Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for The Last of Us season 2, episode 5 & The Last of Us Part II video game!Abby has been notably absent fromThe Last of Usseason 2 since she killed Joel, making it unclear what she’s been doing as Ellie has been searching for her. First introduced at the beginning ofThe Last of Usseason 2,Abby is a former Firefly, and the daughter of the surgeon Joel killed at theend ofThe Last of Usseason 1. She and her group of friends embark on a quest to avenge her father, spending five years tracking down the former protagonist.
In season 2, episode 2, they find him, their encounter ending withAbby beating him to death with a golf club. She delivers the final blow in front of Ellie, who vows to find and kill her. While this spurs Ellie’s quest for revenge three months later, the new villain’s whereabouts are still unknown, as she hasn’t appeared since she killed Joel. Although the maincharacters ofThe Last of Usaren’t aware of what she’s been doing this whole time, the series' source material, 2020’sThe Last of Us Part II, reveals much more about where she is.
What Abby Is Doing In Seattle During The Events Of The Last Of Us Season 2
She’s Having Her Own Independent Conflict With The Seraphites
In the video game, after killing Joel,Abby returns to Seattle, continuing to help the WLFwith theirbattle against the Seraphites. However, her boyfriend, Owen, goes missing around the time Ellie arrives in the city, prompting her to go on a rescue mission to find him. Ultimately, she’s captured by the Seraphites, but is rescued by two new characters, Yara and Lev, young siblings outcast by the group. Her storyline focuses on her bond with both children, the villains on both sides of the war for Seattle, and a potential chance to escape the never-ending conflict.
Since season 2 only has two episodes left, with episode 6 being a flashback featuring Joel’s return,it doesn’t seem like Abby’s full story will be explored untilThe Last of Usseason 3. However, the show has already laid the groundwork for the themes her side of the story will explore, with Ellie and Dina already having deadly encounters between both warring factions. This promises to offer a deeper look at what’s going on in Seattle later down the road, while also giving Abby more character development after she killed Joel.
Is Abby Hiding Because She Killed Joel?
Does She Know Ellie Is Coming After Her?
Because the TV show hasn’t explored this side of Abby yet, it hasn’t clarified if she’s currently in hiding because she knows Ellie is coming after her. While the main character promised to kill her after watching Joel die, the series hasn’t emphasized if Abby is taking her threat seriously or not. However,The Last of Us Part II’s storyconfirms thatshe has no idea she and her friends are being targeted. When the game switches to her perspective, the only thing on her mind is finding out what happened to Owen and surviving the war with the Seraphites.
While her story doesn’t focus entirely on Ellie’s quest for revenge, it does offer a level of humanization for her…
There’s plenty to cover before she learns about Ellie, too, especially as her bond with Yara and Lev grows, giving her a new perspective on the battle she’s fighting. It also intersects with some of what happens later in the story, tying together with the main character’s quest in ways that make sense for the plot progression. While her story doesn’t focus entirely on Ellie’s quest for revenge, it does offer a level of humanization for her prior to the final conflict, when the pair inevitably see each other again.
She’ll Probably Make One More Appearance Like In The Game
Image via Max
However, it’s inevitable that Abby will learn about Ellie, now thatThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 5 endedwithEllie beating information out of Nora on Abby’s whereabouts. Since the TV show has been making some small alterations to the game’s story, there could be some changes to how they end up meeting again. But, in terms of how the conflict erupts, Abby is likely to learn the protagonist is in Seattle in a similar way to the game, with some of her friends dying before the big confrontation.
The Last of Us Part IIshows the confrontation between Ellie and Abby from both perspectives at the ends of their halves of the game.
If the show does follow the general progression of the game, thenit means Abby will appear inThe Last of Usseason 2 finale. Based on the source material, this will offer an explosive confrontation between her and Ellie once they’re finally face-to-face again, while still leaving the details of her story a mystery for those unaware of the games' progression. However, it won’t be the end of their conflict with one another, since the show is likely going to do what the game did, offering a cliffhanger while teasing more of Abby’s story for later.
The Show’s Structure Will Probably Reflect The Game
Althoughit’s not confirmed yet whatThe Last of Usseason 3 is going to focus on, the series will likely follow a similar structure toThe Last of Us Part II. This would make season 3 entirely from Abby’s point of view, exploring her participation in the WLF’s war with the Seraphites, unaware she’s being hunted by Ellie. Doing this would offer the context necessary to know how the pair end up coming across each other again, especially if season 2 ends by showing part of their big confrontation, much like its source material.
This story move ended up being a polarizing decision forThe Last of Us Part II, especially since Abby was responsible for killing Joel. It’s unclear what the reception to season 3 being from her perspective would be, but it seems the show is moving in that direction, given season 2 only has two episodes left. Since the show has established more of her motivation than the game did at this point, the series likely has a plan to reincorporate her into Ellie’s story seamlessly, while offering enough of a hook to justify her viewpoint in season 3.
With Abby having not shown up sinceThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 2, it seems her inevitable return is going to make for a riveting confrontation. Butit also lays the groundwork for season 3’s probable exploration of her storyfrom the video game, adding context both to what she’s been up to in Seattle and the war currently going on in the city. When she does come back, it’ll offer more exploration for her character, while also signifying what the future holds for her upcoming storyline.
Season 2, Episode 7: TBA
June 12, 2025
New episodes ofThe Last of Usseason 2 air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
