Grief, Vengeance and Fallout: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 3 Recap

Episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2, titled “The Path,” presses pause on the chaos—for a moment. After the brutality of Joel’s murder and the infected’s siege on Jackson, this quieter chapter lets grief settle before propelling Ellie and Dina toward what’s shaping up to be a deadly mission of retribution.

The episode opens with the aftermath: Joel’s body, lifeless on a morgue slab, and Tommy absorbing the loss with heartbreaking restraint. Outside, the devastation is still fresh. Inside, Ellie wakes in the hospital, broken and screaming—until sedation forces her back into silence. It’s a jarring contrast from the explosive tension of the previous episode, but the silence doesn’t last. A three-month time jump sees Ellie released from the hospital, physically recovered but clearly still at war inside.

We get a sense of just how frayed Ellie’s nerves are when she returns to Joel’s house. Her quiet grief is interrupted by Dina, who shows up with cookies and a confession. Dina hadn’t been honest—she does know who killed Joel and where they’re likely headed, confessing “I know most of their names.” That intel flips the switch. Any hope that Ellie might choose healing over vengeance dies right there in the kitchen. “You cost us time,” Ellie spits, furious that the trail’s gone cold. But Dina’s logic is sound: they weren’t ready then. Maybe they are now.

Tommy and Jackson’s council are less convinced. In a heated town meeting, Ellie makes her case—not just for Joel, but for the safety of Jackson itself. Her words are powerful, but the vote doesn’t go her way. Few believe this path leads anywhere good. Still, Ellie is already too far gone for debate. “Justice” may be the word she uses, but everyone sees it for what it is: a quest for revenge that can’t be walked back.

As Ellie and Dina slip beyond Jackson’s borders under cover of night, the emotional weight of their departure lingers. They aren’t just leaving behind safety or a rebuilt life—they’re walking away from the last threads of normalcy they had. The final scenes of the episode are quiet but loaded with tension, with the wilderness ahead symbolizing not just the physical distance between them and their targets, but the psychological transformation Ellie is about to undergo.

The episode ends without fireworks, but not without weight. The storytelling slows, but it sharpens. Ellie’s transformation is in motion, and her future now mirrors Joel’s past—haunted, restless and relentless. What comes next won’t be merciful. And that’s exactly the point.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs weekly on Max in the US and on Sky/Now TV in the UK. Catch a preview of Episode 4 below.

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