Everything We Know About "The Last Of Us" Season 2 So Far
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After the first season of The Last of Us finished airing on HBO, one thing I know is that I have a Joel and Ellie-shaped hole in my heart.
Playstation / Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
To me, it was a perfect show, and my Monday nights haven't been the same since. The series was so popular that it even raked in 8.2 million viewers for the finale, according to a press release from Warner Bros., so I'd argue that fans everywhere will be feeling as eager as I am for news on what happens next.
So, what's keeping me going is knowing that we will be getting a second season.
HBO / Via giphy.com
But what do we know so far? Let me tell you all I've found out about the show's expected return...
Careful: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season 1 and both video games!
1.Season 2 was greenlit after only a few episodes of Season 1 had aired:
Yup, after just two episodes of Season 1 airing in January, HBO renewed The Last of Us for Season 2. This surely came as no surprise given the immediate reaction to the series at the time, but it's great to know the fans' expectations for more is in safe hands.
2.It's currently in the scripting phase.
A few weeks ago, Craig Mazin, the co-creator, executive producer, writer, and director spoke at an hour-long panel at NAB in Las Vegas, and whilst not many Season 2 details were given away, he did tease us that the current status of Season 2 is that it's still in its script stage.
3.But, filming could start this year.
4.We will likely have to be patient and wait until 2025 to see it.
Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
While the confirmed timeline hasn't been released for fans just yet, going off of Bella's estimated filming duration, it could mean that we won't actually see The Last of Us on our screens for a while. Given the post-production process and time needed to market the series, we would probably see its return in 2025, or at best, very late next year — as much as I'd love this, I'm not convinced it will return that quickly, and I'm betting on a 2025 release!
5.The filming location has already been chosen.
Fans of the video game should remember that a significant part of the story takes place in the Pacific Northwest. However, according to Deadline, the show has set up its home base in Vancouver, Canada for Season 2 filming.
6.Here's what we can expect from the story:
Those of you who played the first video game will recall that the TV adaptation of Season 1 covered the events of the first game, plus moments and a storyline that came from the Left Behind DLC. So, it's pretty safe to assume that Season 2 will follow the main events of the second game.
Now, I don't actually want to give away too many spoilers for anyone who hasn't played the game, but Playstation describes the plotline as:
"Five years after their dangerous journey across the post-pandemic United States, Ellie and Joel have settled down in Jackson, Wyoming. Living amongst a thriving community of survivors has allowed them peace and stability, despite the constant threat of the infected and other, more desperate survivors.
When a violent event disrupts that peace, Ellie embarks on a relentless journey to carry out justice and find closure. As she hunts those responsible one by one, she is confronted with the devastating physical and emotional repercussions of her actions."
And TRUST ME, when I say we will never be prepared for that crucial violent event and to see it happen all over again! But, what I can say is that there's no doubt the game's foundations in Part II will set us up for another incredible season from HBO.
7.Similar to the second video game, it's likely to be bigger and more ambitious.
Neil Druckmann, co-creator of The Last of Us video game and co-creator, executive producer, and writer for the TV adaptation, has said that adapting Part II for the screen will require more time, energy, and money since the second game is much bigger than the first! He went on to explain that it will be much more ambitious thanks to the set pieces, number of characters, and the complex story.
8.Ellie will not be recast, with Bella Ramsey set to return.
While some fans started a debate that Ramsey looks too young to play the 19-year-old version of Ellie in Season 2, the show has confirmed that Bella Ramsey will definitely be returning and will not be recast.
Druckmann stated that finding Ramsey was lightning in a bottle and the show is extremely lucky to have her, and they wouldn't ever consider recasting Ellie.
Given their performance in Season 1, I couldn't imagine a second season without Ramsey as Ellie, so I cannot wait to see what levels they'll go to during the character's progression.
9.We will likely see all of these characters from Season 1 again.
We will definitely get to see Pedro Pascal in the second season, but in The Last of Us podcast, Ramsey has already teased fans that we are likely to see less of him! Fans of the game will know why...
Now, we haven't yet seen any confirmation of other cast members signing on to return, but that doesn't mean it is or isn't in the works! But, if we go off of the game's storyline, we can anticipate to see Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria again.
10.Merle Dandridge seems open to returning.
No, Merle Dandridge (who plays Marlene in Season 1) hasn't just forgotten her character's untimely end! But, when speaking to Elle, she indicated that she'd be open to returning to her role as a potential flashback, saying, "You never know! That show is so non-linear!"
And given that Season 1 threw in some flashbacks, including the emotional scene with Ellie's mother Anna, played by Ashley Johnson, who knows if we will be able to get a glimpse of Marlene again?!
11.It's likely we can expect these new characters to be featured — but casting for these roles has not been announced yet.
One of the most notable characters in Part II is Abby Anderson, who in the game, is the playable dual protagonist. A member of the Fireflies, she is a broken soul after being impacted by a tragedy, and sets out on a vengeful mission that heavily impacts Joel and Ellie's narrative. Her physical build also represents the years of training and combat she has endured. It's safe to say that we can definitely expect to see such an important character in the HBO drama.
In Part II, we are also introduced to Dina, Ellie's girlfriend. She's originally from New Mexico and is Jewish, and has had to learn how to look after herself since she was 10 years old. Dina is an important part to Ellie's character arc.
Of course, the game hosts a whole array of secondary characters, from Jesse (Dina's ex-boyfriend), to Yara (a member of the Seraphites), Lev (a transgender character and brother of Yara), and Manny (a former Firefly who serves with Abby), and more. It'll be interesting to see the show's take on these characters, and if they create some new secondary characters to move the story along, like it did with Kathleen in Season 1. Only time will tell!
12.Fans would like to see Laura Bailey, who voiced Abby in Part II, play a character in Season 2, especially after her brief cameo in the Season 1 finale.
Laura Bailey played Abby in the video game, and many fans online are hoping to see her play another character in Season 2 — much like Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, the original voices and mocap actors for Ellie and Joel in the games. Even though she made a cameo as a nurse in the Season 1 finale — a perfect cameo location for her, if you know the games — she could still return as a named character during the events of Part II since her cameo was so short in Season 1.
13.Ramsey is keen to explore the complexity of Ellie and Joel's relationship.
14.The time jump will be as far as five years, but that doesn't mean it will be a straightforward cut.
Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
As we know, the game skips five years ahead, and it's very unlikely that the second season of the adaptation will detour from this, with Mazin acknowledging how important the time jump is as it "reflects the changing nature of Ellie's relationship with Joel."
That doesn't mean, though, that we will not see anything in the lead-up to where the duo are in present day, and as Mazin points out, there are moments that we see in the game that are in between the main storyline of Part I and where Part II picks up, so we should be able to expect to see these. The interesting thing will be how this is tackled, and whether or not the show will jump straight into the five-year setting, or if it will do a slower lead-up by filling the first half with key events that have seen the character's through for all this time.
15.Season 2 won't be exactly like the game.
Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
When speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Mazin addressed that the second season will be different. "It will be different just as this season was different. Sometimes, it will be different radically. ... It won't be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make.”
Fans of the show will know not to panic by now, as it's clear from Season 1 that the creators do want to stay as close (and sometimes identical to the game) as they can, with any additional creative decisions likely being taken to step the show up another level. A great example of this is how in Season 1, Episode 3, the writers chose to give us an in-depth and damn right emotional look into the life of Bill and Frank, something that was only hinted at in the game. I'm certainly here for it if the creators apply these same methods for the next season!
16.Druckmann has teased that one iconic scene may be changed.
No, before you get your hopes up, it's likely not going to be THAT Joel moment. If you know, you know.
In fact, Druckmann has discussed how Part II sees Joel sing a song to Ellie in a bid to bond with her and improve their now somewhat strained relationship. In the game, Joel sings Pearl Jam's "Future Days," but this will likely have to be changed, as the timelines just wouldn't match up. Why? Because the song was released in 2013, and with the timeline of The Last of Us beginning its apocalypse in 2003, that song would never have even been released, and let's face it, we weren't aware of Joel having any songwriting skills.
As Druckmann elaborates, "I could tell you we haven’t made a decision. We have talked about it for those exact reasons that you mentioned, that now it makes no sense for Joel to know that song. Now, we could say, ‘Okay, it’s a parallel dimension and the song came out earlier.’ There’s ways, but that feels a little bit like a cheat. I will say that Pearl Jam specifically has now, like, even more so been engrained into the world of ‘The Last of Us,’ that if we don’t do that song, well, there’s other songs we could play with.”
17.The creative team will be staying the same.
If you haven't guessed by now, showrunners Mazin and Druckmann will continue as the creative leads on the show for Season 2. This doesn't always happen, take a look at Dexter and The Walking Dead, whose creative teams changed after four and one season respectively, so in the case of The Last of Us, it's great reassurance to know that the show will likely stay true to itself and keep up its expectations with the original creators still involved.
18.Get excited for more clickers.
As much as the show was well-loved, there was talk online about the lack of clickers and infected, with fans hoping for many more eerie moments featuring the zombie-like fungus infected creatures. Well, we have more good news, all!
Mazin and Druckmann have advised that it's "quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later. And perhaps different kinds."
This should come as no surprise given that Part II introduces new types of monsters, meaning over the course of the two games, players would have endured a terrifying range of creatures, from the recently infected runners, the stealthier stalkers, the clickers, and the bloaters, to the shamblers, and a nightmarish boss! Hands up if you'd love Season 2 to showcase many of these in all of their glory!
19.And finally, we shouldn't get too ahead of ourselves, but there is even scope for a third season.
Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
The creators of the show have teased that there could be a third season because when asked if Season 2 will span the entire course of the sequel, their answer was "No. No way." In the words of Mazin himself, "Our plan is to do it not just for one more season...we should be around for a while."
According to the showrunners, it will take more than one season to cover the story that the second game takes players through. Can I get a hell yeah?!
