Ellie, as a character, doesn’t get off to the best start in The Last of Us episode “Feel Her Love,” but after singing the opening lyrics to Pearl Jam‘s “Future Days,” writer Craig Mazin and director Stephen Williams deliver a tense 40-plus minutes of television that rivals the best episodes of the series.
Feel Her Love Overview
Feel Her Love shows the overwhelming obstacles in Ellie’s vengeance quest. Dina and Ellie are in over their heads. The WLF military force is imposing enough, but now Seattle is home to another ritualistic faction and an evolution of the cordyceps infestation.
Bella Ramsey is terrific as Ellie, but Isabela Merced quickly becomes the breakout star of The Last of Us Season 2 based on her portrayal of Dina. Merced’s performance and Mazin’s writing add more layers to Dina by briefly delving into her past. Dina’s tragic monologue reveals a more powerful reason behind risking her health and the well-being of her unborn child.
The one prevailing issue in Season 2 continues to be odd tonal clashes that seem to involve Ellie. Feel Her Love starts off with an emotionally grim opening, diving into the new method in which the fungus plague can spread. After the credits, Ellie, high off their romantic explosion in the last episode, cracks jokes about her poor math skills while Dina tries to triangulate Nora’s location. Dina’s humor works in this context because she’s working on their plan of attack, while Ellie is joking and adding no strategic value. In some ways, it’s like a dog begging for attention.
However, after the oddly jovial scene, Ellie settles into vengeance mode that remains throughout the episode. Ellie finds another guitar in the old theatre, but unlike the last episode, there’s no Dina in the audience. When Ellie begins to sing “Future Days,” it triggers a memory that is too painful for Ellie to continue. From that point on, Ellie is different. Even when Dina joins her with more, Ellie curt “good” has a pointed edge.
Overall, Ellie’s immaturity grates early on in Feel Her Love. However, it begins to blossom as these two lovers continue to trudge on through an unprepared situation, delivering a powerful conclusion that hones in on Ellie’s savagery.
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Introducing Spores
Feel Her Love begins with another grim, yet gripping cold open. Hanrahan (Alanna Ubach), one of the leaders of WLF, sits down with Elise Park (Hettienne Park) in the hospital. Park makes a surprising call to seal one of the lower wings of the hospital, trapping soldiers inside, including her best soldier, Leon. At his request, Elise sealed the wing after Leon started having breathing issues. Hanrahan commends Elise on her actions and offers condolences on her son, Leon’s, death.
Elise’s reveal sets up the concept of spores, and the episode’s climax shows their impact in action.
After leaving the park, Ellie sneaks into the hospital to confront Nora. Ellie lets down her guard for an instant. Nora runs, but is forced to unseal one of the infected wings. Nora knows she’ll die, but believes Ellie will die too in her quest for revenge.
Ellie uses her immunity against Nora. She follows Nora in, and we see the spores in action. Walls of vines surround the infected humans. At one time, these humans expelled air. Now, they exhale spores.
The Last of Us continues to set new standards for production design and visual effects for TV, with the spores in Feel Her Love as another example.
Dina’s Decree in Feel Her Love
Following their romantic night, Ellie and Dina find themselves on different wavelengths. Dina is focused, trying to chart a route to the hospital. Ellie, meanwhile, is lighthearted and a bit distracting—charming, but not grounded. She explores the auditorium, briefly strums a guitar, then puts it down after only a few notes. Dina enters and reveals she has a plan.
They discuss their situation: the WLF is at war with the Seraphites. Dina explains that the Seraphites reject modern technology, much like the Amish, which is why the WLF relies heavily on radio communication. Ellie sees this as a tactical advantage. Dina, more pragmatic, reminds her that being just two people against an army renders most advantages irrelevant.
They leave the theatre, heading toward a waypoint Dina has marked. After spotting a group of dead Seraphites, the reality of their mission hits Ellie—she’s leading her pregnant girlfriend into a warzone. She offers to take Dina back.
Dina doesn’t accept the offer outright but opens up about her reasons for pushing forward, which go beyond her love for Ellie. When she was eight, her mother and sister were killed by a raider at their home. She had been out at the time but returned in time to kill him herself.
This isn’t just a painful memory—it’s a defining moment. Ellie asks how Dina ended up in Jackson, but Dina interrupts with something more important. She tells Ellie that her trauma, as brutal as it was, could have been worse. At least she didn’t have to watch it happen. Ellie did. She saw Joel die. And if Dina had gone through that, she admits, she would’ve hunted the person responsible, too—no hesitation.
Merced is phenomenal in this scene. Still, Dina’s reasoning feels theoretical. She’s speaking from imagination, not lived experience. Ellie is buried in the raw reality of her loss, and it’s clear Dina doesn’t fully grasp the depth of her grief.
Thirst for Vengeance
Ellie’s quest for vengeance fully ignites in Feel Her Love, but the road ahead is anything but straightforward.
Ellie and Dina arrive at what appears to be an abandoned warehouse. They expect to find a few infected but encounter the same stalker-type infected from the season premiere. Ellie finally confesses what happened during that earlier attack. In a sudden shift, Ellie steps into Joel’s old role—volunteering to draw the infected away while Dina hides. The plan quickly spirals out of control. The two are nearly overwhelmed—until an unexpected savior intervenes.
Jessie is back.
He rescues them both but is visibly angry with Ellie for leaving without telling him. There’s no time to argue. The three flee into a nearby park and witness a gruesome Seraphite ritual—an execution method involving ritualistic disembowelment. Amid the chaos, a stray bullet hits Dina. Jessie scoops her up, and Ellie, once again, volunteers to be the distraction.
She lures the Seraphites away, weaving through their ranks and spotting an exit from the park. Ellie faces a crucial decision: regroup with Jessie and Dina, as promised, or continue chasing vengeance alone.
She chooses the latter.
Ellie infiltrates the hospital and confronts Nora at gunpoint. Nora escapes, leading Ellie into the hospital’s lower levels, swarming with spores. But for Ellie, the spores pose no threat. She chases Nora deeper inside.
When Ellie corners her again, Nora believes she’s won—assuming Ellie will succumb to the spores. But Ellie breathes with ease. Realization dawns: Ellie is the immune girl.
Cornered, Nora reveals details about Abby’s father and Joel’s role in his death. Ellie claims she already knows. Still, she demands to know where Abby is. Nora refuses.
Ellie picks up the nearest thing to a golf club—a rusted, curved pipe—and delivers her retribution.
Feel Her Love: Final Thoughts
Feel Her Love fully displays the show’s ambition, balancing character-driven drama, grotesque horror, and blockbuster-level action. Ramsey continues to anchor the series with a raw performance, but Merced quietly steals scenes, giving Dina emotional gravity and purpose beyond her relationship with Ellie.
The introduction of spores as a narrative and visual device is handled with finesse, marking a high point for the show’s world-building and tension. However, Ellie’s tonal inconsistencies occasionally undercut the episode.
Episode 5: Feel Her Love
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Great - 8/108/10
