The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3: Soaked in grief and revenge, fans call it a 'masterstroke in storytelling’

Okay, The Last of Us has been brutal. It’s been a grief-soaked journey, and as viewers, we’re just being dragged along for the misery ride — because somehow, it hurts so good.

So, what happened in the latest episode?

Three months have passed since Joel's death, and while Jackson is slowly finding its footing, Ellie is still weighed down by grief and revenge.

Ellie sits through therapy sessions with the town’s counselor, Gail (played by Catherine O’Hara), who tries to get Ellie to open about her feelings. Ellie claims she doesn’t resent Joel for his final choices, but it’s clear that she is battered.

Later, Ellie visits Joel’s empty house in one of the episode’s most powerful moments, letting herself privately grieve for the man who had saved her in every possible way. Back at the stables, Dina swings by with cookies and crucial intel: She has found out where Joel’s killers are headed — Seattle. But the Jackson council firmly refuses Ellie’s request to leave, afraid of what another revenge mission could spark.

Ellie, of course, has no plans of staying idle.  She packs up for the journey, only to discover Dina has been planning to join her all along. Together, they set out, after quietly paying their respects at Joel’s grave.

On the road, the world only gets messier. Ellie and Dina stumble onto the brutal aftermath of battles between two dangerous factions: the militant W.L.F. and the eerie, cult-like Seraphites. Though not much is explained yet, it’s clear Seattle won’t just be a change of scenery — it will be a whole new battlefield.

What do the fans say?

Fans had a lot to say about Episode 3. One viewer wrote, “It still hits me hard seeing what happened to Joel. It’s way more brutal in the game though.” Another added, “What are Ellie and Dina getting themselves into? The next few episodes are going to be wild.”

Others praised the episode’s emotional depth. “This episode really slows down the pace and gives the emotions a chance to breathe," one fan shared. "They’re really trying to deepen these characters and their community, and I love it. It’s the calm before the devastating storm. Bella Ramsey is spectacular.”

Another fan called the episode ‘a complete contrast to what we’ve seen so far,’ describing it as ‘a masterstroke in storytelling,’ creating an achingly moving lesson in what to save and what to risk. This beautiful episode took real guts."

The show is available to stream on OSN+ in the region