Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, and The Last of Us Part II game!The Last of Us season 2 has made drastic changes to Dina compared to the game, and that continues with her taking over Tommy’s role in Joel’s shocking death sequence. The second episode of the season features Abby killing Joel after spending the last five years motivated by revenge. Since Joel killed her father in The Last of Us season 1’s ending, Abby vowed to make Joel pay for his actions, and she gets that opportunity shortly after arriving in Wyoming. Unlike The Last of Us Part II, Dina is a key character in the events surrounding Joel’s demise.
As shown in The Last of Us season 2’s premiere, Dina and Joel have a close relationship in the HBO adaptation, something that’s never explored in the game. Their surprising bond also highlights just how strained Joel’s relationship with Ellie has become over the years. Sadly, the pair will never have a chance to patch up their relationship based on The Last of Us season 2, episode 2’s twist ending. With some changes to the game’s story, however, it gives Dina an interesting role in what’s to come.
Dina Is With Joel For The Last Of Us Season 2’s Ski Lodge Scene, Not Tommy
Tommy Has Other Things To Worry About In Jackson
The Last of Us season 2’s “Through the Valley” features Joel and Dina out on a patrol together, where they encounter Abby. The WLF members within Abby’s group have taken refuge in a ski lodge in the mountains outside of Jackson. While doing her own patrol, Abby is nearly killed by an infected horde, but Joel arrives just in time to save her. With the weather worsening, Abby invites Joel and Dina back to the lodge, which eventually leads to Joel’s death. Interestingly, Tommy is with Joel for The Last of Us Part II‘s ski lodge sequence instead of Dina.
RelatedJoel’s story has come to an end in the The Last of Us season 2’s second episode. Though it’s a pivotal moment, I thought HBO would delay the death.
The changes in The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, when it comes to swapping Dina for Tommy, make sense. Aside from the fact that the show has already established Dina and Joel’s friendship, Tommy is well occupied throughout the episode. “Through the Valley” replicates Joel’s death twist at the hands of Abby, but it adds the subplot involving the infected horde’s attack on Jackson. The tragic event exemplifies Tommy’s leadership role within the community while giving the character an additional focus outside of Joel’s fate.
What Dina’s Presence For Joel’s Death Means For The Last Of Us Season 2
Another Character Will Be Heavily Impacted By The Loss Of Joel
When Joel rescues Abby from being attacked by infected, he reunites with Dina, who calls out to Joel by name, tipping off Abby about his true identity. To get the pair back to the lodge to enact her plan, Abby acts like her group will help with the Jackson situation. Instead, Abby has Dina knocked unconscious before shooting Joel in the leg and severely beating him. Ellie arrives moments before Abby kills Joel with the broken golf club. Dina doesn’t directly witness Joel’s murder, but she’s forced to handle the aftermath.
We know how much Joel’s death will impact Ellie, but it will also have a meaningful impact on Dina.
Still groggy from being put to sleep, Dina accompanies Jesse and Ellie on the way back to Jackson with their horses. We don’t see Dina and Jesse’s reaction to Joel’s death, but we know both were well aware of what happened to him. Dina went on the journey with Ellie to track down Abby in the game, though having the character directly witness Joel’s murder firsthand gives her more personal motivation to catch his killer. We know how much Joel’s death will impact Ellie, but it will also have a meaningful impact on Dina.
Tommy Can Still Go After Abby, But He Might Have To Focus On Jackson
Tommy Needs To Help Jackson Heal & Rebuild
Image via Max<\/p>\n”>
Image via Max
Though Tommy isn’t involved with the event between Joel and Abby at the mountain lodge, his brother’s death will still have a massive impact on his remaining arc. In the game, Tommy was the one who set out to hunt down Abby, leading Ellie and Dina to follow him to Seattle. It’s unclear if the same will happen in The Last of Us season 2, though we know several characters will trek across the country and head for Seattle. While Tommy may very well be one of them, he has other things to worry about now.
RelatedThe Last of Us season 2’s ep. 2 features a subtle WLF wolf patch tease, hinting that Dina will likely help Ellie find Abby in the upcoming episodes.
The infected attack on Jackson will leave the community in need of a lot of rebuilding, based on what the aftermath looks like when Tommy and Maria reunite. Aside from the damage to the community, many lives are presumably lost, which will hurt the operation of the town and the rebuilding process. Tommy may elect to stay in Jackson to help, especially since his wife and son are there, as the threat of future infected attacks remains possible. That’s not to say he wouldn’t want to avenge Joel’s death, but he must consider his other responsibilities in The Last of Us.
