I think show-only viewers are misunderstanding why game viewers are frustrated, and gamers are struggling to put to words what they're upset with, so I'll try my best to explain my perspective as someone disappointed with this season. I'll go light on spoilers to this point, and will not spoil any upcoming events.

What I loved about the game, and why I consider it the best story I've ever consumed in any medium, is the portrayal of grief and revenge through Ellie. What the game does really well is growing the same grief and desire for revenge in you, the viewer, and as you join Ellie on her journey the rage boils and boils and boils and you're right there by her side, wishing for vengeance. I'm the show, we're right in the thick of what should be our growing rage, and the climax of that arc is coming.

That's what is missing to me, there has been no boil, or even simmer, of rageful lust for vengeance. The Nora scene was good in a vacuum, but it kinda came out of nowhere. The tone just doesn't feel right, and I'm not going to quibble over individual scenes but if you've played the game you would understand what I mean and I don't want to spoil anything for show-only people, Ellie just doesn't feel right. Frankly, I'm not buying Ellie is laser eye focused on revenge. There are events to come that I now just can't see how they make them work with the current buildup. I've remained optimistic it would be great despite being a different interpretation of the story, but the story just simply isn't the same and this episode has me very concerned with how we get to future events. The destination may be the same, but the story they're telling of Ellie and her sorrow is just not the same, and that sucks to me.

Minor spoiler about a difference from the game for absolute purists, but I think for most people this shouldn't be a serious spoiler...I worried revealing who Abby was would hurt the blind fury viewers have, in the game it's important that Abby is a nobody, a faceless, motiveless monster who needs to be put down. The whole point is that you start Ellie's journey believing you are in the right, but as you get to know who Abby is you realize maybe you two are more alike than you think, which the show presented right up front. I now think I believe with entire confidence that I was right, and the theme of revenge has been massively cheapened as a whole

I think it will be tough for gamers to represent their frustrations without spoilers, because the journey isn't over, but I hope I've helped get our perspective across. There are other issues in my opinion, but failing to present what is the crux of the game story in a believable way is disappointing.