‘The Last of Us’ Creator Explains Seraphites Island Scene in Season 2 Finale
Ellie’s revenge quest took some pretty unexpected and seemingly unnecessary turns in The Last of Us’ season 2 finale, and one of those actually never made it to the game — here’s why.
The Last of Us’ fans have finally witnessed Ellie and Abby’s long-teased encounter in the sophomore season’s finale, but things got a bit messier before that.
Specifically, the episode took Ellie on a wild ride across Seattle on her way to the aquarium, requiring her to have some near-death experience while crossing the river and then to see pregnant Mel dying with no ability to help, despite Mel’s pleas for Ellie to at least try to save the baby.
However, if Ellie’s encounter with Abby’s friends was brutal, but at least meaningful to her own arc, that sequence with the Seraphites letting Ellie go after almost killing her didn’t make much sense whatsoever — but The Last of Us’ co-creator Neil Druckmann thinks otherwise.
What Does That Weird Island Scene Mean At All?
In the scene, Ellie makes an attempt to reach the Seattle aquarium by water, but then gets into a storm that brings her to an isolated island’s shore. There, she notices a Seraphite kid who quickly lets his people know about a stranger nearby.
Eventually, the Seraphites take Ellie deeper into the woods and almost have her hanged when something signals that the WLF might be close too. Intimidated by a potential danger, the Seraphites leave Ellie all alone in the woods and escape.
The scene, according to the show’s showrunner and the original video game’s creator Neil Druckmann, eventually made it to the second season’s final episode just because it couldn’t be in the game for a different reason.
“So, here that sequence where Ellie like drifts to the Seraphite Island and almost gets lynched herself was something we used to have in the game and cut it for just production pacing purposes. [...] Now we had like three horrible things in a row, we had like that sequence, Alice and then Mel. And in our conversation, we're like this, probably one, one too many”, Druckmann revealed at The Last of Us’ season 2 finale press conference.
It would seem that the scene came as some sort of an exclusive sneak peek into what’s in store for the show’s season 3.
The Last of Us’ Season 2 Island Scene Teases Tension Between the WLF and the Seraphites in Season 3
_37743.webp)
Even though it’s not very clear what exactly startled the Seraphites from the episode’s context, it’s safe to say there should be some connection to the WLF anyway.
The island scene has become Ellie’s first direct encounter with the Seraphites in the TV adaptation, with her almost dying despite not belonging to the WLF and then being saved by a signal that hints at the WLF’ soldiers being somewhere nearby.
As Ellie is now aware of the upcoming war between the two radicalised group, the sequence does confirm earlier predictions about The Last of Us’ season 3 which will explore the Seraphites and the WLF’s long-lasting conflict, as well as Abby’s background story and her involvement in the ongoing war.
When Will ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3 Be Released?
The show’s next instalment will likely air on Max sometime in 2027.
