'The Last of Us' season 2 episode 3 shifts away from the games in a big way

"The Last of Us" season 2 has been surprisingly controversial. After watching episode 3, I'm concerned that the controversy isn't without merit.

Last week, the show killed off its big star, Pedro Pascal. Joel's death is a key moment in the game and something that had to happen. I think most fans, whether casual or diehard, breathed a sigh of relief when the show finally had its shocking moment play out on HBO, thankful that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann weren't afraid to kill their darlings.

But that moment did spark some controversy because of how it happened. Instead of staying true to the games, significant changes were made in how that went down, though some iconic moments were kept.

That riled up some diehard fans of the game and reopened a debate over what an adaptation should or should not do.

Now, normally, I'm pretty open to letting creators take liberties in an adaptation. I didn't use to be, but as I read, watch and learn more, I've come to realize that the differences between shows, movies, games and books mean that adapting from one form to the other requires change.

But episode 3 introduced two major shifts that have me concerned the adaptations this season might significantly alter the story of the show compared to the game. And that has me worried.

Spoilers for 'The Last of Us' beyond this point

Has 'The Last of Us' changed Tommy too much?

In "The Last of Us: Part II," the day after Joel is brought back to Jackson to be buried, his brother Tommy goes on a quest for revenge. He heads off towards Seattle to chase down Abby, and hot on his heels are Ellie and Dina.

After tonight's episode, though, we know that the show is changing things in a big way. It's three months later before anyone even sets off after Joel, and when they do, it's just Ellie and Dina, with Tommy staying behind in Jackson.

Now, to be fair, that latter change makes sense in the context of the show. Tommy is not just a leader in Jackson, he's the leader in Jackson. He also has a child, which any parent knows makes running off with reckless abandon a painful choice to make.

But those are not traits of the character in the game, at least, not to this degree.

Initially, these changes felt like adding depth to a character, but now that they're impacting core plot points, I'm starting to be concerned that Mazin and Druckmann (the latter in particular) are perhaps rewriting the story to fit their present vision of the fictional world. It's a thing that happens (see: Lucas, George) but can be incredibly frustrating to fans that fell in love with a different vision.

I do think Tommy eventually goes to Seattle in the show, now tailing Ellie and Dina instead of the other way around. But by possibly making his mission to protect Ellie rather than avenge Joel and diminishing the immediacy of the hunt for Abby, the story feels distinctly different.

I also think it's further evidence that this trend of the show deviating in notable ways isn't going away.

Ultimately, 'The Last of Us' doesn't need to be a good adaptation to be a great show

Now, despite my alarmist take above on "The Last of Us" starting to flounder as an adaptation, I think it's still a great show — because it wasn't created just for the fans of the games.

Anecdotally, those who haven't played the games don't seem to have really any issues with the choices made this season, and I get why. The choices, while not in line with the narrative of the games, are in line with the world Mazin and Druckmann have created.

So I don't think that this show will be a disaster. While even taking the adaptive elements out of it, this episode was probably my least favorite of the show so far, yet I have no doubt this will be a show of the year contender for many, myself included.

Fans of the game, I hear you. I even sympathize with you, and after tonight, I see your point of view more than ever.

But I think after tonight, it may be time to let go of the games as a point of reference. It's clear Mazin and Druckmann have a different vision in mind, and while it's not the same as the one you fell in love with, it's still producing incredible television.

Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

Here's what he's been watching lately:

• Netflix's new action thriller with Tom Hardy has incredible moments — but I was left wanting more
• 'The Last of Us' season 2 just had its shocking moment — and it was the best episode of TV this year
• 'Sinners' takes one of my favorite horror movies and turns it into a masterpiece