'The Last of Us' season 2 episode 1 — reactions, Abby, Eugene, season 3 news and more
'The Last of Us' returns to HBO and Max with an unmissable season 2 premiere
Last season on ‘The Last of Us’
“The Last of Us” season 1 aired more than two years ago, beginning in January 2023 and concluding in mid-March. It’s been a long road to get to season 2, and now that we’re just a few hours away from the premiere of episode 1, “Future Days,” you might need a recap.
Set 20 years after a mutated cordyceps infection led to the collapse of society, “The Last of Us” picks up with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor who lost his daughter in the initial outbreak, living in a Boston quarantine zone with smuggling partner Tess (Anna Torv).
Joel and Tess are tasked by the leader of the Fireflies, a group resisting the rule of the Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA), to transport a young girl, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), across the country to a Western outpost.
It’s soon revealed that Ellie is actually immune to the cordyceps infection and she may be the key to creating a vaccine. When Tess is bitten, she sacrifices herself so that Joel and Ellie can escape a pursuing hoard of zombie-like creatures, and the journey really begins.
They encounter numerous survivors along the way. Some are friendly like Henry (Lamar Johnson) and his younger brother Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard). Some decidedly less so, like David (Scott Shepherd), the leader of a group that has turned to cannibalism to stay alive.
Joel and Ellie eventually make it to the Fireflies holed up in a Lincoln hospital. But when Joel learns that the group’s plan to develop a cure will involve a procedure that Ellie won’t survive, he goes AWOL and brutally murders the Fireflies within the hospital, including Marlene.
Rather than revealing his action to Ellie, he concocts a lie that the Fireflies had already tried and failed to create a cure with previous immune people and let them leave.
And that’s a very speedy recap of “The Last of Us” season 1. As we head into this new season, don’t be surprised if the repercussions of Joel’s actions are felt from the jump.
You’ve seen the show, now play the game
You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed that “The Last of Us” is actually based on a series of hit video games developed by PlayStation-owned studio Naughty Dog.
As a lifelong gamer, who spends just as much time on his PS5 Pro as I do streaming Netflix each week, I’ve been a dedicated megafan of "The Last of Us" games since the very first one launched on PS3 back in 2013. I can still recall picking it up at a local midnight launch.
If you’ve yet to play "The Last of Us" or its phenomenal sequel 2020’s "The Last of Us Part II" (which is what season 2 of the show will adapt), you should. Even my non-gamer partner has enjoyed watching me play them because they’re highly cinematic and well-crafted.
Even better, both have been brought over to the PS5, in the form of "The Last of Us Part 1" and "The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered." I was lucky enough to review both for Tom’s Guide upon their respective launches in 2022 and 2024, and the latter is the first (and currently only) five-star score I’ve given to a video game. And I’ve reviewed a lot of games for TG.
‘The Last of Us’ season 2 trailers — get caught up on all the previews
Our first real look at season 2 came on “The Last Of Us” Day on Sept. 26. The teaser starts out decidedly peaceful, showing quiet moments in and around Jackson, though it’s clear there’s tension in the air.
Ellie’s nearly ambushed by a Stalker, Abby dodges hordes of infected, and some new cast members crop up. It looks like Max has taken it down, but the Warner Bros. UK YouTube channel still has it online.
Then, in January, we got a brief, and panicked, look at what’s to come in the new season. Beginning with Abby wandering an abandoned building while an alarm blares, it then descends into chaotic glimpses of the infected, Jeffrey Wright, and carnage from Jackson and elsewhere.
And in March, we finally got a full trailer. It featured new shots of mystery factions whom video gamers will instantly recognize, plus a better look at some of the major set pieces coming our way this season.
It’s all looking seriously tense, and I can’t wait to see how the show tackles this sprawling story. - Martin Shore
‘The Last of Us’ season 2 is already a hit with critics
The review embargo for “The Last Of Us” season 2 lifted this week, and, on the whole, it sounds like we’re on for another great season of TV.
So far, season 2 has earned a 93% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, aggregated from a total of 59 reviews. This puts it only slightly behind the first installment (which is sitting at 96%).
Reactions are mostly very positive, with praise for the performances, the drama, and the brutal action seen across this seven-part season.
That said, several critics mentioned it felt “incomplete” (a totally understandable conclusion, given this season tells only part of "The Last Of Us Part II" game's story) and that it isn’t quite as impressive as the first chapter.
Want to hear some specific takes? Check out our “The Last Of Us” season 2 review round-up for a more in-depth look at what the critics have said going into tonight’s premiere. - Martin
Abby will be a key character in season 2
If you followed “The Last of Us” season 2 production updates, you know that much of the conversation in the lead-up was about who would play the new character of Abby.
The role eventually went to Kaitlyn Dever, previously seen in "Justified," "Unbelievable," "Booksmart" and Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar.” When the news was confirmed, I was pleased. I’ve been a fan of Dever’s work for ages, and I firmly believe she can pull off what will likely be a complex role.
Described in press materials as “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved,” game players will know just how significant Abby is in the story of "The Last of Us Part 2." I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers.
Dever is confirmed to be part of the show’s main cast for season 2, so expect her to feature frequently. I’m pretty confident that Abby is going to be a character you won’t soon forget.
Gail: Telling it like it is
Aside from Abby, the biggest new character this season has to be Gail, a therapist played by the great Catherine O’Hara.
O’Hara typically does comedic work (if you’re not watching “The Studio,” run to Apple TV Plus after this episode). I mean, I would watch O’Hara read the dictionary, but seeing her dig into a dramatic role on “The Last of Us” will be such a treat.
Gail is a character original to the TV show, as she’s not a part of the video game. Mazin and Druckmann have done a terrific job of adding in completely original characters like Kansas City militant leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), as well as expanding minor characters in the game (see: Murray Bartlett’s Frank).
Not much is known about Gail other than that she’s Joel’s therapist. "I have an odd relationship with Pedro's character," O'Hara told EW. "You don't quite know why she's got... well, she's got this edge to her, but it makes for some weird, good dark comedy, I think. So it's there. I never want to deny the gift of humor." - Kelly Woo
Dina could add heart to ‘The Last of Us’ season 2
Dina is a character that video game players will know well as she’s an NPC (non-playable character) companion for a significant portion of "The Last of Us Part 2."
In the show, she’ll be played by Isabela Merced, who you may recognize from last summer’s “Alien: Romulus.”
The official HBO press materials describe her as “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit."
I suspect that Merced will bring real heart to “The Last of Us” season 2. Dina is a wonderfully warm character but is always willing to protect those closest to her, even if that means resorting to violence.
Jackson’s next generation leader: Jesse
Stealing scenes from Ali Wong and Steven Yeun seems near impossible, but Young Mazino did just that in “Beef.” And the up-and-coming actor got an Emmy nomination for it.
Mazino looks to build on that breakout in “The Last of Us” season 2 as Jesse, who’s described as “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else's needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.”
Jesse seems like he’s primed to become one of Jackson’s next-gen leaders following Tommy, Maria and Joel. In an interview with Screen Realm, Mazino discussed Jesse's dependability.
“It could be a strength in certain situations and a tremendous weakness in others,” he said. “But … it’s like a burden that he takes willfully.”
He’s friends with Ellie and an ex of Dina; I’m very curious about that dynamic since Dina will also be romantically involved with Ellie. - Kelly
Uh oh, the infected are evolving
One of the big themes of “The Last of Us” season 2 is likely to be the world around Joel and Ellie getting even more dangerous.
If you thought David and his cannibal crew were the most dangerous group they’d ever encounter, you’ve not seen anything yet. Trust me.
A part of this may be the possibility of the infected evolving. As we saw in “The Last of Us” season 1, there are several different types of fungus-zombies, from the everyday infected to the hulking bloaters that can literally rip a person’s head off (RIP Jeffrey Pierce’s Perry).
Don’t be surprised if season 2 introduces new types of infected that are even more deadly.
One of the chief complaints about season 1 was a lack of infected appearances. As far back as March 2023, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann proved they heard the calls for more zombies and promised season 2 would have "a lot more infected."
‘Future Days’ is a blast from the past
The title of the season 2 premiere is “Future Days.” If that name sounds familiar to you, there’s probably a good reason why — you probably played "The Last of Us Part II."
Either that or you’re just a big Pearl Jam fan, but most likely it’s the former.
In the video game series, Joel and Ellie’s relationship deteriorates between the end of the first game and the beginning of the second due to Joel’s secret about what happened to the Fireflies. She knows something is wrong, but he can’t tell her, which drives a wedge between them. We see hints of this in the season 2 trailer.
In what’s considered one of the most meaningful moments of the game’s story, Joel, who told Ellie he’d teach her to play guitar one day, plays the song as a way to express his feelings about their relationship and metaphorically explain why he did what he did at the Fireflies hospital.
Will we get this moment in the show? Well … that’s complicated. “Future Days” was part of the album “Lightning Bolt,” which came out in 2013, just four months after the first “The Last of Us” video game was released. In the game, the apocalyptic mushroom zombie pandemic happens in 2013, and therefore “Lightning Bolt” came out in the world of the game.
But in the HBO series, the cordyceps brain infection wreaks havoc a full 10 years earlier, in 2003. So will we instead get a performance of “Save You” from the 2002 Pearl Jam album “Riot Act”? Or do show creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann use some artistic license and use “Future Days” anyway?
If the season 2 trailer is any indication, it might be the latter. In the trailer, we hear a reworked version of “Future Days” playing in the background, so perhaps it’ll make an appearance in the show as well. But whether or not the song makes it into an episode of “The Last of Us,” it’s clear the show’s creatives haven’t forgotten about it. - Malcolm McMillan
Our 'Last of Us' season 2 episode 1 predictions
Kelly — I haven’t played the games, though I do know what happens (a hazard of this job). I also have watched TV as my job for many years, which makes me pretty certain that the first episode will mostly be table-setting. We know that season 2 picks up five years after the season 1 finale, so there will be a lot of catching up to do with Joel and Ellie. I don’t think The Big Thing That Happens will actually happen tonight.
Malcolm — I’ve been adamant internally at Tom’s Guide that the moment of the season won’t come this episode, and will probably come around episode 3. If you’ve played the video game, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, I’m begging you not to spoil yourself.
At any rate, I think this episode will give us a check-in on Joel and Ellie’s relationship and hopefully, some sort of combat sequence with cordyceps zombies and/or humans. The show isn’t all about the combat, but it’d be odd for it not to remind us that it does combat scenes really well, and that this is a deadly world despite the sense of normalcy in the seemingly safe haven that is Jackson.
Martin — Look, anyone who has played the games is waiting for that moment to happen, and I know my colleagues' predictions are about whether it's going to happen in the season premiere (I doubt it will, to be honest), but mine is mostly that I think Abby's going to get a dramatic entrance at some point in this ep.
Sure, Dever's a newcomer to the show, but she's an integral part of the story going forward and will need to grab our attention, and fast. I'm not sure how it'll happen- maybe some killer line, or a show of strength, perhaps. Either way, I expect she’ll have an impact the moment she shows up.
Rory — I’ve been arguing for ages that Part 2’s shocking moment should happen in the first episode of season 2. I suspect the show will instead hold it back for a later chapter, but at the very least, I want the premiere to get all the main players on the board and ready to go.
'The Last of Us' season 2 premiere is about to begin
Get ready — we’re just minutes away from the premiere episode! So, take a bathroom break, round up some snacks and drinks, and make sure you're logged into Max so you can hit play right at 9 p.m. ET when "Future Days" begins airing.
I'll be live-blogging the entire episode, so follow along for my updates and reactions.
The waiting is over, “The Last of Us” season 2 premiere is HERE
And away we go: “The Last of Us” season 2 premiere begins now! Naturally, the iconic HBO title card kicks us off, and my hype levels are already reaching fever pitches.
We’re starting where we left off at the end of season 1 with Joel reiterating his big lie to Ellie. Not cool, Joel.
Meet Abby (and some giraffes)
We’ve waited several years to reunite with Joel and Ellie, but before we can catch up with them, it’s time to meet a new character: Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby and we’re also catching a sighting of a herd* of giraffes, which feature in one my favorite moments from season 1.
(*A quick Google tells me a group of giraffes is called a tower. Every day’s a school day!)
Abby has only one thing on her mind
Whelp, if you were wondering how Abby ties into Joel and Ellie’s story, wonder no longer, she wants revenge on Joel for something. And she’s even got her friends willing to help her. Oh, and she wants to “kill him slowly.”
Dever’s already given me chills, and we’re only minutes into the episode.
Is this a hot take?
I’m just going to say it, I think “The Last of Us” has the best opening credits tune of any TV show currently airing. Gustavo Santaolalla does not miss!
Ellie is still a badass
Didn’t take long for our first action sequence as we flash forward five years and Ellie is squaring off against some dude in a hay-strewn barn, and she’s putting up one hell of a fight. Ellie can take a punch infinitely better than I ever could.
Meet Jesse
The new characters are coming fast and furious as we’re now introduced to Young Mazino’s Jesse. No spoilers here but I’ll just say Jesse was one of my favorite games in "The Last of Us Part II" video game so I can’t wait to see more of Mazino's take on the character.
First sighting of Joel alert
Pedro Pascal fans (frankly, who isn’t a Pascal fan?), our time has come. It may have taken almost 10 minutes, but finally, Joel is back on our television screens. All is right in the world.
We’re also meeting yet another new character in the form of Dina (Isabela Merced).
Joel’s explaining to Diana the basics of fixing a breaker circuit, but that’s not the real story here, as we learn that Joel and Ellie aren’t exactly on speaking terms at present. It seems in the last five years their surrogate father-daughter relationship turned frosty.
Our first infected sighting
And down goes the first clicker of the premiere as Ellie snipes it from up on high. Nice shot! I was thinking about keeping a running count but with season 2’s reportedly larger budget and promise of an increased number of infected, that may be a bit of a thankless task.
I can confirm Ellie’s horse is called Shimmer. And deserves all the sugar cubes they can eat.
Difficult decisions are being made already
Joel and Maria (Rutina Wesley) disagree over whether they should allow more survivors into the Jackson community. Nobody said running a safe haven in a post-apocalyptic world would be easy.
Oh, and Maria just got in the last word and that’s how you win an argument!
Most awkward therapy session ever?
We’re getting our first on-screen appearance of Gail, and I don’t think it’ll be the last. She’s a character created just for the screen, but rumors suggest her relationship with her deceased husband, Eugene, could play a key role in season 2. This is new territory even for gamers.
Joel's therapy session turns very awkward as Gail rants about how he killed Eugene (for good, unknown reasons). Yet Gail is still willing to take him on as a patient? Now that is one seriously professional therapist!
And now Pedro’s breaking my heart as he verges on tears — give his man his overdue Emmy already!
Some things never change
Even in a post-apocalypse, Ellie’s bedroom screams moody teenager!
I’ve never been very good at reading these things, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Ellie has a soft spot for Dina.
Who or what did that?
Out on patrol, Ellie and Diana have stumbled upon the mutilated remains of a bear, with the latter pondering, “How many infected does it take to bring down a bear?”
I don’t have time to work out the math, but I’m going to guess six regular infected or three clickers. A single bloater could do the job.
Bringing some light to the darkness
Bella Ramsey just displayed their physical humor chops with some silly hand gestures to mime stabbing an infected person in the neck. Certainly adds a dose of comedy to the otherwise very tense proceedings.
The enemy just got even more dangerous
You might notice something different about the infected Ellie just encountered. It's not a mindless zombie, it can seemingly think for itself.
In an already dangerous world, this could have major ramifications for the survival rates of pretty much the entire cast.
I hope you weren't snacking during this scene because that disfigured zombie face was seriously unsettling.
Another bite for the collection
And Ellie’s just been bitten for a third time, that girl is putting her immunity to the test.
Listen to Maria, people
The Jackson council is discussing Ellie's finding and Maria is seemingly the only one taking her warning about this new type of infected seriously. Oh, and the scene also confirms that six infected took down the grizzly bear. Yes, I’m extremely smug about my earlier guess.
Yet more proof that Ellie is a badass
Ellie’s stitching up her fresh bite, providing even more proof, if we needed it, that she’s tough as nails.
Did somebody turn down the temperature?
Brrrr, relationship turned frosty indeed. Joel and Ellie’s first scene together in season 2 is a cold one. It’s also short as Joel makes a quick exit.
First clue things won’t be the same
No spoilers here, but this is a major moment for video game players. This barn dance scene comes towards the end of the "The Last of Us Part II" video game. The reports of Mazin and Druckmann altering the game’s structure appear accurate.
'I think they should be terrified of you'
One of the game’s most iconic lines, and delivered expertly. “The Last of Us” season 2 isn’t dropping the first show’s reputation for deftly adapting its wonderful source material.
Well, it was fun while it lasted
And just like that a homophobe has ruined what promised to be a special night for Ellie.
Joel doesn't make things any better by acting all overprotective. That’s no way to get back in her good books!
This haven might not be so safe
If you thought the walls of Jackson represented safety for the core cast, think again. Those appear to be cordyceps spreading into the “safe” haven through the pipe system. Somebody might want to take care of that infestation ….
Did you forget about her?
She opened the episode, and now Abby brings it to a close. Five years ago she swore revenge, and now she’s caught sight of Jackson in the distance. Somebody warn Joel!
Fin
That look of unstoppable determination on Abby’s face brings “The Last of Us” season 2 premiere episode to a close. And oh boy, was that a packed hour of television. We’ve got plenty to discuss, so stick around as we’ve got post-episode thoughts coming up next.
Could Eugene provide the best moment of season 2?
In this episode, we learned that Gail isn’t just Joel’s therapist. She’s also the wife of someone named Eugene, and Joel seemingly killed him for a reason that’s unknown to us, but that Gail seems to suggest was justified.
But who is Eugene? Is he a show creation like Gail?
The answer is … sort of.
In “The Last of Us Part II,” Eugene Linden is a former Firefly who came with Tommy to Jackson. While there, he develops a close relationship with Dina, who then talks to Ellie about him while on patrol.
In the game, he dies of a stroke at 73 and isn’t married. He actually leaves his wife and daughter to join the Fireflies before eventually going to Jackson. But the show is clearly deviating in a major way from the video game version of Eugene.
“Someone like Eugene, we had a take on that character to say, ‘OK, well, how does that expand Joel and Ellie's relationship? How does it expand the town of Jackson? How does that expand what the story's about, which is this idea of love and the extremes that love can take you to?’” Neil Druckmann told IGN at the season 2 premiere.
The answer to those questions was to connect Eugene to Gail, which then ties both characters into Joel and Ellie’s story. “You’ll see even more of why that’s important as the season goes on,” Druckmann added.
So we know Eugene will be different in a lot of ways, including physical appearance. The character will be played by Joe Pantoliano, who’s not exactly a lookalike of the video game version of Eugene. But why does that mean Eugene could ultimately provide the best moment of season 2?
For that, we have to look back to “Long, Long Time,” the incredible episode 3 from season 1. This standalone episode focused on Bill and Frank and was a highlight of the season.
At a press conference, Craig Mazin and Druckmann confirmed that there would be more bottle episodes, though not necessarily like “Long, Long Time” (h/t Nerdist).
“I will say that there is a gorgeous episode this season directed by Neil that is different than, it’s not Bill and Frank,” Mazin told the assembled press. “But it is, in its own way, its own thing, because it needed to be. And just, just you wait. Just you wait.”
Eugene is a strong contender to be the focal point of this episode, given that we know his season 2 story will require similar expansion to Bill and Frank’s season 1 story. It can do that while still being tonally different from “Long, Long Time,” meaning that Mazin’s comments about how “it’s not Bill and Frank” don’t preclude a season 2 bottle episode from being about Eugene.
That said, another strong contender for a bottle episode is Abby, whom we were introduced in this episode and whose backstory we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of. No matter who is the focus of the episode, it’ll be the moment of the season I’m most hotly anticipating. - Malcolm
‘I don’t wanna wait for our lives to be over’ … or for us to get bit
“The Last of Us” season 1 didn’t focus much on romance, aside from chronicling Bill and Frank’s tragic love story in “Long, Long Time.” Joel and Tess (RIP) were established as partners before she got bit, and we briefly meet couple Marlon and Florence in episode 6.
But season 2 has already introduced a love triangle — or possibly more like a square — in the first episode. Ellie is attracted to Dina, who’s just out of an on-again/off-again relationship with Jesse. At the end of the episode, Dina kisses Ellie (which leads to an ugly scene incited by a homophobic fellow resident) in front of Jesse.
Then, there’s Kat, who leads the scouting patrol that includes both Ellie and Dina. Kat happens to be Ellie’s ex.
I’m sure “The Last of Us” isn't about to turn into “Dawson’s Creek,” but this romantic tangle definitely adds a new dimension to the show.- Kelly
How many seasons will ‘The Last Of Us’ run for?
In the run-up to the second season, we kept getting vague answers on this front. In February, HBO exec Francesca Orsi said it was “looking like” the show would run for two further seasons, and now we know that we’re getting at least one more.
Ahead of today’s premiere, we learned that HBO had already renewed “The Last Of Us” for a third season, though the announcement included no indication of whether this would be the show’s last.
In a statement on the show’s renewal, Orsi said: “It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of 'The Last Of Us' is. Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”
Does that mean HBO could be keen to expand on “The Last Of Us” in the vein of the upcoming “Game of Thrones” off-shoot, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”? We’ll have to wait and see. - Martin
That Moment is coming ...
Let me just give a clear SPOILER WARNING here. I’m about to dive into events from "The Last of Us Part II" video game not yet covered in the “The Last of Us” season 2 show.
Read More
One last chance, spoilers to follow …
Stop reading if you don't want to know what happens.
Anybody who’s played the video game (or has The Moment spoiled for them like TG’s own Kelly Woo) will know that Abby’s mission of revenge is ultimately successful as she brutally murders Joel with a golf club as Ellie helplessly watches.
That shocking and heartbreaking sequence didn’t happen in season 2’s first episode. This isn’t a huge surprise, but it’s worth noting that it comes after around an hour of playtime in the video game, so I expect it to be on the horizon.
Now that Abby has Jackson in her sights, I’m confident Joel’s distressing fate will unfold before the credits roll on episode 2.
But perhaps I’m mistaken. After all, the show has already proven it’s not afraid to remix the game’s timeline (the barn dance scene in episode 1 occurs much later in the game), and with Pedro Pascal being such a popular actor, it's likely the show wants to keep Joel around as long as possible.
However, I really hope that doesn’t happen. I adore Joel as a character, but his death is the inciting incident of "Part II’s" story, and if it doesn't happen in episode 2, I feel like the season will end up spinning its wheels for no real benefit.
But I just know it’s going to hurt.
What’s next for ‘The Last of Us’ season 2?
What’s next for “The Last of Us” season 2? Well HBO is keeping things carefully under wraps. At the time of writing, we don’t even have an episode title for the second chapter. They did, however, give fans a sneak peek at the season ahead:
Based on the conclusion of episode 1 and the fact that this will be a shorter seven-episode season (compared to nine in season 1), I think we can safely conclude that Abby will make contact with at least some of the main cast in the next episode. But after that, all bets are off.
I don’t think we’ll get more information about the cordyceps that appear to be growing into Jackson, as that feels like a plot thread that will slowly unfold across the course of the season.
But Abby’s arrival on the scene feels imminent. Unless they’re going for an early “Game of Thrones” approach where it takes multiple episodes for characters to travel across the map.
Catherine O'Hara on the "killer" Eugene bottle episode
Following the episode's debut, we're now firmly in "spoiler" territory, so again, if you haven't had the chance to tune in to "The Last Of Us" season 2 premiere just yet, look away now.
If you are caught up, you're probably desperate to know what's coming next. Well, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, new star Catherine O'Hara — who played Gail, Joel's therapist — spilled the beans on her "intense" debut opposite Pedro Pascal in the HBO show.
O'Hara later added that she didn't realize that Joel had murdered Gail's husband, Eugene (Joe Pantoliano) until they shot a flashback later on. When asked about that forthcoming Eugene bottle episode, she didn't have much to share, beyond just how emotional it was: "I've never had to cry so much for so many takes. It was killer." - Martin
Did HBO make a big mistake with 'The Last Of Us' season 2 premiere?
I think we can all agree that "Future Days" was a great way to start "The Last Of Us" season 2 off, right? It had drama between Joel and Ellie, Abby's big promise, and a fraught encounter with a Stalker all crammed in.
In my opinion, it was a confident return for the post-apocalyptic series, one which managed to set up plenty of hooks for the future, bring in new faces and reintroduce us to our major players (and their changing dynamic). If you can't already tell, I'm desperate to see more.
That opinion was mostly echoed by TG's UK Entertainment Editor, Rory Mellon. He branded the show's new premiere "almost perfect" but argued that HBO made one big mistake with "The Last Of Us" season 2 premiere; check out his op-ed to find out why. — Martin
Kaitlyn Dever on Abby's 'chilling' first scene
"The Last Of Us" season 2 premiere kicked off in style with the introduction of Abby, a key player in The Last Of Us Part II story.
As first impressions go, that scene sure made Kaitlyn Dever's character seem like a force to be reckoned with and introduced us to her core conviction (for latecomers, I won't reiterate it here).
Dever has since reflected on her debut in an interview with THR. "Chilling" was the verdict, with the star adding, "She's a chilly ice queen!"
“She just needs something to make it all better,” Dever said. “And in that moment, the only thing she can think about is revenge. She’s heartbroken, she’s sad, she’s lost and she’s trying to pick up the pieces.”
Talking about the role as a whole, Dever added: "When she walks into a room, she comes through with this intense strength. It’s what makes her scary and intimidating. But it’s all because of how much pain she’s gone through."
If that's how she starts her time in the show, Dever's Abby could well end up being the best part of season 2. - Martin
TG's Malcolm McMillan on the season 2 premiere: "this show is so damn good"
More than one TG writer had a take on "The Last Of Us" season premiere.
Streaming Editor, Malcolm McMillan has also shared his thoughts about the show's return, and, as he puts it, "The Last Of Us" is a show that "hasn't lost a step after its two-year break."
"A show this good doesn't come around often, and now that I'm reminded of how good it is, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts", he says. See Malcolm's complete reaction (including his episode 1 highlight) in the article linked above. - Martin
"Things are about to get really dangerous", says TLOU writer
Ahead of the second season, we warned things were about to get even bleaker than "The Last Of Us" already was, and that's just been backed up by one of the show's writers.
Speaking with Deadline, Halley Gross — who co-wrote the game with Druckmann and co-wrote several of this season's episodes — had some very foreboding words to say about what's to come.
The bulk of the interview was with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, though for me, the big takeaway comes from Gross. If you think all your faves are safe in Jackson, think again.
Following a conversation about the loss of fear around the infected among Jackson's residents that we've seen, Gross had this to say: "Nothing is frivolous, nothing is done just for decoration".
"Everything is a setup for a payoff", they add, "so I would pay attention to who are they when they feel safe because things are about to get really dangerous."
Given that we've seen serious carnage in the trailers, it looks like we could be in for some proper thrills as the series continues over the next six weeks. - Martin
When is the next episode of 'The Last Of Us' season 2 coming our way?
Okay, we've been sharing all this news about the rest of the season, but when can you actually watch the next installment?
New episodes of "The Last Of Us" season 2 will air on HBO and start streaming on Max on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, meaning the second episode will air on Sunday, April 20.
If you're in the U.K., the episodes arrive on Sky and streaming service NOW at 2 a.m. on Mondays. This means episodes air at the same time, so night owls don't need to spend their Monday avoiding their phones and dodging spoilers online.
And if you're wondering, the season 2 finale airs on Sunday, May 25, 2025. - Martin
Go behind the scenes on 'The Last Of Us' season 2 premiere
If you're looking to get even more info on "The Last Of Us" season 2, my first suggestion would be to head over to the Max YouTube channel.
There, you can find a "Making Of" video featuring clips of the cast and crew reflecting on the new season premiere (We've embedded it above, for convenience).
And if you want even more "The Last Of Us" content to keep you occupied until next week, you can also listen to showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann reflect on the season 2 premiere with Troy Baker (who played Joel in both games) over on HBO's official "The Last of Us" companion podcast.
In the episode centered on "Future Days", Baker, Druckmann, and Mazin reflect on Joel and Ellie's changing dynamic, what our new characters bring to the story, and why our showrunners were scared by the success of the first series. - Martin
Abby may be the most pivotal new character, but Dina steals the show in episode 1
If you've played "The Last of Us: Part II," or know what happens, then you know how pivotal Abby is the story.
But in this first episode, Kaitlyn Dever, understandably, didn't have a ton to do. She didn't exactly get a shot at a scene-stealing moment, though the show certainly teased her pivotal role to come.
Dina, on the other hand, get a chance to shine, and Isabela Merced ran with it. Her performance was electric and my favorite of probably anyone in the episode, though Pedro Pascal and Catherine O'Hara also impressed in their therapy scene together.
I can't wait to see more from Dina, and thankfully, I know that I won't have to worry about her disappearing from the screen anytime soon. - Malcolm
Why Abby's introduction is different from The Last Of Us Part II
One interesting difference between the game and the show is that the show had to surface Abby's motivation from the get-go.
Speaking to The Verge, co-creator Neil Druckmann has revealed why that change was made. There are two main reasons: pacing how Abby's story unfolds and because the team wanted us to connect with her, even though they're not controlling this version of Abby in this non-interactive medium.
"Here we’re putting out episodes week by week, which are roughly an hour long", he said. "If we were to wait as much as we did in the game to reveal certain things, our viewers might have to wait a very, very long time — longer than we were comfortable with".
On the second point, he had this to say: "We were able to keep certain things a mystery for much longer, because you were playing as Abby, trying to keep her alive, fighting the infected. We don’t have that in the show. So we needed something else — through drama, through backstory — to get you to sympathize with her. That’s where we pulled certain events up in the story, in terms of when we reveal them."
So, if you're a series veteran who was wondering why Abby stated her intentions quite so soon, there's your answer. - Martin
What are Stalkers? 'The Last of Us' enemy type explained
The tensest moment of the episode came when Ellie had her first (in-show) showdown with a Stalker. But if you haven't played "The Last of Us" video games before, you might be wondering what a Stalker is.
Stalkers are infected who, in the first game, are stealthy, fast and strong. Because of this triple threat, they're pretty rare in "The Last of Us," only appearing as a main enemy twice.
But in "The Last of Us: Part II," they get a bit of a nerfing, and while still stealthy and a threat, are relatively timid unless provoked. They're not quite so deadly as the original version.
Because of this, they're more prevalent in the second game. Given that "Part II" is the source material for season 2 of the HBO adaptation, I would bet anything that this wasn't our last encounter with this new enemy. - Malcolm
Which will get to Jackson first: Abby or the infected?
As we wrap up our season 2 premiere coverage, there's just a few pressing questions that remain. Will Abby arrive in episode 2? Or will a horde of infected attack Jackson before Abby and her vengeful crew can arrive?
It's not impossible that both arrive at the same time, and it's not impossible that the show deviates from the games. Without getting into spoilers though, I think by the end of the hour-long episode Abby will have Joel in her sight ... or sights. - Malcolm
