A long time ago I read a book (can't remember the name) by a producer that outlined all the things that work in a book that just don't work in a film/tv show. It could be updated for video games.
The TV show format would not allow enough time for this kind of evolution and audiences would have lost patience with the Ellie character had she developed as you described.
TLOU is by no means perfect as a show but a lot of the criticism I've seen boils down to "it's not like the game".
I think the last word should go to Ashley Johnson [1]
"I'm so proud that I got to play a strong female character who isn't a sexualised or a damsel in distress, or the opposite of that". Ellie in the TV show embodies that perfectly. Just because it doesn't fit with your preconceptions doesn't make it "woke".