The Last of Us season 2 returns in April – here's what to expect
The TV adaptation of Sony’s hit video game returns after almost two years
🔜 HBO has announced the return of The Last of Us TV show
📆 Season 2 begins in April with the first episode airing on April 13
🧟 The second season will cover events from The Last of Us Part 2
👍 There will be seven episodes that vary in length
HBO’s TV adaptation of The Last of Us returns this April and will focus on the events of the second game in Sony’s hit franchise. It’s been almost two years since the show debuted to critical and public acclaim, and sees the return of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
Season 2 will star the second game’s controversial character Abby, who is being played by Kaitlyn Dever. The show’s Abby will differ in appearance from the game, which is bound to cause some debate. Abby was strikingly muscular in The Last of Us Part 2, something that was questioned by players due to how difficult it would be to pack on serious muscle in a post apocalyptic world.
How The Last of Us season 2 handles key game events will also intrigue fans. While I won’t spoil it, The Last of Us Part 2 begins in dramatic fashion, which proved to be very divisive. It’s likely the TV show will take some liberties with the game’s narrative, just like we saw in season 1. However, the writers will need to balance staying true to the source material while putting their own stamp on things.
The Last of Us Season 2 won’t cover the entire story from the second game and will instead run into another season. Showrunner Craig Mazin previously said: “The story that we’re telling is much bigger than the story of season one. There’s just a lot more going on, it’s a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster to be honest with you.”
Season 2 is set to span seven episodes, with some lasting longer than others. HBO will have high hopes for The Last of Us Season 2 and has already committed to two more seasons. The first season’s debut episode drew 4.7 million viewers in the U.S., making it HBO’s second-largest premiere since 2010. It was only beaten by the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon.
The success of The Last of Us TV show paved the way for more video game adaptations, including Amazon’s successful Fallout TV show. However, some adaptations haven’t fared so well, with the Halo TV show being widely dismissed by most gamers and critics.
If you’re interested in The Last of Us video games, Sony has made them easier to enjoy on PS5. The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered are the best ways to experience Naughty Dog’s excellent single-player series.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.