REVIEW: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 2: Hole In One
- Christopher Mills
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The second episode of The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley”, has finished airing on HBO and Max, and we’ve not only been delivered the most devastating episode of the show, but also Mark Mylod and Craig Mazin have provided viewers with probably one of the best episodes that the show has seen. The episode spends its time with Abby and her crew, the infected attack on the town and Joel’s encounter with Abby. There’s a lot to swallow in this episode, and even after watching, it’s difficult to believe that it’s all real. This is the exact episode that fans of the game have been waiting for, and it’s what was needed to allow for the story to finally move forward into what The Last of Us Season 2 is all about: Revenge.
In The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2, Abby is on the lookout for any members of Joel’s crew, while Ellie and Jesse go on a patrol only to discover that Joel and Dina, who are also on a patrol, are trapped elsewhere, unable to make it back to Jackson Hole. Meanwhile, the town is under attack by a horde of infected which Tommy, Maria and the people of the town must face off against in a battle if they want a chance of survival.
THE BATTLE OF JACKSON HOLE
Craig Mazin continues to bring original storytelling to The Last of Us as we get epic moments such as the infected making their way to Jackson Hole. While Ellie, Jesse, Joel and Dina are outside the borders of the town dealing with the snowstorm and the arrival of Abby, who’s thirsty for Joel’s blood, their home is being met with one of the worst hordes that this show has had to witness.
One of the downfalls with The Last of Us was the lack of infected presence. They do well with their character writing and allowing for the story to truly flourish, but a lot of the game involves taking down infected. There wasn’t too much of that in the first season. The previous episode also didn’t rectify that issue, but it gave us the early appearance of the Stalker, which made it slightly forgivable. Craig Mazin turns up the dial and gives the viewers exactly what they want: a battle with the infected unlike any other.
This attack on Jackson Hole feels reminiscent of large-scale battles that would take place in shows such as Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and so much more. It’s a gruesome, brutal and harrowing episode, and this is only the surface of it all. Gabriel Luna’s performance as Tommy in this episode is his best yet and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you watch him face off against a Bloater in a corner. He’s the determined leader that the people of Jackson need, and Luna delivers that feeling effortlessly.
THE MOMENT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR
We finally get to the moment that had fans of the game divided, and Craig Mazin has even made some slight changes here. Abby still finds herself being chased by the infected and being rescued by none other than the killer of her father, Joel, but this time, he’s with Dina instead of his brother Tommy, who is back in Jackson. The first episode showcased that Dina and Joel have a relationship that’s not really found in the game; he plays off as kind of a father figure to her and just someone to look up to. Inserting her into this situation and having her in that room when Joel meets his untimely demise is going to change a lot with her and Ellie’s relationship, which will provide a new dynamic even for people who’ve played the games.
Kaitlyn Dever gets a lot of time in this episode to shine, with it opening up on her, similar to this episode, but this time we get a scene that has her present-day self try to protect her younger self from walking into the room where her father has been shot. This is a great addition and the best way to open up this episode, as Craig Mazin finds a way to pull in Abby’s dreams from the game while also providing them with greater depth so that the audience can better understand Abby as a character. It’s something that the players of the game struggled with, and it’s clear they don’t want a repeat of what happened 5 years ago.
Abby’s monologue is long but much needed to further understand what it is she’s going through. To feel the anger and hatred that she has for Joel... It’s only within this moment that you realise that Joel is probably not going to make it out alive. It’s the slight changes from the game from the brutality of his death to Ellie’s harrowing reaction and the final crawl she makes to rest on top of him. It takes what the game first did and elevates it to allow for a more heartbreaking moment than anyone could’ve expected.
Craig Mazin showcases that he understands the world of The Last of Us, and his collaboration with the rest of the crew alongside Mark Mylod’s direction easily makes this one of the best episodes in television we’ve gotten in a long while. There will always be people upset about the outcome, but it can’t be denied how beautifully crafted this episode is, with Ashley Johnson’s “Through the Valley” cover being the icing on the cake.
Rating: ★★★★★
About The Last of Us Season 2
Premiere Date: April 13, 2025
Episode Count: 7
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells
Writer: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, and Halley Gross
Director: Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Mark Mylod, Peter Hoar, Kate Herron, Stephen Williams, Nina Lopez-Corrado
Production: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, Sony Pictures Television and Naughty Dog
Distribution: HBO
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, Jeffrey Wright and Catherine O’Hara.
Synopsis: Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.