Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 3.
The Last of UsSeason 2 has ushered in significant changes, and after an explosive episode likeEpisode 2, it’s understandable that the characters are still reeling. Despite the time jump of several months,Season 2, Episode 3, “The Path,“is all about mourning Joel (Pedro Pascal) as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is finally released from the hospital and returns to the home she shared with him. But things take a more active twist when Dina (Isabela Merced) reveals what she learned about Joel’s attackers, andEllie shifts her focus to getting justice. Unfortunately, to leave the still-weakened Jackson, Ellie needs a vote in the town hall, where many of the citizens don’t want to dedicate resources and manpower to a revenge mission. Yet some agree with her, most notably Seth (Robert John Burke), who adds his own voice to Ellie’s in an attempt to convince the council to send people afterAbby (Kaitlyn Dever)and her crew.
Seth is first introduced inSeason 2, Episode 1, “Future Days,“when Dina and Ellie kiss at the New Year’s dance, and he refers to them using a homophobic slur before Joel jumps in to defend Ellie. His role is somewhat outshone by the conflict between Joel and Ellie, but Seth does enough for the audience to form an opinion of him. His scene demonstrates that despite all the new dangers in the world, some older problems still exist inThe Last of Us. Yet Seth advocating in Ellie’s favor is new to the franchise, andit shows the character in a more favorable light than fans expected, proving that Seth is more complex than he initially seemed.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 3 Gives Seth a Vital Role
After other members of the community point out the dangers of sending fighters away from Jackson, especially afterthe recent attack,Seth speaks up despite not having put his name on the list to do so.He points out that Joel is one of their own, and they cannot lethis deathgo unanswered. And, despite the risks of Ellie’s plan, Seth raises a good point. These people, whom they know very little about, found their community and killed one of them before getting away. They are enemies who could return at any time, and few would even know until it was too late. Not seeking any sort of justice could make Jackson a target later on. On this ground, Seth calls for the execution of Joel’s killers, which is just what Ellie wants.
The council votes against it, and Ellie and Dina plan to go alone, but Dina finds an ally who is sympathetic to their “cause” in Seth. He meets them at the gate with better weapons, supplies from his personal stores, and a horse as they sneak out of Jackson for their unauthorized journey. Seth even says he would go along if he could; however, a lingering injury prevents him from traveling. Ellie finds it hard to accept help from a man she doesn’t like, but she has few options, and Seth, whatever his opinion of Ellie, doesn’t let it get in the way. As she leaves, they shake hands, showing their unlikely acceptance of the other.Without Seth’s help, Ellie and Dina would not have the supplies to get very far, making him an important ally despite the issues that linger between him and Ellie.
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Seth Doesn’t Have This Moment of Redemption in ‘The Last of Us’ Game
WhileThe Last of Usis based on the video game series of the same name, there are more thana few differences in the adaptation. Though he didn’t appear in Season 1, Seth was already controversial because he is not an invention of the HBO series. His role is very similar inThe Last of Us: Part II, but he and Ellie never become allies.In a direct adaptation, Seth’s role would already be over.The character is best known for the scene he initiates at theNew Year’s dance, which occurs in the games and show alike. He reappears the next day, in both versions of the story, when Maria (Rutina Wesley) forces apologies. While that is the end of Seth’s involvement in the game,The Last of UsSeason 2 adds a compelling twist.
The town hall meeting was created for the show, and though it is an interesting development for the story and for Ellie, itwouldn’t make much sense in a video game. This scene allowsThe Last of Usto explore Seth in a new light, proving that the character isn’t as bad as he initially seems. Any member of the Jackson community could have been revealed to support Ellie’s cause in the meeting and help her pull together the supplies she needs when she leaves Jackson, but giving this role to Seth has the most impact. By choosing him to help Ellie,the series turns Seth into a much more layered character.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 3 Makes Seth a Complex Character
Seth makes a bad impression with his bigotry, and while he does apologize to Ellie, it’s hard to feel sympathy for a character who was introduced through his prejudices, especially with his hatred leveled at the series lead. Yet his choice to help her and seek justice for Joel shows a realistically messy characterization. In TV as well as fiction in general, it’s easy to categorize some characters as the good guys andothers as the bad ones, but Seth exists in a gray area. Yes, he is flawed. The hatred he spewed in the first episode makes it fair for Ellie to be wary of him, butin the show’s most recent episode, he proves that he is not strictly an antagonist.
It would have been easy for Seth to let his homophobia stop him from helping Ellie. She has made no attempt to hide her sexual orientation, nor should she, but Seth could have used his prejudice against LGBTQ+ people as an excuse to do nothing, even if he agreed with her argument. Buthe doesn’t let his hatred control him, making him better than the audience expected after his introduction.Seth’s choice to help Ellie despite the issues between them offers an odd sense of hopeinthis post-apocalyptic setting, showing that loyalty to the community can overcome even homophobia inThe Last of Usand make Seth and Ellie unlikely allies.
New episodes ofThe Last of UsSeason 2 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.
