HBO's successful adaptation of The Last of Us is finally set to return in just a couple of months! Fans of the acclaimed game series have been waiting with equal parts excitement and dread for what's to come in the series (no spoilers here!).
On Tuesday, HBO released a new teaser revealing an April 2025 release window for the seven-episode sophomore season. Picking up five years after the events of the first season, season 2 will follow The Last of Us Part II and introduce Abby, an important new characters like Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Dina (Isabela Merced), Isaac (Jeffrey Wright), Jesse (Young Manzino), Manny (Danny Ramirez), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and more.
Premiering in 2023, the HBO series starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal debuted to rave reviews and later picked up eight Emmy Awards out of 24 nominations. The show is based on the Naughty Dog video game from writer and co-director Neil Druckmann, who serves as showrunner on the HBO series. Druckmann writes and executive produces the show alongside Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin.
The above teaser gives us a better look at Dever's Abby, one of the most polarizing characters in the franchise. I can't say much about her without spoiling some pivotal moments, but Abby has a significant role in the story moving forward.
When we last saw Joel and Ellie, they were heading toward Jackson. The finale revolves around their discovery of the secret Firefly lab. There, Joel learns that the Fireflies intend to kill Ellie so they can use her brain to study her immunity and potentially create a cure for the widespread cordyceps infection.
Unwilling to let Ellie die, even for the greater good, Joel kills them all while Ellie is under anesthesia and flees with her. When she wakes up outside of the city, Joel lies to her, revealing that the Fireflies failed to make a cure, though it's clear Ellie doesn't really believe his story.
The teaser includes clips from several critical game moments, such as Abby in the hospital hallway where Joel had massacred countless people not long before. There are also brief clips of someone dragging a sickle—scary enough on its own but more so when you realize what climactic game moment it's hinting at, and we get to see a sneak peek of one of the most heartwarming scenes between Dina and Abby.
Game fans shouldn't expect season 2 to cover the entirety of The Last of Us Part II. Druckmann has said they won't adapt the entire story for season 2, and the show will probably go for at least three seasons, maybe even four.
The Last of Us season 2 will premiere on HBO in April 2025. Stay tuned to 1428 Elm for more updates and news on the series.