Key Takeaways
- The Last of Us Season 2 may struggle to adapt the complex timeline of the second game, which shifts between two characters.
- The TV show should balance Ellie and Abby's storylines to keep key characters present and satisfy viewers.
- The series faces a challenge to please everyone as it navigates the intricate plot structure of The Last of Us Part 2.
Expectations for The Last of Us Season 2 are high following its stellar first season. The HBO adaptation was widely praised for its faithful adaptation of Naughty Dog’s popular video game, but when it comes to adapting the second game, the TV show may not be able to avoid disappointing some fans.
The first season of The Last of Us adapted the entirety of the first game, chronicling Joel and Ellie’s journey across post-apocalyptic America to find a cure for the zombie fungus that had overrun their world. In the end, Joel decides to save Ellie’s life, which may come back to haunt him in the future. The second season will adapt at least some of Naughty Dog’s second game, The Last of Us Part 2, which is not only much larger and longer than the previous installment but is also much more complex in the way it uses its characters and its timeline.
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How The Last of Us Part 2 Plays With Time
Spoilers for the plot of The Last of Us Part 2 are ahead.
The Last of Us Part 2 is roughly double the size of the first game and that’s largely because of the way it splits its story across two points of view. Ellie becomes the main playable character in The Last of Us Part 2 after she witnesses the heartbreaking death of Joel at the hands of Abby. This sends her on a vengeance mission to Seattle where she tracks down Abby at all costs. After spending half the game playing as Ellie, The Last of Us Part 2 surprises the player by then putting them in the shoes of Abby for the next half of the story. This is all done to give the player the perspective of the same three days through the eyes of each character, allowing them to form attachments and resentments about each of their actions as they play their part in the cycle of violence.
Ellie and Abby’s paths don’t cross over until the final day in Seattle, but there are quite a few times when the actions of one impact the other. The way the chapters of the game are presented is as follows:
- Jackson (Ellie)
- Seattle Day 1 (Ellie)
- Seattle Day 2 (Ellie)
- Seattle Day 3 (Ellie)
- Salt Lake Prologue (Abby)
- Seattle Day 1 (Abby)
- Seattle Day 2 (Abby)
- Seattle Day 3 (Abby)
- Jackson (Ellie)
- Santa Barbara (Ellie)
Over the years some fans have called for a director’s cut version of The Last of Us Part 2, which would allow the game to be played chronologically by alternating the days between Ellie and Abby. But when it comes to adapting this weaved timeline for the TV series adaptation, The Last of Us Season 2 may run into some trouble.
Which Route Will the TV Show Go?
At this point, it’s unclear exactly how the TV show plans to tackle the timeline of The Last of Us Part 2. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have made it clear that the game’s larger story will take two, potentially even three, seasons to handle properly, indicating that no matter which direction the story of the TV show goes, each of the key moments in the game will be addressed properly. The footage shown in trailers for The Last of Us Season 2 so far seems to indicate the story will cover the Jackson prologue and at least the first day in Seattle from Ellie’s perspective, but this could also be a case of HBO hiding the majority of the season's content to avoid spoiling upcoming events.
There are some curveballs in the footage of The Last of Us Season 2 so far that could suggest some divergences from the path of the games. One is the inclusion of Catherine O’Hara’s mysterious new character, which could indicate more time spent in Jackson at the beginning of the story or in flashbacks. Another is the inclusion of Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac in the story. Wright’s character is the leader of the WLF - the group to which Abby belongs - and the scene he is shown in appears to be one straight out of Day 1 of Abby’s side of the game. This could indicate that The Last of Us Season 2 plans to take more of a chronological approach to the story and may alternate between Ellie and Abby’s timelines.
Can The Last of Us Season 2 Satisfy Everyone?
No matter which approach to the game’s timeline HBO’s The Last of Us takes, it won’t be able to please everyone. If the series chooses to strictly adhere to the timeline of the second game, it will mean that most, if not all, of the story will be seen from Ellie’s point of view. This means that Season 3 of The Last of Us would need to be spent telling Abby’s side of the story and would largely omit Joel and Ellie, who viewers have grown attached to as the main characters. An entire season without key characters like Joel and Ellie could risk turning viewers away, particularly as Abby won’t be a liked character after what she does to Joel, so many may want to boycott her side of the story.
On the other hand, if The Last of Us Seasons 2 and 3 tell the game’s story chronologically by intercutting between the timelines of Ellie and Abby, this could result in a more balanced season and allow for more of the key cast members that audiences have grown to love to be seen throughout the two seasons. That being said, if the series does take this approach, it runs the risk of disappointing fans of the video game who want to see the story play out as similarly as possible on the TV show.
Whatever option The Last of Us takes, it will leave someone disappointed. Hopefully, the series can continue the success of Season 1 in its quality of storytelling and expansion of the game world in a way that will appease audiences to the point that the timeline order won’t matter.
