The Last of Us season 2 wasted no time making major changes to the source material, with Abby's huge character tweak already looking likely to have a critical impact on the story. Having become arguably the franchise's most controversial character during her time in The Last of Us Part II, Abby's role in the HBO adaptation was bound to split opinions and divide viewers. As a result, the show decided to make Kaitlyn Dever's version of Abby different from the games in one key way, which could prevent the character from receiving the same backlash she did in the game.
Despite her dark actions, The Last of Us Part II's morally gray story makes it hard to label Abby as a true antagonist, especially given she is one of the game's two playable characters. Understandably, her most memorable act in the entire story led to some fans being unable to forgive her, but she was also the target of unwarranted hatred, which the series will struggle to avoid. Luckily, it looks like HBO is adapting some iconic Abby scenes in TLOU season 2 while also making some necessary changes, one of which has already been seen in "Future Days".
Revealing Abby’s Motivations Right From The Start Makes It Easier To Understand Her Trauma In The Last Of Us
Audiences Will Have A Better Understanding Of Why Abby Wants To Kill Joel Much Earlier Than Fans Of The Game Did
Whereas the video game doesn't truly reveal why Abby wants to kill Joel until deep into the story, The Last of Us season 2 opens with her plan, presumably to help the audience understand her trauma. In The Last of Us Part II, Abby alludes to her motivation during her confrontation with Joel, but it's not until getting to play as her around 15 hours or so into the game that viewers fully understand her actions, which came far too late for some.
Considering Part II is all about how bloody the cycle of revenge is and the damage it causes, the negative reception clearly wasn't how the creators intended people to feel about Abby.
New episodes of The Last of Us season 2 air every Sunday on HBO and Max.
Episode 1 doesn't outright explain how Joel wronged Abby, leaving an element of mystery about her intentions, but it's clear it has something to do with his attack on the hospital during season 1's finale, giving viewers more to go on than they did in the source material. Part II makes her feel like a stranger who simply kills one of the audience's favorite characters for no reason until the latter part of the plot, but season 2 is already making Abby feel more relatable, which could help alter how show viewers perceive her compared to gamers.
How Abby's Character Change Can Help Avoid The Last Of Us Game Backlash
Viewers Of The HBO Show Are Getting Much Longer To Sympathize With Abby
Changing the structure of Abby's story could be a genius way to make audiences more sympathetic towards her, given the backlash she received after The Last of Us' second game was released. Ultimately, some viewers were always going to feel bitterness and anger regarding Abby no matter how HBO changed the series, but those a little more open-minded may come around to understanding her character more, even if they still feel conflicted. Fortunately, season 2 has made it instantly clear that Abby's suffering is the reason she's going after Joel, with her pain easy to identify.
Even without fully understanding what Joel took from her, fans can see that her trauma has caused a five-year-long pursuit that won't end until she gets justice. However, considering how controversial Abby's The Last of Us season 2 story will be, the adaptation must allow viewers to connect to her more than the game did so that she won't get quite the same backlash. It's fine if fans don't like her based on her actions - the same way some may turn on Ellie or even Joel based on their decisions - but Abby still needs protection.
How HBO’s Abby Changes Will Impact The Last Of Us Season 2
Abby May Feel More Like A Secondary Protagonist Than She Did In The Games
The most obvious impact Abby's changes will have on season 2 is its overall structure. We have already learned a little bit more about Abby and her group in the first episode of TLOU season 2 than we did during the early portions of the game, and assuming the show continues as it does, we will likely experience Abby's Seattle story alongside Ellie's rather than afterward. This will make the plot flow a lot more naturally compared to the game, as Part II suffers from showing Ellie's journey first followed by Abby's rather than experiencing them simultaneously.
Additionally, portraying Abby as an antagonist early on in the show may make her redemption feel more natural, as the game almost never fully leans into the idea that she starts as a villain in the audience's eyes. Acknowledging that she is the main threat early in The Last of Us could help make her feel like the secondary protagonist that she's supposed to be later in the season as we head into season 3. While her story won't change fundamentally, HBO's tweaks will give audiences much longer to make a fair assessment of her character.
Therefore, The Last of Us may continue to make Abby feel like the show's main villain for the first half of season 2, before delving further into her backstory, which may make her journey start to mirror Ellie's despite their big differences.
