The Last of Us Season 2, episode 3: The Visceral Bond of Vengeance
How the evolving relationship between Ellie and Dina in "The Path" mirrors the intense player connection and drive for revenge in the game's early hours.
Hello Nexus team!
Seraphites. WLF. And our heroes.
Last night’s episode of The Last of Us Season 2 introduced the players, set up Seattle as the chess board and proved a solid bridge between the intensity of Episode 2 and what is to come in Episode 4.
Setting the Stage: Seattle as the Board, Loss as the Catalyst
It lays the groundwork for Ellie’s journey of revenge.
However, its true power lies in how it subtly mirrors the intense connection players forged with Ellie in the game's early hours following Joel's brutal death.
It’s a visceral experience that hits harder because, as a player, we have already bonded directly with Joel for dozens of hours in the first game.
So, yes, when she takes off, you’re damn right we were saying, “Go get those bastards, Ellie!”
The Lingering Shadow of Loss: Fueling Ellie's Resolve
Joel’s death created a void so we transferred our emotional investment to Ellie.
The third episode sees Ellie and Dina embarking on their journey to Seattle, facing the harsh realities of the world and a glimpse into the brutal conflict between the Seraphites and the WLF.
In Jackson, the community grapples with the aftermath of the attack. However, the heart of the episode, through a "Nexus" lens, lies in the evolving relationship between Ellie and Dina.
Echoes of Gameplay: Finding Connection in Survival
The show masterfully portrays Dina as Ellie's anchor, a source of rationality and unwavering support in the face of unimaginable trauma.
Their interactions, born from shared loss and the necessity of survival, begin to forge a deep bond.
For viewers who experienced the game, this dynamic resonates profoundly with the initial hours spent playing as Ellie after Joel's death.
The abrupt and painful removal of Joel created a vacuum of emotional attachment that instinctively shifted towards Ellie – a form of empathy shift fueled by a shared sense of injustice.
Through the Player's Eyes: Experiencing Ellie's Fury
In those early stages of The Last of Us Part II, the player's control is entirely vested in Ellie.
We navigate the world through her eyes.
We feel her rage.
We experience her vulnerability.
In short, we become her.
Through every infected encounter, every hostile survivor, a fuel grows a sense of injustice and a burning desire to make those responsible pay.
Dina's presence in the show, as Ellie's steadfast companion, mirrors this player-protagonist bond.
Dina becomes the emotional touchstone for Ellie on-screen, much like the player's unwavering focus on Ellie's mission became the driving force behind their actions with a controller in hand, a mission now carrying the weight of avenging a beloved figure.
The show's depiction of Ellie and Dina's burgeoning teamwork in the face of peril – the silent understanding, the reliance on each other's strengths – subtly reflects the player's own strategic partnership with Ellie in the game's brutal combat and exploration.
Yes, Dina is also part of the gameplay but her worth does not match what it appears it will be in the show.
While the show unfolds passively, the game actively immerses us in Ellie's emotional landscape.
That said, the writers brilliantly capture the essence of that early player-Ellie bond through the dynamic between Ellie and Dina.
Dina's unwavering support becomes a visual representation of the player's own unwavering commitment to Ellie's mission, a mission now driven by the need to avenge the shocking loss of Joel.
The Power of Interactive Storytelling: A Gamer's Perspective
But I’m no psychologist.
It’s just that I have a deep admiration for the storytelling in this game.
As for the show, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to launch this Substack: the power of gaming to invoke emotion has fueled some of the more successful pop culture around today.
That’s kind of cool.
What were your thoughts on the evolving dynamic between Ellie and Dina in this episode?
Did it resonate with your experience playing the early parts of the game, especially in light of Joel's death and that emotional shift?
Let's discuss in the comments below.
#TheLastofUs #TLOU #HBOMax #LastofUsPartII #EllieAndDina #PlayerConnection #Vengeance #Joel #EmotionalImpact #GamingAndPopCulture #Nexus
I, too, am invested in the dynamic between Ellie & Dina.
I’m going in blind because I haven’t played the games. So I’m holding off (for now) on a shipper name for them.
But I already appreciate that even though Dina thinks Ellie going off half-cocked on her revenge mission is a terrible idea, she’s still supporting her. I’m sure the apocalypse has hardened and traumatized Dina too, but her vomiting after discovering the massacre scene shows she still has humanity and compassion that Ellie needs for balance so her vision isn’t entirely clouded with rage.
Still feeling gutted from Joel’s fate but I’m hopeful the show will continue to explore the relationships between the supporting characters in an interesting way that moves the story forward.
The town therapist is a treasure — I wish mine accepted weed and booze as payment. 😂