No video game can ignite a heated debate quite like The Last of Us. The story of a world ravaged by a mutant fungus and the lengths people will go to survive have captured the imagination of gamers since its release back in 2013.
Selling tens of millions of copies, the original game is considered one of the best games ever made. And with an ambitious, equally successful (and hugely controversial) sequel, the epic story of a post-apocalyptic world continues to expand, offering new perspectives on how life can go on in the face of a horrifying world.
To this day, key plot decisions of the game still haunt fans – and the very mention of certain character names can be enough to create bitter online spats.
Well, we're about to relive all of that heartache once again. Get ready, as season 2 of the critically acclaimed TV adaption is finally on the horizon.
Whether you're a survivalist fan or a newcomer to the series, prepare yourself for some of the biggest, scariest and gut-wrenching moments that TV in 2025 could possibly offer. So, what should fans expect?
The Last of Us – a global phenomenon
For the uninitiated, The Last of Us is a story set in an apocalyptic world ravaged by the parasitic Cordyceps fungus. The simplest bite can slowly turn you into a mindless monster whose only ambition is to hunt living people and spread the infection. To no one's surprise, society quickly collapses.
Cities and towns are left abandoned as spores run riot in derelict buildings. The world as we know it retreats into small communities for survival. Twenty years on, power struggles between governments and independent factions are rife, as the everyday person will do whatever they can to get by.
The strength of the series rests heavily on its characters, namely Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Having lost his daughter in the initial stages of the pandemic, Joel is broken. While he survives in this new world, his former life and the man he once was cease to exist.
Joel seems beyond redemption, that is, until a chance encounter 20 years into the pandemic with Ellie Jackson. She is immune to the virus ravaging the land and could harbour a potential cure to save humanity. With renewed purpose, the two make the perilous journey across wasteland America, all the while developing an unbreakable bond amidst all the danger.
But as we saw in the final moments of season 1, surviving an apocalypse is never really that straightforward...
Season 2 of The Last of Us – expect to scream and shout at the TV
Season 2 is set to kick off five years after the events at the hospital and follow the digital footprints of the sequel gamer. Joel and Ellie have retreated back to the community of Jackson in Wyoming, which shows some promise at re-establishing civilisation.
But it doesn't take long before the idea of everyday life feels impossible. Their relationship continues to become…well…complicated. As someone immune to the virus, Ellie is left to tackle her survivor's guilt. At the same time, Joel's controversial actions and the lies he tells in the closing moments of the first season continue to haunt him.
All the while, the fungus continues to evolve, adapt and spread, with new stages amplifying the horror. New factions appear across the country, each with their own villainous tendencies and hierarchies, and members keen to settle a few scores in Jackson.
For fans, you're left with just one realisation – amidst a worldwide pandemic of undead monsters, the most dangerous thing is, in fact, the humans who survived.
While I haven't seen the series yet, that doesn't stop the brainstorming and wishlist for what I'd like to see answered. So here are five things I'm curious about with The Last of Us, season 2...
The Last of Us season two… Wow. What a beautifully written season of TV. It delivers an emotionally devastating story of trauma and revenge with astounding elegance. That's without mentioning Bella Ramsey’s powerfully raw performance and pulse-pounding action. #TheLastOfUs @HBO pic.twitter.com/AOd4cJc2QZ
— Eammon Jacobs (@EammonJacobs) April 7, 2025
1. Just how much of the game's sequel are we going to see?
Season 1 of the show was a contained experience, covering the length and breadth of the first game. As such, it followed predictable pacing. It started in Austin, Texas, during the early stages of the pandemic and ended on a high with both Joel and Ellie's climactic visit to St. Mary's Hospital in Boston.
There was little disruption, balancing fan expectations almost perfectly. However, Season 2 could be quite different in this regard. With just seven episodes that reportedly cover only part of the sequel, pacing will be a bone of contention.
We've seen some iconic scenes in the trailer already, but some are also blatantly absent. Especially since there are some undeniable 'watercooler moments', just how and when the season ends and the questions it leaves for season 3 will be the make-or-break metric for its success. My advice? Stay off social media until you've caught up each week.
2. From clickers to shamblers – we want more infected
The Last of Us is a survivalist dream where players are subjected to constant paranoia. You had to tiptoe on a constant basis. Seemingly empty houses and shops caused untold panic and paranoia. Every single corner you passed by was done so under the sight of a gun. The only true peace you had was when you turned the console off.
If I had one qualm with season 1, it was the absence of the infected. Sure, we had those big CGI scenes where waves of the undead came running, but it was pretty light on the psychological horror that only a mushroom-infused monster could provide.
And this is something I suspect will be rebalanced in the upcoming season 2. As time has passed on, more of the world has succumbed to the Cordyceps infection. Since part of the game visits the early sites of the infection, you can expect plenty of monstrosities to appear on screen and in your nightmares that evening. Don't say you haven't been warned.
3. All eyes will be on Kaitlyn Dever's portrayal of Abby
As a playable character in the sequel game, it should come as no surprise that new face Abby Anderson is set to take a leading role in the season ahead. While I'm not going to spoil the ins and outs of who she is for newcomers, suffice it to say you're either going to love her or hate her.
Craig Mazin describes why they cast Kaitlyn Dever as "Abby" in season two of #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/d2c8PmkW6T
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 25, 2025
Abby plays an integral part of the game's theme of revenge and retribution, and all eyes will be on how actress Kaitlyn Dever tackles one of gaming's most polarising characters. Despite the physical differences between her and her digital counterpart, fans have long since connected Dever to the role. You can expect her name to trend online without fail for the next few months.
4. What will some new (and expanded) characters bring to the table?
The introduction of brand-new characters to beloved stories is always going to be risky. Purists of the original games will be on high alert as we tease how much new content will be introduced - and what yarns they might be replacing.
In season 1, the show heavily expanded upon the life and role of Bill (played by Nick Offerman). The episode won numerous accolades and remains a firm fan-favourite, as it dug into Bill's life with his lover Frank in a truly poignant way.
So, what new additions have already been teased? Well, we've already seen how legend Catherine O'Hara enters the fold, playing a therapist in Jackson. No doubt she'll be quite busy with everyone's emotional baggage over the last two decades.
There's also Joe Pantoliano, who is set to play Eugene, a character only mentioned in a passing moment in the video game. Like Bill and Frank, the opportunity to flesh out underused characters may well bring heightened drama and emotion to the story in ways the video game couldn't.
5. Is this the last of The Last?
Award-winning TV show aside, The Last of Us is a goliath of a game franchise, selling millions of copies worldwide and holding a tight grasp on the title of one of the best games ever made. With remasters of both titles, a DLC, and brand new updates to signature game modes, you'd think the games would go on indefinitely.
But the cancellation of a long-awaited multiplayer game and radio silence on a potential Part 3 have left fans more than paranoid.
Many are holding out hope that the critical success of the TV series will cement the future of the game series. Unfortunately, the evidence to date isn't too reassuring.
It can't be for nothing. Season 3 is coming. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/q5HxyvK9O6
— Max (@StreamOnMax) April 9, 2025
In a recent interview with Variety that sent shockwaves across the gaming community, co-writer Neil Druckmann had the following to say concerning another game in the series: "I guess the only thing I would say is don't bet on there being more of Last of Us. This could be it."
What's more, developers Naughty Dog have already committed to a brand new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, that looks to be just as ambitious as The Last of Us and will no doubt consume most of their time in the future.
So, is this really endgame for The Last of Us? Could the TV show outpace the games? Despite the glaring proof in front of us, I remain blindly optimistic that this won't be the last we hear of the Cordyceps fungus.
Eagle-eyed fans will have to be vigilant for any little Easter eggs that point toward a potentially new chapter in the saga when The Last of Us returns to our screens this April.
Season 2 of The Last Of Us begins on April 14th on Sky and NOW
