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The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1 Review : By the end of the first season of The Last of Us , Joel (Pedro Pascal) has solved his trolley problem (Google it if you don’t know what that means) in the way he believed was right in the moment - he doomed humanity to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey). And that decision came with a lot of bloodshed, along with a secret he’s keeping from Ellie. The Last of Us Season Finale Review: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey’s Post-Apocalyptic Series Sticks the Landing and Delivers an Amazing Game-to-Series Adaptation! If you’ve played The Last of Us Part II , you’ll know these two decisions will cost Joel dearly, and a deeply emotional journey lies ahead for both Joel and Ellie.
The first episode sets the stage, taking place five years after the events of the previous season’s finale. Clickers and other zombie-like infected still roam the world, but the remaining humans have built small communities to survive. Joel and Ellie now live in the commune at Jackson, where his younger brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Tommy’s wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) are part of the leadership.
But when we meet them again - it's now 2029 - Joel and Ellie are clearly not on good terms. We know why, but no one else does. Ellie lives in the garage, friendly with everyone but Joel.
A resentful Joel has started therapy, though his psychotherapist Gail (Catherine O’Hara) seems to have her own grievances with him. And Joel, of course, isn’t exactly being honest about why Ellie is upset. Ellie, meanwhile, has become a pro at taking down Clickers, treating it with an almost casual confidence.
She’s also developed feelings for her best friend, the warm and cheerful Dina (Isabela Merced), who has recently broken up with fellow camper Jesse (Young Mazino). During a routine patrol, Ellie encounters a new kind of infected - more intelligent and capable of sneaking up on people. (If I’m not mistaken, these were called ‘Stalkers’ in the game.
) This sets the stage for even more intense encounters in episodes to come. And yes, we’re introduced to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and a small group of surviving Fireflies. They’re heading to Jackson with one goal—revenge.
The first episode of The Last of Us Season 2 delivers everything fans would expect, with excellent direction and writing from Craig Mazin. There’s intense drama (courtesy of Joel and Ellie), thrilling horror (that abandoned warehouse sequence), and the beginning of a tender romance (between Ellie and Dina), which, of course, takes a dramatic turn. The series continues its knack for expanding minor game characters into fully realised, emotionally rich roles - just look at the unforgettable, heartbreaking episode 3, " Long, Long Time ," from last season.
This time, Catherine O’Hara’s Gail appears to be a completely original character, loosely connected to someone only mentioned in the game. Her scenes with Pedro Pascal feature some truly impressive acting from both. The performances remain top-tier.
Pascal continues to be in solid form - his Joel is now battle-weary and almost broken by his surrogate daughter’s distance. One standout moment is the therapy scene, where Joel struggles through a deeply internalised anguish and Pascal absolutely sells that scene. As for Bella Ramsey, she was excellent last season, and her casting felt so spot-on.
This sea, she does appear slightly younger than a 19-year-old might, though her performance remains incredibly strong. Isabela Merced brings warmth and charm to Dina, making her instantly likeable. Kaitlyn Dever is only seen in the prologue and again in the final scene, but from what I’ve heard from those who’ve seen the whole season, her character gets significantly more attention in the next one (Season 2 adapts only half of The Last of Us Part II , after all).
‘The Last of Us’ Sets Return With Season 3 on HBO Ahead of Season 2 Premiere on April 13 . 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Episode 1 Review - Final Thoughts All in all, the premiere episode of The Last of Us Season 2 does a solid job of setting the tone for what’s to come - grief, tension, violence, and messy human drama. It’s clear the story isn’t going to pull any punches, and if you’ve played the game, you probably know just how brutal things are about to get.
But even for those going in blind, the writing, performances, and atmosphere in the first episoe does a sold job of teasing we are in for some bleak times. The Last of Us Season 2 is premiering in USA on Max and in India on JioHotstar. (The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.
) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 14, 2025 07:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com ).
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