In numerous forms of media, the apocalypse provides people with an excuse to surrender to their primal instincts. In the Mad Max franchise, everyone fights over resources using tricked-out vehicles, while Snowpiercer depicts the lower class on a train having to eat bugs to survive. HBO’s The Last of Us isn’t as fantastical as those properties, but it’s still got plenty to say about humanity and what becomes of it after society collapses. David’s group, for example, resorts to eating humans to survive the cold winters in Colorado. Season 2 takes things a step further by introducing a cult full of religious fanatics who have no qualms about gutting their enemies.

At first, the Seraphites don’t seem so bad, with the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, ambushing them while they peacefully make their way to their new home. However, as The Last of Us Season 2 progresses, it becomes clear that the Seraphites are every bit as dangerous as the WLF and answer to a strange figure who appears in art all over Seattle.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II video game!

The Seraphites Have Their Own Way of Doing Things in The Last of Us

When Ellie and Dina arrive in Seattle, they stumble across the bodies of a group of Seraphites. Since they don’t have any guns and there are children among them, Ellie takes the scene as more evidence that Abby and her group have to go. Visiting the WLF outpost changes things, though, because the two girls stumble upon WLF soldiers with their guts spilling out and the words “Feel Her Love” written in blood on the wall, making it clear the Seraphites aren’t just retaliating but fighting in someone’s name.

The actions of the WLF’s leader, Isaac, only pour fuel on the fire because, while he’s a disturbed individual, he knows what it’s like to subjugate people and still doesn’t have any problem torturing Seraphites, whom he refers to as “Scars.” The conflict between the two groups clearly dates back several years, and while the details surrounding it are murky at best, there is mention of a treaty in The Last of Us Season 2 that’s no longer in place. So, at some point, the groups met up and came to some kind of understanding, but all that went out the window, and it’s hard to believe the “her” the Seraphites talk about didn’t have something to do with that.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans]

The Seraphites Feel More Than One Person’s Love in The Last of Us Season 2

Exploring more of Seattle allows Dina and Ellie to come across more Seraphite propaganda. They notice symbols and portraits of a white woman who is seemingly the group’s prophet. However, Season 2’s finale throws that theory for a loop by showing a different art piece that portrays a Black woman as the prophet, with Ellie even going as far as to ask, “Is there more than one?” The show doesn’t explore the topic any further because Ellie has bigger fish to fry, but Season 3 is sure to dive into the Seraphite lore, especially during the attack on the group’s island.

While next season is sure to adapt some of the major Seraphite moments from The Last of Us Part II, things are going to be different because there’s only one prophet in the game. She dies before Ellie arrives in Seattle, sparking an all-out war between the Seraphites and the WLF. The show may have events play out the same, but rather than have the elders assume control of the group, it will opt to have another person fill the role of prophet or even build different factions. How that alters the course of Abby’s story remains to be seen, but, given her appearance in the theater in the finale, it’s entirely possible that the new prophet has a mean streak and won’t think twice about wiping out the WLF when they come knocking on her door.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you catch Ellie’s line about there being more than one Seraphite prophet in The Last of Us Season 2? How do you think the change will affect Season 3’s story?

The post The Last of Us Made a Surprising Change to One Major Character With Just One Line appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 changed the fate of a character that famously died in the games. The Last of Us is a world that is painfully unforgiving. Anyone can die at any time, as fans are coming to understand now. Joel, Jesse, children, pregnant women, it really seems like no one is off limits and that’s what makes the franchise so compelling. There isn’t really plot armor like there is a lot of other big franchises. One could argue that Ellie has a bit of plot armor since she’s immune, but the writers use that to hurt her as well. She feels awful that she can’t use her immunity to save others.

However, some fans of The Last of Us were surprised to see the show made some big changes from the game. Some key sequences from the game were revealed and while a lot of this comes down to pacing or not needing to show every single action scene from the game, there were some other more notable things that weren’t featured in the show. For starters, Ellie never kills Alice the dog when breaking into the aquarium. This was a pretty notable moment in the game for a variety of reasons, but it was mostly cut because Ellie kills a pregnant woman right after and it was deemed to much to throw at the audience at once.

The Last of Us Season 2 Spares Shimmer

However, it seems like The Last of Us Season 2 generally spared the audience from violence against animals in general. Early on in The Last of Us Part 2 the video game, Ellie and Dina are riding on their horse, Shimmer, when they are suddenly ambushed. Shimmer accidentally trips some sort of explosive mine and causes Shimmer to buck everyone off. A WLF soldier then shoots Shimmer in the head, killing the animal once and for all. However, Season 2 doesn’t have this moment at all. Shimmer lives well past his point of death and actually survives the season..

While we can’t be certain of Shimmer’s fate for the rest of this story, it seems like there’s a good chance that Shimmer will be one of the few living creatures that comes out unscathed. Even those that live in this story are burdened with all kinds of trauma or physical wounds, but Shimmer has been spared from the chaos much to the surprise of fans. It’s unclear if Shimmer will return in future episodes, but there may be room for him in Season 4.

It’s likely Shimmer and Ellie won’t be very present in The Last of Us Season 3 as the season will revolve around Abby. Although details on the next season are pretty scarce, it will continue to adapt the second game which heavily features Abby as the main character. Ellie will eventually return, despite the Season 2 cliffhanger leaving viewers to wonder if she got shot, but Abby will be front and center in Season 3.

What did you think Shimmer surviving in Season 2? Let me know in the comments.

The post The Last of Us 2 Character That Dies in the Game, But Lives in the Show appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 set up a pretty significant moment, but never paid it off and fans are very upset. The Last of Us Season 2 came to an end this past weekend and the reception to the show has been more mixed than Season 1. It seems like Season 2 has left audiences underwhelmed, including those who hadn’t played the game. Those who have played the game know that The Last of Us Part 2 the video game, which Season 2 partially adapts, is a very violent game. The whole point of the story is about how violence creates violence through revenge, war, and so on. However, Season 2’s violence felt pretty minor relative to the game.

Of course, a video game is never going to be a one to one translation for TV. There’s going to be more violence in a game because that’s the gameplay, it’s what fills the hours, it’s what keeps the player engaged. It’s interactive and therefore, it’s almost disproportionate. It’s unreasonable to expect a real person to slay that many people in real life, but we suspend our disbelief. Still, Ellie kills about four or five people in Season 2, two of which are sort of a freak accident. Some fans feel like this doesn’t accurately portray Ellie’s rage from the games and sort of just makes her actions feel aimless.

Ellie Never Uses Seth’s Rifle in The Last of Us Season 2

Now, fans are even more upset because they realized that Ellie never used Seth’s rifle that she was given when leaving Jackson. We see Ellie training with a rifle with Tommy early on in the show, so it felt like they were definitely setting up for her to feel like a decent marksman, especially after she also used a rifle in Season 1. But it never happens. In fact, fans have also started to get upset as they noticed that artwork of Ellie holding the rifle has since been changed to remove it from her hands. It’s all a bit puzzling and has enraged some fans.

Others have pointed out that The Last of Us Season 2 also removed shots of Ellie shooting an assault rifle, further highlighting changes to scale back her violence. It’s unclear exactly why these changes were made. Some have felt that The Last of Us Season 2 was scared of making fans dislike Ellie for her actions, though that’s sort of the point of the story in the game. You aren’t supposed to love and support her unconditionally, you are meant to be conflicted about her actions and question when she has crossed the line.

Of course, only time will tell what happens in future seasons. The Last of Us Season 3 has a chance to lean into the violence given Abby has already demonstrated how brutal she can be and there’s quite a bit of action in her side of the story. As for Ellie, it’s probably too late to make that change. If they try to make her more violent in future seasons, it will feel a bit jarring given the guilt she felt over killing Owen and Mel in Season 2.

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Never Paid Off a Major Moment (And Fans Are Furious) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us is working overtime to fill the void left behind on HBO by Game of Thrones. The two series are similar in a lot of ways, including featuring undead hordes and young protagonists. However, there’s one massive difference between the properties that makes The Last of Us more relatable than Game of Thrones: the former takes place in a version of the real world. While Game of Thrones visits massive castles that have to fend off dragon attacks, The Last of Us sends Ellie and Joel to familiar cities like Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh. But setting something in the real world also comes with its fair share of challenges.

One of the problems HBO’s The Last of Us keeps running into is that, because it pushes its outbreak back ten years, placing it in 2003 instead of 2013 like the game, there are constant continuity errors. Some are easy to look past, but the one in the Season 2 finale is big enough to warrant an explanation.

The Last of Us Sends Ellie to an Iconic Seattle Location in the Season 2 Finale

As soon as Abby plunges the broken golf club into Joel’s skull, Ellie wants to learn as much about the former Firefly as possible. She spends three months in the hospital thinking about getting revenge, and thankfully, her good friend Dina has the same plan. Dina uses the information Eugene gave her about the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, and puts together a plan to get to Seattle. Once Ellie and Dina get there, they fly by the seed of their pants, trying to avoid getting into the middle of the conflict between the WLF and the Seraphites.

Ellie eventually sneaks into the hospital where Nora works and tortures Abby’s friend for information. All she gets out of her is the words “whale” and “wheel,” which isn’t enough to go on when Jesse recommends heading back to Jackson because Dina’s not in great shape. Before they can head out, though, they have to grab Tommy, who’s in the middle of a firefight with WLF soldiers. Jesse and Ellie head to the top of a building to get a better vantage point before charging in, but Ellie notices an aquarium and a Ferris wheel in the distance. The two locations make Nora’s last words make a lot more sense, but the only problem is that the Ferris wheel shouldn’t be there.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Season 2 Made One of the Game’s Darkest Moments Even Worse]

HBO’s The Last of Us Doesn’t Care About Continuity Errors

The developer of The Last of Us games, Naughty Dog, includes plenty of notable landmarks to make its title more realistic. One of the most notable is The Seattle Great Wheel, which officially opened in June 2012, a little over a year before Outbreak Day. And with the show following The Last of Us Part II‘s story so closely, the powers that be felt they had to include the Ferris wheel. The show’s timeline makes things much more complicated, though, as some suspension of disbelief is required to get onboard with the structure being there in 2003.

What helps HBO’s case is that Ferris wheels have been around since the 1800s, so it’s easy to say that, in the show’s reality, some Seattle bigwig got the idea earlier and made sure the attraction got done before Cordyceps took over the world. But even if they hadn’t, the show probably wouldn’t care because it’s already thrown caution to the wind when it comes to continuity errors. For example, the Pearl Jam song Joel sings to Ellie in Season 2, Episode 6, “Future Days,” didn’t come out until 2013, meaning it was already a hard sell for the game. However, HBO isn’t concerned about nitpicking, especially when it’s the only thing in the way of a good story coming to life.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you know that the Ferris wheel in Seattle in The Last of Us wasn’t built until 2012? Does it bother you that the show really doesn’t care about continuity errors? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Included a Glaring Continuity Error in Season 2 Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The world of The Last of Us is very complicated. After the Cordyceps infection ravages the world, the Federal Disaster Response Agency, aka FEDRA, seizes the opportunity to claim power, tossing civilians into quarantine zones and treating them however it sees fit. FEDRA’s extreme methods lead to revolts all around the country, including in Kansas City, where Joel and Ellie visit in Season 1. The show’s central duo finds themselves trying to avoid the conflict between FEDRA and the rebels in the city, but it’s not as simple as just walking by, and they lose a couple of friends along the way.

Ellie finds herself in the same boat in The Last of Us Season 2 when she and Dina arrive in Seattle to find Joel’s killers. Abby’s group, the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, is at war with religious fanatics known as Seraphites. The show’s second season touches on the details of the conflict on several occasions, even teasing events happening off-screen that are sure to become more critical once Season 3 rolls around.

The Last of Us Season 2 Establishes the WLF and Seraphite War

Ellie first hears about the WLF from Dina, who has Eugene to thank for giving her a heads-up about the organization. They believe that the WLF is made up of Abby’s group and maybe a few more people, but that goes out the window when they arrive in Seattle and see a group of dead Seraphites. Seeing dead children only strengthens Ellie’s belief that she needs to hunt down Abby, and things don’t change until she sees what the Seraphites are capable of, gutting people all over town. Still, the only fight Ellie wants to be part of is one that involves the group that came to Jackson Hole and killed Joel.

The Last of Us Season 2 doesn’t only provide Ellie’s perspective, however, as Episode 4 introduces Isaac Dixon, the leader of the WLF. A former FEDRA officer, he does everything he can to ensure the people of Seattle don’t have to fear for their lives. Throughout Season 2, he’s planning a major attack on the Seraphites because the two sides are at each other’s throats again after a period of peace. It’s unclear which side is responsible for the current situation, and the show won’t be able to provide an answer until Season 3, which will push the war in Seattle to the forefront.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

The Stage Is Already Set for The Last of Us Season 3

By spending so much time with the WLF in Season 2, The Last of Us ensures it doesn’t lose any momentum going into Season 3. Season 2, Episode 7 reveals during its final moments that it’s turning back the clock in the next outing by showing Abby’s perspective during Ellie’s three days in Seattle. Abby’s the subject of many conversations during the second season, but she doesn’t appear after her group leaves Jackson Hole. In the finale, Isaac even talks about how she goes missing at the worst time because he’s hoping she will take over the WLF once he’s gone.

Isaac expects to die during the attack on the Seraphite island, which is going on when Ellie heads to the aquarium and kills Mel and Owen. However, the show doesn’t show him again after the boats hit the water, leaving his fate a mystery. Abby’s condition when she gets to the theater doesn’t make it seem like the WLF is having a great day, though, mainly because she has a mark on her neck from being on the wrong end of a noose. Whether Abby makes it to the island remains to be seen, but it’s clear she’s having as rough a week as Ellie, driving home the point that The Last of Us isn’t about right or wrong but rather the humanity one is able to tap into when times get tough.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you realize that The Last of Us Season 2 was setting up Season 3 the whole time? Where do you expect the story to go? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Was Preparing You for Season 3 And You Didn’t Even Notice It appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The characters in The Last of Us like to keep things close to the vest. After all, the world isn’t a very nice place, and when it’s hard to determine who is a friend and a foe, it’s a good idea not to trust anyone. Joel has to get Ellie onboard with that line of thinking during Season 1, as she’s quick to trust people she believes are in need. However, Joel has seen what happens when one’s guard is let down, and he won’t let something happen to Ellie because she still has some of her humanity left. Abby is very much the same way in Season 2, trusting only the friends she has from her days as a Firefly.

It’s hard to blame Abby because she loses her father after the Fireflies trust a man they hardly know to bring the most important person in the world across the country, and he betrays them. Abby takes her pain and uses it as motivation to find Joel and kill him. But what she doesn’t realize is that, by doing that, she’s kicking off a series of events that will lead her to make an unexpected ally.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II game!

Ellie Force Abby’s Hand in The Last of Us Season 2

When Abby kills Joel, she and her friends truly believe their mission is over. They don’t want anyone else to get hurt, so they leave Dina and Ellie alive and head home. Of course, Ellie won’t go down without a fight, with her and Dina formulating a plan and heading to Seattle, where Abby’s group, the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, operates. The duo starts to learn more about the WLF’s war with the Seraphites, a group of religious fanatics who have no qualms about ripping people’s guts out. They try to stay on track, but the conflict swallows them whole, leaving Dina badly hurt and Ellie fighting for her life.

The straw that breaks the camel’s back is Ellie’s confrontation with Owen and Mel. While looking for Abby, she comes across the couple and kills them both after Owen tries to grab his gun. Ellie hates what she’s become, especially after learning that Mel is pregnant, so she’s ready to go home when Tommy and Jesse show up. Ellie decompresses a bit while they pack up the theater, but a noise in the other room grabs her and Jesse’s attention. As soon as they enter, Jesse takes a bullet to the head, and Ellie finds Abby standing over Tommy. Abby is upset that Ellie didn’t let Joel’s death go and looks ready to shoot, but she’s not the same character she was at the start of the season, and one character who is seemingly just off-screen deserves credit for that.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Has Its Own In-Universe Comics (But Will They Ever Really Be Released?)]

The Last of Us Season 3’s Biggest Addition Should Be Present in Season 2’s Finale

Abby doesn’t look great when she arrives at the theater. She’s dirty and has a neck wound that could only have come from a noose. It seems unlikely that she could’ve tracked Ellie and her friends all the way back to the theater in her condition alone, and that’s because she didn’t. In The Last of Us Part II video game, Abby goes through her own journey in Seattle while Ellie is hunting her down. She comes across a couple of Seraphites who are cast out by their tribe and in need of help. One of them, Lev, grows fond of Abby and helps her whenever possible. They fight all kinds of battles together, and Lev is even present at the theater when Abby confronts Ellie.

Lev doesn’t know much about the situation, but he has Abby’s back and even does serious damage to Ellie’s group. While The Last of Us Season 2 opts to save all that for Season 3, it’s impossible not to feel Lev’s presence during the finale even if they’re not physically on screen. With most of Abby’s friends dead, he’s all she has left to fight for, and, as her attitude in the theater proves, she won’t let Ellie or anyone else take anything else from her.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you think Abby got to the theater by herself in The Last of Us Season 2? Are you excited for Lev to show up in Season 3? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Season 2’s Finale Cuts Season 3’s Most Important Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s hard to find joy in the world of HBO’s The Last of Us. After all, once the Cordyceps infection starts to spread, society breaks down, forcing the humans still around to give in to their primal instincts. Joel knows what bad people are capable of, so he tries to keep his travel partner, Ellie, on track by never indulging in her antics. Slowly but surely, though, she wears him down, and by the time Season 2 rolls around, he’s the cool father figure who loves to mess around. Unfortunately, the good times don’t last because Joel dies at the hands of a group of former Fireflies.

Joel’s death confirms that there’s little to no happiness to be found in the world, and even though Ellie tries to run from that fact for a while, it catches up to her in the Season 2 finale. She kills Mel, who’s pregnant, and loses Jesse shortly after when Abby arrives in the theater to end the threat to her friends. However, despite all the darkness, The Last of Us Season 2’s last episode finds the time to sneak in a hilarious Easter egg.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Finally Adds Major Aspect From the Games]

The Last of Us Won’t Let Abby Find Peace at Home

After killing Owen and Mel, Ellie isn’t doing too hot. She’s starting to realize that her quest for revenge is taking her down a dark road, so when Tommy and Jesse suggest heading back to Jackson Hole, she’s all about it. Ellie isn’t happy that Abby gets to live, but the conflict in Seattle is too much for the small group to handle, and staying any longer likely means death. Ellie doesn’t get away scot-free, though, because Abby makes her way to the theater, shoots Jesse dead, and holds Tommy at gunpoint before turning the weapon on Ellie. Before The Last of Us can reveal the aftermath of Abby’s last shot, it cuts to black and shows what Abby was up to three days earlier.

With the Jackson Hole mission behind her, Abby is back to her routine as a member of the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF. She’s grabbing a quick power nap when Manny walks in and lets her know that Isaac wants to talk to them. However, Abby can’t just stand right up because she has a book on top of her, “Thieves of the City” by Ben Davidoff. The scene draws attention to the novel for a few seconds, teasing that there’s more to it than meets the eye.

There’s Something Wrong With Abby’s Book in The Last of Us Season 2

A quick Google search will not yield results for “Thieves of the City” because it is not a real book. What will come up is a book called City of Thieves by David Benioff about two young people living in Leningrad, Russia, during World War II, who have to find a dozen eggs after ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the book’s main selling points is that the two main characters are polar opposites but come to love each other after going through a traumatic experience. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a lot like Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us, and that’s not a coincidence because the game’s creator, Neil Druckmann, credits City of Thieves as one of his inspirations.

Druckmann appreciates the book so much that he includes it in The Last of Us Part II when Abby is sleeping on the couch. However, things are different in the live-action adaptation, with Abby reading a book that pays homage to Benioff’s work without outright using it. It’s possible HBO just wasn’t able to secure the rights to use City of Thieves, which is funny because Benioff is one of the creators of arguably the network’s biggest show of all time, Game of Thrones. But when money is involved, relationships only go so far, leaving HBO to create a story of its own that probably follows the same outline as the original but makes some big changes along the way.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you make note of the book Abby is reading in The Last of Us Season 2 finale? Why do you think City of Thieves didn’t end up in the show? Let us know in the comments below!

The post There’s a Hilarious Easter Egg in The Last of Us Season 2 Finale That You Missed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 is in the books, and it included some pretty shocking moments for anyone who wasn’t familiar with the games. If you want to relive those moments over and over again, you can get your pre-orders in for the Limited Edition Season 2 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray starting today. At the time of writing, it’s available at Universal Studio’s GRUV site for $39.99 (or $31.96 when you use the code SIGNUP20 at checkout). You can also find it here Walmart and should be available here on Amazon in the coming days (standard 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases are also available). The listed release date is September 23rd. Additional details can be found below.

Currently, the special features on the Season 2 Blu-ray are unknown, but if it’s similar to the Season 1 release, fans will be in for a treat. The cover is a little less interesting this time around in our opinion, but it will still be a nice addition to your collection. If you haven’t picked up the Season 1 Steelbook yet, you can still grab one here on Amazon, though they probably won’t be available much longer as they are pretty much at the end of their limited edition run. Special features include:

• NEW The Last of Us: Stranger Than Fiction – Series cast and filmmakers are joined by experts in survival, microbiology, and parasitology for a chilling discussion on the realities of the invasive fungus and subsequent apocalypse in The Last of Us.
• NEW Controllers Down: Adapting The Last of Us – Follow the journey of The Last of Us from console to screen as cast and filmmakers take us inside the process of expanding the world and breathing new life into the game’s beloved characters.
• NEW From Levels to Live Action – Discover how The Last of Us incorporated and expanded fan-favorite game moments in the series
• Getting to Know Me (4 Featurettes)
• The Last Debrief with Troy Baker (2 Featurettes)
• Inside the Episode (9 Featurettes)
• Is This A The Last of Us Line? (2 Featurettes)
• Optional English SDH, Spanish, and French s8ubtitles for the main feature

Synopsis: “The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival. Season one stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.”

Season 2: “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.” You can check out what’s in store for Season 3 right here.

The post The Last Of Us Season 2 Steelbook 4K Blu-ray Revealed With Pre-Orders appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 takes on the tough challenge of adapting a game that takes about 25 hours to complete. Thankfully, it doesn’t try to fit it all in one outing, saving a good portion of the game for Season 3 and potentially a fourth season. However, the HBO show doesn’t do itself any favors by making Season 2 only seven episodes. Plenty of major moments are cut, and the remaining storylines feel condensed. Still, Season 2, Episode 7 does a solid job of advancing the story as Ellie continues her quest for vengeance in Seattle. There’s just one head-scratching moment keeping the episode from being an all-timer.

Season 2, Episode 7 focuses on the gang from Jackson regrouping after running into the Washington Liberation Front and Seraphites in Episode 5. Jesse wants to head home, and Ellie initially agrees because Dina isn’t doing well after taking an arrow to the leg. But when Ellie’s rage gets the better of her, she goes on a solo mission to take out Abby, which quickly goes awry.

The Last of Us Season 2 Throws a Wrench in Ellie’s Big Moment

Jesse isn’t happy with Ellie when she makes her way back to the theater in Seattle. She’s acting recklessly and won’t give him any answers about where she’s been. Jesse tries to have a heart-to-heart with his friend when they leave to go find Tommy, but it’s clear that Ellie isn’t thinking straight. Even when they have Tommy in their sights and are ready to rescue him from a WLF ambush, Ellie turns her attention to the Ferris wheel and aquarium she learned about from Nora. Jesse pleads with her to say, even revealing to her that he voted no to the mission in Seattle. However, Ellie’s mind is made up, so she heads toward her destination.

Getting to the aquarium requires a boat, and it doesn’t take Ellie long to find one. Once she gets to the dock, though, she notices two guys walking around. Her initial plan is to kill them, which seems smart. She hesitates for just a second, and a fleet of boats arrives with the rest of the WLF. They’re heading out to take the fight to the Seraphites, and while Ellie disagrees with the group’s methods and is starting to feel bad for their enemies, it’s not her fight. She grabs a boat and continues on despite the bad conditions. Unfortunately, the waves get the better of her, with a wave sending her flying into the water.

Ellie washes up on the Seraphite’s island, where a kid sees her and calls for help. Before she can act, Ellie is being strung up, and a Seraphite is ready to cut her guts out. She only escapes because the WLF’s attack distracts the people attacking her, forcing them to leave her behind. The whole sequence is a jarring pitstop in the episode, but it’s not completely out of left field.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans]

Ellie’s Compassion Doesn’t Go Very Far in Seattle in The Last of Us Season 2

Season 2, Episode 7 makes a big point to focus on Ellie’s feelings about the conflict in Seattle. While she’s out looking for Tommy with Jesse, they come across a group of Wolves trying to corner a Seraphite. They catch up to the young man and strip him of his clothes before dragging him away. Ellie wants to intervene, but Jesse stops him because they’re significantly outnumbered. She grows frustrated because she’s seen the WLF and Seraphites tear each other apart, likely leaving children like the one she just saw fighting for their lives. However, in the world of The Last of Us, it’s important to pick your battles, and Jesse knows the fight they’re in the middle of is no joke.

Ellie comes to that same realization on the island when a child doesn’t hesitate to turn her over. They even act enthusiastically instruct the other Seraphites to kill the stranger they believe to be a WLF soldier. Ellie can’t believe what she’s seeing, but the people in Seattle don’t seem to have much humanity left. She even becomes part of the problem shortly after when she heads to the aquarium and kills Owen and Mel, who is pregnant.

The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann wanted to drive that point home as early as The Last of Us Part II video game. He mentioned on the series’ companion podcast that Ellie ending up on the Seraphite island was going to be part of the game until time constraints caught up to the creative team. Despite good intentions, however, the scene doesn’t add enough to the Season 2 finale to fully justify its existence.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you have a problem with Ellie ending up on the Seraphite island in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you see what the show is going for? Let us know in the comments below!

The post There’s One Big Problem With The Last of Us Season 2 Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 has come to an end, but we already have a pretty good idea of what will happen in Season 3. Fans of The Last of Us video games likely knew full well where this second season would end, as the show has followed the game pretty faithfully, even adhering to its divisive structure. With that said, all seven episodes of Season 2 are now streaming, confirming speculation that The Last of Us Season 3 will adapt the very controversial second half of the game. With that said, there’s a lot of stuff set up in the finale that will paint a big picture of what’s to come next season.

Of course, this goes without saying: if you don’t want any spoilers for The Last of Us Season 3, get out now. We will keep it pretty broad so as not to give away anything significant; everything being discussed here is high-concept material that will probably be revealed in trailers anyway.

1) Abby’s Perspective

What you saw at the end of The Last of Us Season 2 isn’t a red herring. The Last of Us Season 3 will follow Abby almost exclusively. In the game, players see the same confrontation between Ellie and Abby before it cuts to black, then the entire game shifts, putting players on Abby’s side of the story. We get some flashbacks with her and her dad, but primarily, the second half of The Last of Us Part 2 video game is seeing what Abby has been up to for the last three days, while Ellie and Dina infiltrate Seattle. As you might imagine, this was extremely controversial for players, as the shift in protagonist wasn’t advertised almost at all. There was one brief tease years before the game was released, but it was largely forgotten by the time people played it.

Players were furious that they’d have to spend upwards of 8 – 10+ hours as someone they hated, but that’s part of the point of the game. By the end of Abby’s section of The Last of Us Part 2, some fans were able to empathize with her and enjoy her side more than Ellie’s. With that said, don’t expect to see much Ellie next season, unless they make some major changes that wouldn’t really make any sense, structurally. Unless you’ve played the game, there is simply no way you will be able to guess where things are going with her plotline, and that makes for a very interesting season.

2) The Explosion

At the end of The Last of Us Season 2, there’s a pretty massive explosion that occurs while Ellie is about to be executed. This scene with Ellie is not in the game, but the explosion is. That explosion is part of Abby’s section of the story and will make for a big moment in The Last of Us Season 3. This big boom is the result of the ongoing war between the WLF and the Scars, and Abby will have a front row seat to it. If it’s anything like the game, this will make for one hell of a season finale or, at the very least, a great penultimate episode.

3) The WLF vs. Seraphite War

We are going to get a lot more information on what’s happening between the WLF and the Seraphites in The Last of Us Season 3. In fact, it has been teased in various interviews that the medium of television may be used to show us more than what we’ve seen in the games. The Last of Us has shown us lots of stuff not seen in the games and it seems like Season 3 will explore the background of this war in a big way.

[RELATED: The Last of Us – 8 Game Moments Not Included in Season 2]

4. The Skybridge

There’s a very quick shot of a big bridge made up of cranes in between skyscrapers during The Last of Us Season 2’s finale. If you’ve never played the game, this may not jump out at you. However, it does jump out to those who’ve played the game and it was confirmed during a press conference with the creators of the game that this was a very intentional set-up.

Without revealing too much, Abby is terrified of heights in The Last of Us Part 2 video game. One can imagine that fear will carry over to the TV version as well. In the game, Abby is forced to cross this bridge to urgently reach the hospital that we see in Season 2. It’s a highly dangerous, but necessary shortcut. It should make for a pretty riveting piece of TV in The Last of Us Season 3.

The Last of Us Seasons 1 & 2 are streaming on Max. Season 3 is in development at HBO.

The post Everything The Last of Us Season 2 Finale Teased for Season 3 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 has officially ended, and although it’s quite faithful to the game, there is a lot of stuff from the game that’s not in the TV show. One of the great things about The Last of Us is that it’s a fairly good translation of the game for people who aren’t gamers. There’s no homework required, and largely, you’re not going to miss out on anything substantial. Still, there are some great moments in the game that were cut from the show, likely due to budget/timing reasons or because it just didn’t fit in with the story the showrunners wanted to convey.

With all of that said, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest moments from The Last of Us Part 2 game that aren’t in the TV series. Some of these moments make the story a lot better or nuanced, but others boil down to action scenes likely being cut down for time.

Here are 8 moments from The Last of Us Part II that didn’t make it into HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2.

1. Shimmer Dies

Unfortunately, one of the first fatalities of The Last of Us Part 2 is the horse Shimmer. Shortly after arriving in Seattle, Ellie and Dina’s horse trips some sort of explosive trap. Ellie and Dina are thrown from the horse, and a WLF member promptly executes Shimmer. It’s a crushing reminder that Dina and Ellie are in over their heads, and there’s no turning back.

2. School Shootout

After the aforementioned explosion, Ellie is captured by one of Abby’s crew members, Jordan (who is not featured in the show at all), and held captive inside an abandoned school. Ellie eventually breaks free with the assistance of Dina, and the two mow down a bunch of WLF members before escaping the school.

3. Hillcrest

During Seattle Day Two, Ellie is made aware of someone causing some chaos for the WLF in a suburban neighborhood known as Hillcrest. Believing it’s Tommy, she makes her way over there and sneaks her way through a couple of dozen WLF troops. She’s eventually met by Jesse, who she believed was still back in Jackson. The two devise a plan to escape the neighborhood, prompting them to steal a truck, which results in a pretty dramatic set piece with lots of infected and WLF. Unfortunately, it ends with their truck at the bottom of some sort of lake or river.

4. Ellie and Joel Flashbacks

Most of the Ellie and Joel flashbacks are featured in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 6; however, one didn’t make the cut. Ellie and Joel go on patrol and end up having to cut through a hotel, where they’re attacked by infected. At the end of this flashback, they discover the bodies of a couple who had left Jackson to go help people who were suffering elsewhere. Sadly, within an hour of leaving, they were infected and decided to commit suicide. Unfortunately, the boyfriend shot his girlfriend as part of their agreement, but was too scared to shoot himself.

Ellie notes to Joel that this could’ve been avoided if they were immune, which causes her to question his lie about the hospital from the first game having other immune people. Joel’s answers are unable to satisfy Ellie and prompt her to become frustrated with him.

5. Ellie Returns to Salt Lake City Before Joel’s Death

Eventually, Ellie’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she leaves Jackson by herself, headed for Salt Lake City. She eventually finds a tape recorder that explains that Ellie was indeed the only immune person they know of, and even if they found her again, it wouldn’t matter because the only person who could create a cure was dead. Joel catches up to her, and she confronts him about the truth. Ellie goes back to Jackson, but their relationship becomes fractured, which explains her anger toward him earlier in the game, prior to his death.

6. Ellie Lashes Out at Dina for Her Pregnancy

In The Last of Us Season 2, Ellie seems to be pretty enthusiastic about Dina’s incoming baby. However, in the game, she lashes out at Dina for not revealing her pregnancy sooner. She tells Dina she’s a burden to her mission of revenge, creating some deep tension between the two.

7. Optional Locations from the Game

In The Last of Us Part 2, there are a bunch of optional locations for players to find in Seattle, which have all kinds of interesting stories within them. One of these moments is actually featured in the show. The Last of Us Season 2 features Ellie’s rendition of Take On Me, which can be missed if players don’t find the music store and guitar in the game.

Some other optional locations include a WLF propaganda workshop and a bank, which features a group of dead bank robbers who tried to perform a heist when the day the outbreak began. As you might imagine, it didn’t end very well for them. The bank vault also contains a safety deposit box with Nathan Drake’s signature ring from the Uncharted series.

8. Ellie Kills Alice

Similar to Shimmer, The Last of Us Season 2 cut another big animal death. In the game, Ellie breaks into the aquarium and is attacked by a WLF dog named Alice. Ellie promptly stabs the dog to death before making her way to Mel and Owen. This dog belongs to Abby’s group, so it’s yet another personal blow to Abby.

HBO’s The Last of Us is streaming on Max. The Last of Us Part II game is available for purchase.

The post The Last of Us: 8 Moments from the Game Not in the Show appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2’s finale spared audiences from one of the game’s most upsetting moments, which that may be hard to believe after what we’ve seen. The Last of Us is a series that isn’t afraid to take some big swings. Major characters have died at unexpected times, multiple children have been brutally killed, and much more. It’s a franchise where no one is safe, not even people you’d think are main characters. That, of course, raises the stakes tremendously and allows for something really unique since the audience usually assumes certain people are off the table. With that said, The Last of Us Season 2 cut out some scenes from the game that may have been too much for a general audience to handle.

In the video game The Last of Us Part 2, Ellie breaks into the aquarium where she believes Abby is hiding out. However, she encounters an unexpected obstacle: a dog named Alice. The dog charges Ellie and takes her to the ground, where Ellie is forced to stab the dog in order to survive. She doesn’t show much remorse for it as the player has the ability to kill many other dogs throughout the game. In the show, the dog is completely absent and it’s not fully clear whether or not it will appear in Season 3, which will show Abby’s perspective from the last 3 days in Seattle. The dog isn’t a vital part of the story, but it is something that obviously shows how far gone Ellie is on her quest for revenge.

Why The Last of Us Season 2 Cut Ellie Killing Alice the Dog

So, why did this scene between Ellie and Alice the dog get cut? Well, it’s because it was deemed too much for this show by showrunner Craig Mazin. Speaking during a press conference about the season finale, Mazin noted that Ellie kills Owen and Mel and by virtue, the unborn baby that lives inside of her. On top of that, they felt that they could lose the audience by having Ellie kill a dog since it’s basically real life in the TV show and just an animation in the show. Although they wouldn’t kill a real dog on set, the effect it has of seeing that kind of violence against an otherwise real animal may have turned too many people off.

“In the game, when Ellie arrives in the aquarium, a dog attacks her and she stabs it to death, and we don’t know this dog,” said Mazin. “I won’t get into what happens later, because there’s referring to what’s next season, but we had a situation where a number of horrible things were happening. Plus, because it’s live action, the nature of violence becomes much more graphic. It’s more graphic because it’s not like there’s an animation between you and it, it’s people, and it’s very disturbing. We knew what was going to happen to Mel was disturbing, and to Owen, and also what had just happened to Ellie was disturbing.

“I remember having this conversation with the on rank when we were showing a radiation burn victim in Chernobyl for the first time, and the camera kind of just like moved all the way down and showed everything. And we were like, we have it, but why don’t we just show a little bit of it? It’s just feeling now like we’re tormenting the audience [and] almost getting pornographic, so you don’t want to feel exploitative, you don’t want to feel like you’ve crossed some line, so you make some choices.”

Of course, while this will likely upset people who played The Last of Us Part 2 and wanted people to see how torn they are supposed over Ellie’s actions. That’s valid, but Ellie still goes extremely far in killing a pregnant woman. Whether people will have mixed feelings for Ellie after everything remains to be seen. The Last of Us Season 3 likely won’t be released until 2027, if the schedule between Season 1 and 2 repeats.

Do you think Ellie’s actions were softened too much? Let me know in the comments.

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Cut a Major Moment (Because You Would Hate Ellie) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us is full of dark moments. In Season 1 alone, Tess dies a gruesome death to save Joel and Ellie, Henry kills himself after his brother, Sam, turns, and Joel kills an entire hospital full of Fireflies to stop them from killing Ellie to use her brain to make a cure. At first, Season 2 appears to be turning over a new leaf, allowing Joel and Ellie to live peacefully in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. However, by Episode 2, the show is harder to watch than ever when Abby kills Joel with a golf club in front of Ellie.

Watching her father figure die awakens something inside of Ellie, sending her on a quest for revenge in Seattle, Washington. She taps into her dark side on numerous occasions, such as when she tortures Nora for information in the hospital. Another moment surpasses that one on the darkness scale, though, making the scene in The Last of Us Part II feel like a trip to Disneyland.

Ellie Chooses the Path of Most Resistance in The Last of Us Season 2

It takes Ellie a few episodes to hunt down a member of Abby’s crew. She learns that Nora works at a hospital and makes her way there after Jesse arrives and gets Dina to safety. After a brief chase, they end up on a level of the building that’s full of spores, which immediately affect Nora. Ellie watches her struggle to breathe and proceeds to beat her with a pipe, hoping she’ll reveal Abby’s location. She only gets a couple of words out of her, and when she gets back to Jesse and Dina, she’s ready to meet up with Tommy and head back home.

When she heads out with Jesse, they climb to the top level of a building to get a better view of the city. It doesn’t take long to figure out Tommy’s location because he’s in a firefight with members of the Washington Liberation Front, but Ellie turns her attention elsewhere. She spots a Ferris wheel and an aquarium that seem to be in the area Nora described. After a brief argument, she leaves Jesse and heads toward her destination. She makes her way into the aquarium, looks around, and eventually hears two people talking.

After busting in the room, Ellie realizes she’s face to face with Owen and Mel, members of Abby’s crew. She tells them she doesn’t want to hurt them and just wants to know where Abby is, but Owen doesn’t believe her. He reaches for his gun, forcing Ellie to shoot and kill him. Her gun is no joke, though, as the bullet it fires goes through him and finds a second tyarget, Mel, who falls to the floor and reveals to Ellie that she’s pregnant. The whole sequence up to that point is pretty similar to The Last of Us Part II video game, but the show forges its own path by having Mel give Ellie an impossible task.

[RELATED – The Last of Us May Have Just Confirmed It’s Sticking Closer to the Games Than We Thought]

The Last of Us Season 2’s Ellie Fails Worse Than Her Video Game Counterpart

Mel has more of a heart than her fellow former Fireflies. She shows compassion during the attack on Joel, even reassuring Dina that the sedative they give her won’t kill her. Mel’s attitude doesn’t change during the season because, when Ellie crosses paths with her again, she’s pleading with Owen to be smart about involving himself in the WLF’s attack on the Seraphite island. She also tries to extend an olive branch to Ellie by trusting that the grieving girl won’t shoot them. However, Owen just can’t let cooler heads prevail, which forces Mel to use her dying breath to ask her killer to save her baby.

In The Last of Us Part II, Mel goes after Ellie after she shoots Owen, and during the scuffle, Ellie stabs Mel in the neck. Mel dies pretty quickly, giving Ellie the chance to open her coat and see that she’s pregnant without fear of another attack. Show Mel, on the other hand, isn’t trying to hurt anyone, and once she realizes her time is limited, she tries to coach Ellie through delivering the baby. Ellie tries at first to understand what Mel is saying, but as the Wolf begins to slur her words, it becomes a losing battle. Ellie just pulls Mel’s shirt back down and sobs until Tommy and Jesse arrive at the aquarium. Ellie shows the same emotion in the game, but she doesn’t have to deal with the fact that she’s unable to give Mel’s baby a fighting chance.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Do you think Mel’s death in The Last of Us Season 2 is darker than in the game? How do you think the show handled the moment in the aquarium in general? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Last of Us Season 2 focuses on Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) quest for revenge. After five years of living peacefully in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she loses the most important person in her life, Joel (Pedro Pascal), when a group of former Fireflies rolls into town and kills him. The town votes on whether to go after the fiends, but the motion doesn’t pass because there’s too much rebuilding to do after the infected attack. However, Ellie’s mind is already made up, so she heads to Seattle with Dina (Isabela Merced) to hunt down Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and the rest of her crew.

It quickly becomes apparent that Ellie and Dina are in over their heads, with the conflict between the Washington Liberation Front and the Seraphites tearing Seattle apart. Ellie pushes forward anyway and gets so close to achieving her goal. She comes up just short, though, which opens the door for a controversial moment from The Last of Us Part II to come to life, and it does just as the season ends.

Ellie Passes the Torch in The Last of Us Season 2 Finale

When Dina and Ellie arrive in Seattle, things don’t seem that complicated: they’re hot on the trail of Abby’s group and, through the first couple of episodes, make good progress on learning more about the WLF. But coming across the remains of battles between the WLF and Seraphites changes the vibe. There’s clearly a lot going on in the background that the show doesn’t want to reveal. Ellie and Dina only pick up clues about the gravity of the situation, and in reality, they don’t have time to do more digging because Dina takes an arrow to the leg, forcing her off her feet.

With the walls closing in, Ellie accelerates her timetable and leaves Jesse to fend for himself in the Season 2 finale. She learns that the aquarium is Abby’s hideout from Nora and makes a beeline for it when the opportunity presents itself. It’s not an easy journey by any means, with the WLF traveling on the same body of water Ellie has to cross to launch an attack against the Seraphites. Ellie ignores all the explosions on her way over and even has a brief encounter with a group of Seraphites who aren’t looking to make friends. None of that matters, however, because Ellie reaches the aquarium and appears close to finding Abby.

Unfortunately, Joel’s killer is nowhere to be found, and Ellie has to bargain with Owen and Mel for information. Owen thinks he can take control of the situation and grabs for his gun, forcing Ellie to kill him. The bullet also hits Mel, who is pregnant and pleads with Ellie to get her baby out. Ellie isn’t able to do it, and once Jesse and Tommy arrive, she leaves in shame and heads back to the theater to pack up. But before the group from Jackson can get out of dodge, Abby arrives, shoots Jesse, and fires another bullet as the screen cuts to black. The Last of Us Season 2 then concludes by revealing that the next outing will focus on Abby’s story during the same three days that Ellie was in Seattle.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans]

The Last of Us Season 3 Will Borrow From Part II‘s Most Controversial Section

Like in The Last of Us Season 2, Abby doesn’t appear much after killing Joel in Part II. Ellie goes on her rampage in Seattle, killing Wolves and Seraphites to get closer to Abby. However, despite learning more about her enemy and hearing about her in passing, she doesn’t cross paths with her again until the theater. Abby goes on her own journey while Ellie kills her friends, which sees her make new allies, have brushes with death, and reconsider her place in the Seattle conflict.

The point of Abby’s section in the game is to drive home the core theme of The Last of Us games: perspective. It’s hard to see Abby as anything but evil early on because she kills the main character from the first game, but her story is much more complicated than that, and the only way to prove it is for the game to make her playable. Gamers spend hours experiencing the world through Abby’s eyes, and while many refuse to embrace her because of her actions, by the end of the game, she’s every bit as relatable as Ellie. The Last of Us Season 3 will now follow in the game’s footsteps and force viewers to rethink their opinion of Abby’s character.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Are you looking forward to seeing Abby’s story in The Last of Us Season 3? Do you think your opinion of her will change? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Confirms a Controversial Game Moment Is Happening in Season 3 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

HBO never pulls its punches; it’s one of the things that makes the network so unique. Even as far back as The Sopranos, there’s just a certain vibe that surrounds HBO content, one that says that anything can happen and no one is safe. Game of Thrones centers its entire series around the idea that characters can and will die, killing off the patriarch of the Stark family, Ned Stark, in the first season before whacking countless other beloved characters. With The Sopranos and Game of Thrones over, however, HBO is in need of a new show that provides shocking moments, and the best candidate is The Last of Us.

Based on the wildly successful video games by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us tells the story of a man, Joel (Pedro Pascal), helping a young girl, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), survive in a desolate world. He does his job in Season 1, but the lines he has to cross put him on the radar of a dangerous group. They kill Joel at the start of Season 2, which pushes Ellie to seek revenge and head into a situation that’s very likely to take her life as well.

Ellie Has Her Hands Full in The Last of Us Season 2 Finale

After Ellie and Dina get in over their heads in Seattle, Jesse finds them and rescues them from a group of Stalkers. They aren’t out of the woods yet, though, because Wolves and Seraphites are in the area and not looking to make friends. Ellie splits up from her friends to allow them to escape and ends up at the hospital where Nora works. She tortures Abby’s friend for information before heading back to the theater, where Jesse pleads with her to call the whole thing off. The next day, they search for Tommy, and while they find him, Ellie goes off on her own because she believes she spots Abby’s hideout.

Ellie steals a boat and has a brief run-in with Seraphites before arriving at the aquarium, where she finds Owen and Mel. They refuse to tell her where Abby is, and Owen grabs for his gun, hoping to turn the tide to his side. Ellie shoots him before he can do anything, but the bullet goes through him and hits Mel, who is pregnant. Ellie can’t believe what’s happening and breaks down as Tommy and Jesse arrive. While the group heads back to the theater, ready to head home, they get an unexpected visitor, Abby, who kills Jesse and doesn’t want to stop there.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Finally Adds Major Aspect From the Games]

Ellie’s Fate Is Left as a Mystery At the End of The Last of Us Season 2

After Abby shoots Jesse, she realizes who Ellie is and gets pretty upset about seeing her again. She didn’t kill anyone but Joel in Jackson, and now her friends are dead because the community couldn’t leave well enough alone. Out of frustration, Abby seemingly fires another bullet in Ellie’s direction as the show does a hard cut to black, and transitions to a flashback featuring the WLF soldier a few days earlier. The Last of Us does this to create a shroud of mystery around its main character’s fate going into Season 3, but it’s easy to surmise that her story still has a ways to go.

The Last of Us Part II video game, which Season 2 is based on, has all the answers because it cuts off at almost the exact same point to pass the torch to Abby, who has her own story to tell. Once that’s complete, however, the conflict between her and Ellie will resume and leave more devastation in its wake.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Do you think Abby shoots Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2 finale? Where do you think the story will go from here? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Last of Us TV series, like so many other hit TV shows, had an extensive gap between its first two seasons. Though the larger landscape of Hollywood has resulted in the time between new episodes of TV shows being longer and longer, many fans still think that an annual release for shows is the standard. Despite that feeling, the reality of production costs and scheduling as forced creatives to take longer between delivering new seasons. With Season 2 of The Last of Us headed for its final episode tonight, the question has to be asked, how long are we going to have to wait for The Last of Us Season 3?

What Is The Last of Us Season 3 Release Date?

Currently, The Last of Us Season 3 has had no release window updates from HBO beyond confirmation that the season has been ordered. HBO ordering the new episodes of the show ahead of The Last of Us Season 2’s premiere bodes well for the potential of filming starting soon on the project, as it would lock in the talent for the production.

Previous rumors pointed toward a potential summer 2025 start date for filming on The Last of Us Season 3, but now that appears to have been delayed. In an interview with Variety published on May 4, Dina actress Isabela Merced teased that she didn’t know when exactly Season 3 would be filming, but when asked about a production timeline noted: “I think it should be next year.”

If that holds true, and filming doesn’t begin any earlier, it could mean production on The Last of Us Season 3 won’t start until 2026, meaning a late-2026 or even 2027 premiere date seems likely for the actual release date of the next batch of episodes.

[RELATED: 7 The Last of Us Easter Eggs That the Show Forgot About]

Will The Last of Us Season 3 Be Delayed?

This timeline would line-up with the delay between Season 1 and Season 2 of The Last of Us though, so it makes sense. The Last of Us Season 1 premiered on HBO in January of 2023, wrapping up in March of that year. After the Hollywood strikes of 2023 delayed production on the next episodes, filming began on The Last of Us Season 2 in February of 2024 and continued into August of that year, ahead of its April 2025 premiere.

Knowing this, and assuming a similar production timeline for The Last of Us Season 3 and its story (which we now know will consist of an epic part of the game), it’s entirely possible that The Last of Us Season 3 will not premiere on HBO and Max until the spring of 2027. However, this all remains unconfirmed and is based around the previous timelines of the seasons.

What Is The Last of Us Season 3 About?

As if fans needed a bigger clue about what will happen in The Last of Us Season 3, series guest star Catherine O’Hara confirmed it. Speaking to Variety, O’Hara was asked if she would be returning as Gail in Season 3, revealing that series showrunner Craig Mazin told he that she would “definitely not” be in the next season.

“It’s the Abby story,” O’Hara said of The Last of Us Season 3. “Maybe. But I think it was to serve Joel and Ellie.”

Knowing this, The Last of Us Season 3 will need to announce the casting of major characters ahead of the start of filming, as fans of the games will be eager to see the new faces that are integral to this part of the story.

When do you think The Last of Us Season 3 will premiere? How long do you believe we’ll have to wait for more? Sounds off in the comments and give us your best theories.

The post When Is The Last of Us Season 3 Coming Out? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Video games have so much time to tell their stories. While plenty of titles get players in and out in a few hours, the great ones take advantage of the opportunity and build worlds that take forever to explore. The Last of Us certainly fits into that category because, while it’s not an open-world game, there are so many nooks and crannies to discover, and it’s in the player’s best interest to find them all because of the constant need for resources. However, The Last of Us always makes it worth it, hiding Easter eggs all over the game to enhance the experience.

HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us brings plenty of the game’s Easter eggs to life, such as the “Savage Starlight” comic books and Ellie’s rendition of “Take on Me” by A-ha. Not every reference makes the jump to live-action, though, including some that are more than deserving.

1) Sarah’s Photo

Joel reluctantly agrees to get Ellie across the country to the Fireflies in the first The Last of Us game. He’s not happy about the arrangement because it’s a massive inconvenience, but he’s also still struggling with the death of his daughter Sarah, whom Ellie reminds him of. While Joel’s brother, Tommy, tries to help him move on by giving him a photo of Sarah, he doesn’t want anything to do with it. Only when Ellie hands the photo over later in the game does Joel accept that his daughter is gone.

The show removes the photo, with Joel’s visit with Tommy focusing on Ellie’s immunity. Sarah still comes up, and Joel and Ellie even get into an argument about her, just like in the game, but the emotional moment where Joel moves past his grief is nowhere to be found.

2) Dunder Mifflin Office

Players spend a lot of hours in The Last of Us games just walking through buildings. There’s always a bottle in a drawer or a rag on a desk, so it’s worth not running through all the rooms without looking around. The remake of the first game even entices players to stay awhile by recreating the Dunder Mifflin office from the sitcom The Office.

The Easter egg appears in Pittsburgh, which doesn’t show up in HBO’s The Last of Us. Kansas City takes its place, and while Ellie and Joel still find themselves in offices, none of them resemble the place Michael Scott and Co. work at.

3) Video Game References

It’s normal for video games to show love to titles from the same developer or ones on the same console. The Last of Us features plenty of PlayStation Easter eggs, such as Jax and Dax figurines, as well as items from Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series.

Since HBO’s series isn’t a game, it opts to cut most of the video game shout-outs. Tess’ lighter and a keychain late in Season 1 ensure that Naughty Dog is still a small part of the story, but the show still leaves a lot to be desired in the video game Easter egg department.

4) The First Bloater

While Ellie and Joel are visiting Bill in the first game, they have to obtain a battery to get their vehicle working. They head to a school nearby to search, and while their mission is a success, it’s not easy because they run into a Bloater. Ellie and Joel have to fight off the beast by themselves before escaping the school and getting back on the road.

HBO’s version makes Ellie and Joel’s journey easy because Bill and his husband, Frank, are already dead and left a car in the garage. Billy and Frank’s story is better than that portion of the game by a mile, but the change delays the Bloater’s arrival by quite a while.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Finally Adds Major Aspect From the Games]

5) The Bunny

Ellie finds herself hunting for food after Joel gets injured in The Last of Us game. She comes across a bunny just minding its own business and shoots it dead. It’s a very jarring scene in the game, and it comes back around in The Last of Us Part II when a bunny appears outside Ellie’s window.

The Last of Us series still sends Ellie out on her own to look for food. However, she never takes out the adorable woodland creature, finding a deer instead that leads her to David. While it’s far from the show’s biggest omission, it still hurts that it’s gone.

6) Ellie’s Swimming

Growing up in a quarantine zone, Ellie doesn’t have a lot of life skills that most kids her age are supposed to have. One of her major knowledge gaps is swimming, which Joel helps her learn during the first The Last of Us game. She’s proficient by the time Part II rolls around, with Joel throwing her in water to test her skills during a flashback.

The show never really touches on Ellie’s fear of water. There’s even an opportunity in Season 2 for Joel to push Ellie into water, but it never comes to pass, leaving the level of the girl’s aquatic skills a mystery.

7) Safe Combinations

One of the most rewarding things in The Last of Us games is finding the combination to a safe and busting it open to earn additional resources. It usually takes a lot of effort because the code and safe are rarely in the same spot, meaning a lot of exploring is required.

In The Last of Us show, the characters almost always have what they need. Obviously, using valuable time to have Ellie and Joel look through drawers and cabinets would be a waste, but a nod to such an important aspect of the games wouldn’t hurt anybody.

The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you notice these Easter eggs are missing from HBO’s The Last of Us? What other parts of the game didn’t make the jump to live-action? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 7 The Last of Us Easter Eggs That the Show Forgot About appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 finale has leaked online and clips of it are floating around on social media. The Last of Us is one of the biggest video games of all-time, but it has also been cursed with leaks many times now. It’s not uncommon for things to leak in the video game industry, but The Last of Us Part 2 suffered arguably one of the biggest leaks of all-time. The 2020 video game was supposed to release in early spring, but was delayed due to complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic. During that delay, someone leaked footage from The Last of Us Part 2, revealing tons of spoilers, including the game’s big death.

As you might imagine, this was terrible and these leaks floated around the internet for a couple of months largely without context. It damaged the game’s reception in some ways, as some people made up their minds on the story from this leaked footage. However, The Last of Us Season 2 had the opportunity to bring that same story to a new audience and hopefully, most of them would remain unspoiled. It seems to have worked for those who aren’t obsessively online or too aware of the games, as they’ve had strong reactions to some of the show’s biggest moments. With all of that said, The Last of Us Season 2 has been struck with the curse of the game its adapting.

The Last of Us Season 2 Finale Leaks Online

The season finale of The Last of Us Season 2 has leaked. According to early reports, those who bought the season pass for Season 2 through Apple received access to The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 7 sometime last night. The issue has seemingly been fixed now, but not before people watched it and recorded key scenes for it. Some of this footage has made its way online across Twitter and TikTok, including one of the final scenes from the episode. We’re not going to link to any of this footage or anything, but it is real. So, if you’re looking to avoid spoilers, we highly advise taking caution when scrolling through social media and content for the the show.

Of course, it’s worth noting that The Last of Us Season 2 has had moments that weren’t in the game, so just because you may have played the game doesn’t mean you are free from potential spoilers even if you know where this story is going. The Last of Us Season 2 finale will air on schedule on Sunday night, so you may have to dodge spoilers for a few days. A star from the show has also revealed what Season 3 of The Last of Us will be about, which is also kind of a spoiler for those who haven’t played the game.

The post The Last of Us Season 2’s Last Episode Has Leaked appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Joel Miller is a stand-up guy prior to the massive time jump in The Last of Us Season 1. While he’s a bit forgetful, he’s also very hardworking. He ensures his daughter, Sarah, has everything she needs and that his brother, Tommy, stays out of trouble. However, after losing Sarah in the chaos caused by the Cordyceps infection, Joel loses the majority of his humanity. He does whatever he can to survive, and by the time he meets up with Ellie and attempts to take her across the country to the Fireflies, he’s got a real mean streak, even proving to be vindictive at times.

It’s hard to blame Joel most of the time because the world is full of evil, such as David and his crew of cannibals. What is a tough pill to swallow, though, is that Joel rarely feels any remorse for his actions, even when the events are far from black and white. Well, The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6, “The Price,” finally reveals where he comes to learn the old adage “an eye for an eye.”

The Last of Us Season 2 Proves That Joel’s Twisted Moral Code Isn’t His Own

Outside of the flashbacks with Sarah in The Last of Us, there isn’t much in the games about Joel’s life prior to the apocalypse. HBO clearly thinks there’s more to explore there, so the show visits Joel’s childhood in the opening of “The Price.” His dad, Javier (Tony Dalton), a police officer, arrives home after hearing about an incident involving his sons. Joel initially takes the blame to protect Tommy, who’s already preparing to get a beating. Javier sees right through the act and proceeds to tell Joel about a time his dad hit him so bad he had to get his jaw wired shut. Joel doesn’t understand how his father could understand the pain but still go through with hurting his children, but it speaks to the core theme of The Last of Us Part II: The cycle of violence.

While Joel keeps his hands off Sarah and Ellie, the pain he endures growing up sticks with him, so anytime he sees someone threatening himself or someone he loves, he’s ready to fight back. All that anger ends up being the reason Tommy and Joel split up, as the younger brother can’t tolerate his sibling’s actions any longer. Joel takes steps in the years after losing Tommy to be a better person, such as embracing his life with Tess, but when the Fireflies plan to kill Ellie in Salt Lake City, all that work is undone. The violence once again consumes him, and this time, he’s not able to hide from it.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

Joel Gives Ellie the Worst of Him in The Last of Us

After leaving Salt Lake City and returning to Jackson, Joel probably has his head on a swivel for a while. He knows what he did was impactful, and it’s entirely possible someone will come after him for it. He gets a five-year head start, but eventually, Abby and her friends find him in Jackson and kill him for killing their friends and family. Ellie has to watch, and just like when Joel loses Sarah, the incident fuels the rage inside of her. After a few months in a hospital, Ellie is ready to find Abby and inflict as much pain as she possibly can on her. However, what she fails to understand is that she’s now stuck in the same cycle that consumed Joel’s family and Abby.

Every time something was done to one of them, they wanted to continue the chain, not break it. They probably thought what happened to them was unfair, but even before the apocalypse, life was never fair, and all that was needed was for one person to turn the other cheek. All the pain and suffering could’ve been avoided, but now it remains, with Ellie already dishing it back to Abby by killing Nora. While there’s still time for Ellie to turn back and give up her quest for revenge, after losing Joel and seeing Dina hurt, all hope of her finding her inner peace feels lost.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Did you like the scene with Joel’s father in The Last of Us Season 2? Did it help you understand Joel better? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Just Revealed Its Secret Plot to Fans (And You Missed It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us star Catherine O’Hara confirms major story details for the show’s upcoming third season. In a wide-ranging interview with Variety, the actress was asked if she’s in line to reprise her role as Gail in future seasons of The Last of Us. She revealed that she’s already been informed by showrunner Craig Mazin that she won’t be returning for Season 3. That’s because the third season is going to shift its focus in the storytelling department and adapt the section of The Last of Us Part II where players take control of Abby.

“I don’t know. Craig did say definitely not this next season,” O’Hara said. “It’s the Abby story. Maybe. But I think it was to serve Joel and Ellie.”

The Last of Us Season 3 was officially announced prior to Season 2’s premiere in April. As of this writing, it does not have a release date yet. Showrunners Mazin and Neil Druckmann have offered teases of what’s in store for Season 3, promising a deeper exploration into the WLF/Scars conflict and the reveal of the Rat King lurking in the old hospital. Additionally seasons haven’t been confirmed yet, but HBO expects The Last of Us to run for four seasons.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans]

Abby played a key role early on in The Last of Us Season 2, but she hasn’t been seen since she killed Joel during the shocking events of the season’s second episode. The last handful of episodes have kept the focus on Ellie as she heads to Seattle with Dina to exact revenge. Episode 6, “The Price” is told predominantly through flashbacks depicting how Joel and Ellie grew apart between the first two seasons.

O’Hara’s revelation won’t surprise anyone familiar with the source material. The Last of Us Season 2 has just one episode remaining, and the show hasn’t even started to tackle Abby’s portion of the game. Given the way Season 2 has played out, gamers probably expected Season 3 would be all about Abby. It’ll be interesting to see fan reactions when this shift occurs on the show. The Last of Us Part II proved to be a very polarizing game, with Abby the focus of much of the backlash. Furthermore, opinions towards Season 2 of the TV show changed for the worse after Joel’s death, as viewers were unhappy that the series’ core duo were separated. Pushing Ellie to the background to bring Abby into the spotlight might be divisive (paralleling responses to the game), especially since Ellie and Dina have established a well-received dynamic and Abby is the hated character who murdered Joel.

Hopefully, viewers are willing to give The Last of Us Season 3 a fair shot. Abby’s storyline in the game explores some fascinating themes and topics, deepening the overall narrative and its exploration of the cycle of violence. Plus, focusing more on Abby and the WLF/Scars conflict could help keep things fresh by providing a different perspective in this post-apocalyptic universe that’s only been teased so far. It was a bold decision when Naughty Dog gave players control of Abby, and it’s a bold decision for HBO to dedicate a whole season to her. It runs the risk of alienating viewers who are invested in Ellie’s journey, but it could pay off if handled properly.

The post The Last of Us Star Reveals What Season 3 Is About (And Fans Will Hate It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us loves a good pop culture reference. Things are a bit different because the outbreak in the show takes place ten years earlier than in the game, but there is no shortage of shout-outs. In fact, despite releasing in 2013, Pearl Jam’s popular song “Future Days” still makes its way into the show, with Joel singing it to Ellie in Season 2, Episode 6, “The Price.” The real-life Apollo missions also play a major part in the episode when Ellie and Joel visit the museum in Wyoming. However, one moment in the episode is causing a pop culture black hole to open up.

The controversy surrounds Eugene, who doesn’t appear in the flesh in The Last of Us games. Joe Pantoliano brings him to life in Season 2 of the HBO series, and while it’s great to see more of a fascinating character, his presence should sound some alarms for Ellie.

The Last of Us Season 2 Lets Ellie Fly Her Geek Flag

With Ellie being born in an apocalypse, there aren’t new hobbies for her to latch onto. So, she becomes passionate about what she can find, such as music and comic books. Her favorite pastime is reading the “Savage Starlight” comic series, which features its fair share of action. Joel uses this as a gateway to get Ellie to watch the “Curtis and Viper” movies from the ’80s. However, The Last of Us Season 2 reveals that Ellie’s love for action movies grows after finding out about The Matrix. She has a poster of the film in her room in the garage, which actually features a familiar face.

Pantoliano is best known for his role as Ralphie in The Sopranos, but he also appears in The Matrix as Cypher, who has a spot on the sci-fi movie’s iconic poster. While the actor looks a lot different, donning a very 2000s goatee and sunglasses, the resemblance is uncanny. With that being the case, The Last of Us creator Craig Mazin mentioned on the show’s companion podcast that he planned to remove the poster from Ellie’s room in Episode 3. It appears however that didn’t end up happening, and the consequence is a pretty strange plot hole where Ellie tries to save the life of a man who looks like a character from her favorite movie. The Last of Us isn’t the first property to deal with this kind of problem, though.

[RELATED – The Best Moment From The Last of Us Games Finally Happened in the HBO Series]

The Last of Us Joins the Club of Properties With Pop Culture Plot Holes

Any movie or TV show that decides to reference real-life events or properties is playing with fire. After all, there’s always the chance they open the door for some confusing interactions. One of the most famous examples is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which never turns down the opportunity to include a pop culture reference. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers runs into Sam Wilson, who tells him to listen to Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man album to fill in some gaps. When Steve opens his notebook to write the tip down, other topics are visible, including Star Wars. Of course, Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Mace Windu in the prequels, portrays Nick Fury in over a dozen MCU projects, including The Winter Soldier.

Ellie doesn’t spend as much time with Eugene in The Last of Us as Cap does with Fury in the MCU, so there’s a better chance of suspension of disbelief kicking in. However, the situation is still a bit of a mess and proves how something as small as a poster can take the attention away from the action. Fortunately, Eugene’s moments in “The Price” are so impactful that it’s easy to forgive Mazin and Co. They take a character from the games with little depth and give him some of the most emotional beats in the entire show. Eugene puts on quite the performance when he tells Joel why he wants to see Gail one last time, one that should make his lookalike in The Matrix very proud.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Did you catch The Matrix poster in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you think it creates a major plot hole in the show? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Latest Episode of The Last of Us Has Created a Plot Hole You Might Have Missed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

WARNING: There are spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6! HBO has spared no expense on The Last of Us Season 2, to the point of building a costly set that ended up cut in the editing process. The video game, The Last of Us Part II, allows the player to explore the Wyoming Museum of Science and History, while the show only took us there for a brief scene. However, on the show’s official companion podcast, co-showrunner Neil Druckmann revealed that the museum set for the show was just as detailed and extensive as the game, it just got trimmed in the final cut of the show. Writer Halley Gross added that “It was the most moving, immersive experience I have had.”

Both The Last of Us Part II and the TV show visit the Wyoming Museum of Science and History in a flashback to Ellie’s 16th birthday. Joel learns about the location from another survivor and brings Ellie there as a surprise. Having grown up in a post-apocalyptic survival situation, Ellie is fascinated by the study of the ancient past and the promise of a hopeful future through space exploration. However, while the show only spends a few minutes in this location, the game allows the player to explore the museum at their leisure.

“So, this moment is the most universally loved across the games,” Druckmann said on the podcast. He remembered bringing two of the representatives from the game studio, Naughty Dog, to tour the new set. “I was direct something else. We walked over. And I show them the space capsule. It’s not quite finished, it’s still getting greens and set dressings put in to really kind of help the foliage and the lighting is being put in. And I’m like, look how authentic this is. This is just like the game. And they’re standing behind me, so I’m not seeing them. And then I turn to face them. I kid you not, they’re both crying.”

[RELATED: 10 Video Game Moments That Have No Right to Be This Scary]

“Because again, we’ve worked on these sequences for years, trying to get them right and sweating them,” Druckmann went on. “And that stuff just means so much to us. I can’t stress that enough. When you get it right, it just feels so special. It’s like someone honoring your kid is the closest I can come to the emotion you feel.”

Gross emphasized how much of this set was missing from the final cut of the show. “And there’s so much stuff that people watching the show aren’t gonna see,” she said. “They built, like — trust me, fam. If you see this, there was a whole rover you’re not gonna see that was exactly where it was in the layout of the game. There was a whole atrium with dinosaur skeletons where Ellie could put hats on the different.”

The disparity in screentime is a perfect example of the differences between the TV mediums and the original video game. Of course, fans who want to explore the hospital and other sets more thoroughly can always check out the The Last of Us Part II. As for the TV show, The Last of Us Season 2 concludes on Sunday, May 25th at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

The post The Last of Us Team Reveal HBO Series Built the Entire Museum From the Game (And Then Cut It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The first season of HBO’s The Last of Us remains one of the best adaptations ever, thanks to its inspired decision to stick close to the original story while fleshing out characters and events that are only alluded to in the game. While Season 2 of The Last of Us has been more divisive, the series maintains its goal of expanding on the games. For example, Episode 6 digs deep into Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) obsession with moths and the tattoo the girl gets to cover her arm scar, giving a definitive answer to a question players had for years.

Warning: Spoilers below for HBO’s The Last of Us and the game The Last of Us Part II

In The Last of Us Part II, the moth is a recurring visual, appearing as the centerpiece of Ellie’s distinctive tattoo, etched onto the neck of the guitar Joel gifts her, sketched within the pages of her journal, and even featured in the game’s loading screens. This consistent presence of the moth immediately cued players into its importance as a symbolic anchor for Ellie’s dark and emotionally charged journey. Game director Neil Druckmann, in an interview with The Washington Post, shed light on this symbolism, explaining that the moth represents “obsession and being drawn to a light and constantly pursuing this thing,” a pursuit that can lead to destructive ends. This interpretation resonates powerfully with Ellie’s all-consuming quest for vengeance that defines much of The Last of Us Part II.

[RELATED: The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

Furthermore, the moth has been analyzed by fans and critics as a somber parallel to the Fireflies, the faction that once symbolized hope and a potential cure with their guiding principle to “look for the light.” While fireflies inherently produce light, moths are creatures irresistibly drawn towards it, a journey that sometimes culminates in their death. As such, the moth symbol would echo Ellie’s agonizing trajectory as she confronts her deep-seated trauma and battles to find meaning in a relentlessly brutal world. However, while these are valid keys to interpret the themes of The Last of Us Part II, the game doesn’t explain why Ellie herself is fascinated with this insect. That’s the gap Season 2 of The Last of Us tries to fill.

Why Is Ellie Obsessed with Moths in The Last of Us?

Episode 6 of The Last of Us Season 2 takes the focus away from Ellie’s journey into Seattle to explore her relationship with Joel (Pedro Pascal). Through flashbacks, we learned how the duo slowly drifted apart, as Ellie became aware that Joel had been lying to her about the events in Salt Lake City. As Ellie grows up, she also becomes fascinated with moths, covering her bedroom walls with drawings of the insect and eventually getting a tattoo featuring a moth. These events mirror The Last of Us Part II.

However, the series goes beyond the video game canon by explaining how Joel desperately tries to understand the meaning behind the two symbols to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Joel asks Gail (Catherine O’Hara) for help, first asking if the moth might symbolize growth and transformation. Gail corrects Joel, telling him butterflies are representative of metamorphosis. Moths have a whole different meaning, as they are associated with death. This interaction, together with the revealing porch scene at the end of the episode, explains why Ellie adopted such a morbid symbol.

Ellie becomes fascinated with moths because she is convinced her purpose is to die. She believes sacrificing her life in Salt Lake City would have led to the creation of a vaccine that could save humanity from the Cordyceps infection. That’s why she is increasingly angry and depressed as years go by, since she struggles to find meaning in a life she’s convinced should have ended in a hospital bed. The moth, as a representative of death, becomes Ellie’s totem because it echoes the girl’s internal turmoil, a memento of the destiny Joel stole from her. This fascination with death and purpose also feeds her grudge against Joel, pushing them apart. It’s a wonderful world-building detail that the game didn’t address, which is now fully fleshed out in Season 2 of The Last of Us.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs new episodes on HBO and Max every Sunday.

Are you happy with how the series addresses the symbology of the moth in The Last of Us? Join the discussion in the comments!

The post The Last of Us Just Answered a Question Even Gamers Have Wondered About for Years appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The second season of HBO’s acclaimed adaptation of The Last of Us is proving to be a fascinating journey for fans of the source material, diligently recreating some of The Last of Us Part II‘s most pivotal and emotionally charged moments. However, the series also makes bold choices in how it presents this narrative, with key The Last of Us scenes appearing in a different order than they did in the game. The most recent episode, the sixth of the current season, delivered a significant example of this approach, shifting a poignant scene initially found at the very conclusion of the game to an earlier juncture in Ellie’s harrowing experiences in Seattle. This restructuring choice was not made lightly, and series co-creator Neil Druckmann, who also helmed the Naughty Dog games, recently shed light on the specific reasoning behind this impactful change during an appearance on the official The Last of Us podcast.

Warning: Spoilers below for HBO’s The Last of Us and the game The Last of Us Part II

“That porch scene, I was so nervous about that because again, that scene is to me the most important scene in the entire story, which is why, you know, in the game, it’s at the very end,” Druckmann explained on the podcast. “One of the choices that we made to bring it up and the reason we brought it up is because we were worried it wouldn’t work if you had to wait years to get this payoff. It felt here as if we’re on this journey with Ellie, and it felt appropriate to do it at this moment in time. But yeah, it was such a joy. It was a freaking joy to work on this and it felt like I was living in the world of The Last of Us and it was really cool.”

[RELATED: The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

In The Last of Us Part II video game, the porch scene is a pivotal and emotionally charged flashback. It depicts the last significant conversation between Ellie and Joel, taking place on the porch of Joel’s home in Jackson the night before his murder. During this interaction, after years of strained silence following Ellie’s discovery of Joel’s actions at the Firefly hospital, she finally confronts him more directly about his choice. Ellie expresses her immense survivor’s guilt and anger. Joel, unwavering, tells her that if he had a second chance, he would do it all over again. This scene is revealed to the player very late in the game, just before Ellie’s final pursuit of Abby. Its placement there is critical, as it recontextualizes Ellie’s entire quest for vengeance. It shows that Ellie and Joel were on a fragile path toward reconciliation, a path obliterated by his death, making her subsequent actions even more tragic. Moving this crucial beat earlier in the television narrative significantly alters its immediate impact and sets a different emotional context for Ellie’s motivations and journey as depicted in the show.

Ellie’s Saga Will Unfold Beyond Season 2 Of The Last of Us

While Season 2 of The Last of Us is nearing its finale, fans can rest assured that this is not the end of the road for the adaptation. HBO officially renewed The Last of Us for a third season back in April 2025, ahead of Season 2’s premiere. Plus, showrunners Craig Mazin and Druckmann have been very open about the fact that the entirety of The Last of Us Part II is far too extensive to be contained within a single season of television. Their strategy involves adapting the second game over multiple seasons, ensuring that the intricate plotlines and deep character developments receive the space and attention they deserve.

This multi-season approach means that while Season 2 is bringing a significant portion of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) and Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) intertwined narratives to the screen, there is much more story to tell. HBO executives have even suggested that the plan for adapting Part II could extend to a fourth season, though only Season 3 has received the official green light so far. The shifting of the porch scene flashback, while surprising to players, is a deliberate narrative restructuring designed to serve a multi-season arc rather than a condensed one. The creators have been thinking about the viewing experience for several years, aiming to maintain emotional resonance and narrative cohesion across a much longer storytelling canvas.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs new episodes on HBO and Max every Sunday.

What do you think of the decision to move the porch scene earlier in the series? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Last of Us Creator Reveals Why THAT Game Scene Was Moved Up in the TV Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us TV series already had baggage to contend with when it came to Season 2, since the second batch of episodes would be based on the controversial The Last of Us Part II video game. Fans of the PlayStation hit have had issues with the HBO series ever since the newest episodes premiered, but with Season 2, Episode 6, many are scratching their heads in a big way. Their confusion and passionate comments all stem from one moment in the new episode, a scene that happens much differently in the game itself. Spoilers for The Last of Us‘ TV Series, and The Last of Us Part II game follow.

Just like The Last of Us Part II video game, The Last of Us TV series has finally showed a key sequence between Ellie and Joel that was not revealed to the audience previously, their reconciliation on Joel’s porch in Jackson the night before his death. In the HBO show, this event culminates an entire episode that is flashbacks of Joel and Ellie since they’ve lived in Jackson, showing how their relationship had eroded over the years. The scene has Ellie not only fully learn the truth from Joel about what happened at the Salt Lake City hospital (condensing two different scenes from the game into one) but also deliver the Earth-shattering line, “I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for that… But I would like to try.”

In The Last of Us TV series this line is juxtaposed with Ellie returning to the movie theater after having savagely beaten Nora, searching for information about how she can locate Abby and finally have her revenge. As players of The Last of Us Part II know, the “porch scene” isn’t revealed in the video game until almost the very end of the narrative itself, well past events that still haven’t even happened in the TV Series.

Suffice to say, a change this big in terms of when certain scenes are shown in the larger story of The Last of Us has drawn criticism from fans of the games that were anticipating something else.

RELATED: The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans

“I’m surprised they are doing the porch scene now. I liked the way it was in the game where you think they left off on bad terms,” One user on the /r/TheLastOfUs subreddit wrote.

“oh man…although I don’t like they did the porch scene this early, my heart is broken and I’m crying all over again,” wrote one user on X.

Another user on the /r/TheLastOfUs subreddit took their critique’s to a major level, writing: “And of course by placing the reveal here they have to immediately speedrun to Ellie saying she would like to try forgiving Joel. This is horrendous. What on earth.”

Some fans liked the change of including the scene this early in the TV series, though they were laregely overcome with the emotional weight that came with the sequence.

“Porch scene in the year 2025 with near identical dialogue at the beginning I’m SICK,” wrote one user.

With fans already sick from the emotional moments in this episode, it seems likely that with just one episode left in Season 2, The Last of Us fans should brace themselves.

The Season 2 finale of The Last of Us premieres next week on HBO and MAX, kicking off at 9 PM ET/

The post The Last of Us Fans Stunned After Key Scene Was Revealed in Season 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us TV show has filled in some of the blanks on Joel’s life. The Last of Us is a show that is incredibly faithful to the games, but when it does break away from the video games, it’s not doing it to be insulting. It’s typically doing it to expand on ideas or characters, allowing the medium of television to tell parts of this story that a game feasibly can’t. Although The Last of Us is a very cinematic, cutscene-heavy game, there’s still a desire to keep the player actively moving and engaged in the gameplay. A TV show has the ability to focus on more talk-y scenes.

The Last of Us Season 2 has been a bit divisive, however, as some game fans think it has butchered certain parts of the story with slight changes. It seems there’s a method to all of the madness, but it’s still up to fans to determine if they agree with all of that. The Last of Us is an incredibly beloved video game franchise, so any change is going to be met with some level of skepticism. With that said, the show has still been well received overall and HBO feels confident in the show enough to have already greenlit a third season. With the sixth episode of Season 2 having just aired, it’s clear why they have that confidence.

The Last of Us Season 2 Reveals Joel’s Dad

The Last of Us Season 2’s sixth episode is fairly similar to the Bill and Frank episode from the first season due to its structure. It’s yet another episode that strays away from the game’s story while still retaining key moments that are important for Ellie and Joel’s respective arcs. It’s a beautiful episode that chronicles the two’s relationship throughout their time in Jackson, particularly how they fell out, but also most importantly, how they were starting to resolve things as well.

However, if you’re a fan of a game, you know a lot of these beats. The show also shines in a lot of its more original moments. As last week’s episode teased, The Last of Us has brought Joel back for a big flashback episode that largely revolves around him, further emphasizing the theme of perspective in Season 2. The episode begins in Austin, Texas in 1983, we see a young Joel and Tommy. It’s clear they have gotten into some trouble and Joel is going to take the fall for it as the older bother. In walks their dad, a cop played by Tony Dalton, and he tries to squeeze the truth out of Joel. It’s clear the father is abusive, maybe even regretfully, in pursuit of trying to discipline his kids.

After a long conversation about this cycle of violence that gets passed down through generations and how each parent tries to do better than their own, we get a good look at a watch worn by Joel’s dad. It’s the same watch Joel that his daughter gets fixed up and he wears throughout the apocalypse. We don’t see any other scenes with Joel’s dad, so we aren’t sure exactly what came of this relationship as Joel got older nor are we privy to what the watch means to him. Obviously it’s his father’s, but he has some sort of complicated relationship to him, which may not mean it’s the typical family heirloom.

Nevertheless, it’s a great piece of backstory that builds on Joel’s character both for fans of The Last of Us TV series, but also the game as well. We don’t hear much about Joel’s past in the game, so this was an interesting scene to see. It’s also a refreshing change of pace from the apocalyptic world we see in the rest of the show, while still retaining the themes from the main story. Whether or not we’ll get any more flashbacks like this in future episodes or seasons remains to be seen, but it’s probably not very likely since Joel’s place in this story has largely concluded. It was still great to get a bit more Joel after his death in The Last of Us Season 2, though!

It’s also worth noting that this episode was written and directed by Neil Druckmann, the creator of the games. It’s unclear if this has always been part of his vision for Joel or if he invented it purely for the TV series. Druckmann has also cast Dalton to star in his next video game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

What did you think of Joel’s dad in The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments.

The post The Last of Us Answers a Major Joel Backstory Question That Even the Games Ignored appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Despite focusing on Ellie and Joel, The Last of Us has its fair share of great side characters. Two figures who don’t get a ton of time to shine in the first game, Bill and Frank, have their own episode in Season 1, and it’s arguably the best of the series, offering a tear-jerking tale about finding love during the apocalypse. Season 2 keeps the train moving by giving Seth a redemption arc after he throws a pretty offensive insult Ellie’s way and focusing on Joel’s relationship with Gail, Jackson Hole’s resident therapist. Gail’s story is particularly interesting because, prior to the events of Season 2, she’s married to Eugene, an important figure from The Last of Us Part II.

In the Naughty Dog game, Eugene dies before Abby shows up in Jackson, but a lot of characters remember him fondly because of his stash of weed. While Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us keeps that aspect intact, the cause of his death changes, making him much more vital to the tragic story.

Eugene Is a Friend From the Grave in The Last of Us Part II

When Joel and Ellie arrive in Jackson in The Last of Us game, they meet several people who will impact their lives down the road, including Maria and Seth. Eugene isn’t among the residents they cross paths with, but he’s a big part of the Jackson community. A former Firefly, he leaves the fighting behind to have a peaceful life in Jackson, where he gains a reputation for being funny. Dina takes a liking to him, and they form a bond. But even after getting a friend to share things with, Eugene keeps to himself, hiding his secret bunker from Dina.

After Eugene passes away from a stroke, Ellie and Dina come across his man cave while on patrol. They go through all of his stuff and eventually come across a basement that’s full of weed. With a snowstorm going on outside, Ellie and Dina enjoy themselves for a while before Jesse arrives and informs them that Tommy and Joel are missing. Ellie’s story plays out the same in both the game and show after that, with her leaving Eugene’s hideout and witnessing Joel’s death at the hands of Abby and her friends. However, despite keeping the drugs, The Last of Us series changes the former Firefly’s story in a big way.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

Eugene Helps Tear Joel and Ellie Apart in HBO’s The Last of Us

The Last of Us Season 2 makes it clear that Eugene’s story is different from the beginning. In Episode 1, “Future Days,” Gail reveals that Joel killed Eugene and she hasn’t forgiven him for it. The details of the incident remain unclear until Episode 6, which fills in the gaps of Ellie and Joel’s time in Jackson. Every year, Joel takes Ellie out on her birthday, and for her last one before Season 2 starts, they go out on patrol together. Everything is going fine until they get word that another group on patrol is under attack. Ellie immediately runs off to help, but Joel worries about what they may find.

When Ellie and Joel arrive on the scene, Eugene is alone and looking worse for wear. It turns out he was on the receiving end of an infected bite and is starting to feel it. He pleads with Joel to let him see Gail one last time, and after some arguing with Ellie, the group decides to head back to Jackson. However, Joel sends Ellie off to retrieve their horses, giving him time to kill Eugene. Ellie is hurt when she returns, and when the two get back home, she’s not planning on pulling any punches. Joel lies to Gail about what happened, so Ellie tells the truth after confirming her suspicions that her father figure hides the truth whenever he can.

The blow-up is the breaking point in Joel and Ellie’s relationship, and the two really don’t speak again until the night of the New Year’s party. Of course, shortly after, Joel dies, which causes Ellie to go on a warpath in Seattle. But just because the show ends up at the same destination as the game doesn’t mean its means of getting there are the same, as it places Eugene in the middle of the action rather than making him someone to just learn bits and pieces about.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Do you like how HBO’s The Last of Us changes Eugene? Are you glad he got a major role in the series? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Changes the Fate of One Game Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us really never pretends to be anything but what it is: a tragic tale about how far people will go to protect the ones they love. Every choice Joel and Ellie make is with the other one in mind because they really struggle with the idea of losing each other. That fear, of course, forces Joel to commit the ultimate betrayal by killing all of the Fireflies who intend to use Ellie to make a cure for the infection plaguing the world. Ellie wants to help and for her life to have meaning, but Joel takes that away from her, which drives a wedge in their relationship in The Last of Us Season 2. Spoilers follow!

The sophomore outing starts with the duo already at odds, and while it takes a while for the truth to come out, Episode 6 finally pulls the curtain back. Ellie always suspects Joel is lying to her about the Fireflies, but it takes her some time to confirm. Ellie confronts him, and the two are never really the same after, which crushes Joel. Fortunately, the rest of the episode shows he got plenty of quality time with his surrogate daughter, including a trip that adapts the best moment in The Last of Us games.

The Vibes Are Immaculate During Ellie and Joel’s Museum Trip in The Last of Us

Season 2, Episode 6 fills in the gaps of Ellie and Joel’s time in Jackson prior to Abby’s arrival. Early on, the two can’t get enough of each other, and Joel plans something special on Ellie’s birthday every year. During one of his patrols, he stumbles upon the Wyoming Museum of Science, which has seen better days. He spends some time fixing the place up, including ensuring that a diorama of the solar system is working, before bringing Ellie over. The first thing she sees outside is a dinosaur statue that she climbs up because she can’t contain her excitement, but the real fun is in the museum.

While the show skips over some of the gameplay features that ask players to find a way inside, the result ends up being just as great. Ellie makes her way to the space exhibit and takes it all in. However, Joel quickly ushers her to a real landing pod that blows Ellie’s mind. She picks out a spacesuit and gets inside as her father figure plays her a recording of the Apollo 11 launch. For a few moments, Joel transports Ellie to a different world, one where there are no infected or raiders.

The point of the museum section in The Last of Us Part II is to show how strong Ellie and Joel’s bond was before everything started to unravel. There are other ways to do that, though, so the HBO series didn’t have to bring it to life. Fortunately, it chooses to honor the source material by juxtaposing a great moment in Ellie’s life with her darkest.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Finally Adds Major Aspect From the Games]

HBO Knows When Not to Take a Big Swing With The Last of Us

Some of the changes in The Last of Us Season 2 are controversial, to say the least. For most of the season, diehard fans of the games have been waiting for Ellie to lose control and begin to go on a warpath in the streets of Seattle. However, Ellie’s journey is different from the one in the game because of Dina’s place in the story. Rather than just being a shoulder to cry on, Dina is actively part of the mission, and it takes her getting hurt for Ellie to lock in and remember what she’s truly fighting for.

All of the memories with Joel come flooding back to Ellie when she finally corners Nora. She remembers the bad, such as when Joel kills Eugene instead of allowing him to see Gail one last time, and the good, including the moment on the porch and the trip to the museum. The door is now open for Ellie to let her dark side take over, and it’s only possible because HBO knows what parts of The Last of Us games matter most.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on HBO Max.

Do you think HBO’s The Last of Us did justice to the museum sequence from the games? What other moments are you looking forward to seeing the show adapt? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Best Moment From The Last of Us Games Finally Happened in the HBO Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us is quickly proving why video game adaptations aren’t able to satisfy those who are fans of the source material. For many, many years, video game fans have been subjected to horrendous adaptations of the biggest video game franchises. Assassin’s Creed, Max Payne, and to a less painful extent, but still notable, Uncharted. It got to a point that whenever a new adaptation was announced, fans would shudder and just assume it was going to be awful. It seemed like Hollywood was incapable of bringing video games to the big or small screen, especially since they would rarely ever just tell the same story. There was always some big change that irked fans.

However, the tides turned within the last five years. While there have been some good game-adjacent adaptations like Arcane, which more or less tell a new story in an existing world, The Last of Us was one of the first to properly tell its exact story in a new medium and do it well. The first season of the HBO series was showered in praise and although some game fans felt the game was better, it was a dramatic step up from the kind of adaptations we were getting before. The Last of Us Season 2 is now in full swing and although it got solid reviews initially, the reaction from fans of the game has been incredibly intense online as the season has progressed. While it would be an exaggeration to say everyone hates it, there’s a vocal group of people with disdain toward Season 2.

The Last of Us Season 2 Had the Deck Stacked Against It

It was partially to be expected because of the divisive nature of The Last of Us Part 2, that the TV show might suffer a similar fate. But there’s a lot of the negativity is coming from actual fans of the game. For starters, video games are becoming increasingly cinematic. They use performance capture, not unlike the techniques seen in movies like Avatar, which allows the entire performance from body movement to facial expressions to be captured and accurately portrayed digitally in-game. Naughty Dog’s harshest critics have noted that their games feel more like movies than video games, causing some to wonder what the purpose of a TV show is when the games already feel structured in that way.

So, when a video game is adapted, it’s a lot different than adapting something like a book where it’s all in the reader’s head. They imagine how a character talks, walks, and acts as well as how everything in the world should look. In a video game, a lot of those details are painstakingly hand crafted. Faithfully adapting a video game like The Last of Us is more akin to remaking a movie or a TV show. And when that source material is so acclaimed by fans, then anything that’s different automatically feels “wrong” to some.

Key conversations with characters like Joel, Ellie, and Abby echo around in our heads as gamers. We know the weight of not only their words, but how their words are said. If a line delivery in the show is different from the game, it sounds off-key. It’s like hearing a cover of a song you know very well. It may not be a bad cover, but because it’s different, it doesn’t sound right.

The Last of Us Season 2 Isn’t Trying to Fully Copy the Game

Fans of The Last of Us Part 2 were particularly interested to see how Joel dies in the show. They wondered if the love for Pedro Pascal would cause HBO to delay his death or sugar coat it, but it was largely pretty faithful. However, some fans of the game (not all) weren’t satisfied. They didn’t like that Abby monologued to Joel, they didn’t like that Ellie’s reaction was more sad than violent and angry, and some of them didn’t like how the scene was lit. In the game, there’s a single window in the room where Joel is killed and it’s iced over/covered by snow, so you can’t see outside. The room is dark, but has a slightly white-ish glow. It makes the room feel like a layer between hell and Earth, it’s an extremely uneasy room.

The show, however, shot this climactic scene on location on an overcast day in Canada. The room has a number of big windows that still give it that white glow, but the vibe is definitely different. It’s not as eerie. Does this really matter? Perhaps not, people who are watching the show and have never played the game don’t know any different. The uneasiness in the violence is still present and fans were still left horrified by Joel’s death in the show. It remained extremely effective.

However, key moments like these have been so meticulously studied and replayed over and over again for years that it is never going to be possible to please all fans of the game. They’re attached to not just the raw narrative beats of the game, but how it is executed down to performance, gameplay, and the look and feel of it all. By the show being so similar to the game, it opens it up to direct comparisons in a way that may sometime be unfair.

Who Is The Last of Us TV Series for?

I’m not sure if The Last of Us is a show that is meant for fans of the game, as odd as that might sound. The story that fans are attached to exists on PlayStation and PC, not on HBO. Although people like to call Naughty Dog’s games glorified interactive movies as an insult, I think this adaptation proves that they’re more than that. They are telling stories that are specific to video games and when you try to translate them, some of the weight is lost or, at best, feels different.

That’s not to say that The Last of Us is a bad show or is absolved of any criticism, it just isn’t the game and that’s okay because the game still exists. The show is still being enjoyed by non-gamers who have no familiarity with the source material, so I wouldn’t say anyone is losing anything here. It’s still a successful piece of media, even if some fans don’t necessarily think it’s a successful adaptation.

The post The Last of Us Shows Why Video Game Adaptations Can’t Please Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 has nearly reached its end, though its clumsy pacing is weakening this once-thrilling show. Set in a post-apocalyptic future ravaged by a fungal infection that turns people into zombie-like creatures, HBO’s The Last of Us adapts the two-part video game series of the same title. Following Joel Miller’s (Pedro Pascal) massacre of the Fireflies and rescue of miraculously-immune Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) at the end of Season 1, The Last of Us Season 2 turns the story on its head, as the murder of Joel sets Ellie off on a quest to exact revenge on Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever). At the same time, warring factions emerge, and Ellie falls in love with Dina (Isabela Merced), who is also pregnant. Evidently, The Last of Us Season 2 adds many more story threads to the overarching plot, all revolving around Ellie’s journey for vengeance in the wake of losing Joel.

As of now, The Last of Us has been renewed for Season 3 and is expected to conclude with a fourth season. Splitting the second game into three seasons has significantly slowed down the show’s pace, while other narrative changes have veered Season 2’s focus away from the game’s intense portrayal of violence and retribution. The Last of Us Season 2’s acting performances are as exceptional as ever, and detailed visuals and set design make the show’s world feel real and terrifying. Still, a major pacing problem threatens to derail what started as a fantastic adaptation of the video games.

[RELATED: The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

The Last of Us Season 2’s Meandering Pace Is an Issue

Above all, The Last of Us TV show is an adaptation, and it’s easy to understand why characters and events aren’t identical to the source material. Even so, it feels like The Last of Us Season 2 has lost the essence of the game. When playing The Last of Us Part II, an ever-present dread saturates the game’s atmosphere, and Ellie’s rising vengefulness is a marvel to witness. Additionally, the game’s switch to Abby’s point of view progressively reveals the characters’ similarities, forcing players to reckon with whose side to take. Even though The Last of Us TV series keeps Joel’s death at the beginning of Season 2 where it belongs, the subsequent slow pace has completely taken the sting out of it.

A three-month time jump from Joel’s demise makes Ellie and Dina’s journey to find Abby feel more like a fun field trip than the brutal, tension-filled endeavor it’s meant to be. Furthermore, Ellie’s elation upon learning of Dina’s pregnancy starkly contrasts with the resentment she expressed in the game — a moment meant to illustrate Ellie’s loss of herself to her desire for revenge. Ellie’s confrontation with Nora (Tati Gabrielle) in Episode 5 finally showcases the main character’s rage and thirst for revenge, but this was long overdue and feels like tonal whiplash when set amid so many lighthearted moments.

Season 2’s changes aren’t all bad, though. The Last of Us Part II wonderfully succeeds in telling a perspective-driven revenge story, however, some of its plot elements are better developed in the show. For example, The Last of Us Season 2 provides more depth and buildup to Ellie and Dina’s relationship, slowly hinting at their feelings for each other over four episodes before the two passionately profess their love. Moreover, Season 2 doesn’t delay delving into the conflict between the Seraphites and the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), primarily through Abby and Isaac’s (Jeffrey Wright) stories. Despite expanding on its source material, The Last of Us TV series has strayed away from what made the game great in Season 2.

The Last of Us‘s Pacing Problem Might Continue Beyond Season 2

Too many buffers and detours have gotten in the way of Ellie becoming increasingly consumed by revenge, and it looks like The Last of Us‘s slow pace and tonal inconsistency will persist after Season 2. Lengthening The Last of Us Part II‘s story to cover three seasons may grant the show an opportunity to characterize a broader portrait of the game’s post-apocalyptic world, but it comes at the cost of muddying the game’s message about cycles of violence. Only two episodes of Season 2 remain, and Season 3 is expected to be released in 2027. A two-year wait to arrive at the meat of The Last of Us Part II’s story in the TV show will not be fun for viewers, as Season 2’s meandering pace has pushed much of the action and suspense to later seasons. The Last of Us Season 1 proved that alterations to the game could improve the larger narrative while conveying the same tone and dramatic pacing, but in attempting to recreate this balance, Season 2 has lost its footing.

New episodes of The Last of Us release weekly on Sundays on Max.

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Has a Pacing Problem (And It May Only Get Worse) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Anyone living in a post-apocalyptic world like the one in The Last of Us does what they must to survive. After all, with cannibals and raiders around every corner, there’s no time for morals. But all the darkness can weigh on people, so they seek out vices to make the days feel a little less gloomy. For Joel, he loves a good cup of coffee, while Gail makes her patients bring her weed in exchange for an hour of her time. One other way The Last of Us makes its characters crack a smile is by letting them spend time with animals.

Arguably, the most iconic scene in The Last of Us Season 1 features Ellie finding a pack of giraffes in Salt Lake City, marveling over their beauty before catching up with the Fireflies. Season 2 keeps the animal trend alive by having Ellie and Dina spend quality time with their horse, Shimmer, and showing how the Washington Liberation Front uses dogs. However, the show misses an opportunity to introduce a fan-favorite animal in Season 2, Episode 5, “Feel Her Love.”

Dogs Still Have a Purpose in The Last of Us Season 2

After Dina and Ellie arrive in Seattle, they start to learn more about their target, the WLF. Initially, they believe the organization is small, only consisting of Abby and her friends, but they soon realize that they have a significant force, one that uses armored vehicles and other heavy weaponry. The WLF also isn’t the only group in Seattle fighting for control; the Seraphites are around and not looking to take prisoners. But even through five episodes, it’s clear that Dina and Ellie still don’t realize what they’re up against.

One of the things that The Last of Us makes very clear is that the WLF is well organized. The soldiers move in very specific ways and have outposts all over the city to keep watch in case the Seraphites try to make a move. However, it’s not just people that the WLF recruits, as they also have dogs in their ranks to help stay on top of things. And as “Feel Her Love” proves, the animals aren’t just fodder for the higher-ups, with a WLF guard in the hospital calling out to “Bonnie,” a dog he has some sort of attachment to. The Last of Us borrows this wholesome aspect of the WLF from the source material, but it’s yet to reference the bestest boy from the games.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Just Revealed a Devastating Moment Is Happening Soon]

HBO Is Dancing Around The Last of Us Part II‘s Bear

While completing Ellie’s portion of The Last of Us Part II video games, it’s hard to see the WLF as anything but maniacal. They run Seattle with an iron fist and never let Ellie and Dina catch their breath. Once things flip to Abby’s perspective, however, the WLF doesn’t feel the same. There are still people in the organization, like Isaac, who don’t seem to have a sympathetic bone in their bodies, but everyone else is just trying to survive. Abby certainly fits into that category because, while she’s not a fan of some of the WLF’s methods, she sees it as the lesser of two evils. It also doesn’t hurt that she makes a furry friend that helps her see the good still left in the world.

During Abby’s time in the spotlight, she runs into a dog named Bear a couple of times. He’s the sweetest thing and loves to play catch. Sadly, his handler runs into Ellie while on patrol with him, and the player has to fight an animal they’ll come to love later on. The game even allows Bear to die during the interaction, which may be why HBO is avoiding him. The show is driving home the theme of perspective during Season 2 well enough that it doesn’t need to include a dog’s death. All the good boys and girls can stay in the background while the humans do the fighting.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Are you upset that Bear hasn’t appeared in The Last of Us Season 2? Why do you think HBO is choosing to avoid his character? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Missed a Great Opportunity to Include a Fan-Favorite Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 3 will feature one of the most iconic (and horrifying) moments from the video game, it seems. The Last of Us is a franchise that’s filled with memorable video game moments from harrowing deaths to explosive set pieces, it is an incredibly cinematic series that keeps players engaged until credits roll. Naturally, that made it a great game to adapt into live-action as it translates pretty well to a TV show or movie and alas, HBO’s The Last of Us was born. The first season of the show faithfully adapted the first game and now, the second season is doing the same, albeit with some notable changes.

The Last of Us Season 2 is approaching its finale here in the next couple of weeks and fans of the game are likely realizing (if they hadn’t already) that this season will not adapt the entire second game like the first season. Instead, it will cover a little less than half of the game, but fear not, The Last of Us Season 3 has already been announced. As of right now, we don’t know when the third season will release, but fans of the game already have some expectations of where the show is headed for that season given it has followed the game’s controversial structure so far. However, that means we are going to get some pretty cool moments in Season 3.

The Last of Us Season 3 Will Feature Rat King

The Last of Us‘ latest episode sees Ellie chasing Nora through an old hospital which had some sort of chaotic contamination breach in its basement, leading to the introduction of spores to the show. This is a key part of the games that was excluded in Season 1, but its appearance teases something big for next season: the Rat King. In The Last of Us Part 2, there’s a horrifying, giant monster lurking in the basement of the hospital known as the Rat King which is essentially a giant blob of different infected that can break off and fight you individually. It’s one hell of a challenge and it seems like Season 3 will give it to us.

In a new episode of The Last of Us Podcast, it was teased by creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann that they’re planting seeds for Rat King in Season 3.

“There’s also an introduction here of a concept,” said Mazin. “And the concept is that there is depth under this building. And we now know that there are horrors on B2. If we have not yet seen them, we understand that they’re there. But note, nobody knows what’s on B3. Just leaving that out there.”

“I think some people who play the game might know,” joked Druckmann.

They even teased that Ellie wasn’t the first person to come through the lower level of the hospital, as they made sure to show that the elevator was cracked open.

“And in her attempt to escape, so this is an interesting thing,” said Mazin. “She looks at the elevator and it’s slightly ajar. And there’s a look on her face. I suspect that this elevator will come back perhaps in another season.”

Are you excited to see the Rat King in The Last of Us Season 3? Let me know in the comments.

The post The Last of Us Creators Tease Fan-Favorite Moment from Game for Season 3 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Whenever a video game gets a live-action adaptation, the haters come out of the woodwork. They would love nothing more than the project to fall flat on its face because they like the original game and refuse to believe its story can be told in another medium. However, in this day and age, hate takes on new forms, with online trolls taking to social media to call out actors for their appearance, among other things. HBO’s The Last of Us is currently dealing with its fair share of vitriol because its lead actor, Bella Ramsey, doesn’t look enough like Ellie from the Naughty Dog games.

The criticism doesn’t have to do with Ramsey’s ability to play the character, but there have been debates online about that as well. Some believe that The Last of Us isn’t showing Ellie’s dark side enough, choosing to have her focus on the good while on her journey of revenge. However, Season 2, Episode 5, “Feel Her Love” puts that argument to rest, during the show’s darkest moment yet.

Ellie Has Been a Powder Keg in The Last of Us Season 2

Ellie starts The Last of Us Season 2 with a chip on her shoulder. She and Joel are not on the same page, and while the show plays coy as to the reason why, it’s obvious it has something to do with the end of the first season. Unfortunately, the HBO series doesn’t show them hash things out before Abby and her friends come to town and get their hands on Joel. Ellie arrives just before Abby drives a golf club into Joel’s head, and she promises they will all die for their transgressions. The injuries Ellie suffers during the incident force her to stay in the hospital for three months, but once she’s out, she’s ready to head out with Dina.

The time jump is really where The Last of Us starts to diverge from the source material, as Dina now has a much more important role, even planning a good portion of the trip to Seattle. On their way there, Dina makes it clear that she’s behind Ellie no matter what, which gives Ellie reassurance about her feelings. Ramsey’s performance still has that underlying edge to it, but they don’t have to focus on it, especially as Ellie’s most important friendship grows into something more. But the events of Seattle force Ellie to make a tough choice, one that sees Ramsey finally give in to the darkness.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Finally Adds Major Aspect From the Games]

Bella Ramsey Finally Gets to Flex Their Acting Chops in The Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 5, “Feel Her Love” sees Ellie and Dina finally close in on Nora, one of Abby’s allies. However, they run into a big problem when they come face-to-face with a group of smart Stalkers looking for a fight. The duo barely makes it out with the help of Jesse, who finally catches up with them, only to run into a group of Seraphites. Dina gets hit with an arrow, and Jesse rushes her to safety while Ellie leads the rest of the Seraphites away. But rather than regroup, Ellie heads to the hospital and finds Nora.

Ellie and Nora have a quick scuffle before they chase each other into a lower level of the hospital. It turns out the area is shut down because of the spores in the air, which quickly begin to hurt Nora but have no effect on Ellie. Nora realizes that Ellie is the immune girl the Fireflies were after all those years ago and tries to reason with her enemy by asking her if she knows what Joel did. With hate in her eyes, Ramsey’s character reveals that she’s well aware of Joel’s actions and proceeds to torture Nora for information. Ramsey doesn’t let up throughout the entire sequence, bringing the most terrifying aspects of Ellie to life in an instant. It’s been a bit of a slow burn, but Ellie is on the warpath now, and Ramsey is sure to continue to do right by her character.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Did you enjoy seeing Ellie let out her rage in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you think Bella Ramsey did the moment justice?

The post The Last of Us Season 2’s Darkest Moment Proves All the Bella Ramsey Haters Wrong appeared first on ComicBook.com.

There are so few happy moments in The Last of Us games that, when there’s a real opportunity to stop and smell the roses, it’s important they take it. The giraffe scene in the first game is a great example, as it shows the beauty Ellie sees in the world. Even Joel can’t help but soak it all in, but he’s not really looking at the giraffes; he’s looking at Ellie. The feeling he gets in that moment pushes him to make the hard choice at the hospital just a short time later, proving that even The Last of Us‘ most wholesome scenes can have dark implications. The HBO series is well aware of this fact, so it adapts as many smile-inducing beats as possible.

The latest happy scene to make the jump from the games to live-action involves Jesse, Jackson Hole’s resident do-gooder. When Ellie and Dina look down for the count, he saves the day by taking out the infected and helping the girls escape the Washington Liberation Front. However, Jesse’s arrival in Seattle in the show isn’t anything like the game, and there’s a good reason for that.

Jesse’s Big Moment in Seattle in The Last of Us Part II Packs a Punch

The marketing campaign for The Last of Us Part II was a big deal. After all, it had been years since the first game’s release, so fans were hungry for whatever they could get their hands on. With little to go on, though, theories started gaining traction, including one about Joel dying early in the game. To put that idea to bed, Naughty Dog, the game’s developer, dropped a trailer that showed Joel in Seattle, ready to help Ellie with her mission. However, the whole thing turned out to be a misdirect, and when the game finally came out, Jesse was in Joel’s place, even saying the same dialogue.

It was a tough pill for gamers to swallow, but the reunion didn’t disappoint. While Ellie is running around Seattle alone, the WLF gets the drop on her, forcing her to hide and consider all her options. Before she does anything crazy, Jesse arrives and helps her steal a truck. It’s one of the most action-packed sequences in the game, and once Jesse and Ellie fight their way out and get back to Dina, it really feels like the tide is turning in the group’s direction.

Since HBO’s The Last of Us takes creative liberties with the source material, it’s unable to recreate Jesse’s return from the game. However, the way it brings him into the story in Season 2, Episode 5, “Feel Her Love,” works even better because it throws him into the middle of all of the action.

[RELATED – The Last of Us May Have Just Confirmed It’s Sticking Closer to the Games Than We Thought]

The Last of Us Season 2 Makes Sure Jesse Is Properly Motivated

Jesse catches up to Ellie and Dina while the duo are trying to make their way into the hospital where Nora works. They end up in a bad spot when a group of smart Stalkers corners them in a room, with Ellie essentially throwing her body at them to keep Dina safe. Fortunately, Jesse sees what’s going on and kills the infected. They run out of the building, only to come under fire from nearby WLF soldiers. The only safe spot to hide is in the forest, which just happens to be where a group of Seraphites is gutting a man. The religious fanatics spot the gang and hit Dina in the leg with an arrow, forcing Jesse to help her get to safety.

The entire sequence is non-stop action, and it paints a clear picture for Jesse about what’s going on in Seattle. He may no longer be with Dina or even know she’s pregnant with his baby, but he still cares for her and Ellie, and after seeing how many groups are after them, he’s going to want to get them home as quickly as possible. Ellie isn’t likely to get on board with that plan, especially after taking out Nora, but the conflict in Seattle is bigger than her, and Jesse can use Dina’s injury as a way to push his friend in the right direction.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Did you enjoy Jesse’s big moment in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you think the show did a better job than the game? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Denied Gamers an Epic Reunion, But Gave the TV Audience Something Better appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The terrifying new Stalkers, recently introduced in the latest season of HBO’s The Last of Us, possess a chilling visual detail: eyes that eerily reflect flashlight beams. This unsettling characteristic, as it turns out, is deliberately grounded in real-world science. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann discussed this specific design choice for the stealthy Infected on the official The Last of Us Podcast, which aired following the broadcast of Season 2 Episode 5, “Feel Her Love.” This subtle yet highly effective visual cue not only enhances their predatory nature but also underscores the series’ ongoing commitment to finding plausible biological explanations for its horrors, a hallmark that has consistently distinguished the acclaimed adaptation.

“We worked really hard on those,” Craig Mazin explained about the eyes of the Stalker infected. “There are versions, you know… You get these sorts of things back because it’s a visual effect that we do, obviously. And there are versions where it’s like, ‘Oh, look, they’re ghosts. They’ve got these shiny…’ And you just keep pulling it back, pulling it back, and trying to make it as realistic as possible, the way that dogs or sheep or other animals, at night, their retinas will reflect back white. And something has happened inside the Stalkers to do something similar to their eyes. And it’s the barest thing. You don’t want them to look like Jawas from Star Wars, you know, so like we really fine-tune that stuff to make sure it’s just barely there.”

[RELATED: The Last of Us Season 2 Has Changed One of Its Best Characters For the Worse]

“And that goes back to a conversation months prior to when we’re concepting the Stalkers and talking about, oh, how the cordyceps eats away parts of the eye,” Druckmann added. “It’s almost like having cataracts. You see people who have certain eye conditions. Their eye behaves in that way. So it’s going back, it’s based in science.” This explanation is a plausible in-universe reason for the unsettling glow, further terrifying viewers with the chilling thought that the fictional Cordyceps infection still follows real-life rules.

Season 2 Nears End, But The Last of Us Saga Far From Over

As the second season of The Last of Us charges into its final act with only two episodes remaining, the narrative adapted from the sprawling video game The Last of Us Part II is clearly just beginning to unfold. The game itself is a vast emotional journey, far exceeding the scope of the first installment, which the initial season of the HBO series managed to cover comprehensively. Recognizing this, showrunners Mazin and Druckmann have long affirmed that fully translating Part II‘s intricate storyline would require multiple television seasons. This strategic approach has already been backed up by HBO with the official renewal of The Last of Us for a third season.

While The Last of Us showrunners have been clear that they do not intend to create material beyond the scope of the second game, Mazin has even alluded to the possibility that the entirety of Part II might require more than just the upcoming third season to be fully realized on screen. This dedication to honoring the depth and breadth of Naughty Dog’s source material means viewers can expect the adaptation to continue its methodical exploration of Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) and Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) intertwined and devastating paths.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs new episodes on Sundays, on HBO and Max.

What do you think of the Stalkers in Season 2 of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Last of Us Creators Reveal How One Infected Change Is Based on Real Science appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fans of The Last of Us have been reeling since the death of Pedro Pascal’s Joel in the second episode of Season 2, but Ellie’s journey of revenge has kept people on their toes hoping for some closure. The latest episode of the series saw Ellie and Dina journey even deeper into Seattle and the conflict between the WLF and the Seraphites, eventually delivering a big confrontation for Ellie that puts her one step closer to finding Abby. But that violent sequence wasn’t the final scene of the episode, which left viewers shocked by a surprise return. Spoilers follow for the latest episode of The Last of Us.

After Ellie confronts Nora in the infected hospital in Seattle, beating her with a lead pipe to get information out of her, The Last of Us doesn’t show the final results of that sequence. As Ellie continues her violent tirade, the series cuts to black, seemingly ending the episode, but there’s one last scene. Ellie wakes up in bed back in Jackson, it’s a bright and sunny day. She’s not alone however as Ellie turns to face her bedroom door, where she’s greeted by none other than Joel himself, who offers a trademark “Hey, kiddo.” Ellie returns his hello and smiles as the sequence ends.

Even though fans of The Last of Us Part II knew that Pedro Pascal couldn’t possibly be done with The Last of Us TV series, since key flashbacks from the game haven’t yet been shown, his return to the show was a welcome one. Fans of the TV series that haven’t played the games were equally as excited to see Pascal’s Joel back in the fold, taking to social media to share.

RELATED: How Does The Last of Us 2 Game End?

“THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. CINEMA.,” one user on X wrote about Pedro Pascal’s return as Joel.

“Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller back on my screen again EVERYONE CHEERED,” added another.

“this is breaking my heart into a million pieces,” one fan said of the image of young Ellie safe back in Jackson.

Fans did note however that with Pascal returning for a cliffhanger cameo, the next episode of the series may very well deliver some emotional moments from the game that they’re not prepared for.

“about to crash out bc what do you mean next week could be the last time we ever see joel miller,” one user said considering what the next episode of The Last of Us might be.

After this week’s episode of The Last of Us, only two episodes remain in Season 2 of the HBO hit. With Pedro Pascal appearing in the final seconds of the latest one, it stands to reason that he’ll be back for next week’s adventure as well. Fans however do not appear to be ready for what that means.

New episodes of The Last of Us air Sundays at 9 PM ET on HBO and MAX.

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Movies and TV shows wouldn’t be the same without music to enhance them. Several iconic moments come to mind when thinking of needle-drops, including the training sequence from Rocky III set to “Eye of the Tiger” and the fight scenes in Thor: Ragnarok that feature Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” However, as fun as it is when a catchy song takes a scene to another level, it’s even better when one is part of the narrative. HBO’s The Last of Us is a big proponent of that practice, with Ellie singing A-ha’s “Take On Me” in Season 2 to help her connect with Dina.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II

“Take On Me” isn’t the most important song in The Last of Us, though, as there’s another tune that appears multiple times in the source material. At one point, it felt like there was no chance it would survive the jump to live-action, but Season 2, Episode 5 puts that theory to bed for good.

HBO’s The Last of Us Painted Itself Into a Corner At the Start

When a game becomes a TV show, there’s little chance that every detail survives the transition. With that being the case, HBO chooses to lean into the differences between its The Last of Us show and the two games it’s based on. It starts all the way at the beginning, with the outbreak starting in 2003, not 2013, like in the game. The new timeline opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities, including placing the events of the show closer to the year it’s being broadcast. However, as soon as it becomes clear in Season 1 that the 2013 outbreak is off the table, bringing a massive moment from the second game to life no longer feels like a possibility.

At the start of The Last of Us Part II video game, Joel sings Pearl Jam’s “Future Days,” which focuses on the singer speaking to someone about their fear of losing them, to Ellie. The lyrics feel poignant because, while Ellie doesn’t know it at the time, she will lose Joel in the future, having to live the very nightmare that he fights to avoid in the first game. “Future Days” sticks with Ellie, and she sings the song a few times in Part II to reinforce its significance. But Pearl Jam released the song in 2013, and the game’s creators already had to do legwork to make Joel having it in his arsenal make sense. That fact left its status in The Last of Us Season 2 up in the air, but Episode 5 threw caution to the wind in the name of great storytelling.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Has Its Own In-Universe Comics (But Will They Ever Really Be Released?)]

Joel Will Let Ellie Know How He Feels in The Last of Us Season 2

Things didn’t look good when The Last of Us returned without the “Future Days” moment and named the first episode of Season 2 after the song. However, in “Episode 5,” Ellie confirms that she knows the tune while she and Dina are in Seattle. As Dina works to triangulate the Washington Liberation Front’s position, Ellie starts to look around the theater they’re calling home. She eventually stumbles upon a stage with a good-looking guitar sitting on it and can’t resist the opportunity to try it out. Ellie begins to play “Future Days,” seemingly revealing that, at some point, Joel taught her the song. Sure, there’s a slim chance that Ellie discovered Pearl Jam’s hit on her own in the five years since the last season, but removing Joel’s moment while keeping the song would be a step too far, even for HBO.

The more likely scenario is that a whole bunch of Joel flashbacks are on the way. After all, Episode 5 ends with Joel showing up, teasing that there’s more to his story in Season 2. Whether it’s an entire episode or a few minutes, The Last of Us is gearing up to reveal more about Joel and Ellie’s relationship, and while there are plenty of great game moments that don’t involve Pearl Jam, all signs point to Joel picking up his guitar and breaking hearts all over again.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Are you looking forward to seeing the “Future Days” moment come to life in The Last of Us Season 2? What other Joel flashbacks would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!

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The world of The Last of Us isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Those who live in FEDRA quarantine zones have to deal with an evil organization that seeks to grab any semblance of power left for itself. And anyone who goes out on their own runs the risk of coming face-to-face with cannibals or raiders who have no qualms about screwing them over. But the worst threat in The Last of Us is the infected, mindless monsters controlled by the Cordyceps that have one goal: to make everyone like them. Every infected is ruthless, and as The Last of Us games and show prove, they have tricks up their sleeves.

The Last of Us games up the ante by introducing a new infected variant every so often. However, the show takes a different approach, slowly revealing that the Cordyceps infection is evolving and making life harder for the survivors of the apocalypse. Season 2, Episode 5 keeps that trend alive by introducing a major aspect from the games.

HBO Changes a Major Part of The Last of Us‘ Infection

The Cordyceps aren’t very complicated when The Last of Us series kicks off. A woman in Joel’s town is exposed to them and slowly loses her mind before turning her attention to everyone around her. The infected then spend the next twenty years amassing a massive network, including tendrils that can pop up just about anywhere. In that time, the people who got turned early mutated into even more terrifying creatures known as Clickers and Bloaters. The process is pretty similar in the game, but there’s one massive difference: spores take the place of tendrils.

In The Last of Us games, the Cordyceps infection disperses itself using particles in the air. The constant threat of contamination forces everyone to have a gas mask at all times. A video game character wearing a mask every few minutes is a lot different from a big-name actor wearing one on a show, though, so HBO switches things up. The Cordyceps network isn’t a constant threat like spores, but it has drawbacks, such as allowing the infected to group up and do significant damage to settlements like Jackson. Fortunately, the need to debate the two concepts is over because spores are now a part of HBO’s The Last of Us series.

[RELATED – The Last of Us May Have Just Confirmed It’s Sticking Closer to the Games Than We Thought]

The Last of Us Is Having Its Infected Cake and Eating It Too

Early in The Last of Us Season 2, Ellie and Dina come across a Stalker that moves irregularly. It thinks before it attacks, even going as far as to hide from Ellie to get the drop on her. The fight scares the girls, and while they hope it’s an isolated incident, their time in Seattle proves the infection is kicking things up a notch. Season 2, Episode 5 sees Ellie and Dina fight an entire group of intelligent Stalkers, and they’re only able to get away because Jesse shows up to save them. The group can’t catch a break, though, running into a pack of Seraphites who aren’t looking to take prisoners. Ellie leads some of them away, but instead of regrouping with Dina and Jesse, she sets her sights on the hospital where Nora, Abby’s friend, works.

Some kind of incident shuts down a portion of the hospital earlier in the episode, and, of course, Ellie and Nora find themselves there after chasing each other around. Nora gets their first, but when Ellie catches up, her target’s not doing too hot. It turns out the basement of the hospital is full of spores, which don’t bother Ellie at all but cause Nora to begin to lose herself. While the episode doesn’t spend any time after that diving into the threat of the spores because Ellie has business to attend to, with them on the table, the conflict in Seattle has a deadly new wrinkle, one that gamers know good and well.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Are you happy to see the spores in The Last of Us Season 2? How do you think the show will use them moving forward? Let us know in the comments below!

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One of the best characters in The Last of Us has had their arc changed for the worse in Season 2 of the HBO series. For the most part, The Last of Us TV show has stayed relatively close to its video game source material up until this point. While there have been some slight deviations and new characters introduced, the broad strokes of the TV series have remained identical to the story seen in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. Unfortunately, Season 2 has opted to change one of the show’s most prominent characters when compared to their role in the games, and it has been to their detriment.

**Warning: Spoilers for Season 2 of The Last of Us and the entirety of The Last of Us Part II are mentioned below. Read onward at your own discretion.

Tommy is the character in question in The Last of Us who has seen some major departures from how he appears in The Last of Us Part II. Outside of Ellie, Tommy is the most prominent character in The Last of Us who also played a big part in Season 1. Despite this, Tommy’s character has undergone some overhauls that have left me wondering where he’ll be at by the time the series ends.

Likely the biggest change that has been made with Tommy in The Last of Us Season 2 is that he’s not present during Joel’s death. In The Last of Us Part II, Tommy is with Joel when Abby and her crew capture, slowly torture, and eventually kill Joel. Comparatively, in the TV series, Dina was the one with Joel at the time of his torture, while Tommy was back in Jackson defending the town from hordes of the infected. Even then, though, Dina didn’t have to witness Joel’s death as she was knocked unconscious, while Tommy in The Last of Us Part II was forced to at least watch the initial attack on his brother before being knocked out.

This tweak, while seemingly a minor one, completely changes the arc that Tommy ends up having in The Last of Us Part II. In the wake of being present during Joel’s death, Tommy ends up becoming consumed by rage and a need for revenge, more so even than Ellie. This leads to Tommy becoming the first one to leave Jackson for Seattle to track down and kill Abby and her gang. Ellie and Dina then depart behind him, not only to try to murder Abby, but also to find Tommy and bring him home.

Related: The Last of Us Creators Confirm a Huge Season 3 Plot, “We Will Absolutely Find Out”

Comparing these events to those presented in The Last of Us Season 2 couldn’t be more different. While Tommy is still upset and grieving Joel in the wake of his death, he’s much more pragmatic about what has to be done afterward. Tommy isn’t hellbent on seeking “justice,” and instead tries to talk some sense into Ellie, who is dedicated to pursuing Abby at all costs. This conversation still results in Ellie and Dina leaving for Seattle to find Abby, but the fact that Tommy isn’t in lockstep with Ellie when it comes to this decision is an enormous shift from the games.

In The Last of Us Part II, Tommy’s throughline arc ends up being about revenge and what it can do when it fully consumes someone. By the conclusion of the game, Tommy is still desperately seeking vengeance for Joel’s death and has pushed aside those close to him, leaving him bitter, angry, scarred, and alone. He serves as a warning, primarily to Ellie, about what she, too, could become if her quest for revenge doesn’t subside.

My concern moving forward with the TV show version of Tommy is that I don’t know what his story now becomes. There’s still a lot of The Last of Us left to watch as Season 2 is only roughly halfway over. Tommy will surely end up playing a part in future episodes, not only in Season 2, but Season 3 and beyond. Even with this being said, I fear that Tommy’s impact on The Last of Us TV show could end up being a fraction of how important he is in The Last of Us Part II. Hopefully, I end up being wrong, but for now, I am greatly disappointed by the changes that have been made to his character.

The Last of Us Season 2 continues to air each Sunday at 9pm ET across HBO and Max.

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The heart of The Last of Us is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Throughout the first game, Joel does whatever it takes to keep Ellie safe, even going as far as to wipe out most of the Fireflies to protect his surrogate daughter. However, without the side characters helping push the story along, there’s little more to the property than a young girl getting mad at this older guy who takes her in while trying to avoid infected monsters. That’s why HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us enjoys fleshing out characters from the game that don’t get enough love, going out of its way to prove there’s more to the property than one story.

But HBO doesn’t stop there, as its popular series also introduces new characters that don’t appear in the games. Gail, Jackson’s resident psychotherapist, is one example, but The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One,” has another original character join the fray who’s sure to have a major role going forward.

The Last of Us Season 2 Finally Reveals the WLF’s Leadership

“Day One” opens in Seattle, which isn’t surprising given the end of the last episode, but Ellie and Dina are nowhere to be found. It turns out the scene takes place eleven years in the past and focuses on Isaac Dixon, a FEDRA sergeant who doesn’t get along with his soldiers. He scolds them for making fun of the civilians and gives them a history lesson before heading out to investigate a roadblock placed by the Washington Liberation Front. However, instead of confronting the people responsible, he confirms the identity of one of them, Hanrahan (played by Alanna Ubach), and proceeds to toss a couple of grenades at his men. Isaac and Hanrahan then shake hands, revealing they’re in league with one another and ready to fight back against FEDRA.

The shocking scene is of note because it provides backstory for one of The Last of Us Part II‘s most mysterious figures, Isaac. However, the real standout of “Day One” is Hanrahan, who doesn’t appear in the games. Isaac’s the leader of the WLF from the beginning, and there’s not really anyone who can challenge him. That aspect doesn’t appear to have survived the jump to live-action because Hanrahan clearly has the respect of Isaac and all of the other WLF members. It’s possible that, in the eleven years between Isaac’s defection and his torture of the Scar, Hanrahan meets her maker, but it feels more likely that she will play a crucial role in the WLF’s future.

[RELATED – The Last of Us May Have Just Confirmed It’s Sticking Closer to the Games Than We Thought]

Hanrahan Can Act as Isaac’s Moral Compass in The Last of Us

Isaac’s methods in the present day speak to how far he’s willing to go to maintain the WLF’s status. He clearly believes the Scars are a serious threat and is looking for a way to get ahead of them. However, it’s not his actions that prove that Isaac is off his rocker. During the flashback, Isaac saves another FEDRA soldier, Burton, by asking him to get out of the vehicle before he throws the explosives in. Isaac’s mercy goes a long way because Burton mans the door while his boss tortures the Scar in the present and doesn’t even bat an eye. Burton is behind Isaac all the way, so someone else is going to have to step up when the WLF leader takes things even further.

The Last of Us doesn’t reveal Hanrahan’s reaction to Isaac’s big moment, but it’s hard to believe she’s all about it. After all, even though Hanrahan supports Isaac killing the FEDRA soldiers, she has plenty of people to look after, and getting them caught up in the middle of a brutal conflict isn’t the best course of action. Isaac’s brutality may even form a rift at the heart of the WLF that gives Ellie the opening she needs to find Abby and her friends and get revenge for Joel.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Did you know that Hanrahan doesn’t appear in The Last of Us Part II? How do you think she’ll factor into the rest of the HBO show? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Introduces a New Character That Has a Major Role appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s easy to forget that, in the early days of the outbreak in The Last of Us, it wasn’t just about survival. The Federal Disaster Response Agency, aka FEDRA, was the organization the American government sent to major cities to help maintain some semblance of normalcy. It set up quarantine zones to give the non-infected a fighting chance, but it didn’t take long for the power to go to FEDRA’s head, with its soldiers abusing their power and terrorizing civilians. It made everyone realize that the fight wasn’t just against the infected but also against humans who found their way to the top.

While each city’s reaction to FEDRA was different, the results ended up being pretty similar because, by the time The Last of Us Season 2 starts, there are few traces of the government organization left. However, to ensure that FEDRA’s crimes aren’t forgotten, HBO is making it a major part of one character’s backstory.

Isaac’s Character Didn’t Have This Much Lore in The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One” starts with a flashback to Seattle over a decade before Ellie and Dina make their way to the city. FEDRA soldiers are trading stories in an armored vehicle, proving how much fun they can still have during the apocalypse. Their sergeant, Isaac, doesn’t appreciate how they’re about “voters,” which is what they call civilians because the government took their right to vote. It’s clear that Isaac is disillusioned with his post, and it doesn’t take long for him to break free of it. When the vehicle hits a roadblock in the form of people, Isaac gets out to confront them, but instead of telling them to move along, he confirms that one of them is his contact in the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, and kills all of his men but one. Once the show returns to modern-day, Isaac is in charge of the WLF and torturing what he calls a “Scar,” with the soldier he spared guarding the door and soaking up every minute of it.

The modern-day Isaac scene isn’t all that different from The Last of Us Part II. Throughout the game, he shows off his dark side by torturing Seraphites, members of the religious cult that’s active in Seattle. He wants to know their every move because the WLF is at war with them. At one point, things get so bad that both sides agree to a peace treaty, but that doesn’t last long, and once it’s broken, Isaac loses any humanity he has left. And while live-action Isaac may very well follow in his Part II counterpart’s footsteps, there are already very different characters because the one from the game is never part of FEDRA, being a former Marine who lives under the iron thumb of the government organization in Seattle. It’s a major change that’s sure to set the stage for bigger things in The Last of Us TV series.

[RELATED – What Happens in The Last of Us Video Game After Joel’s Death (SPOILERS)]

The Change to Isaac’s Character in HBO’s The Last of Us Will Drastically Alter the Seattle Conflict

Outside of fleshing out a character who doesn’t get enough shine in Part II, HBO’s decision to make Isaac a former member of FEDRA is likely part of the network’s plan to make the themes of the story more obvious. One of the most unique things about The Last of Us is how it attempts to show every side’s perspective. In a world this broken, everyone has reasons for doing what they do, and even the worst of the worst get a chance to touch on their motivations. Isaac certainly comes across as a complicated bad guy in Part II, with his mission being to keep his people safe by any means necessary. However, there’s little else to go on with him, so, despite a masterful performance by Jeffrey Wright, it’s hard to get on his side.

The Last of Us Season 2 is looking to flip the script by enlisting Wright’s help once again and giving his character clear motivations. Isaac knows what it’s like to take advantage of people, and the rest of Season 2 and Season 3 will likely dive into the good that he does in Seattle. Sure, he tortures people for information, but so did Joel on occasion, and in his mind, the Seraphites are just as big of a threat as FEDRA.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Did you enjoy Isaac’s backstory in The Last of Us Season 2? What else do you hope to see from his character? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Just Delivered Major Backstory for an Underrated Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us never hides what it is. The series starts by focusing on the build-up of the outbreak rather than the moments right before it opens up the world to chaos. Things get back on track after that, but Season 1 still takes plenty of creative liberties with the source material, such as spending an entire episode exploring Bill and Frank’s relationship that is only hinted at in the game. Choices like that, while unconventional, help flesh out The Last of Us‘ world and make the show unique rather than a shot-for-shot remake of the games.

However, not every alteration is praised as much as the Bill and Frank episode. Season 2, especially, switches things up and is getting plenty of heat because of it. The biggest gripe from diehard fans of the games stems from the scene in Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One,” where Ellie finds out that Dina is pregnant. But what’s being overlooked is that Dina’s role in the story isn’t the same one from the game, and her new one allows Ellie to let down her safeguards.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II game!

Ellie & Dina Butt Heads in The Last of Us Part II

Just like in the show, Ellie witnesses Joel’s death at the hands of Abby and her friends in The Last of Us Part II. After Tommy, who is on patrol with Joel when he saves Abby, gives Ellie all the information he can about the Washington Liberation Front, she sets her sights on Seattle. Dina agrees to accompany Ellie because she wants to be a supportive friend and is catching feelings. The general vibe of their journey is pretty tense, though, because Dina is being much more cautious than Ellie, wanting to make it home in one piece. Unfortunately, things reach a boiling point when Dina figures out she’s pregnant with Jesse’s baby.

Ellie doesn’t take the news well, going as far as to call Dina a “burden,” because in her mind, she’s on a suicide mission, but with a baby in the equation, she has to think twice about the risks. Ellie decides to just go on without Dina, leaving her in the theater to rest and gather information. Little by little, though, Ellie’s experiences start to change her perspective, and after a brutal confrontation with Abby, she gives up her quest for revenge and leaves Seattle in the rearview to be with Dina.

Things are very different in the HBO show, with the reveal of Dina’s pregnancy not even attempting to capture the game’s serious tone. However, that’s by design because Dina isn’t looking to head back to Jackson with her tail between her legs anytime soon.

[RELATED – The Last of Us Has Its Own In-Universe Comics (But Will They Ever Really Be Released?)]

Dina’s on Her Own Quest for Revenge in The Last of Us Season 2

The change to Ellie’s attitude makes sense in HBO’s story because of what happens in Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley.” Instead of Tommy, Dina is with Joel when Abby’s group gets their hands on him, and before Mel knocks her out, she learns their names and catches a glimpse of the WLF logo on their bag. The quick thinking allows Dina to formulate a plan while Ellie is in the hospital for three months, which proves to Joel’s surrogate daughter that her friend is just as serious about the mission.

While Ellie likely believes that she’s carrying the guilt alone during her time at the hospital, HBO makes it clear that Dina’s hurting just as much. They bond over the loss of Joel and support each other in every way, so by the time Dina realizes that she’s pregnant, there’s no reason for Ellie to lash out. Ellie truly believes in her heart that the two of them will finish the mission and head home to live a happy life with the baby. Sure, Bella Ramsey doesn’t get to flex their acting chops the same way Ashley Johnson did in Part II, but that doesn’t mean the show is failing the game; it’s not even trying to tell the same story.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Are you upset about The Last of Us changing Ellie’s reaction to Dina being pregnant? Do you feel like the changes to the story make the scene make sense? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Last of Us Season 2’s Most Controversial Moment Fits the Story HBO Is Telling appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s incredibly difficult for a video game adaptation to capture the feel of the game. After all, nobody watching a show or movie on their couch can pick up a controller and decide where the characters go next. Sure, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies are able to recreate the titular hedgehog’s iconic movements, but that’s easy when a bunch of the characters are animated in a live-action world. A lot of adaptations, such as The Last of Us, have no choice but to operate entirely in the live-action medium, making it incredibly difficult to translate aspects of the game. However, that doesn’t mean the HBO series isn’t trying.

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One,” sees Ellie and Dina start to make their way through Seattle and learn more about the conflict between the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF, and the Seraphites. While it doesn’t take them long to find themselves in trouble, Dina borrows a mechanic from The Last of Us games that gives her a leg up in a fight for survival.

Dina Uses Listen Mode in The Last of Us Season 2

Early in “Day One,” Dina locates a radio station with the letters “WLF” painted on it. At this point, Ellie and Dina don’t realize the strength of the group they’re up against, so they assume the building is where Abby and her friends hang out. They wait until nightfall and make their way over, but it doesn’t take long for things to take a turn. Ellie and Dina find the bodies of WLF soldiers who have had their guts ripped out by the Seraphites. It’s a gruesome scene, and they don’t even really get to take it in because WLF soldiers arrive and start canvassing the place. Ellie and Dina make it out, but they’re being followed, which forces them into a train station.

Underground areas are not a fun hangout spot in the world of The Last of Us, and like most of the others that Ellie and Co. have come across, this one is crawling with infected. But as Dina and Ellie hide from the soldiers, Dina really focuses and is able to determine just how many infected they’re up against. While the show makes it seem like Dina acquires super-hearing out of nowhere, the moment is actually a reference to the “listen mode” from the games, which allows players to view silhouettes of all the nearby enemies by crouching down and moving slowly. It’s an invaluable tool, and while the live-action The Last of Us has never referenced it until now, it’s not the first time the show has used a feature from the game to its advantage.

[RELATED – How Many Seasons of The Last of Us Will There Be]

HBO’s The Last of Us Shows Love to the Games Any Chance It Gets

With HBO following the story of The Last of Us games pretty closely, there are Easter eggs around every corner. The horse Ellie and Dina are riding in Season 2 comes straight from the games, and the actors who bring Ellie and Joel to life in the Naughty Dog titles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, both have important roles in Season 1. However, from time to time, the callbacks go deeper than that, with the show ripping a moment straight from the game, such as Ellie visiting with the giraffes in Salt Lake City, or borrowing an important aspect of gameplay. The latter happens a lot less, but there are a few notable instances of it.

One of the first times the show pulls something straight from the games is in Season 1, Episode 2, “Infected,” when Tess is hurt and in need of help. Joel uses duct tape, one of the most common resources in The Last of Us games, to take care of her foot and get her moving again. Season 2 also gets in on the fun, showing a workbench in Ellie’s room that surely works like an upgrade station for her weapons, just like in the games. Now, those references aren’t as overt as the listen mode situation in “Day One,” but when backs are against the wall, there’s no room to be subtle.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming now on Max.

Did you catch the reference to listen mode in The Last of Us Season 2? How often did you use the feature in the games? Let us know in the comments below!

The post A Major Piece of The Last of Us Gameplay Was Finally Added to the TV Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the best parts of HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us is that it avoids being a shot-for-shot remake. The powers that be know that the games have been out for years and that a decent number of their viewers have already played them, so they decide to keep everyone on their toes. The most obvious way they do that is by exploring characters who didn’t get a lot of love in the games and giving them new allies or enemies. A great example is Eugene, who’s dead by the time Season 2 of the HBO series begins and lives on through his wife, Gail. While she doesn’t appear in the games, she’s a great addition to the cast and fills an important role, just like another character who debuts in Season 2, Episode 4, “Day One.”

The beginning of “Day One” focuses on Isaac Dixon, a FEDRA sergeant who gives up his power and joins the Washington Liberation Front, aka the WLF. He shows how ruthless he is by killing nearly all of the soldiers under his command with a grenade. However, he gives one a choice, and that moment sets up a major return later on.

Isaac Shows All of His Cards in The Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us is never shy about showing how cruel people can be. David is ready to do unspeakable things to Ellie in Season 1, while Season 2 proves how twisted the conflict between the Scars and the WLF is becoming in Seattle. “Day One” also spends time with another ruthless group, FEDRA, in the past. A group of soldiers, led by Isaac, is in an armored vehicle and cracks plenty of jokes about the people they’re supposed to be protecting. The power has gone to their heads, and Isaac calls them out on it before he departs the vehicle and meets up with his contact with the WLF. However, before Isaac dooms them all, he asks one soldier, Burton, who clearly has some humanity left in him, to come outside with him. Isaac kills everyone and allows Burton to choose whether to join the WLF or die. The show cuts away before Burton picks a side, but a quick moment later in the episode shines light on the situation.

In modern-day, Isaac is at the top of the food chain, torturing a Seraphite for information about their upcoming attacks on the WLF. He’s clearly even more disillusioned with the world than he was in the flashback, which makes him incredibly dangerous. The look on the face of one of the soldiers outside the door proves as much, but when he looks to his ally nearby for reassurance, he doesn’t get it. The other soldier turns out to be Burton, who isn’t the same kid from his FEDRA days eleven years prior.

[RELATED – How Many Seasons of The Last of Us Will There Be]

Survival Comes at the Cost of Humanity in The Last of Us

While the first season of The Last of Us doesn’t show any of it, Joel makes it clear that he and Tommy had to do messed-up stuff in the early days of the outbreak. It got so bad that Tommy left behind the only loved one he had because he just couldn’t take it anymore. Joel turns over a new leaf eventually, but that dark side is always with him, and it becomes part of Ellie, too. The world of The Last of Us doesn’t allow good people to survive, and whether Burton realizes that at the time, his chances of living if he doesn’t go with Isaac are close to none. However, even though he makes the right choice for his own survival, Burton essentially makes a deal with the devil.

When the show catches up to Burton in modern-day, the light in his eyes is no longer there. He feels nothing after he hears the gunshot from the other room and even refers to the Scar Isaac kills as an “animal.” It’s a hard moment to watch, but it serves its purpose because Ellie finds herself in a similar conundrum to Burton at the beginning of the episode: take the high road or give in to the darkness.

The Last of Us Season 2 is streaming on Max.

Were you surprised that Burton took Isaac’s deal in The Last of Us Season 2? Do you think Burton will return in a future episode? Let us know in the comments below.

The post I Can’t Believe I Missed This The Last of Us Character Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 3 will reveal all the answers to a big Season 2 mystery, according to the creators of the show. The Last of Us is one of the biggest TV shows on the planet, but its story is largely already completely out in the open for anyone who wants to consume it. The TV show is based on one of the most popular PlayStation video game franchises and unlike some other adaptations, it sticks to the story pretty closely. Season 1 adapted the entirety of the first game very faithfully and Season 2 is on track to do that as well, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some new changes for The Last of Us show.

The Last of Us Season 2 is already halfway over and it’s probably becoming very clear to fans of the game that it’s not going to cover the entire second game. This was known before the season began as the second game is very dense and much longer than the first one. It requires a lot more time and it’s also pretty hard to tell in a traditional way. The latest episode even hints that The Last of Us is adhering to the controversial structure of the game. With that said, that means there are things that won’t be fully resolved this season, which may upset some fans who are only watching the TV show.

The Last of Us Season 3 Will Show the War Between the WLF and Scars

In the third episode of The Last of Us, we are introduced to the Scars, a cult-like group of religious fanatics that communicate through whistles. Not much is known about them, but Episode 4 makes it pretty clear there is a lot more to this group than we initially thought. We are formally introduced to Isaac, the leader of the WLF, and see him torturing one of the Scars. The reasons for this are left purposely vague, but it’s clear there is a big war going on between these two factions. According to series creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, they are intentionally leaving this a mystery for the moment.

“The question is, what is Isaac pursuing” asked Mazin on The Last of Us Podcast. “And these questions about this war may not be answered this season. There will be some mysteries.”

However, that doesn’t mean fans will be left in the dark forever. The Last of Us Season 3 has already been announced and both Druckmann and Mazin have confirmed they will answer some of those mysteries revolving around this war next season: “Now that we’re renewed for season three, we could say, you will definitely get those,” confirmed Druckmann.

“That’s the thing,” said Mazin. “We just didn’t know if we were getting canceled, guys. We will absolutely find out exactly what they’re about, exactly what he wants, which is the most important thing to understand about characters, but there will be some mystery to sit with for a while.”

Of course, as already noted, the mystery of the Scar and WLF war in The Last of Us is something that is well-documented in the game. However, a lot of these answers are in dialogue and optional collectible notes found throughout the game. You never see any of what led to this, you just hear about it. The TV show will likely have the opportunity to actually show what happened, as The Last of Us has made changes to its story to show things that were otherwise not in the game, but are still relevant to the overall narrative.

The post The Last of Us Creators Confirm a Huge Season 3 Plot, “We Will Absolutely Find Out” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us TV show seems to be confirming that it will stick pretty close to the games, perhaps in ways that TV show fans won’t like. The Last of Us TV series has been making all kinds of changes from the game, some for the better, some for the worse. It’s a much bigger, more complicated story than the first season/game, so it requires more adaptation. While Season 1 is pretty faithful to the game, Season 2 is taking a bit more liberty with how things play out. One big change is that you don’t find out why Abby does what she does until about halfway through the story, but the show reveals it almost immediately.

The latest episode of The Last of Us Season 2 makes one of its biggest changes so far, but that’s partially because of a decision made in Season 1 that had lasting ramifications on the story being told here. Some fans may have expected the show to make some very specific changes based on events earlier in the show. As noted, the show opens with Abby, something that doesn’t happen in the game. It seemed like the show was setting up the idea that we may see more of Abby in this part of the story than we do in the game, but that may not be the case at all. Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 and Season 2 follow below.

The Last of Us Season 2 May Keep the Game’s Controversial Structure

Near the start of The Last of Us Season 2’s fourth episode, we see a piece of text on screen that reads: Seattle Day 1. If you’ve never played the game, this probably means nothing to you. However, to game players, this is a pretty huge clue that this is going to stick close to the games. In The Last of Us Part 2 video game, the bulk of the story is told across three days in Seattle and each day is specifically notated when the characters wake up. However, at the end of day 3, things take a pretty dramatic turn.

We are going to keep things as spoiler free as possible, but the story basically resets back to Seattle Day 1 from the perspective of a different character. It’s probably not too hard to guess who that other character is, but we will let you fill in the blanks. You see and hear about Ellie’s rampage from the other character’s perspective, but also go on a completely different adventure. The Last of Us is a story about perspective, so this all ties together in a really unique way. However, with only a few episodes left in Season 2 and Seattle Day 2 having just begun at the end of the latest episode, it is probably becoming clear to fans that we aren’t going to see that yet.

Given the game is structured that way because… well, it’s a game and you can’t flip back and forth between characters like you can in a TV show, many figured this adaptation may tell their stories simultaneously. However, it seems like that won’t be the case and this show will follow the structure of the game very closely.

Thankfully, The Last of Us Season 3 has already been confirmed and is actively in the works, so hopefully, the next season will come sooner rather than later. Perhaps there will be another 2 year gap, but it seems like the creators behind the show are trying to adapt this story as efficiently as possible.

The post The Last of Us May Have Just Confirmed It’s Sticking Closer to the Games Than We Thought appeared first on ComicBook.com.

HBO’s critically lauded adaptation of The Last of Us unveiled the fourth episode of its intense second season last night, guided by a director well-known to MCU enthusiasts. Kate Herron, celebrated for orchestrating the entirety of Loki‘s debut season on Disney+, brought her distinct vision to the latest chapter in Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) harrowing post-apocalyptic saga. Herron’s episode continues the show’s ambitious Season 2 narrative, which delves into the complex and often brutal events of the sequel game, The Last of Us Part II. Airing Sunday on HBO and Max, the installment benefits from Herron’s unique perspective as part of a carefully selected team of directors tasked by showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann with navigating this challenging new territory.

As director and executive producer of Season 1, Herron’s work on Loki involved managing its large-scale science fiction concepts and establishing the memorable aesthetic of the Time Variance Authority. She also grounds cosmic stakes in compelling character studies, particularly exploring the evolution of Tom Hiddleston’s titular anti-hero. These were elements carried on to Loki Season 2, helping the show to score a sophomore hit. Now, The Last of Us shows how Herron can translate that skillset to the gritty survival horror universe. Herron’s episode follows Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) as they navigate the unfamiliar territory of Seattle, deepening their relationship while confronting the brutal realities of the city’s warring factions, directly building upon the traumatic events established earlier this season.

[RELATED: The Last of Us Finally Gives Fans Scene They Thought Was Cut: “The Moment We’ve Been Waiting For”]

Herron joins a distinguished group of directors enlisted by Mazin and Druckmann for Season 2, including Peter Hoar (who directed Season 1’s “Long, Long Time”), Mark Mylod (Succession), Nina Lopez-Corrado (Perry Mason), and Stephen Williams (Watchmen). Mazin and Druckmann also direct, ensuring Season 2 remains cohesive despite the diverse team of directors. This team brings expertise to the table as the series tackles the challenging adaptation of Part II. 

The Last of Us Season 2 Embraces Part II‘s Controversial Narrative

The second season of the HBO series is navigating one of the most acclaimed yet divisive narratives in modern gaming history: The Last of Us Part II. That includes plot points that polarized its fanbase, particularly the brutal death of protagonist Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and the introduction of his killer, Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever). The show demonstrated its commitment to this controversial path early in the season, depicting Joel’s shocking murder in Episode 2 with unflinching brutality. This decision signaled the adaptation’s intent to explore the game’s core themes of cyclical violence, trauma, and the often-blurred lines between hero and villain, setting a dark and challenging tone for the season.

Despite telling the same story, The Last of Us adaptation is ignoring the complex structure of Part II. The game famously splits its narrative, forcing players to inhabit Abby’s perspective for a significant later portion of the game, a move designed to foster empathy for a character initially presented as antagonistic. The introduction of Abby and her crew in the early episodes of HBO’s series, however, already establishes her motivations tied directly to her father’s death at Joel’s hands, laying the groundwork for her redemption. Similarly, the casting of Jeffrey Wright as WLF leader Isaac and the depiction of the WLF/Seraphite conflict in Seattle begin building the world that shapes Abby’s experience, hinting at the broader societal collapses and factional warfare the show will explore beyond Ellie’s personal quest for vengeance.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs Sunday nights on HBO and is available to stream on Max.

How do you think the show is handling the adaptation of The Last of Us Part II‘s most controversial elements so far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post A Marvel Fan-Favorite Directed the Newest Episode of The Last of Us appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 just gave fans a moment that they feared had been removed from the show entirely, much to their delight. The Last of Us Season 2 is easily one of the biggest TV shows of 2025 and there are a lot of reasons for that. Of course, Season 1 was a huge hit, raking in tons of views for HBO, but also snagging tons of awards as well. That makes it a highly-anticipated TV show, but also, the second season is adapting the incredibly divisive but fruitful story of the second video game. People adore this game, others hate it, but that’s partially what makes it such an interesting story.

However, this is a TV show and that means the story has to be adapted. It can’t be a one to one translation because these are totally different mediums. The Last of Us Season 2 has made some big changes from the game, some of which have been really good, and others have been… questionable for some fans. Of course, some of these changes have been made without fans being able to see the full picture. The entire show hasn’t been released, so fans don’t have the ability to know what the full ramifications of these choices are. The Last of Us game fans were pretty concerned when a huge moment didn’t come in Episode 2.

The Last of Us Season 2 Fans Rejoice Over Ellie and Dina’s Sex Scene

The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 4 finally pulled the trigger on one of the key scenes from the game, but it’s handled in a very different way. At the start of the game, Ellie and Dina are on patrol together in Jackson and eventually have to take shelter due to a huge snow storm. They end up going inside of an abandoned library where they find Eugene’s extensive weed farm in the basement. The two decide to wait out the storm by smoking weed before eventually having sex. It’s a pretty crucial scene for the two’s relationship, because while this is happening, Joel is being murdered by Abby at the lodge.

When fans realized that The Last of Us made some big changes in Episode 2, specifically making it so Dina is with Joel and not Ellie, it became clear that this love scene wouldn’t happen where it does in the game. Instead, the show allows Ellie and Dina’s romantic tension time to build and even teases the moment once again when they are in their tent in Episode 3. The exact same conversation from the game that leads into them having sex is in that scene, but it ends in a very different way.

So finally, at the end of Episode 4, The Last of Us allows Ellie and Dina to finally have their very intimate moment. It’s even a tad more graphic than the game, but fans are extremely pleased, especially after Dina indicated that she isn’t lesbian in the previous episode. This was all topped off by Dina revealing her pregnancy to Ellie, which prompted Ellie to hilariously respond with the fact that she’s going to be a dad. You can see some fan reactions below.

The post The Last of Us Finally Gives Fans Scene They Thought Was Cut: “The Moment We’ve Been Waiting For” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us TV series has had its fair share of surprise cameos and appearances by familiar faces throughout its episodes. In Season 1 of the HBO series, not only did Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett appear as Bill and Frank, but fans also got Anna Torv as Tess, Storm Reid as Riley, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and even game star Ashley Johnson as Anna, Ellie’s mother. So far, Season 2 of The Last of Us hasn’t had too many surprise appearances, though Catherine O’Hara has appeared quite a bit as local therapist Gail and Joe Pantoliano is set to debut as Eugene. Episode 4 of The Last of Us Season 2 however began with perhaps the most shocking cameo by a well-known star, in part because their previous body of work is so different from their Last of Us character. Spoilers follow!

As the latest episode of The Last of Us begins, the action flashes back to 2018 in the Seattle QZ, fifteen years after Outbreak Day and eleven years prior to the present day events of the show. The episode begins with a slew of FEDRA soldiers talking and blowing off steam inside of an armored truck. One soldier appears to be the life of the party, telling stories about mistreating people via his FEDRA authority (and setting the stage for the Seraphites in an interesting way). What isn’t immediately obvious is that this foul-mouthed soldier with reckless disregard for his fellow man is none other than former Nickelodeon star, Josh Peck.

“JOSH PECK WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE GET OUT OF THAT FEDRA UNIFORM,” one user wrote on X after realizing Josh Peck was the one in the episode.

“Josh Peck jump scare to start the episode,” added another.

“We are SECONDS into new tlou why is Josh Peck here,” one user said critically.

To make the sudden arrival of Josh Peck that much more jarring, The Last of Us had a surprise up its sleeve. In the sequence, the FEDRA truck they’re driving in is stopped on the street and approached by a group of unarmed citizens in what appears to be potentially threatening maneuver. Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac exits the truck to talk to them, only for the series to reveal that this was all planned by Isaac and was him officially joining up with the WLF and leaving FEDRA behind. As one last act of defiance against FEDRA, Isaac unclips a few grenades from his belt and tosses them back into the truck before shutting the door, killing everyone inside….including Josh Peck.

RELATED: The Last of Us Theory Might Make This Joel Change Actually Make Sense

“JOSH PECK IS NOT ALLOWED ON GOOD TV SHOWS,” one user said of his appearance. “SO THEY KILLED HIM TO RESTORE BALANCE.”

It’s unclear if Peck’s appearance in the episode was rooted in the fact that fans best know him for appearing in hit Nickelodeon shows like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, and if the filmmakers were using that as a way to subvert expectations by having him play a nasty character. On the flipside, the addition of Peck in a role where he’s nearly unrecognizable could very well just have been an actor getting hired to play a part without any thought to his past work (something that happens every day). In any event, the arrival of Peck in The Last of Us, even for just one scene, gave the series a jolt that fans were not expecting to see.

New episodes of The Last of Us premiere Sundays at 9 PM on HBO and MAX

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Shocks Fans With Nickelodeon Star’s Surprise Cameo, “What Are You Doing Here?” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Last of Us Season 2 has made a massive change to one of the biggest scenes from the game. The Last of Us is a TV show that was praised heavily in the first season for largely sticking to the game. While there were some changes, there wasn’t anything too egregious and most of it felt like a natural extension of the game. This is something a lot of other adaptations failed at because they would take a brand, character, or general idea from a game and then massively change it for a movie. Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, and Max Payne are all prime examples of this, but The Last of Us showed everyone how it can be done successfully.

With all of that said, The Last of Us Season 2 has been making more noteworthy changes throughout its first four episodes. This has led to some anger amongst fans who feel like this story shouldn’t be altered too much because any small change drastically impacts the overall arc. It can hurt a certain character’s development, harm pacing, and reduce the overall impact. While there’s certainly value to these critiques, it doesn’t seem like any of these choices were made lightly. The Last of Us Season 2 has also made changes that fix issues from the game as well. However, one of the biggest changes in The Last of Us‘ first season just forced the second season to make a key change.

The Last of Us Season 2 Changes How Dina Learns Ellie Is Immune

In The Last of Us Season 1, the creators decided to remove a popular element from the games: Spores. This is an airborne cell from fungi that can infect anyone who breathes it in. Spores are typically found underground and are hot zones for infected and require gas masks. However, this was changed in the show partially so that they didn’t have to obscure the faces of the actors. This change upset a lot of people because they knew it would hurt a moment in the second season.

In The Last of Us Part 2 the video game, Dina and Ellie are in a spore-infested area. Ellie’s mask breaks after being punched by an infected and Dina is terrified because she doesn’t realize Ellie is immune. Dina tries to give Ellie her mask, but Ellie refuses and emphasizes her immunity, urging her to trust her because there’s a horde right behind them. Earlier in the game, Ellie had admitted she is immune to Dina, but Dina thought she was joking. When they get to the theater, it becomes clear Ellie was being serious.

However, the lack of spores in The Last of Us TV series meant this moment had to be changed. The overall set-up is similar with Dina and Ellie being chased by a horde through a subway tunnel. They eventually try to get through a turnstile, but get stuck. As Dina is about to be bitten, Ellie sticks her arm out and takes the bite for Dina, utilizing her immunity as a strength. Of course, it still hurts, but it’s better than Dina turning.

This results in a big confrontation between Dina and Ellie when they get to their new hideout, the abandoned theater. As Ellie is securing the place, Dina draws her gun and is about to kill Ellie. Feeling like Dina isn’t ready to waste any time pulling the trigger, Ellie explains she’s immune and that there’s nothing to be scared of. She makes a deal with Dina to watch her while she sleeps to prove she’s not going to turn into an infected.

This is ultimately a much better usage of this situation from the game because it actively shows how Ellie’s immunity can save people, even if not through a cure or vaccine. She uses the thing that could scare people as a method of protection and it creates a moment of extreme tension. If you’re not familiar with the games, you have no idea how this kind of scene will play out and it leads to some well-done suspense.

What did you think of the new episode of The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments.

The post The Last of Us Season 2 Changes a Key Game Moment (And It’s Better) appeared first on ComicBook.com.