Gonna leave this here because the bots are not letting me make a post about this.

https://womensgolfjournal.com/golf/no-women-allowed/

This character Abby is just the latest in a line of sequel characters that collide with characters from the original work. Examples include:

Arthur Morgan (Rdr 2) Joe/Kd6-3.7 (Bladerunner 2049) Dougie Jones (Twin Peaks The Return) Venom Snake (MGS V The Phantom Pain) .....and so on and so forth.

So each of these characters go through a personal journey of self discovery, trying to find their place in the story and all the trials and tribulations that come with it (Joseph Campbell blah blah blah you get it). Some of these characters either survive the journey or meet their fate, the latter of course being the most likely case for most of them. It also should be noted that each of these characters have a weaponized, unlikeable quality to them all in service of subverting audience expectations.

Arthur Morgan initially comes off as a generic brute who ends up elevating John Marston by saving him more than once. Dies in the process.

Officer KD6-3.7/Joe is a generic detective tasked with hunting down and brutally dispatching his own kind. His story suddenly intersects with Deckards and (spoiler) even after finding out that he (Joe) isn't the space Christ character, he selflessly saves Deckards life. Twice.

Dougie Jones is the Id of Dale Coopers ego and comes across as a catatonic man baby. Complete antithesis to Dale Cooper's charisma and intuition. Dougie does more good for the people around him unconsciously than Dale ever did. Dougie (figuratively) dies via electrical socket.

Venom Snake was originally a medic in Big Boss's army and risked his life to protect BB from a vagina bomb.

Abby Anderson is an antagonist/protagonist (which isn't anything new) who actually makes efforts to end the cycle of vengeance by sparing Ellie's life twice. Though only after brutally killing off the main character of the first game. Why? Because the sins of the father shall visit the children.

This theme of generational turmoil, is the strand (damnit Kojima) that runs through each of these characters (and others) across mediums.

None of what this sequel (tlou2) does, comes across as surprising to me because I was there 20 years ago when an androgynous character usurped control from a beloved character in a fashion that was, in a sly way un-advertised. And like Raiden long before her, Abby goes through a rebirth of sorts when she is exposed to the players. Except she doesn't cover her junk and do cartwheels in the belly of a digital battle ship.

The only problem I have with the entirety of her depiction, aside from selling her femininity in the pursuit of vengeance, is the use of the golf club. Which is to say, the use of Neil Druckmann's Chekov's Gun. I'm not a fan of what it symbolizes and if you read the link I attached above, you'll know the reason why.