Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 7, & The Last of Us Part II!

Abby's story in season 3, explained. While the first season of The Last of Us covered the entirety of the first game's story, The Last of Us season 2 only covered a fraction of the story of The Last of Us Part II. Season 2 focused on the start of Ellie's journey and her three days in Seattle, giving it a clear endpoint based on the games.

The Last of Us season 2, episode 7 picks up right where The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 ended, before episode 6 interrupted the main story to show some flashbacks of Joel and Ellie. Ellie returns to the theater after having killed Nora, regrouping with Dina and Jesse before deciding on their next move. Ellie and Jesse decide to head out and look for Tommy. On the way, Ellie gets an idea of where Abby might be, causing her and Jesse to split up. This decision sets off a chain reaction, leading to the tragic ending of The Last of Us season 2, episode 7.

The Last Of Us Season 3 Will Be Abby's Story: Cut To Black & Day One Beginning Explained

Season 3 Will Probably End With The Same Theater Scene

After being absent for several episodes, Abby finally returns at the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 7. She arrives at the theater, attacking Tommy. When Ellie and Jesse run out, she shoots Jesse and holds Ellie at gunpoint. She has clearly found the damage that the party caused in Seattle, and is there to get her revenge. Just as she points her gun at Ellie, the episode cuts to black. The next thing we see is Abby walking around the WLF compound, with superimposed text reading "Seattle Day One."

This may be shocking to new viewers, but fans of The Last of Us Part II realize that this scene means that season 3 will be about Abby. In the game, the player controls Ellie through her perspective of three days in Seattle before switching to Abby's perspective of those same three days. Since The Last of Us season 2 focused on Ellie's side of the story, The Last of Us season 3 will probably spend an equal amount of time telling Abby's side of the story. It wouldn't be surprising for season 3 to end with the same theater confrontation, bringing things full circle.

Who Did Abby Shoot, And Are Tommy & Jesse Dead?

The Final Gunshot Wasn't In The Game

One of the biggest changes in The Last of Us season 2, episode 7 has to do with the final moment of the theater confrontation. In both the game and the show, Abby raises her gun and points it at Ellie. However, the cut to black is accompanied by a gunshot in the show, something that doesn't occur in the game. In The Last of Us Part II, the next attack is Lev shooting Tommy in the leg with an arrow before Abby shoots Tommy in the head.

Since we don't see Tommy attempt to tackle Abby yet, the gunshot seems a little quick, as she is still pointing her gun at Ellie. By the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 7, only one person has been shot so far: Jesse. Based on The Last of Us Part II, this gunshot killed Jesse, as it goes through his face. Luckily, Tommy hasn't been shot yet, meaning that he is still alive. However, he will be receiving some major injuries the next time we see Abby at the theater.

Why Dina Wants To Go Back Home To Jackson After Learning About Joel

Her Perspective On Joel Has Changed

Dina learns the truth about Joel in The Last of Us season 2, episode 7, completely changing her perspective on Ellie's revenge quest. Originally, Dina seemed to think Abby's murder of Joel was random. However, when she learns that Joel killed Abby's father, it makes her more understanding of what Abby did. Dina immediately recognizes the cycle of violence will never end, making her want to go home. This reveal has changed her perspective on Joel, with her now viewing him as the aggressor in their conflict with Abby.

Where The WLF Is Going With The Boats (& Why Did Abby Abandon Them?)

Abby's Story Is Going On In The Background

A new scene with Isaac shows that the WLF is gearing up for a major operation, something that continues in the background of The Last of Us season 2 finale. Ellie sees the WLF boarding boats, and when she later washes up on the Seraphite island, she hears them talking about assailants on the island. This makes it clear that the WLF is staging an attack on the Seraphite island, escalating their war with the religious cult in a major way.

In the same scene with Isaac, he mentions that Abby and several of her friends have gone missing. It hasn't yet been revealed why Abby abandoned the WLF, with this being the main focus of her side of the story in The Last of Us Part II. Essentially, one of Abby's friends shot a WLF member, with Abby sneaking out in order to locate her friend and figure out what happened.

How Abby Found Ellie After Owen & Mel's Deaths

It Looks Like The Game Has Been Changed

Abby's arrival at the theater is a complete shock, with many fans wondering how she knew where Ellie and the rest of The Last of Us characters were. In The Last of Us Part II, Abby finds Owen and Mel's murder scene. There, she discovers a map that Ellie left behind, with it marking the theater as their home base.

However, Ellie has Owen and Mel point to Abby's location on a map that was already in the room in the HBO show. We don't see her mark her location, and we don't see her leave a different map behind. So, how Abby arrived at the theater remains a complete mystery until season 3.

How The Last Of Us Season 2 Ending Compares To The Game

Some Parts Are Similar, & Some Are Very Different

The end of The Last of Us season 2 is obviously not the ending of The Last of Us Part II. However, when comparing the ending with its corresponding scenes from the game, they play out very similarly. There are some dialogue changes, and things like Tommy's storyline and Shimmer's survival have the repercussion of changing some minor story details. However, the final theater scene is almost an exact recreation of the scene from the game, with the character beats and dialogue being near-identical.

The biggest changes in The Last of Us season 2 finale come during the aquarium sequence. Ellie's journey to the aquarium is much shorter in the HBO show, although it does add a scene where Ellie washes up on the Seraphite island. Her killing of Owen and Mel also plays out differently. In the show, she kills Owen in self-defense, which accidentally leads to her killing Mel. In the game, Ellie intentionally stabs Mel in the throat, making the killing more active on Ellie's behalf. Some of these changes may be controversial, although The Last of Us season 3 may explain why they were necessary.