HBO’s The Last of Us—the TV show based on Naughty Dog’s game—was pretty dang great. It felt like a faithful recreation of all the things that made TLOU such a videogame landmark, but with some fresh touches and considerations. For example, episode three’s reimagining of trap-happy hermit Bill had the tidy benefit of improving his story while adding weight and a sense of dramatic irony to Joel’s. Also, Nick Offerman was in it, which is a gold star in my book.
As such I’m pretty dang excited for the second season, which just got its first proper trailer as part of a “Coming to Max in 2024-2025” teaser (starting at around 1:16). I’m going to get into some moderate spoilers for the opening hours of The Last of Us Part 2 and, by proxy, the season itself.
The trailer opens on the back of Ellie’s head in a near shot-for-shot recreation of the dance scene from The Last of Us Part 2—we also see Ellie’s “chemical burn”, a self-inflicted wound she used to cover up her bite. So far, so faithful—then bam, Catherine O’Hara.
For those not in the know, emmy-award winning actress Catherine O’Hara is one of those new additions I was talking about. First announced to be playing an “unannounced” part back in February, O’Hara is predominantly known for her roles in comedies like Schitt’s Creek.
Her “undisclosed role” appears, at first glance, to be some kind of therapist in Jackson—I say this because she’s looking very civilised and put together, a thing you only manage in The Last of Us if you’re in a place of relative safety. Jackson’s the only place Joel visits that fits said bill.
Though, as some eagle-eyed observers have pointed out, Joel’s response to O’Hara’s character (“I saved her”) is actually lifted from his confession to Tommy in the game—all this to say, either that scene’s changed, or O’Hara’s role in the trailer is an editing misdirect and she’s talking to someone else entirely.
We also get to see some glimpses of Abby—well, we get to see her crawling under a fence buckling under the weight of a horde of infected, a set piece also plucked from the game. I’m sure nothing else as stressful will happen to her as the episodes progress. Happy endings for all—just, try not to think about the Seraphites (who also make an appearance here).
It seems like HBO’s The Last of Us started as it meant to carry on—this trailer shows, much like the first season, a set of scenes faithfully recreated from the game with just enough alterations to make watching it worthwhile. Not that that’s a bad thing—besides, the first season played second fiddle in popularity next to House of the Dragon, so I’d be shocked if we aren’t in for an era of prestige TV reimaginings.
