But after that devastating moment, the episode concludes with a beautifully somber song. It plays over a montage showing the aftermath of the episode’s action-packed events. Ellie lies with Joel’s body, the streets of Jackson are littered with corpses and debris, and in the episode’s final moments, Ellie, Jesse, and Dina ride back to town with a body bag in tow. This song choice isn’t just appropriate because its solemn, melancholic tone suits the harrowing emotions of the episode; it also has a deeper connection to the source material.
Original Ellie Actor Ashley Johnson Sings "Through The Valley" For The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 2 Ending
Johnson's "Through The Valley" Cover Was Previously Featured In The Video Game
The song that plays at the end of The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, is a cover version of Shawn James’ “Through the Valley,” performed by Ellie’s original video game actor Ashley Johnson. Ellie is listening to James’ original rendition of the song when she’s first introduced in The Last of Us Part II. When Joel first brings Ellie her guitar, “Through the Valley” can faintly be heard playing through her headphones before he interrupts her. Johnson’s moving cover of the song is played over the end credits of the game.
This song has been a part of this story since even the marketing campaign. In one of the earliest trailers for The Last of Us Part II, Ellie plays “Through the Valley.” As the camera pulls out, it slowly reveals that Ellie is covered in blood and she’s surrounded by the corpses of people she’s killed. Joel comes to the doorway and she vows to kill “every last one of them.” Johnson should be familiar to viewers of the TV show, because she was brought in to play Ellie’s mother Anna in the cold open of the season 1 finale.
Why "Through The Valley" Is So Fitting For The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 2's Ending
The Lyrics Fit The Themes & Emotions Of The Story Perfectly
There’s a reason why “Through the Valley” has been used so heavily throughout The Last of Us Part II and its TV adaptation; the song’s lyrics perfectly encapsulate the themes and emotions of this story. The TV show plays it at the end of episode 2 because, with Joel’s tragic death, that story is now in full swing. Ellie will soon become singularly focused on exacting revenge against the people responsible for Joel’s death, and she’ll gradually lose her humanity in the process. The lyrics of “Through the Valley” tap into those vengeful, violent themes.
The titular valley refers to the “valley of the shadow of death,” which is appropriate after the shocking and heartbreaking events of episode 2. From this point in the story on, Ellie will be in the shadow of Joel’s death, forever haunted by it and unable to process it in a healthy way. The line, “My mind and my gun, they comfort me,” foreshadows what Ellie’s response to Joel’s death will be: she’ll bottle up all her emotions instead of talking about them, and she’ll use her impressive arsenal of firearms to take out her grief on everyone in Seattle.
Ellie’s quest for revenge will gradually chip away at her humanity and turn her into every bit the murderous monster she believes Abby to be, which is reflected in the line, “I can’t walk on the path of the right because I’m wrong.” Ellie’s dark, violent turn is telegraphed even more clearly in the line, “I know I’ll kill my enemies when they come.” The most thematically significant line in the song — “How can you save the world from itself?” — highlights the futile cycle of violence that this story will explore in tragic depth.
Where To Listen To The Last Of Us' Soundtrack
Both Last Of Us Soundtracks Are Available To Stream Online
The soundtrack albums from both the TV show and the video game are available to stream online. The Last of Us: Season 1 (Soundtrack from the HBO Original Series), attributed to David Fleming and video game composer Gustavo Santaolalla, can be streamed on Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer. The Last of Us Part II (Original Soundtrack), credited to Santaolalla and Mac Quayle, is available on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities, a compilation album featuring Johnson’s “Through the Valley” cover, can be streamed on YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer. The album also features Johnson’s cover of “Take on Me” and Joel actor Troy Baker’s cover of “Future Days.” Music is very important in The Last of Us universe, and “Through the Valley” is one of the most vital songs in the franchise, so it’s appropriate that the TV show used it.
