HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 May Not Be Exactly TLoU Part 2

Highlights

• The Last of Us Season 2 will adapt the video game’s sequel, but it already seems to be taking creative liberties.
• Its teaser implies an increased focus on Joel’s motivations and possible new characters.
• HBO’s The Last of Us already made changes to series canon and found success, so it’s primed to to make bold moves in the second season.

HBO’s The Last of Us series was a massive success for its Max streaming service. Faithfully adapting the rich world of the 2013 PlayStation 3 video game of the same name, The Last of Us proved to be a worthy adventure for longtime fans and non-gaming newcomers. Since its release, fans have anticipated a second season, and those requests will soon be fulfilled.

Quickly following the show’s premiere in January 2023, HBO announced the show’s renewal for a second season, which is set to premiere in 2025. The second season will adapt the video game’s sequel, 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2, and may expand multiple seasons to cover TLoU Part 2‘s entire narrative. Based on the first look at the show, it also appears that the next season may take some creative liberties in its adaptation of the sequel’s story.

This article contains major spoilers from The Last of Us Season 1.

The Last of Us Season 2 Is Making Some Big Changes

Joel Opening Up About His Decision Is A Big Deal

This week, HBO released the first official teaser for the second season of The Last of Us. In it, Joel talks to what appears to be a therapist played by Catherine O’Hara, who asks him about his major decision at the end of the first season, to which Joel responds, “I saved her.” This refers to Joel’s decision to save Ellie from the Fireflies’ hospital, instead of allowing them to perform the surgery that would kill her in the name of creating a Cordyceps vaccine.

While a major element of the game’s story is Joel and Ellie’s strained relationship in the wake of Joel’s broken promise to Ellie, this particular scene is not featured in the original game. Joel doesn’t exactly grapple with his feelings nor openly discuss them, only acknowledging them when called out by Ellie on his lie. This teaser scene represents a major change compared to Joel’s TLoU video game counterpart.

The Last of Us Is Not Afraid of Switching Things Up

It should also be said that, if O’Hara’s character is indeed a therapist, this represents a massive change from the original game. Therapy in general doesn’t seem to exist in the world of The Last of Us, as much of the focus of survivors appears to be on avoiding getting infected, as opposed to managing mental health symptoms. Adding something like this feels fitting, given that so much of the story centers around trying to restore humanity in a world that is losing so much of it by the day.

Furthermore, adding something this different shouldn’t be too surprising, as while the first season of The Last of Us was very faithful to the original game, it wasn’t afraid to make some big changes and make some noteworthy additions to the cast. The show added important characters such as Kathleen – the resistance leader in KC – and Ellie’s mother Anna. O’Hara’s character looks to be another in a long line of memorable guest characters that push The Last of Us show even further beyond its main cast.

Joel doesn’t exactly grapple with his feelings nor openly discuss them, only acknowledging them when called out by Ellie on his lie.

The Last of Us Has Succeeded In Expanding The Game’s World

These additions also show another thing that The Last of Us has done so well: expand on what it already has. One of the most notable moments in the first season was Episode 3, which featured Bill and Frank, two characters from the game shown to a greater extent in the TV series. It’s not been unlike the show’s creatives to expand on the already-established world of the series, and given that Part 2 will take multiple seasons to adapt, there’s plenty of room to expand on the game’s narrative.

Even with the massive success of the first season, it’s clear the show will not simply rest on its laurels. The showrunners expect to take some big risks and make some bold moves with the second season, not unlike what Naughty Dog did with the game’s sequel. It will be exciting to see some of these big swings the creators take as they look to show why The Last of Us has been one of the most exciting television shows in recent memory.