As the episode wore on, two paramount sequences played out that harkened back to Ellie and Dina’s patrol and their passionate dance during the infamous “Jackson Party.” Before those events transpired, I got a kick out of watching Ellie tinker around with her firearms on the modding table in her home – that was a minor yet still noteworthy nod to how players upgrade their guns in the game. The rest of the scenes focused on Ellie’s time spent in her home was full of other Easter Eggs – Ellie’s signature acoustic guitar that’s marked by a butterfly symbol came into view, plus we got a good look at Ellie’s journal while she’s jotting down Dina’s “bear-be-cue” joke (journaling is a crucial component of The Last of Us Part II’s gameplay). I also spotted some posters on Ellie’s wall that made me mimic Leonardo DiCaprio’s pointing meme, such as the one featuring Dr. Daniela Star, the protagonist who originated from the in-game collectible “Savage Starlight” comics and trading cards. The other poster that pays homage to the game is the one for the fictional band “Thoughts Twenty,” which also adorns Ellie’s in-game wall. The final Easter Egg that popped me (that’s wrestling lingo for getting a positive reaction out of me, folks!) was the switchblade Ellie pulls out of her table as she heads out the door. That’s the same spot where she retrieves her beloved knife in the game!

Once Ellie and Dina hopped on their horses and exited the safety of Jackson to go on patrol, one of the game’s most critical moments began to play out. Instead of following a blood trail to the mutilated corpse of a moose, the show opted to go with a bear that was torn to shreds instead. What followed next was a big changeup from the way Ellie and Dina continued their mission in the game – instead of hopping through the first floor window of a supermarket brimming with the “Infected,” they ascended to the second floor of the building to kick off their meeting with a pair of “Clickers.” After Ellie’s impressive sneaking and knife-wielding skills put one of them down for good, she fell through the roof above the supermarket’s lower sanctum. In the game, Ellie and Dina end up crashing together below and quickly spring into action while aisles full of Clickers wander about. The show switches things up by having Ellie contend with a sole “Stalker” during a stressful encounter that ended with Ellie getting bit while she put a few bullets into her twisted adversary.

The closing segment of this show stood out as the main scene that was closest to the way it happened in the game. And what made it even more significant is the fact that it occurred in time with what was taking place during the episode instead of being used as a flashback sequence. The scene I’m referring to is the Jackson Party, of course – Ellie awkwardly standing by her lonesome, her lighthearted conversation with Jesse, the impassioned kiss shared between her and Dina, the angry onlooker that voiced his disapproval of their behavior, and Joel shoving the man who disturbed them to the ground were all replicated to perfection, frame-by-frame. Even though I knew it was coming, hearing Ellie angrily tell Joel she doesn’t need his help still hit me like a ton of bricks.

I’m satisfied thus far with how this show has produced The Last of Us Part II’s most unforgettable moments. And with the added plot wrinkles of cordyceps tendrils infecting the town’s water supply since it’s seen stuck inside a central pipe, and Abby’s group finally finding the town that houses her sworn enemy Joel, I’m sure the rest of the second season will introduce more moments not included in the game that adds more background to its established lore.