Having played the game, I was expecting a major event to happen in The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 1. It didn’t, but it must be coming soon.
Having played The Last Of Us Part I and The Last Of Us Part II video games, I know that this is going to be an emotional season. I lost count of the amount of times I cried while playing and considering how close to the game the first season was, chances are the second one will be as well.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead For The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 1.
I Was Expecting Something Major To Happen In Episode 1… But It Likely Will In Episode 2
There are quite a few people who have not played The Last Of Us games, but know about the discourse between fans after it was released. There is a major character death very early on, which created an uproar. So much so that the voice actress who portrays the murderer, Abby, got death threats – which is absoutely ridiculous.
Kaitlyn Dever is taking on the role of Abby in the series, and I truly hope that people have matured since then and will leave her alone. The reason she has garnered so much hatred? Spoiler warning – she kills Joel. She murders him, brutally, which was rough enough to watch in the game so I cannot even imagine how this is going to affect me in the show.
Joel is killed very early on in the game, obviously greatly upsetting Ellie, who vows to avenge him. Because I assumed that The Last Of Us Season 2 was going to follow The Last Of Us Part II closely, I thought that Joel would be a goner in episode one. However, that is not the case.
Once I was about halfway through the season 2 premiere episode, I knew that there was no way Joel was going to be killed in it. Surely, though, he will not make it past episode two. While this confused me at first, I completely understand why the creators did this.
Even though a lot of people know what is coming, giving us a little bit more time with Joel welcomes us nicely into the new season. We will likely see him in flashbacks as well, but the game mainly focuses on Abby and Ellie after his death and I suspect this will be the same in the series.
Keeping him alive in episode one also allows fans to see more of that rift between Ellie and Joel that has formed, which will be further explained as the season goes on. Knowing that they have a strained relationship, and taking the time to truly bring that to the screen, is only going to make it hurt harder and be more impactful when he is killed.
I cannot imagine they wait much longer than episode two, especially since we saw Abby roll up on Jackson at the end of episode one. Bella Ramsey said in an interview that they cried reading one of the scripts, and we can all guess which one it is. So don’t tune in without tissues in hand, because it is going to be a rough goodbye.
Season two of THE LAST OF US debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. The seven-episode season will continue with one new episode weekly through May 25.
NEXT: The Last Of Us Cast Teases What To Expect In Season 2
About The Last Of Us Season 2
Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
Returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.
THE LAST OF US, based on the acclaimed video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation® consoles, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells; with writer/co-executive producer Halley Gross. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.