HBO’s The Last of Us continues to deliver emotional punches, and its latest episode, “Through The Valley,” is no exception. This gripping hour showcases two haunting types of nightmares, framing the tragic journeys of two key characters — Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) — whose lives are intertwined by violence, grief, and the search for justice.
Abby’s Nightmare: A Desperate Plea to Her Younger Self
The episode opens with a gut-wrenching dream sequence. Abby, now hardened by years of survival, relives one of the most painful moments of her life — the day she discovered her father’s lifeless body in a Salt Lake City hospital. This was the same fateful day Joel (Pedro Pascal) shot Abby’s father, Jerry Anderson, a surgeon for the Fireflies, during the climactic finale of Season One.
In the dream, Abby watches her younger self about to walk into the operating room. Her older, grief-stricken self desperately tries to stop her, begging her not to open the door. She knows what’s waiting behind it: her father’s bloodied body, brain matter splattered on the floor, the result of Joel’s fatal decision to save Ellie over the future of humanity. Despite knowing that history cannot be changed, Abby’s subconscious clings to a hopeless wish — to delay the moment that shattered her world.
This powerful sequence underscores how Abby’s trauma is not just about loss but about the helplessness of witnessing irreversible tragedy. It humanizes a character often painted as the villain in the original game, providing audiences with a deeper understanding of the emotional wounds that drive her.
A New Tragedy: Ellie’s Living Nightmare
In a chilling narrative parallel, Ellie faces her own nightmare by the end of the episode. Hoping to reunite with Joel and Dina (Isabela Merced) during a treacherous snowstorm, Ellie seeks shelter in a secluded lodge. Instead of safety, she finds horror.
Upon entering, Ellie witnesses a brutal scene unfold before her eyes: Joel, her protector and surrogate father, is viciously attacked. As she watches, frozen in terror and helplessness, Abby delivers the final, fatal blow with a golf club — a grim image that will haunt Ellie forever.
Ellie’s screams, filled with raw agony, echo through the empty lodge as she begs Joel to rise, to fight, to survive. But it’s too late. Joel’s final gasps fade into silence, leaving Ellie broken, furious, and consumed by grief.
By mirroring Abby’s earlier trauma, the show draws a heartbreaking connection between these two women, both forever scarred by the loss of a parent figure.
How the Show’s Changes Improve the Story Compared to the Game
One of the most notable differences between HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation and the video game is the decision to reveal Abby’s motivations early.
In The Last of Us Part II game, players were initially confused and angered when forced to play as Abby without understanding why she killed Joel. Gamers were left in the dark for several hours before learning Abby’s backstory — that Joel had murdered her father, the Firefly surgeon, years before. This storytelling choice sparked widespread controversy and intense backlash within the gaming community.
By contrast, the TV show opts for transparency. Audiences learn almost immediately why Abby’s actions are fueled by vengeance. Through her vulnerable monologue to Joel, viewers are given direct insight into her pain and anger.
This narrative shift enriches the storytelling, transforming Abby from a hated villain into a deeply flawed, but understandable, antihero. As showrunner Craig Mazin explained to Entertainment Weekly, delaying this revelation in the show would have “probably gotten spoiled” between seasons. Given the rise of online spoilers and leaks, this was a smart creative move, ensuring that audiences engage fully with the emotional complexity without waiting years for context.
The Emotional Weight of Revenge
The brilliance of The Last of Us lies in its portrayal of revenge not as righteous justice, but as a destructive cycle that consumes those trapped within it.
Abby’s quest to avenge her father has already led to Joel’s gruesome death. Now, Ellie, overwhelmed by grief and rage, vows to hunt Abby and her companions down. We see Ellie immediately take action, refusing to even properly mourn Joel before picking up arms to pursue those responsible.
The parallel is undeniable: just as Abby once begged her friends to help her find Joel, Ellie now rallies her own allies to seek revenge against Abby. Both young women, just 19 years old, are propelled by sorrow into an endless spiral of violence and loss.
This complex emotional mirroring invites viewers to ask difficult questions. Is Abby truly a monster for seeking revenge? Is Ellie any different for doing the same? Whose pain matters more? And can vengeance ever truly bring peace?
Why The Show’s Handling of Abby Is So Important
The show’s early focus on Abby’s backstory also reflects lessons learned from the reaction to the 2020 game release. When The Last of Us Part II launched, actress Laura Bailey — who voiced Abby — faced an onslaught of hate, including horrifying death threats. Many players couldn’t process Abby’s actions without full context, leading to a massive, toxic backlash.
By contrast, HBO’s adaptation tries to foster empathy, not outrage. By allowing audiences to walk in Abby’s shoes from the beginning, the show makes it harder to cast easy moral judgments. Abby becomes not just an antagonist but a person — someone deeply wounded, seeking justice the only way she knows how.
This shift doesn’t excuse her brutality, but it invites viewers to grapple with the uncomfortable truth that vengeance, no matter who seeks it, ultimately destroys everyone involved.
The High Stakes for the Series Moving Forward
Joel’s death leaves a massive void — not just in Ellie’s life, but in the emotional center of the series. Moving forward, The Last of Us Season 2 is poised to dive even deeper into questions of morality, forgiveness, and survival.
Ellie’s journey toward vengeance will likely mirror the darkest aspects of Abby’s own path, forcing viewers to confront how quickly victimhood can transform into villainy when fueled by hate.
Meanwhile, with The Last of Us already confirmed for a third season (expected in 2027), the groundwork laid in “Through The Valley” sets the stage for a heavy, emotionally charged continuation. As Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann hinted in multiple interviews, the show will not shy away from showing the brutal, cyclical consequences of violence — a rare and bold narrative choice for mainstream television.
A Tragic, Powerful Turning Point
The Last of Us episode “Through The Valley” masterfully explores the emotional devastation left behind by revenge. By drawing parallels between Abby and Ellie, the show forces its audience to confront difficult questions about justice, grief, and morality.
Through its careful storytelling choices, HBO’s adaptation elevates the story beyond a simple tale of good versus evil. Instead, it presents a heartbreaking, human narrative about how even the most justified vengeance leaves behind only more pain — and how loss, if left to fester, can consume even the best of us.
As the series moves forward, it’s clear that The Last of Us is committed not just to telling a thrilling survival story but to digging deep into the emotional scars that such a world would inevitably leave behind.
