Simply put. Santa Barbara is like a tacky add on to lengthen the game. Like what is the point of the rattlers. In the world created by this game, death is easy come and go. Ellie would never have put the gun down. Neither of them would have let it go. In fact after playing abby, Ellie should have killed her to then make you feel bad. Instead you wonder why Ellie from her point of view wouldn't have finished it.