The second season of The Last of Us is going to make people mad, sad, and uncomfortable. It’s exciting, bold, tense, and in some moments, damn near transcendent. It’s not scared to take big swings and somehow remains hugely entertaining while doing so.
Based on the hit PlayStation game by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us returns April 13 with the first entry in the seven-episode second season. We’ve seen all seven already, and while this review will not spoil anything, we will say this: get ready. Season two unfolds in a way that keeps the audience on its toes, all while telling a surprising, gut-wrenching, and captivating story that takes the larger scope of season one and makes it much more personal and character-driven.
If season one was about establishing this world and its characters, season two is about digging into how those characters, and others, can survive in such a violent, terrifying world. And, like season one, season two is going to rip your freaking guts out as the characters get run though an emotional and physical meat grinder. It’s a season that’s guaranteed to challenge you and completely flip everything you thought about these characters for good, bad, and otherwise.
When we last saw Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Joel had murdered an entire hospital of people who were going to sacrifice the immune Ellie to create a cure that could save the world. He then lied to her about it, creating an unspoken strain that remains five years later. Now they live comfortably in Jackson, Wyoming, part of a big, bustling community led by Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Tommy’s wife Maria (Rutina Wesley), and several other noteworthy characters played by the likes of Catherine O’Hara, Joe Pantoliano, and others.
Things move on from there, and creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann take the story in several different directions. Each episode is excellent but some magnificently tower over the others (HBO asked us not to reveal specifics, so we won’t). That does create a tiny bit of imbalance between the A+ episodes and the A- episodes, but every single one is packed with tension, action, and revelations. The structure of the season is also, at this point, considered a spoiler but suffice to say, while game fans will see lots that they recognize, there are still big surprises to be found. It’s everything fans of the franchise could’ve wanted.
All of which hinges on, and is driven by, the performances. Season one was filled with dynamite performances but somehow season two is even better. Each of the original cast members has upped their game this time around, mostly because those characters now have deeper bonds and more complex problems. Ramsey, in particular, is so phenomenal this season, if they aren’t in the discussion for awards at the end of the year, it will be a crime. Ellie has aged from 14 to 19 between seasons, formative years for a teen to say the least, and we see every bit of that maturity, defiance, and fire in the character.
The newcomers this season stand right up alongside the originals, too. O’Hara, as you’d expect, is simply amazing. She plays Gail, Jackson’s resident psychologist, who is burdened with everyone else’s problems even though she’s got plenty of her own. Young Mazino (Beef) is Jesse, a young, charismatic leader whose on-again, off-again relationship with Dina (Isabella Merced) puts him at the heart of the action. There’s also Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, a crucial character that is difficult to discuss at length without spoilers. But, despite any early concerns over the casting, you immediately see why Dever was born to play Abby. She’s a commanding, confident, and intimidating presence when she shows up on screen.
The standout, though, and not just among the new additions but everyone on the series, is Merced, soon to be seen in James Gunn’s Superman. Dina is a key character with major ties to Joel, Jesse, and especially Ellie. In fact, because of Ellie’s issues with Joel, The Last of Us season two often becomes the Ellie and Dina show, as we see their relationship ebb and flow with almost like a dance. They’re fierce, funny, lovable, and give the show a grounded humanity similar to what Joel and Ellie did in season one.
Action this season is taken to a whole new level, too. There are scenes here that rival Game of Thrones in terms of scope. We’re talking massive, massive hoards of infected. And even when the scenes aren’t that big, they’re still jaw-dropping, either with the implications, shock value, or a high level of gross-out violence. Make no mistake, this is big-time television at its finest.
Really, there are three “bad” things we can say about season two of The Last of Us, but each is easily refuted. Some episodes are better than the others… but even those lesser episodes are excellent. It’s hard to talk about without dealing with specifics… but that’s half of the fun. And, unlike the first season, it doesn’t tell a complete arc. Season two is very much only half of the events of the remaining story, which will be disappointing to some.
However, once a third season inevitably comes along and everything all links together, audiences are going to look back at season two with amazement. It does an incredible job telling a strong, albeit slightly abridged, story while simultaneously teeing up a potentially even better story. However, it’s done so subtly that it’s almost hard to fully appreciate it as it’s happening. But, as it’s happening, it’s still very clear it’s a season that more than lives up to the very high expectations.
The Last of Us season two starts April 13. Check back each week for detailed recaps and coverage.
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