'The Last of Us' Season 2 finale: What were Abby and her crew planning?

The Last of Us Season 2 ended on a slightly confusing, cliffhanger-y note, with plenty of death and lots of different moving parts.

But in amongst that final gunshot and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) becoming increasingly Joel-like (Pedro Pascal), there are also some subplots that remain mysterious.

One of these concerns Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her group, and the reason they're AWOL from the rest of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). So what exactly are they planning when Ellie arrives to throw a spanner in the works? Let's unpack what we know.

What does Ellie overhear Mel and Owen saying?

We already know Abby and most of her crew are AWOL in episode 7 thanks to a conversation between WLF leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright) and commanding officer Elise Park (Hettienne Park), where Isaac expresses his concern that Abby — who he is apparently lining up for future WLF leadership — has gone missing.

Ellie manages to track Abby's crew down to their seafront aquarium base thanks to the last words of Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and as she's creeping into the building she overhears a conversation between Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord).

Here's a full transcript:

Mel: "...for her, so don't make me sound like I'm being some kind of heartless bitch. I'm not. And let's be honest, this isn't about them anyways, Owen. You're talking about being behind enemy lines alone at night. This is suicide under normal circumstances, and you want to do this now? Do you even understand what's going on?"

Owen: "I understand everything, but I don't have a choice, do I? It's Abby."

Mel: "Of course you have a choice. And so do I. And I am choosing no, also because it's Abby."

Owen: "Fine, I'll do it on my own, like always. I can make it there and back in 30. If you're still here you can get on board and keep going with us. If you're not, you're not."

Mel: "Fuck you, Owen."

It's all a little bit cryptic, but at this stage it's our biggest clue. So, what are Abby and her crew planning?

What is Abby planning?

Given that Isaac doesn't know the location of Abby and her friends, it seems like there are only really two possibilities: Either they're planning to betray Isaac and the WLF, or they're planning to break out on their own for some reason.

There isn't much in Mel and Owen's exchange for us to grab onto, but the biggest clue might be Mel's "behind enemy lines" comment. It seems likely that she's referring to the Seraphites here, the cult-like faction the WLF is at war with — and if Mel still sees them as the enemy, it probably rules out the possibility that Abby and her crew have switched sides altogether.

Is it possible Abby is planning to take her friends and leave Seattle and the WLF altogether? Maybe try to go and start afresh somewhere less mired in violence? We'll have to wait until Season 3 to find out.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and HBO Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

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