I Didn’t Expect The Last Of Us Season 2’s Jackson Story To Take That Dark Turn, But I’m Glad It Did

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 2.

Although the trailers had teased an infected invasion of Jackson, I didn’t expect the town to be so devastated in The Last of Us season 2 — but it’s a great dramatic turn for the story. The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, “Through the Valley,” follows up on the premiere’s cliffhanger tease by sending a horde of infected straight to Jackson’s gates. As the townspeople fight back with rifles, flamethrowers, and drums of flammable chemicals, it grows into a giant Game of Thrones-sized battle sequence.

It was an ingenious move by co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin to misdirect the non-gaming audience. The attack on Jackson created the sense that a major character would die — especially with the bloater bearing down on Tommy — and a major character did die, just nowhere near Jackson. Abby kept her promise to kill Joel slowly, and it was painful to watch. But the infected invasion of the town didn’t just throw the audience off the trail of Joel’s death; it’s a great development for the Jackson storyline, too.

The Infected Horde Invading Jackson Was A Surprising Twist In The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 2

The Infected Never Get Inside Jackson’s Walls In The Game

An infected horde breaking through the walls of Jackson was a huge surprise in The Last of Us season 2. In the game, Tommy mentions that the town has had to fend off infected attacks in the past, but the infected never get past the walls on-screen. There are plenty of infected in the area — like in the supermarket where Ellie and Dina go on patrol — but they never get anywhere near the town itself. So, a horde arriving at the gates is a major change from the source material.

The infected invasion gave Tommy his own important storyline. In the game, Tommy is the one on patrol with Joel when he encounters Abby, not Dina. By having him back at Jackson, gallantly leading the defense against the invading infected, The Last of Us ensured that Tommy still had a crucial role in the episode. It was also a great opportunity to show Jackson coming together as a tightknit community during a crisis.

The Invasion Gives Jackson An Important Storyline For The Last Of Us Season 2

The Town Has A Long Road To Recovery Ahead

Jackson managed to survive the infected assault, but the town has taken a devastating hit. A lot of people were killed, there are blood-soaked corpses lining the streets, some of the buildings have been destroyed, the ammunition supply has been depleted, and — most frighteningly — the walls have been breached. The town will have a long road to recovery ahead. Ellie will be on her own mission, chasing Abby and her friends to Seattle, but the fallout of the invasion gives The Last of Us a reason to keep some focus on the community as they rebuild.

The Last Of Us

8/10

Release Date

January 15, 2023

Network

HBO

Showrunner

Craig Mazin

Directors

Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado

Writers

Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin