The Last of Us has returned for a part 2, that takes place 5 years after the season one finale. The makers give a little background of things that have happened during the time, but also introduce more mysteries to keep the thrill going. The show does make major changes from the game of the same name. The intentions of the major characters and the dual protagonists are confirmed at the beginning of the Part 2, which will lead to a new experience for the gamers, but it may not take away from the new audience.
The season 2 premiere begun with Ellie and Joel coming to terms with the ending of season one. The death counts and why Joel made the decision, to hide the truth from Ellie and to save her the pain. Later in the episode we do see Joel having trouble dealing with the choices he made, and the chain of events it has led to with Ellie. On the other hand, we are also introduced to Abby, the second protagonist from the new season. The makers don’t waste much time in building a thrill around her character as well find out, she is out to get revenge for the deaths of the Fireflies at the end of season one.
The show for its first episode does focus on establishing the new dynamics after the time jump of 5 years. Ellie has settled in as a new teenager in the town, and works with Joel’s brother Tommy. She is seen taking fighting lesson with boys in the town, learning to hunt with Tommy and going on patrol around the area and more. Meanwhile, Joel is seen working around the town to fix things. He seems to have settle in with his age, and helping around. Their relationship has turned strained over the years but the reason has not been explored yet.
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The show does recreate some iconic moments from the game including Ellie and Dina’s dance at the town party. It is a brief good moments giving a glimpse into Ellie’s mindset about her identity, place in the town and her relationship with Joel. But one of the best scenes in the premier is between Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Catherine O’Hara’s Gail a psychotherapist, who is helping him deal with his emotions. Often the show has the characters narrate the reality of the situation (due to the time skip) but the unsaid, quiet moments in the scene really stand out.
Catherine O’Hara’s interaction with Pascal remains intense and keeps the audience hooked. While it is the fate of Ellie’s second bite and the infection spreading through the town that really adds to the big picture of the season 2. These are expected to the two major conflicts in the upcoming episodes, along with mentions of Issca who is set to be played by the OG voice actor from the games, Jeffery Wright.
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Overall, The Last Of Us Part II has begun with an emotional episode hinting at more roller-coaster of a ride than before. However, with the story evolving into something more personal and serious, tailing more than the two main leads, it is unclear how the makers will explore their stories.
Cover artwork by Patrick Gawande/Mashable India