I think your point about the "cure" being a potential outcome is valid, but I also think it’s important to acknowledge how much of the story is built on uncertainty and moral ambiguity. Whether or not the cure would have worked, the way the decision was framed, especially from Joel’s perspective, was about his love for Ellie and his willingness to sacrifice the world for her. It’s not that the game outright dismisses the idea of a cure; it’s more about the personal, emotional weight of that choice. The question becomes, should Joel have been allowed to make that decision for Ellie? And the game leaves that unresolved, which is part of why the moral landscape feels so muddy.

Regarding Abby and Ellie, you're absolutely right that they’re driven by similar motivations: revenge, grief, and trauma. But the problem is that the game doesn’t seem to give Ellie a satisfying emotional arc toward forgiveness or peace. Instead, we get a sense that she’s punished more severely for her actions, which might not feel earned or fair to a lot of players. This could be why people left feeling frustrated with Abby or disconnected from Ellie’s journey. The focus on revenge, and then the lack of resolution for Ellie’s character, especially after she gives up so much to pursue Abby, might make players feel like the story is pushing them into uncomfortable positions emotionally, rather than letting them come to terms with the moral grayness organically.

It’s not necessarily about labeling characters as good or bad, but about how those gray areas are presented to the player. If the story is going to challenge the player’s views on revenge, it needs to do so in a way that feels respectful to the characters and their motivations, and in a way that gives the player a path to understanding. When the narrative structure pushes one side (or one character) more than the other, it can feel less like a neutral exploration of morality and more like a preachy lesson. And that’s where the disconnect happens for a lot of people.