The Last Of Us, created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, has returned for a much-anticipated second season. Based on the iconic and emotionally devastating video game series by Naughty Dog, this HBO adaptation continues to star Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. And please be warned -- this review contains mild spoilers for episodes one through three. If you haven't seen the new season, now's a good time to stop reading and catch up.
Season 2 picks up several years after the end of the first season. Joel and Ellie have both survived, but they're not the same people we last saw. The trauma of their journey and the brutal choices made along the way have begun to take their toll, especially on Ellie. Now living in the peaceful, self-sufficient town of Jackson, Wyoming, Joel and Ellie are physically safe, but emotionally distant. They've become estranged in a way that feels all too real. Ellie is trying to move into adulthood, pushing against Joel's lingering fatherly control. Her childhood isn't quite behind her, but neither is the trauma -- and neither is he. They're clashing, retreating into themselves and hurting each other, sometimes unknowingly.
Episode one mirrors the opening hours of The Last Of Us Part II and fans of the game will already be familiar with where this is heading. Ellie is now the primary protagonist and the show is slowly but surely shifting the emotional centre to her. The second game, controversial as it was for some, was always a bold narrative swing -- especially the choice to abruptly remove a beloved main character. I remember thinking when I first played the game: Are they really doing this? And now, watching the show, I asked the same question: Are they really going to go there again?
Bella Ramsey returns as Ellie. HBO Max
There was a part of me that thought they might take a different approach. Maybe they'd extend Joel's arc beyond what we saw in the game. After all, Pascal is a massive star now and TV tends to hold onto bankable leads as long as it can. I imagined they might give us a "middle chapter" of sorts -- something similar to the expanded-universe Star Wars novels that explore what happens between films. I honestly believed they'd at least wait until the midpoint of the season to pull the trigger.
But no, they didn't wait. And while I knew it was coming, it still devastated me. In some ways, it hit harder than it did in the game. The television format allows us to connect in a more personal, intimate way. Seeing Ellie scream and plead for her beloved person to wake up was gut-wrenching. Bella Ramsey delivers that grief with such unflinching intensity that I had to pause and take a breath. As much as I hated to see it happen, I respect the show's creators for staying true to the source material. It's a bold and honest creative choice and honestly, a necessary one for Ellie's character arc to develop.
Kaitlyn Dever's introduction as Abby in Episode 2 is another powerful moment. Fans of the game will know she's a deeply complex and polarising figure. Dever, already a talent in her own right, gives what I can only describe as an Emmy-worthy performance. What's even more astonishing is learning she delivered that while experiencing real-life grief, having just lost her mother. That strength, that presence, pours into her portrayal of Abby, who is conflicted, haunted and hardened by trauma. She's not a villain, though many viewers may instinctively see her as one. The show, like the game, asks us to question that judgement.
While I didn't play Part II as thoroughly as the first, I'm familiar enough with it to recognise how closely the show is adhering to the game's core beats. That said, I appreciated that episode two makes some smart structural changes. The siege sequence, for example -- where the community is under attack -- is more fleshed out and cinematically intense. The intercutting between Abby's storyline and the growing fallout for Ellie is tightly edited and brilliantly directed. Craig Mazin knows how to write efficient, emotional dialogue. He mines the character backstory without making it feel like clunky exposition.
Then there's episode three, which changes tone slightly and focuses on Ellie and Dina's developing relationship. Isabela Merced's Dina is absolutely fantastic -- she brings such warmth and humour to the show, which is sorely needed in a world this dark. Her chemistry with Ramsey is subtle and sweet.
When the two set off towards Seattle, Ellie is driven by righteous rage while Dina becomes the emotional counterbalance: level-headed, observant and quietly strong. I especially liked the scene involving the town bigot who was upset by seeing Ellie and Dina kiss at the dance. By episode three, that same character is now vowing revenge. It's fascinating how the writers layer moral contradictions into these characters. He's not a good man, but now he's on Ellie's side. That's the murky ethical terrain The Last Of Us explores so well.
Pascal, even with limited screen time this season, makes a lasting impact. But it's Ramsey who truly commands these episodes. Her performance is raw and furious, yet never without vulnerability. There are no easy answers for Ellie, and Ramsey leans fully into that emotional ambiguity. Watching her navigate grief, rage, guilt and love is just as intense and compelling as any infected battle sequence.
The series continues to strike an incredible balance between action, psychological complexity and human emotion. It honours the legacy of the video games while adding even greater nuance through the medium of television. That's thanks to Druckmann and Mazin's vision, their commitment to character-first storytelling and the show's willingness to make hard, honest choices.
Based on these first three episodes, the new season of The Last Of Us starts phenomenally, setting a high bar for what's to come. I'm bracing myself emotionally for what's next in the unfolding saga. I think this is a phenomenal start for one of the most powerful shows in television this year.
- The Last Of Us Season 2
- Starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna
- Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
- Now streaming on HBO MAX
