The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 ending explained: Why is Abby going after Joel?

After more than 2 years of waiting, The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 finally premiered on Max on April 13, 2025. Titled Future Days, the show once again puts the focus on Joel and Ellie's relationship as the two try living peaceful lives in Jackson. Not only that, but the show picks up five years after the events of the first season and sees them going through a rough patch as well.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 1. Reader discretion is advised.

In The Last of Us season 2 episode 1, fans are introduced to many new characters. From Catherine O'Hara's Gail to Isabela Merced's Dina, fans get to see new faces interact with the old ones.

It also introduces this season's primary villain, Abby, who is seen at the start of the episode and also seems to have an axe to grind with Joel. She wants to avenge the fireflies Joel killed in the previous season, so she ends up tracking him down to Jackson and can be seen going into the city with a whole crew just to kill him.

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Abby finds Joel in Jackson at the end of The Last of Us season 2 episode 1

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 (Image via Max)

The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 ends with Abby and her crew finding Jackson, as they have been able to successfully track down Joel. The scene sees her emerging from the woods with Jackson in the background as she seems to have only one thing on her mind: Revenge. However, she does have her own reasons for going after Joel.

At the end of The Last of Us season 1, Joel massacres all of the Fireflies at the hospital in Salt Lake City to save Ellie, and it looks like he is finally going to face the consequences for his actions.

At the beginning of the episode, five years before the season picks up, viewers can see the only surviving Fireflies grieving the dead as a mass grave is set up. Among them is Abby, who is taking the situation hard.

One of her friends, Owen, suggests moving to Seattle and joining a militia that is run by a man named Isaac, while Abby just wants to go and kill Joel for what he did to the Fireflies. Owen is then able to convince her that joining Isaac might help her track down Joel. It looks like that's exactly what has happened, and this is going to lead into the events of episode 2.

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Why is Ellie mad at Joel in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1?

Ellie getting mad at Joel (Image via Max)

Ellie and Joel's dynamic seems to have been shaken up as well in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1. While the two seemed to be inseparable last season, this time around, fans get to see Ellie holding a grudge against Joel that hasn't been revealed yet. At the beginning of the episode, Joel can be seen complaining about Ellie giving him the cold shoulder to Dina.

In addition, he has started taking therapy from the town's therapist, Gail. There, Gail urges Joel to tell her exactly what happened between them since she knows he isn't giving her the full story. It is massively hinted that Ellie knows that Joel lied to her about the Fireflies at the end of season 1.

Joel also continues to be overprotective of Ellie throughout the episode as he keeps making sure she isn't going out on dangerous patrols, but she goes on them anyway. It all comes to a head at the end of the episode when Dina and Ellie are dancing at the New Year's Party.

The two share a kiss and are immediately heckled by a man named Seth, who calls them a homophobic slur as well. Ellie then charges at Seth, but before she can do anything, Joel pushes Seth to the ground to save Ellie. However, Ellie doesn't appreciate the gesture and yells at Joel, telling him that she doesn't need his help.

When she gets back home, she sees Joel playing his guitar on the porch, but refuses to talk to him and walks to her room.

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What happened to Eugene in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1?

Gail is Eugene's wife (Image via Max)

The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 also makes a few changes to some bits of the story here and there. In the game, Eugene used to be one of Tommy's close friends, and it is revealed that he died from a stroke at the old age of 73. In the show, fans get a bit more this time around, but it adds its own spin to his story.

In the show, Euge is Gail's husband, and it is implied that he died recently as well, given that she mentions it's her first birthday without him by her side in 41 years. Gail, who is clearly drunk at the moment and therapizing Joel, reveals that it was he who killed her husband and is quite angry at him about that. But, she also mentions that she knows he had no choice and that he had to do it.

While it is not revealed why Joel killed Eugene in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1, it certainly looks like this is a question that will be answered in the future.

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The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 also introduces a new kind of infected

Ellie and Dina out on patrol (Image via Max)

In The Last of Us season 2 episode 1, fans also get to see a new kind of infected. While so far in the show the viewers have been treated to the Runners, Clickers, and Bloaters, the new season introduces a smarter kind of infected known as Stalkers. This new infected can be seen in the scene where Ellie and Dina are out on patrol and are trying to take out the infected in an abandoned market.

The stalker can be seen creeping and getting closer to Ellie slowly while also taking cover and luring her in like prey. The scene is intense as the stalker also manages to bite Ellie before it is killed. However, with Ellie being immune, she is just able to walk away unscathed from the bite.

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The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 is streaming on Max right now.