“The Last of Us” is an American post-apocalyptic drama television show created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the video game franchise, the first season of “The Last of Us” takes place twenty years after a global fungal infection turned people into zombie-like creatures. Season one began airing in Jan. 2023 and received high critical acclaim. Season one was nominated for 19 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and took home eight of them. You can read my review of season one here.
Season two is based on the sequel to the first game, “The Last of Us Part II”, released in 2020. The second season of the show is set five years after the end of season one, in the year 2029. Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) are living in Jackson, Wyoming, where a group of survivors have established a secure settlement, where daily life is almost normal.
The second season introduces several new characters into the existing cast that fans of the game will recognize, as well as several characters created specifically for the show. In Jackson, Ellie meets other survivors her age, including Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino). We are also introduced to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), the daughter of the doctor that Joel killed in season one. Abby is angered by her father’s murder and is seeking revenge on Joel throughout season two.
So far, I think season two of “The Last of Us” does a great job of continuing the story started in season one. The addition of new characters and relationship dynamics adds a level of depth that enhances the overall experience of watching the show. The actors, Ramsey especially, give incredibly moving performances in the many emotional scenes of season two.
Visually, the show continues to do a great job with the special effects, set design and costuming to create an incredibly immersive viewing experience. The production team does a great job replicating the locations from the game, including several subtle references that fans have picked up on. The action scenes are very well done and anxiety-inducing.
Another strength of the show that carries over from season one is the producer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. I think “The Last of Us” does a great job of incorporating people of all backgrounds into the storyline, without relying on stereotypes or tokenism. One major plotline of season two is the romantic relationship between Ellie and Dina. Similarly to season one, the show has received backlash for including these LGBTQIA+ characters and storylines. To me, this criticism does not make sense, as these storylines are included in the original game.
One issue that viewers have with the second season is that the pacing and storyline feel rushed, and I’d have to agree. There are certain parts of season two that have felt incomplete and awkwardly paced and I wish certain scenes or characters had been explored more deeply.
Overall, season two has been very good so far, and I’m excited to watch the rest of the story unfold. The final three episodes of season two will air on HBO May 11, May 18 and May 25 at 8 PM CST. HBO has already announced that the show will return for a third season, picking up where season two leaves off. No official release date has been announced, but it’s anticipated to premiere sometime in 2027.
