Includes SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 3, and for The Last of Us Part II video game!
Ellie and Dina’s relationship is complicated further inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 3, and the dialogue deserves a closer look. HBO’s adaptation of the beloved video game had its most shocking episode yet last week, and episode 3 had the daunting responsibility of following it up, and demonstrating how characters have reacted not only toJoel’s death, but also to thebattle that occurred in Jackson, with a horde of Infected breaking into the city and killing a significant portion of its population.
The Last of Usseason 2’s video game changeshave already begun accumulating, including a difference in how the characters were arranged in episode 2.Dina spent the entire episode with Joel, rather than being with Ellie, like she is inThe Last of Us Part II. This demonstrated a closer bond between Joel and Dina, but it also removed some of Dina’s critical video game scenes with Ellie, including the follow-up of them discussing their kiss and what it meant to them. We only saw Ellie’s perspective when she chatted with Jesse.
Ellie & Dina Finally Discuss The New Year’s Eve Kiss In The Last Of Us Season 2, Episode 3
Dina Brings Up An Awkward Subject After A Few Months
At the New Year’s Eve party inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 1, which, mind you, was adapted practically frame-by-frame from the video game,Ellie and Dina’s dance shifts from being casual and friendly to romantic as they share a passionate kiss. The moment is interrupted when Seth, the man who runs the bar, berates them for acting inappropriately at a family-friendly event. He calls them an offensive term, which leads Joel to hit him, breaking up any chance of a pleasant evening for Ellie.
In season 2, episode 3, Dina helps Ellie set out on hermission to ride to Seattle and avenge Joel, agreeing to go with her against the council’s will. Toward the end of the episode,Ellie and Dina sleep next to each other in a tent along the road, and Dina brings up the kiss. Ellie dismisses the kiss at first, but Dina asks her to rate the kiss on a scale from 1 to 10. After Ellie gives it a “6,” the conversation shifts away for a while.
What Dina Meant When She Told Ellie That She “Wasn’t That High”
There Were Real Feelings Behind That Kiss
When the prospect is first brought up,Ellie is somewhat embarrassed about the kiss, unsure of its seriousness and unwilling to assume any level of attachment. Ellie is also considering another factor, which is that Dina and Jesse have been in relationships on-and-off for some time, and she doesn’t want to come between her two friends. Jesse mentioned that he doesn’t care, but Ellie is still on the fence when she talks about it with Dina, claiming that the kiss wasn’t serious because she was drunk and because Dina was high.
Dina still wanted to kiss Ellie, and she has no regrets about doing so.
In response, Dina says she “wasn’t that high,” suggesting that she was still in control to the extent that the kiss was of her own intuition. She might have been more loose and outgoing than normal (though she’s typically a straight-forward and outgoing person), Dina still wanted to kiss Ellie, and she has no regrets about doing so. Despite everything that’s going on,Dina has strong feelings for Ellie, which is part of the reason she’s willing to help by accompanying her to Seattle; Dina wants to look after her.
The Last Of Us Part II Video Game SPOILERS Ahead!
Custom Image by Milica Djordjevic
While it’s hard to say what directionThe Last of Usseason 2 will take, it seems more than likely that Ellie and Dina will get together. In the video game, they were together at Eugene’s hideout, rather than Ellie being with Jesse, and the two took this as an opportunity to kiss more and share their feelings.They spend most of the game essentially acting as a couple, sharing affectionate momentsin between the harshness of their mission. The TV show is laying the foundation for this romance, but it could progress more slowly.
Ellie and Dina have a long journey ahead of them, andgiven the story beats we’ve seen so far, their romance should be more of a slow burn. In the game, after Dina asks Ellie to rate the kiss, they share another affectionate moment. Still, Dina hinting that she wasn’t that high implies that there will be more romance to come inThe Last of Us.
