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The second season of “The Last of Us” concluded with a thrilling flair, placing viewers on the edge of their seats due to its heart-pounding moments and character swaps. Since Season 2 represents only half of “Part II’s” story, some creative liberties were necessary, as was also the case in Season 1, both for positive and negative reasons. However, it’s worth noting that “Convergence” might be one of the episodes most closely adapted from the original source material to date.

Ellie’s short trip to Seraphite Island stands out remarkably, resembling a striking anomaly. Although it’s a minor scene, it didn’t appear at all in the game, which has sparked much debate as one of the most contentious moments in the S2 finale. Interestingly, this scene wasn’t an entirely fresh concept; it was initially planned for Part II.

Ellie Washes Ashore On Seraphite Island

One More Delay On Ellie’s Revenge Tour

In the climactic point of “Convergence”, Ellie’s chase for Abby culminates. Following enigmatic tips from Nora involving symbols like a ‘wheel’ and a ‘whale’, Ellie is now more determined than ever to bring justice upon Abby. Though the meanings of these signs were not immediately clear to her, they proved instrumental in her quest. At the start of “Convergence”, Ellie reunites with Dina and Jesse following their confrontation with Nora, where they left her injured in the hospital basement. In this story, Ellie and Jesse decide to search for Tommy, intending to bring him back to the theatre so they can return to Jackson together.

Ellie and Jesse go to the meeting spot set by Jesse and Tommy, but find that Tommy hasn’t arrived yet. Later, they hear a warning about a possible sniper attack on their walkie-talkies from the WLF. An interesting twist is that while the Seraphites don’t use snipers, it’s known that Tommy does. At this juncture, Ellie spots the Seattle Aquarium, complete with a Ferris Wheel and a mural of a whale on one wall. Jesse urges Ellie to forget about Abby and aid Tommy instead, but Ellie is too torn to oblige. She needs to confirm if Abby is present.

Ellie and Jesse have a disagreement. Jesse believes that acting in the community’s best interest means reuniting everyone, while for Ellie, her community was Joel. Despite potentially putting one of Joel’s last living relatives at risk, she feels it’s crucial to honor his memory. Eventually, they part ways. As Ellie nears a solitary boat, preparing to embark on a journey, she’s unsure of her destination or purpose.

As Ellie nears the aquarium dock, a massive wave suddenly arises and carries her away. Instead of recollecting herself and sailing on towards the aquarium, Ellie awakens back on Seraphite Island. There, she spots a young Seraphite child who gestures to nearby Seraphites. A crowd of Seraphites emerges from the forest and seizes Ellie. She is escorted to a gallows where the Seraphites are preparing to hang her. As Ellie fights back and begs for mercy, she encounters an unnamed Seraphite priestess who looks similar to the Seraphite Emily from Part II.

In this version, I’ve tried to maintain the same flow and structure while using different verbs and adjectives to create a fresh take on the original sentence.

The priestess gazes at the child of the Seraphites, who delivers a verdict – Ellie is to be disemboweled in a manner similar to WLF soldiers at the broadcasting station. However, before the Seraphites could carry out this act, a powerful horn blast echoed. The WLF had arrived on shore, signaling the start of the battle. The priestess orders the other Seraphites to abandon Ellie. There are more urgent concerns, she explains. With newfound determination, Ellie regains her bearings, heads back to her boat, and resumes her journey towards the aquarium, eventually reaching it.

Why Ellie’s Travels To Seraphite Island Is So Bizarre

Was This Scene At All Necessary?

In The Last of Us series, a scene featuring Ellie on Seraphite Island didn’t make it into the game, but that wasn’t the primary reason for fan dissatisfaction with this particular scene. Throughout both seasons, the show has presented original content that has garnered both acclaim and criticism. To put it simply, many viewers felt this scene was entirely superfluous and failed to contribute much beyond slowing down the narrative progression. Given the show’s historically brisk pace and the anticipation for certain game scenes like the Bloater encounter at the arcade, dedicating time to this sequence instead felt rather annoying. The fact that there were no Infected in the episode only added to this frustration.

In this scenario, there’s nothing inherently wrong about it. The issue lies with the context. If a similar sequence had occurred after Ellie left Dina and Jesse to join Nora in “Feel Her Love,” fans would have likely found it more acceptable. It would also provide a rationale for Ellie’s back being covered in dirt and wounds at the start of “Convergence.” The additional near-death experiences for Ellie, which some viewers felt were insufficient during her initial two days in Seattle, could have enhanced both episodes. In other words, these episodes might have been improved by this change.

In summary, the brief duration of this particular scene, approximately three minutes, raises questions about its necessity. If extended to around ten minutes, it could have served as a worthwhile diversion, showcasing Ellie’s stealth abilities and potentially encountering infected. This could also have given an opportunity for Ellie to ponder if Abby might be on the island since she now suspects that is where the WLF were headed. As Abby is part of the WLF, she may have been aboard one of those ships. However, this scene seems more like an effort to increase runtime rather than a deliberate choice.

Why The Last Of Us’ Writers Felt It Was Necessary To Include

Why This Scene Was Cut From The Game

This scenario leads us to ponder why Ellie visited Seraphite Island on the show. The explanation isn’t a random one; it wasn’t like Mel’s emotional demise that unfolded later in this episode. Instead, it appears that this event was initially intended for Part II of the game. Around the 33-minute mark in the episode, Druckmann explained that “This is something we had in the game but removed due to time constraints, where Ellie was taken to where the Seraphites, known as the Scars, reside.

What Druckmann mentioned post-release of Part II in 2020 was quite familiar. He and Halley Gross, the game’s writer, hinted at an additional storyline where Ellie ventured to the Seraphite island, delving deeper into the Seraphites’ lore and Ellie’s journey there, which allegedly involved traversing through various circles of Hell, yet she persisted onward.

The comment about “layers of Hell” aligns with why that scene was incorporated into the series. In the post-episode discussion, Druckmann explains it as if the universe is urging Ellie to halt, showing her how far she’s come and reminding her of her near-death experiences. However, Ellie defies this by continuing towards the aquarium. Additionally, Druckmann emphasizes that the scene was crucial for depicting the harshness and xenophobia of the Seraphites, highlighting their readiness to kill an outsider without a second thought. This is significant given that Ellie had been prepared to confront a group of WLF to save a Seraphite teen earlier in the episode.

In other words, if Seraphite Island had been part of the game Uncharted 4, would it have occurred at the same time as the main story? Josh Scherr, a writer and narrative designer for the game Part II, offers some insight during a live playthrough of Uncharted 4. Around an hour into the session, the conversation turns to cut content due to a viewer’s question about the removed crane sequence in Uncharted 4. Scherr explains that Naughty Dog has improved at determining what should stay and what should be left out earlier in the development process, preventing them from investing too many resources into unnecessary elements. He uses Part II as an example of this improvement, stating that there was a scene where Ellie visited “Scar Island” before reaching the aquarium, but this sequence was cut before significant time was invested in it.

From a passionate film buff’s perspective, Scherr elucidated that the omitted sequence was intended to “hinder the flow” and “offer little narrative significance.” This insightful reasoning aligns with the ongoing critique of the scene, while also verifying that the scene’s position in the series mirrors its original placement within the game.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel that Ellie’s struggles in the series could have been more profound, mirroring her journey in the game. The absence of interactive gameplay in the show made it challenging for the writers to fully explore Ellie’s hardships, as seen in the aquarium scene. However, I understand why they chose to streamline the story for a more engaging viewing experience.

The second season moved at an incredible pace, which was captivating. Yet, introducing this extended sequence could potentially slow down the narrative flow without significantly contributing to the overall plot development. It’s clear that the concept had merit, but its execution might need refinement to strike a balance between maintaining the series’ fast-paced nature and deepening Ellie’s character arc.

Viewers will long remember Ellie’s short visit to Seraphite Island and Season 2 overall, as the series might span multiple years before concluding. After adapting “Part II,” there’s a good chance that this scene and Season 2 may be viewed more favorably in hindsight. For now, it’s hard not to wonder if this scene could have been left as an unanswered question (“What if?”) until the show fully develops further.

2025-05-29 21:53