Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted
On 5/19/2025 at 6:17 PM, Dutchrudder said:

I liked that episode, it definitely explained some things from earlier in the season that irked me. Season 1 Joel/Ellie can really tug on your heartstrings. 

However, I thought the whole point of Joel's rampage in SLC was to save Ellie from being a lab rat for the rest of her life and likely being killed in the process. She had no idea what was going on, and the hypothesis of creating a "cure" with her blood was far-fetched at best. He was saving her from the insanity of being some stranger's guinea pig in an organization full of zealots who thought they could fix the world, it wasn't completely an act of selfishness.

If all the Fireflies needed was blood, then they wouldn't have knocked her out and taken her to an OR. They would have started with a simple blood draw every day to build up supply to work with. I thought he recognized how their plan with her wasn't adding up, and he saved her from what would be a tortuous existence, thus justifying the rampage to some degree.

I'm sure it's hard for him to talk about it all, but why doesn't he defend himself?  It makes no sense to me how he's completely disarmed when discussing it.

I know nothing of the video game but yes it didn't make sense to me.  no one knows if killing Ellie would lead to a cure.  If he had just said "no one can be sure it would have but everyone was sure you would die from the procedure, so I made my choice"  it would have been fine/logical.  Ellie still could have resented him and continue to project the "I'm a badass, not skeerd of dying".

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted

Season finale already this week.  Remember when Kaitlyn Dever and Jeffrey Wright were going to be on this show?

  • Like 1
  • Rage+1 1
Posted
On 5/19/2025 at 6:17 PM, Dutchrudder said:

I liked that episode, it definitely explained some things from earlier in the season that irked me. Season 1 Joel/Ellie can really tug on your heartstrings. 

However, I thought the whole point of Joel's rampage in SLC was to save Ellie from being a lab rat for the rest of her life and likely being killed in the process. She had no idea what was going on, and the hypothesis of creating a "cure" with her blood was far-fetched at best. He was saving her from the insanity of being some stranger's guinea pig in an organization full of zealots who thought they could fix the world, it wasn't completely an act of selfishness.

If all the Fireflies needed was blood, then they wouldn't have knocked her out and taken her to an OR. They would have started with a simple blood draw every day to build up supply to work with. I thought he recognized how their plan with her wasn't adding up, and he saved her from what would be a tortuous existence, thus justifying the rampage to some degree.

I'm sure it's hard for him to talk about it all, but why doesn't he defend himself?  It makes no sense to me how he's completely disarmed when discussing it.

I don't know if it was covered in the series but I'll explain what happened in the game in spoilers regarding Joel's reaction. Your call if you want understanding

Spoiler

Joel killed the Gail the therapists husband Eugene. However, the tension between Joel and Ellie exists because Eugene begged to see his wife one more time after being bitten. It causes tension between Joel and Ellie at the time. Joel finally agrees not to kill Eugene and asks Ellie to go outside and get the horses. While she is gone Joel kills Eugene, which Ellie hates. Joel felt he had to in order to protect Ellie. Who knows when Eugene would turn and it could easily risk Ellie's life, not a risk Joel would take even at the cost of upsetting his "daughter" Ellie. 

However, when they get to the settlement Joel tells the therapist Gail that Eugene took his own life. In the party scene in the game Joel's secret is revealed by Ellie to the crowd. Joel has no defense of the allegation by Ellie, because its true. So he doesn't argue with her at all. Based on my understanding of the show, I believe all of this holds true except for the time frame of the reveal. 

 

Posted (edited)
9 hours ago, dcar00 said:

I know nothing of the video game but yes it didn't make sense to me.  no one knows if killing Ellie would lead to a cure.  If he had just said "no one can be sure it would have but everyone was sure you would die from the procedure, so I made my choice"  it would have been fine/logical.  Ellie still could have resented him and continue to project the "I'm a badass, not skeerd of dying".

Yeah, the uncertainty is a big part of it. I also thought he was mislead about 'how' they would use her to make a cure. As in, he thought it would be something like a blood draw, but once he learned they would kill her in the process, he lost it and went berserk. That would be a sympathetic argument to make to her, and say he wasn't going to live with her blood on his hands for delivering her to them. Just odd to me that he can care so much, but is unwilling to explain it, maybe he needs a therapist. He could also say that he didn't tell her the truth of what happened because she was 14. She won't like it, but it's understandable. 

Edited by Dutchrudder
  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
18 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

I don't know if it was covered in the series but I'll explain what happened in the game in spoilers regarding Joel's reaction. Your call if you want understanding

  Reveal hidden contents

Joel killed the Gail the therapists husband Eugene. However, the tension between Joel and Ellie exists because Eugene begged to see his wife one more time after being bitten. It causes tension between Joel and Ellie at the time. Joel finally agrees not to kill Eugene and asks Ellie to go outside and get the horses. While she is gone Joel kills Eugene, which Ellie hates. Joel felt he had to in order to protect Ellie. Who knows when Eugene would turn and it could easily risk Ellie's life, not a risk Joel would take even at the cost of upsetting his "daughter" Ellie. 

However, when they get to the settlement Joel tells the therapist Gail that Eugene took his own life. In the party scene in the game Joel's secret is revealed by Ellie to the crowd. Joel has no defense of the allegation by Ellie, because its true. So he doesn't argue with her at all. Based on my understanding of the show, I believe all of this holds true except for the time frame of the reveal. 

 

Killing Eugene was understandable, that was their rules. Everyone knew it, he was bit, you can't bring them back to town for a bit to say bye to people. He should have offed him in the forest and said "This is the Way." 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
7 hours ago, WBT said:

Season finale already this week.  Remember when Kaitlyn Dever and Jeffrey Wright were going to be on this show?

If it makes you feel better, you're probably going to get a whole lot of Dever--and virtually zero Ramsey--next season.

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Haha 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Dutchrudder said:

Killing Eugene was understandable, that was their rules. Everyone knew it, he was bit, you can't bring them back to town for a bit to say bye to people. He should have offed him in the forest and said "This is the Way." 

I fully agree. I get why he sent Ellie outside in the game, I don’t fully understand why he lied about it to Gail. Even if he did, Joel could have countered that he was trying to protect Eugene's memory FOR Gail and to protect Ellie from judgement not lying to make himself feel better. However, that path actually makes Ellie look like the bad actor because had she been mature enough to keep the the last story of Eugene as a brave man who took his own life, Gail has a better perception of his end. Sometimes, people don't need to know the truth as there is no upside and Joel's actions weren't with ill intent. Eugene and Ellie are the bad actors. Eugene should have manned up, given words for Joel to share to gail and, well, taken his death like a man. Ellie should have understood or been mature enough grasp her knowledge was hurtful to Gail. Exposing that truth that served nobody, accept Ellie's own conscience.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

If it makes you feel better, you're probably going to get a whole lot of Dever--and virtually zero Ramsey--next season.

Spoiler

You're not wrong.

 

Edited by BurntEyes
Posted
6 hours ago, BurntEyes said:

I don't know if it was covered in the series but I'll explain what happened in the game in spoilers regarding Joel's reaction. Your call if you want understanding

  Hide contents

Joel killed the Gail the therapists husband Eugene. However, the tension between Joel and Ellie exists because Eugene begged to see his wife one more time after being bitten. It causes tension between Joel and Ellie at the time. Joel finally agrees not to kill Eugene and asks Ellie to go outside and get the horses. While she is gone Joel kills Eugene, which Ellie hates. Joel felt he had to in order to protect Ellie. Who knows when Eugene would turn and it could easily risk Ellie's life, not a risk Joel would take even at the cost of upsetting his "daughter" Ellie. 

However, when they get to the settlement Joel tells the therapist Gail that Eugene took his own life. In the party scene in the game Joel's secret is revealed by Ellie to the crowd. Joel has no defense of the allegation by Ellie, because its true. So he doesn't argue with her at all. Based on my understanding of the show, I believe all of this holds true except for the time frame of the reveal. 

 

is your spoilered text supposed to be an explanation for what happened in the game?  Because if so you are way, way off.  

Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, someguy said:

is your spoilered text supposed to be an explanation for what happened in the game?  Because if so you are way, way off.  

You're correct, its been a hot minute.

I transposed the two. In the game its Joel lying about her rescue. 

Sorry. I'll see myself out.

Edited by BurntEyes
  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted

Did I miss something???  How did Ellie know Abby was hiding out at the aquarium???

 

 

 

AND THEN, HOW THE FUCK DID ABBY KNOW TO FIND THEM AT THE THEATER?!?!

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, speed817 said:

Did I miss something???  How did Ellie know Abby was hiding out at the aquarium???

 

 

 

AND THEN, HOW THE FUCK DID ABBY KNOW TO FIND THEM AT THE THEATER?!?!

First question: You must've missed Ellie telling Dina that Nora's last words were whale or wheel and then later Ellie telling Jesse that Abby must be near the ferris wheel upon seeing it. I'm not sure how she knew to look specificallyat the aquarium.

Second question: You got me.

Posted
Just now, bolverk said:

First question: You must've missed Ellie telling Dina that Nora's last words were whale or wheel and then later Ellie telling Jesse that Abby must be near the ferris wheel upon seeing it. I'm not sure how she knew to look specificallyat the aquarium.

Second question: You got me.

Yea I must've missed that.  I went back to episode 5 to see if Nora said anything but she didn't 🙄

Posted

Most of the show’s additions have been solid improvements on the game, but man what the fuck was the point of having Ellie wash up on Scar island for a quick little execution scare? That was dumb as hell.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Posted

What a piece of shit! I’m pretty sure TWD in New York is better than this.

It reminded me of the disappointment I felt watching Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Trilogy. By extending a shorter book into three parts, a lot of fluff and less adaptable storylines were included.

In any case, at the end when they showed Abbie, Mrs Eskimo and I were all…

giphy.gif

  • Like 1
Posted

7 episode seasons of "prestige" drama shows are bullshit.  the least they could have done was called it the first half of season 2, like several shows have done, and then have the next 7 episodes ready to go at the end of the year.  but from what i've read, they aren't even going to start filming again until 2026.  so we won't get the show until 2027. and it'll be those same 3 days from Abby's perspective.  i'm not sure i'm going to be very interested.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 2
Posted (edited)

Like how Ellie had to encounter a 100 foot wave at Nazaré……ohh shit that was Seattle…….and yet despite being out in the middle of sea she somehow ended up on scar beach with her boat washing up ashore right next to her too. Going a full season introducing the scars without explaining who the fuck they are and why they and the WLF are locked in a blood feud is a maddening choice. Probably won’t care enough to stick around for Season 3.

Edited by Macklemore
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Haha 2
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, speed817 said:

AND THEN, HOW THE FUCK DID ABBY KNOW TO FIND THEM AT THE THEATER?!?!

Find out in 2027!

But seriously, Abby knew about her dead friends and thought Tommy killed them. I would guess she was nearby the aquarium and followed them or tracked them or something.

Edited by CurlyDumps
  • Rage+1 1
Posted
7 hours ago, CurlyDumps said:

I worry about the horses. Where are they? Are they ok? They seem neglected.

They feed the horses when they poop! God damn doesn't anyone pay attention but me?!?!

This has turned into a TWD hate watch situation. 

  • Haha 2
Posted
34 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

This has turned into a TWD hate watch situation. 

I’ve got the series finale of my current hate watch - The Handmaid’s Tale - about to drop. I hate that I’ve stuck around for that.  Will probably do the same here.

Why do I keep watching this?

winona ryder heathers GIF

  • Haha 2
Posted
22 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

I’ve got the series finale of my current hate watch - The Handmaid’s Tale - about to drop. I hate that I’ve stuck around for that.  Will probably do the same here.

Why do I keep watching this?

winona ryder heathers GIF

I tried to hate watch June, but the glaring close-ups are a bridge to far. I feel an actual visceral hatred when viewing any of those contrived transparent hack directed moments.

 

Posted

Ellie killing the pregnant woman and then covering her belly as she died was brutal. No way to know if those 2 adults were guilty of anything other than being associated with Abby (whose guilt is also open to debate), but the baby was innocent and Ellie panicked and didn't even try to save it. In that moment, she really came across as a mad person on a senseless quest for vengeance that will result in more unnecessary human death. Jesse is already on the list. Death that is acceptable to her as long as she avenges Joel. Hard to be in her corner at this point.

Having not played the game and not knowing what happens next, it's hard to say how I feel about the ending. It's certainly possible that Ellie is actually dead. It seems obvious that we will spend at least a small part of season 3 seeing the world from Abby's POV. The only thing we know of that Abby has done wrong so far was to kill Joel, which was her own vengeance for him murdering her father. She's morally no worse than Ellie, possibly better.

This story is good at blurring the lines between good and evil. I suppose when you play as Joel or Ellie in the video game, it's like you are that character and you live and die with the decisions the game is requiring you to make. You believe that you can charge into dark buildings with potential zombies and raiders because that's how video games operate and ultimately killing a person like Abby is the task you've accepted when you play the game. When you are watching the show, you feel more like a third party observing someone else making these decisions, so psychologically there is a little bit of a difference and it allows a TV viewer to be more judgemental over the character's actions.

I'm also annoying about the predicted 2 year wait for season 3. Not sure if that blame gets assigned to TLOU team or to HBO execs, probably the latter, unless the writers are just really slow about getting the story together. It's certainly not unique to this show but it does kill momentum and this is a frustating place to leave a story in limbo for that long.

Maybe I'll pick up TLOU2 game and play it out on the easiest setting.

Posted

I feel like there is a subtle difference between telling a story about the consequences of hard decisions, and a story about a protagonist we are supposed to root for, but is intrinsically stupid and dangerous. Witness Jesse being used as a vehicle to excuse her abominable actions to that point. Where is the redemption here? 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
16 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I haven't read this thread to avoid spoilers. I really liked Season 1.
Episode 1 and 2 of this season have bored me to tears. Is there any reason to keep watching?

I made it through 4 episodes, holy shit what a nosedive. Did ChatGPT write this script during the strike?  

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
19 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I haven't read this thread to avoid spoilers. I really liked Season 1.
Episode 1 and 2 of this season have bored me to tears. Is there any reason to keep watching?

Not really. There was a monster drop-off in quality from season 1 to 2.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
5 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

Ellie killing the pregnant woman and then covering her belly as she died was brutal. No way to know if those 2 adults were guilty of anything other than being associated with Abby (whose guilt is also open to debate), but the baby was innocent and Ellie panicked and didn't even try to save it. In that moment, she really came across as a mad person on a senseless quest for vengeance that will result in more unnecessary human death. Jesse is already on the list. Death that is acceptable to her as long as she avenges Joel. Hard to be in her corner at this point.

Having not played the game and not knowing what happens next, it's hard to say how I feel about the ending. It's certainly possible that Ellie is actually dead. It seems obvious that we will spend at least a small part of season 3 seeing the world from Abby's POV. The only thing we know of that Abby has done wrong so far was to kill Joel, which was her own vengeance for him murdering her father. She's morally no worse than Ellie, possibly better.

This story is good at blurring the lines between good and evil. I suppose when you play as Joel or Ellie in the video game, it's like you are that character and you live and die with the decisions the game is requiring you to make. You believe that you can charge into dark buildings with potential zombies and raiders because that's how video games operate and ultimately killing a person like Abby is the task you've accepted when you play the game. When you are watching the show, you feel more like a third party observing someone else making these decisions, so psychologically there is a little bit of a difference and it allows a TV viewer to be more judgemental over the character's actions.

I'm also annoying about the predicted 2 year wait for season 3. Not sure if that blame gets assigned to TLOU team or to HBO execs, probably the latter, unless the writers are just really slow about getting the story together. It's certainly not unique to this show but it does kill momentum and this is a frustating place to leave a story in limbo for that long.

Maybe I'll pick up TLOU2 game and play it out on the easiest setting.

I mean, it seemed she genuinely was going to let them live until homie went for the piece and the girl was an accident. If she happened to pull off the c section no way was she going to be able to keep that thing alive in those circumstances 

Posted

that may have honestly been the absolutely stupidest 45 mins of television I have ever fucking seen. 

I cant handle Deus Ex Machina happening over and fucking over. 

I get its a show about zombies, and I know its based off of a previously written script for the damn game.

I also get that its presented for entertainment, but I need some semblance of basic fucking reality and following some normal rules of living. 

Spoiler

Ellie being so fucking dumb as to try and attack SIX fully armed wolves to try and save a random scar "kid" not once, or twice, but 3 fucking times, until Jesse has to physically hold her back. 

The rogue wave in Elliot Bay/Puget Sound was insanely wrong, followed by a fully clothed Ellie- carrying a heavy backpack falling into the water, which at its warmest in AUGUST is never warmer than 54 fucking degrees,

and her swimming to the land, while not showing a single sign of hypothermia, while we get to see the boat continuing onto the beach (and its motor stopping while on the beach without ruining the propellor), only to be immediately captured by a group of the zealots. 

A scar group that obviously believes shes a fucking Wolf and rather than just fucking leave the rope wrapped around a tree, and hang her... or just gut her immediately, they hear their village under attack and choose option 3---- leave the fucking wolf alive, unhurt, and able to just walk/boat away?????

I cant fathom that level of writer stupidity. 

 

  • Hook 'Em 6
  • Like 1
Posted

She didn't kill Ellie because there wouldn't still be a show. Abby has come to command the 7 kingdoms. Isaac and the other girl are dead after they invaded the Scars, as he predicted. I'm not sure on what technically Ellie survived (and likely so did Tommy) but they did. So is your starting point for Season 3. Not great writing or directing Bob. 

Posted

So logistically, where is Scar Island? I've been to Seattle a few times and I don't remember some random island in the middle of the Sound. Are they hold up on Bainbridge Island or are we talking West Seattle?

  • Like 1
Posted
9 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Abby has come to command the 7 kingdoms. Isaac and the other girl are dead after they invaded the Scars, as he predicted. I'm not sure on what technically Ellie survived (and likely so did Tommy) but they did. So is your starting point for Season 3. Not great writing or directing Bob. 

Do we know that from the show? Maybe that happens in the game, but they never showed how the WLF v. Scar battle played out in the season finale.  Season 3 is going to be back to Day 1 when Ellie arrives in Seattle, but from Abby’s perspective.  So I’m guessing we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to see the aftermath of the WLF/Scar battle, which will likely be in 2029.

Posted
39 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

Do we know that from the show? Maybe that happens in the game, but they never showed how the WLF v. Scar battle played out in the season finale.  Season 3 is going to be back to Day 1 when Ellie arrives in Seattle, but from Abby’s perspective.  So I’m guessing we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to see the aftermath of the WLF/Scar battle, which will likely be in 2029.

Prestige television everyone!

  • Rage+1 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Jive Turkey said:

Do we know that from the show? Maybe that happens in the game, but they never showed how the WLF v. Scar battle played out in the season finale.  Season 3 is going to be back to Day 1 when Ellie arrives in Seattle, but from Abby’s perspective.  So I’m guessing we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to see the aftermath of the WLF/Scar battle, which will likely be in 2029.

Non gamer. I'm just making guesses based on what we saw and some of the after show stuff. 

Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, mdmost said:

So logistically, where is Scar Island? I've been to Seattle a few times and I don't remember some random island in the middle of the Sound. Are they hold up on Bainbridge Island or are we talking West Seattle?

Spent the better part of 4 years at Pier 36. Blake Island or Harbor Island? Also question how her Nazaré'd boat turned up unswamped in 1 piece ready to go.

image.png.461ab32def499243bf4118050c9aaaaf.png

Edited by RPM
Posted
21 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I haven't read this thread to avoid spoilers. I really liked Season 1.
Episode 1 and 2 of this season have bored me to tears. Is there any reason to keep watching?

I made it through 7 and I’m wondering where that rest of the episodes are 

Posted

This is giving major late stage GoT vibes. 
 

There are some good individual scenes and set pieces, but the overall narrative is terrible.  Everything feels rushed in an already short season. 
 

 

  • Like 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...