"Just Buckle Up": 'The Last of Us' Star Kaitlyn Dever Is Warning Fans To Prepare for Season 3

Kaitlyn Dever is used to emotional roles. But by starring in HBO’s The Last of Us, her latest work has become more personal than ever — and she says fans of the brutal post-apocalyptic drama better brace themselves for what’s next. In The Last of Us Season 2, Dever plays Abby, a fan-favorite–turned–controversial figure from the original video game. The second season wastes no time diving into the most infamous moment of The Last of Us Part II — Abby’s revenge-fueled murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal), as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) watches helplessly. The moment shocked TV audiences just as it did gamers years earlier. For Dever, portraying that emotional turning point required a deep understanding of her character’s pain.

“When I was actually starting to develop the character, I realized, if you look at all these characters, Abby’s not that different from a lot of the other characters in that world,” Dever told The Hollywood Reporter. “Grief is such an awful feeling… and you’d do anything to not feel that way anymore.” Even more poignant: Dever filmed Joel’s death scene just days after her own mother’s funeral. “All of the cast and crew showed up to support me,” she said. “Everyone treated me with such kindness and gave me such grace during that time.”

According to Dever, Pascal was the ideal scene partner for Joel’s harrowing death. “I’ve never felt so carried by another actor in my life,” she said. “We were really supporting each other… it was such a pivotal moment for both of these characters.”

Pedro Pascal Supported Kaitlyn Dever

She also appreciated Pascal’s post-premiere support, especially after backlash from some fans. “He posted behind-the-scenes photos as if to remind people this is fiction,” she noted, and after Joel’s death and a traumatic first encounter with Ellie, The Last of Us Season 3 is poised to put Abby front and center — and Dever is already sounding the alarm.

“That’s all I know about what’s going to happen,” she said. “Craig [Mazin] just keeps saying to me, ‘You have no idea what’s to come for Season 3. Just buckle up.’”

With the emotional weight of her mother’s passing, the physical intensity of the shoot, and the complex arc of a character like Abby, Dever’s performance in The Last of Us is already earning praise as one of the best of her career. And by all accounts, the hardest part is still to come.