HBO revealed today the first two images from The Last of Us season 2, giving us our first official look at Joel and Ellie in the new adventure. Filming is currently underway in Vancouver, with a 2025 release date being targeted for HBO.
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You can check out the first newly revealed images from Warner Bros. Discovery that were posted on the Max X (formerly Twitter) account below:
You can see our first official look at Ellie in the picture above, which gives away Bella Ramsey’s slightly longer hair in season 2. The new episodes will adapt the video game sequel which came out in 2020, and which is set four years after the events of the first game. In that storyline, Ellie is 19, and we expect the same to be the case for the HBO adaptation.
It’s hard to draw any conclusions from the Ellie picture alone. Though we could speculate where this takes place in the storyline (it’s probably the prologue, given all the clothing she’s wearing), the truth is that the most interesting one is our first look at Joel.
The picture above is clearly adapting one of the most iconic scenes in the game — but interestingly, it’s one that happens in the last two hours of the game, right before the epilogue. This already confirms that showrunner Craig Mazin is going to play around with the structure of the game’s story, which is very interesting in and of itself.
The Last of Us Season 2 Images Offer Interesting Hints With Joel’s Look
To make the following argument, I’m going to need to raise a spoiler alert for those of our readers who haven’t played the video game and want to go into the new season blind.
The lights above Pedro’s head heavily suggest that this is the recreation of the dance scene from one of the final flashbacks in the game. For the sake of the argument, we’ll assume this is the case, but leave the door open in case this is actually a new scene for the show. In the game, Joel has very few other scenes that could match this one.
Since we know they are splitting the second game into at least two seasons, it seems reasonable to assume that, should they follow the same structure, this scene would not be featured in season 2. It’s always possible that they are already shooting all of Joel’s scenes in the game, and they’ll be saving this one for later seasons when it fits the story. But since we’ve been told it’s actually our first look at season 2, we’ll assume that it will be moved around with respect to the game.
Neil Druckmann has admitted in the past that they played around with when the flashbacks were placed in the story. This one, in particular, is the second to last in the game and shows Joel and Ellie’s last fight before the reconciliation in the second-to-last scene. It takes place the night before the prologue starts and features Ellie and Dina’s first kiss — which prompts a homophobic reaction from someone in the crowd.
The fight that ensues between Ellie and Joel when he comes to her rescue is mentioned in the first scene of the main timeline of the game when Ellie and Jesse are about to start their patrol. A good alternative placing for this scene would be to have it in between the first scene in the game, which takes place immediately after the events of the first installment, and the start of the prologue.
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Craig Mazin already proved his worth when adapting this world with the first season, which is arguably a superior story to the video game. And though I’ll reserve judgment for the time the show comes out, I’m hesitant about moving this particular scene, one of my favorites from both parts.
Having it at the end provides an additional dimension to Ellie’s journey, as she uses the memory of that last fight with Joel to resuscitate her darker side and embark on her last journey to find and kill Abby. It also packs a much bigger emotional punch for the player.
The first season of The Last of Us is available to stream now on Max. Season 2 will debut later on HBO.
About The Last of Us
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2023 (Season 1); 2025 (Season 2)
Created by: Craig Mazin and Neill Druckman
Executive producers: Craig Mazin, Neill Druckman, Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam
Directors (season 2): Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Kate Herron, Mark Mylod, Peter Hoar, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Stephen Williams
Production: Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Production, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Distribution: HBO, Max
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Young Mazino, Isabela Merced, Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Barlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker
Synopsis (Season 1): 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.
But what do you think of the new images for The Last of Us Season 2? If Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are moving this scene earlier in the story for the HBO adaptation, would you be happy with that? And what do you make of our first official look at Joel and Ellie? Let me know your thoughts on our Twitter or our Discord server.
SOURCE: Max
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