentially working, too.

That's all to say that on its own, The Path was solid but a little underwhelming, though I think if this season ends well, we'll be able to look back on it as an essential part of the overall thing.