A few years before "The Last of Us Part II" was released, franchise co-creator Neil Druckmann famously said the sequel is "about hate." The finished game lived up to that promise. But is "The Last of Us" Season 2 about that as well?

Not interspersed with the rest of the story, but all at once in a single episode that slams hard on the brakes after last week’s intense finish and gives everyone a moment to breathe before the big Season 2 finale next week.

Ever since The Last of Us killed off Joel (Pedro Pascal), my complaints with The Last of Us Season 2 have been twofold. First, the series finds itself with the unenviable task of filling the void left by the lack of Joel and Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) dynamic.