The Last Of Us ends season 1 in a tense place. The long journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) hit a major snag when Joel realizes the Fireflies can only investigate Ellie’s immunity to the cordyceps virus by digging into her brain, a fatal procedure. Of course, Joel lost his own daughter and is played by Pedro Pascal (the number one person to call when you need a daddy to escort a super-child in hostile territory), so they signed off on their own doom. He killed them and fled with Ellie in tow, and despite his emphasis to the contrary, Ellie knows. That’s where season 2 starts, and it severs the pair’s adoptive familial bond before season 2 even starts.

Season 2 begins with the introduction of a new Firefly, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who wants only one thing: Joel’s death, in retribution for that season 1 act. Cut to an angry Ellie, who lives in the community run by Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). While on patrol with her close friend and crush Dina (Isabela Merced), Ellie comes across a smarter, new kind of infected. It exhibits intelligence, deception, and hunting ability, a wild new evolution relative to the infected they’ve fought before, and it ambushes and bites Ellie. She hides it from all. Joel, in therapy with Gail (Catherine O’Hara) who hates Joel for killing her husband Eugene (Joe Pantoliano). At the end of a community dance gone wrong, Ellie lets Joel have it after he attempts to ‘come to her rescue’ following a moment of community homophobia, and the first episode (all that’s available for review) concludes with threats of a bigger danger to the community.

The Last Of Us is Off to a Strong Start in Season 2

The Last of Us

In the episode available for review, the performances are excellent across the board. Bella Ramsey gives an exceptional performance again as Ellie. She gets a lot to do in this first episode: being furious, a cool-headed hunter, a nervous crush to a passionate one. She lands the range well with aplomb. Pascal is great throughout, and his scene with O’Hara (who is charismatic, memorable, and welcome) is revealing and adeptly performed. Another standout is Isabela Merced, who is sassy but kind and her key scene with Ramsey is beautifully performed. In this first episode, it’s spot on across the board.

It’s hard to judge a whole season with only one episode available for review (hint: WBD should have enough confidence in a lauded property and trust in professional journalists to provide more episodes), but with the episodes made available, it’s a fine season that capably sets up key moments. Joel and Ellie are set up for complications in their relationship. Ellie and Dina may have a beautiful set of scenes going forward. The infected threaten to impede the community’s complacent welfare, Gail’s set up for a season of being awesome, and Abby is coming after like a Terminator. Much is setting up for a killer second season.

‘The Last of Us’ is Setting Up for a Monumental Season 2

The second season is also setting up for some excellent action sequences and effects. The new kind of infected portends a deadly kind of challenger that the community isn’t ready for. (They barely believe Ellie when she tells them.) Joel is desperate, loving Ellie like a father but rarely being more separated from her in practice. Ellie is pushing against authority and limitation while crushing hard, so she’s likely to get herself into trouble. There are ample sources of drama, and if one knows the games it’s clear that monumental things are going to happen (though it’s a matter of when and how). It’s off to a solid start.

Altogether, The Last of Us seems set for a great second season. There’s little that can really be said from just one episode, but the new characters are promising, the protagonists are at odds, and antagonistic forces are on the rise. Dever seems formidable in what little we’ve seen so far, and it’s hard to say what role the new infected will play based on this first hour alone… but surely it isn’t good for the human forces. Season 1 was an exceptional adaption of the ever-popular games, with strong character work, high drama, and uniquely eerie infected, and it seems like season 2 is hitting those same quality benchmarks so far.

The Last Of Us Season 2 premieres April 13, 2025 on Max, with new episodes to follow each Sunday.