Through the Valley (The Last of Us)

"Through the Valley" is the second episode of the second season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written by series co-creator Craig Mazin and directed by Mark Mylod, it aired on HBO on April 20, 2025. The episode follows Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Jesse (Young Mazino) on patrol as they search for Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Dina (Isabela Merced), while Tommy (Gabriel Luna) prepares for an attack on Jackson, Wyoming, and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) seeks revenge against Joel.

The episode was filmed in early 2024. The attack on Jackson, written to provide ongoing character conflict and motivations, was filmed over almost four weeks and required more than 600 visual effects shots, around 100 extras, and dozens of stunt performers. The writers chose to depict Joel's death early in the season as it sets its narrative in motion. Critics praised the episode's direction, cinematography, writing, and Pascal, Ramsey, and Dever's performances; some felt the Jackson attack overshadowed Joel's death, while others lauded the juxtaposition. The episode had 643,000 viewers on linear television.