The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 1 Ending Explained: Where Is Abby's Group Heading?

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 1!

The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 is finally here, and here is what happens at the end of the season 2 premiere, including an explanation of where Abby’s group is heading. The Last of Us season 2 is HBO’s long-awaited adaptation of the video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, with it continuing the story of HBO’s adaptation of the first game. The story of The Last of Us Part II is incredibly controversial, leading many The Last of Us fans to be eager to see what HBO does with many of the game’s storylines.

The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 opens with a reminder of Joel’s lie to Ellie, only for it to then jump five years into the future. Once there, it is revealed that Joel and Ellie have decided to stay in Jackson, Wyoming, with them becoming core members of the community. Joel is the head of construction in Jackson, while Ellie is eager to go on scouting missions. Most of the episode is spent exploring the ramifications of Joel’s mysterious fallout with Ellie, while danger brews in the background thanks to the existence of Abby.

Why Abby & The Washington Liberation Front Want To Find & Kill Joel

For His Actions In The Season 1 Finale

One of the first scenes in The Last of Us season 2, episode 1, takes place in Salt Lake City, with it focusing on a band of new characters. Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, along with several of her Firefly friend,s are seen mourning the deaths of their fellow Fireflies, who were killed by Joel in The Last of Us season 1 finale. One of the Firefly doctors who was killed was Abby’s dad, with him being one of the individuals who was working on a cure for the cordyceps virus. Joel and Ellie quickly left Salt Lake City after devastating the Firefly settlement, leaving Abby seeking revenge.

RelatedThe Last of Us season 2 is just around the corner, and here’s everything you need to remember from season 1 to prepare for the brand-new season.

Of the Fireflies seen in The Last of Us season 2, episode 1, Abby is the most dead-set on revenge. Some of the others just want to move on, but Abby disagrees. Abby proposes using the information they have to look for Joel, only to give him a slow and painful death. Thus, Abby and her friends (known in The Last of Us Part II as members of the Washington Liberation Front) head off on a quest to find and kill Joel.

Joel & Ellie’s Falling Out Explained

What Happened During The 5-Year Time Gap

The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 features a five-year time jump, and a lot happened between the events of The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2. One of the most significant changes occurs within Joel and Ellie’s relationship. Despite them being incredibly close, Joel and Ellie have had a falling out, with them barely interacting anymore. This is eating Joel alive, with him going to therapy in an attempt to cope with this change in their relationship. His therapist states that Joel is lying about something that could be at the root of this falling out, although what it is isn’t explicitly revealed.

The most obvious explanation for this has to do with Joel’s big lie from the end of season 1. When the Fireflies get Ellie, they reveal that they will have to kill her in order to create the cordyceps cure. Thus, Joel kills the Fireflies and rescues Ellie. Joel then lies to Ellie, covering his tracks by saying that the cure didn’t work. If this lie is at the center of their falling out, it means that Ellie found out about Joel’s lie in the five-year time gap. Ellie already seemed suspicious of Joel’s explanation in season 1, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this happened.

Who Eugene Is (& Why Joel Killed Him)

Is It The Eugene From The Game?

In The Last of Us season 2, Catherine O’Hara’s plays Joel’s therapist, a character who isn’t in the original game. While talking with Joel, she eventually reveals that Joel killed her husband, a man named Eugene. This is probably Eugene Linden, a character from the game. Eugene was a Jackson patrolman who owned a marijuana farm, meaning some of these details line up. In the game, however, Eugene died of a stroke. In The Last of Us show, Joel shot Eugene. It isn’t revealed why, but since Joel isn’t in jail, it probably has to do with Eugene becoming infected.

How The Infected Have Changed During The Last Of Us’ 5-Year Time Gap

They Have Seriously Evolved

As it turns out, the infected have changed during The Last of Us season 2’s give-year time gap as well. While on patrol, Ellie and Dina become trapped in a supermarket where they encounter several infected. On of these infected seem to be a Stalker, although it shows signs of incredible intelligence. Ellie and Dina tell the Jackson council about this infected’s strategic thinking, highlighting the fact that the infected are evolving. This means that Jackson could be in even more danger, as the zombified corpses are deadlier than ever before.

What’s Going On With Ellie & Dina’s Relationship?

Is There A Romance There?

Ellie and Dina’s relationship is another big storyline introduced in The Last of Us season 2, episode 1. Romance seems to be blossoming between them, as signaled by their shared dance at the New Year’s party. Although Ellie knows that Dina has been in an on-and-off relationship with Jesse, the two seem to care about each other. This is an adaptation of their relationship in The Last of Us Part II, and it will be interesting to see how closely the HBO series sticks to their original romantic storyline.

RelatedThe Last of Us season 2 has bigger action, higher stakes, and more emotion than season 1, making for an impactful if slight batch of new episodes.

How Different The Last Of Us Season 2, Episode 1 Is From The Game

It Adds New Scenes, But Stays Fairly Accurate

The Last of Us season 1 was incredibly faithful to the critically acclaimed first game. Since The Last of Us Part II is so controversial, many fans are curious to see how many changes season 2 will make. Season 2, episode 1 barely begins The Last of Us Part II‘s story, with it mostly focusing on small Joel and Ellie character moments. Because of this, most of the episode is comprised of original scenes, such as Joel going to therapy.

When it comes to the major beats, however, episode 1 stays faithful to the game. Abby’s hunt for Joel, the supermarket action scene, and even Ellie and Dina’s interaction with the homophobic man at the dance all come straight from the game. While the order and pacing is shifted around a bit, episode 1 is a sign that The Last of Us season 2 will remain accurate to the source material.