The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 (“The Path”) became one of the most-watched episodes of the season after it aired on April 27, 2025. The episode continues with events following the death of one of its major characters, Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), and the infected attack on Jackson, Wyoming. It focused on Jackson’s council decision not to send people against the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), who are now based in Seattle.
The episode ends with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) leaving Jackson on a revenge mission and arriving in Seattle. However, video game audiences couldn’t help but notice how much the episode deviates from the game’s storyline. While there have been noticeable changes from the game since the HBO show began, The Last of Us season 2 episode 3 makes really big changes to the source material.
Ellie and Dina Leave Jackson Before Tommy
Video gamers would quickly notice a distinct change in the order in which certain characters left Jackson. In The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020, Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel’s brother, first departs Jackson in search of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and the WLF. Understandably, Tommy, grieved by his brother’s death, is overwhelmed, leaving Jackson to seek revenge. Maria (Rutina Wesley), Tommy’s wife, sends Ellie and Dina in search of him. In the game, Ellie and Dina happily accept the mission, seeing it as an opportunity to find Abby.
However, in The Last of Us season 2, episode 3, Ellie and Dina set out to Seattle before Tommy. In the episode, Tommy is yet to leave Jackson, while Ellie and Dina are shown to have arrived in Seattle. Showrunners decided to have Ellie (with Dina accompanying) leave Jackson first, as it is a more logical approach. In the previous episode (“Through the Valley”), Ellie is forced to watch as Abby brutally kills Joel. Swearing revenge, Ellie would seem more emotionally invested in finding Abby than Tommy, especially because of the story arc of both characters in the series. While a major change of events from the video game, it did little to affect the show’s general storyline.
Seth Plays an Important Role in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3
Seth (Robert John Burke) is a minor character in the video game and HBO series. With the character introduced in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 (“Future Days”), his attitude towards Ellie and Dina after their kiss quickly made him a secondary antagonist. However, in episode 3, his kind gesture towards the duo would certainly have absolved him of all his crimes. During the town hall meeting, most townspeople and eight of eleven of its council members were adamant about sending a ground to Seattle in search of the WLF and Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby.
Seth, an unlikely ally, gave a passionate and quite angry speech in favor of sending a group after the WLF. Just when audiences had thought it was a one-off moment, Seth helps Ellie and Dina to escape Jackson. As glorious as those scenes were, they weren’t adapted from the video game. While his homophobic comments in episode 1 were based on the game, his actions in The Last of Us season 2, episode 3 are entirely original. For gamers, it was nice seeing Seth’s character fleshed out in the series.
Aftermath of the Invasion and Tommy’s Unofficial Therapy Session
After the invasion attack scenes in episode 2, it was already obvious the showrunners decided to include that part for its action scenes. However, the aftermath of the attack spilled over into The Last of Us season 2 episode 3. This meant the town needed healing and lots of repairs. While this change might not have been significant at first, it is a strong point the townspeople and council members used in refusing to send a group to Seattle.
Another major change to the video game was the therapy session between Gail (Catherine O’Hara) and Tommy. With her introduction in episode 1, Gail has long been established as an original character who only appears on the show. As such, any interaction with the character on the show is naturally a big change from the game. Tommy never has a talk with Gail in the video game. What makes their discussion even more significant is that it could trigger Tommy to leave Jackson in search of Abby. Anyone who has played The Last of Us video game knows Tommy is destined to leave Jackson, albeit not because of a makeshift therapy session with Gail.
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