What Is Isaac & The WLF Doing With The Boats In The Last Of Us Season 2's Finale?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 7, and The Last of Us Part II.

Ellie sees Isaac and the W.L.F. sailing off into the storm on a fleet of boats in The Last of Us season 2 finale, and it’s a major move in their war against the Seraphites. The Last of Us season 2, episode 7 mostly focuses on the last leg of Ellie’s relentless quest for revenge. Initially, it seems as though Jesse has convinced her to abandon her mission and come back to Jackson as soon as they find Tommy. But Ellie is still determined to find Abby, and when they reach a crossroads, she leaves Jesse to save Tommy alone.

As she heads down to the aquarium where Abby is hiding out, Ellie spots a fleet of boats riding out into the storm. The Last of Us season 2 has gradually built up the threat of Isaac, and the Wolves’ war with the Seraphites, and with this seabound assault, that conflict is coming to a head. We briefly see Isaac discussing the assault with one of his deputies. He hopes that he can end the war in one night with this ruthless military operation, but we never see their arrival at their destination, so it’s unclear what that operation entails.

Isaac & The WLF Are Attacking The Seraphites' Island In The Last Of Us Season 2 Finale

They're Using The Storm To Mask Their Approach

The game expands on Isaac’s planned attack on the Seraphites (and the TV show surely will, too, when it switches to Abby’s perspective in season 3). Isaac is willing to do whatever it takes to end the war with the Seraphites and take over Seattle once and for all. As previously mentioned, the two factions have tried to make a truce in the past, but it always ends up being broken on one side and the fighting resumes. So, the way Isaac sees it, the only way to end the war is to kill every last Seraphite.

He plans to do that by bringing the cavalry to the island where the Seraphites reside. That fleet of boats we saw in the season 2 finale is heading straight to the island. Isaac plans to use the brutal storm to mask the boats’ approach, so they won’t be spotted from the Seraphites’ watchtowers before it’s too late to defend themselves. The Last of Us will give audiences a clearer view of this invasion in season 3, and it doesn’t exactly go to plan.

How The WLF's Attack On The Scars Saves Ellie's Life

The Seraphites Stop Short Of Hanging Ellie When Their Village Is Invaded

The Wolves’ invasion of the Seraphites’ island unwittingly ends up saving Ellie’s life. When her own boat is destroyed on her way to the aquarium, Ellie washes up on the island and gets spotted by a young Seraphite boy, who promptly reports her to his dad. A group of Seraphites show up to grab Ellie, drag her into the woods, and put a noose around her neck. The scars are just about to do their signature ritualistic execution on Ellie, stringing her up and getting a sickle ready to carve out her guts.

But as soon as word comes in that their village is being attacked by the Wolves, they cut the execution short. They leave Ellie on the ground, allowing her to escape back to her boat and get back on track to the aquarium. If Isaac and the Wolves hadn’t attacked the scars’ island — and at that exact moment, no less — then Ellie would’ve been killed. Isaac will never know it, but he saved the life of the pesky trespasser who’s been slaughtering his soldiers on a warpath through the city.

Why Isn't Abby Helping The WLF's Attack On The Scars?

Abby Has Gone A.W.O.L.

When Isaac is planning the attack, he laments the fact that Abby isn’t there. Owen and Mel have gone missing, but Isaac doesn’t really care about them. As far as he’s concerned, Owen and Mel are replaceable, but there’s only one Abby. In the game, Abby is frequently described as Isaac’s top scar killer, and he explains that he was hoping Abby would replace him as the leader of the W.L.F. in the event of his death (which, with the upcoming assault, could be imminent). However, Abby has been A.W.O.L. for a couple of days.

As teased by the very end of the season 2 finale, season 3 will go back and show what Abby’s been up to over the course of the three days that Ellie has spent in Seattle. Abby has been on an incredible adventure of her own. When Owen went A.W.O.L., Abby abandoned her post to follow him to the aquarium. But on the way, she was attacked by some Seraphites and almost hanged before being reluctantly saved by a couple of runaway Seraphite kids, Lev and Yara, who were also about to be executed.

Although she was initially hesitant to help them, Abby ended up taking Lev and Yara under her wing. It’s deliberately reminiscent of Joel’s relationship with Ellie. Much like Joel, Abby feels empty after committing horrific acts of violence, and becoming a protector to these kids gives her a nobler purpose and a much-needed redemption arc. This means that she abandons her old purpose — being Isaac’s top scar killer — so she doesn’t go back to help with the assault. She does go to the island during the attack, but it’s to rescue Lev.

What Happens During The War Between The WLF & Seraphites In The Last Of Us Part 2 Game

The War Symbolizes The Cycle Of Violence That Ellie & Abby Are Caught In

All throughout The Last of Us Part II video game, the war between the Wolves and the Seraphites provides the player with a constant barrage of action-packed encounters to navigate, and makes the story’s setting of Seattle a ruthlessly hostile environment. But it also serves an important thematic purpose as a piece of environmental storytelling. Seattle’s ongoing civil war symbolizes the endless cycle of violence that Ellie and Abby are caught in, killing each other’s friends and solving nothing in the process.

In the game, when Isaac and the Wolves arrive on the Seraphites’ island, it’s a bloodbath. Abby’s absence and Tommy’s sharpshooting antics have weakened the Wolves’ forces, so, despite being caught by surprise, the Seraphites have a good chance of fighting back. In the end, no one wins the war. The island descends into a fiery hellscape as all the soldiers kill each other. It’s a haunting visual feast, and it’ll be thrilling to see The Last of Us bring it to life in season 3.