The Last of Us S2 E2: Why Did They Change Characters in Patrol?
Some of The Last of Us’ plot changes still don’t sit well with the original video game’s fans, but this one makes all the drama go onto a completely new level, so here’s what it all means.
Warning: heavy spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 ahead!
The Last of Us’ latest episode was quite a shocker for fans of both video game and TV series, introducing Joel’s fatal encounter with Abby and her group.
However, some big changes of the original plot start showing way earlier, with characters being swapped for the fateful patrol, which might have just altered everything for the rest of the season.
Even though the show sometimes drifted away from the game for absolutely no reason, this is where a change actually made a lot of sense — at least when it comes to TV drama.
How The Last of Us Patrol Differs from the Game, Explained
The second season’s brand new episode sees Ellie and Jesse setting out on patrol after the former finds out that she can’t go with Joel just because he has already left with Dina.
The snowstorm and a sudden invasion of the infected in Jackson thwarts Ellie and Jesse’s plans, forcing them to seek shelter and eventually leading both to a remote house where Joel is being tortured by Abby and her friends while Dina is left unconscious.
The same outcome plays out quite differently in the video game where Joel goes out on patrol with his brother Tommy while Ellie is joined by Dina.
After saving Abby from zombies, Joel and Tommy get trapped by her group as soon as they introduce themselves; while Tommy is knocked out, Abby proceeds to beat Joel to death with a golf club.
In the meantime, Ellie and Dina get into the house just when there’s no way for them to help Joel.
What Impact the Patrol Change Might Have in The Last of Us Season 2
While it wouldn’t really make much difference in the game itself, this character swap is nothing but a high-level dramatical effect which will likely hit the viewers in the upcoming third episode.
Not making Tommy witness his brother’s brutal death will definitely make the former’s realisation all the more disheartening once Joel’s corpse is brought back to Jackson.
Alternatively, making Ellie see Joel’s painful death is also a turning point which will likely prompt her to go after Abby even more fiercely than in the game and, at the same time, let her remorse eat her up after she wasn’t able to go with Joel on their very last patrol together.
When Is The Last of Us Next Episode Released?
The second season’s episode 3 will arrive on Max on April 27; the following four episodes will be released every Sunday until May 25.
