The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 Recap Revenge Through the Valley. In most postapocalyptic stories — “The Last of Us”. included — one big idea that comes around repeatedly is that when death is omnipresent and inescapable, life becomes more precious. Just think of all the small twists of fate and fortune that kept Joel Miller alive for so long. It’s a miracle, really, that he lived deep into middle age — let alone that in this week’s episode of “The Last of Us,” he is in the right place at the right time to save the life of Abby, a woman who spent years looking for him.br br The problem is that Abby wants Joel dead. And so, in one of the most horrifying moments in this horror-filled series, she obliterates this great miracle of life — the great miracle of Joel — with a several swings of a golf club and one deadly thrust. It’s a damned shame.br br Were it not for Joel’s death, the episode “Through the Valley” would likely be remembered for the stunning battle sequence, in which Jackson holds it own — barely — against hundreds of the savage, relentless zombies. The action here, set against a snowy landscape, recalls the spectacle of “Game of Thrones” at its best.