Let's examine the brilliance, shall we?
Thunderdyke with the largest female arms in the world shows up outside Jackson looking for Joel. The small group sees how well fortified and defended Jackson is, and pauses. They're not sure how or if they can pull this off.
Does Thunderdyke formulate a plan to infiltrate Jackson, known to grant refuge to survivors? Nope. She prints 2 tickets to the gun show and sprints off for Jackson completely alone, only to soon be surrounded by infected, and doomed to die for her idiocy. Strong female lead indeed!
Saved from death by.....*gasp* none other than the very person she's looking for, Joel Miller!! Woow! What a coincidence!!
Now, Joel and Tommy, two of the most capable guys, are late from patrol. Who better to investigate than the lesbian teen couple who combined weigh about 180 pounds. I'm sure whatever befell Joel and Tommy, these two are sure to easily overcome it. Instead, weather closes in, and as you do when concerned for the safety of your group, you find shelter, get high, and screw. Lmao. I mean how else would you know that they're gay, right?
Meanwhile, Joel and Tommy, seasoned apocalypse survivors, in a room full of strangers they have no idea who they are or how they got there, come right out with their real names, and where they're from. Excellent writing here, in how Joel just forgets everything he's been through and just trusts armed strangers.
The lesbian teens finished with their scissoring session are spotted, apprehended, but not killed. Because plot armor. Dina is knocked out, Ellie escapes of course just in time to bear witness to tbe largest female arms in the world caving Joel's Skull in. Promising to kill Thunderdyke, Ellie is merely knocked unconscious, and the only two witnesses to what they've done are just left alone to come after them for revenge, because reasons. Incompetent, plot armor ridden horrific writing reasons.
Naturally Ellie slaughters her way through half of Seattle, Thunderdyke's dog and some of her friends. Thunderdyke, with the aid of the largest arms in the world again beats Ellie into submission, AGAIN leaving her alive with a warning not to pursue her. Lmao oh!
kiss writing here. I'm sure Ellie will just forget about what Thunderdyke did to Joel.
Ellie again slaughters her way through the rest of Thunderdyke's friends, leading to a confrontation in which Ellie is now the moron who refuses to kill Thunderdyke, because all of a sudden, after slaughtering hundreds of people, pets, and a pregnant woman, Ellie feels if she kills Thunderdyke, she will be just like her, absent the largest arms in the world and a couple fingers that Thunderdyke bit off and swallowed.
L.M.M.F.G.D.A.O.
Honorable mention for great character writing goes to Manny, because you need to know Manny is Mexican. In order to get that across, Manny must say "Pendejo" every time he speaks. Play a little drinking game, take a shot every time Manny says "Pendejo". **** that liver. Enjoy the jaundice.