Summary
- The Last of Us season 2 will reverse tragic themes from season 1, focusing on enduring and surviving in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Updates on the second season feature returning game characters like Isaac and new cast members Isabela Merced and Kaitlyn Dever.
- Ellie's quest for revenge in season 2 will mirror themes of enduring loss, flipping the tragic events of season 1.
The Last of Us season 2 will reverse the themes of a tragic death from season 1, proving the switch in focus for the HBO show's continuation. Details about The Last of Us season 2 are becoming more frequent given that the show is in production throughout 2024. From the return of The Last of Us game characters like Isaac - once again played by Jeffrey Wright - to looks at new cast members like Isabela Merced and Kaitlyn Dever, more updates about the second season of the show are coming to light.
For many, these tidbits of information will undoubtedly ease the wait for The Last of Us season 2's release date, currently expected at some point in 2025. Until then, however, it is worth exploring what the second season - based on The Last of Us Part II - will entail. Season 2 will take place a few years after The Last of Us season 1's timeline, though many events will impact the story. In a more indirect, thematic fashion, a tragic death from The Last of Us season 1 will be reversed in season 2, continuing the story of the compelling post-apocalyptic world.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Will Reverse Endure & Survive’s Season 1 Themes
The Meaning Of A Season 1 Title Will Be Flipped For The Last Of Us Season 2
One of the higher-ranked episodes of The Last of Us season 1 was episode 5, titled "Endure and Survive." The episode saw Joel and Ellie team up with brothers Sam and Henry to escape Kansas City. The title comes from the tagline of a comic book Sam and Ellie read but is made much more tragic by the episode's end. The meaning of the title is that the world of The Last of Us is full of people who endure and survive, but Henry and Sam cannot.
At the end of the episode, Sam succumbs to a zombie bite and Henry is forced to kill him. After this, Henry takes his own life out of grief and guilt. This flips the title of the episode on its head, as Henry could not endure the fact that Sam did not survive. In The Last of Us season 2, these themes - and Henry and Sam's deaths - will be somewhat reversed.
Warning! The following paragraphs contain spoilers for The Last of Us Part II and The Last of Us season 2.
The driving force of The Last of Us season 2's story will be the same as it is in The Last of Us Part II. Early in the story, Joel is killed by a girl named Abby. Ellie then embarks on a revenge quest, kickstarting the story. In The Last of Us season 1, Henry could not endure Sam's death, but Ellie will do the opposite in season 2. Ellie's rage, anger, and need for revenge against Abby allow her to endure the fact that Joel did not survive, reversing the themes of season 1's episode.
The True Meaning Of The Last Of Us' Endure & Survive Title
Enduring & Surviving Are Core Components Of The Last Of Us
In the world of The Last of Us, Endure and Survive applies to the people that inhabit the world. Many stories in The Last of Us' universe surround these two words, enduring and surviving. Characters like Joel, Ellie, Tommy, Abby, and so many others from both games - and the TV show - are shown to endure numerous hardships just to survive in an unforgiving world. This links to the bleak reality of The Last of Us' world, as the society its characters are striving to endure within is not all that worth living.
