What To Expect In Season 2 of "The Last of Us"!

HBO recently released new images from the next season of their Emmy Award-winning series "The Last of Us", which show an older and more rugged Joel (Pedro Pascal) and a weapon-wielding Ellie (Bella Ramsey). 

The first season came out with much anticipation and excitement thanks to the large pre-existing fanbase built by the 2013 Naughty Dog game of the same name. The series drew in tons of viewers well outside of the original gamers following the premiere’s huge success. Now, with the released pictures, that same eagerness has returned in audiences, with everyone asking: What’s next? 

For viewers who have not played the game, or just heard of the series from the HBO production, there is a lot to cover for paths within the new episodes (and we’ll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible!). 

Joel and Ellie's relationship is subject to change -- a trouble hinted at by the end of the last season. Not to worry, though, they’re not leaving us quite yet. But audiences should expect the season to dip into the future of the two while also lingering on the history of them and their impact on the world around them. 

New Locations

The production of the second season saw delays due to the writers’ strike last May but commenced shooting in mid-February of this year. Images surfaced on Twitter/X that showed locations in British Columbia set to be environments for the new season. 

The characters encountered a collection of locations in the first season as Joel and Ellie traveled across the country to find the Fireflies. The production has proven a nomadic one, and it appears that much of the same should be expected of the characters in the next season. 

Time Jump

The Last of Us Part II, the video game, featured a major time jump within its opening and introduction to the world of the previous game. As the series has been, for the most part, staying true to the major plot points of the game series, this time jump is expected. 

The first season already introduced the audience to the story’s non-linear portrayal of time, often showcasing flashbacks and various timelines through the main narrative to tell characters’ stories. As suggested by the game and series writers, the audience should expect a new approach to events already laid out in the first season while also tackling the future of the characters we watched in the previous episodes. 

New Relationships

The series has already showed many relationships among the characters -- glimpses of Joel and Tess, an episode dedicated to Bill and Frank, and a teen romance between Ellie and Riley. As the series shows, romance isn’t dead at the end of the world. 

This is a trend that is expected to continue in the new season. Based on the games, the characters -- especially Ellie -- find new love in their world after the events of the first season. But look out! They might not always be with who we expect, because-- 

New Characters

New characters are on the rise who play a prominent role in the second game of the The Last of Us series, and are set to do the same within the second season of the HBO series. 

HBO and the official "The Last of Us" Instagram account previously announced a collection of new cast members in early March of this year, including Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord. 

This came as a second wave of cast reveals after the production released the first in January. The early 2024 reveal included Kaitlyn Dever of Booksmart fame, Young Mazino from the award-winning "Beef", Marvel’s Isabela Merced, and the legendary Catherine O’Hara. 

Kaitlyn Dever is set to play a major character in the second season. Abby is a lead within the second game and has been confirmed for the new episodes of the series. Abby will play an especially noteworthy role in the unraveling of the second season story. Her and Ellie’s stories will find themselves intertwined and mirrored at points. She’ll force audiences to re-examine the world they know and the characters they love. She is a character who will cause tension, shed light on previous events, and introduce a new string of plots alongside her crew. 

New Groups

Along with new characters, new rival groups will introduce themselves as violent oppositions to our heroes’ crew. Following Joel and Ellie across the United States, a collection of teams and groups have been showcased -- the most prominent of which is the Fireflies. The revolutionary group pushed against FEDRA norms and most of all worked to create a cure for the infected. Just like Ellie and Joel’s actions, the aftermath of the Fireflies is set to create an effect on the world in the second season. 

These groups will take shape in religious threats and rival survivalists. Despite the personal relationship developed between Joel and Ellie and the audience, they are not alone. 

Violent Choices

The second season promises more violent, more drastic, and darker characters and choices. There will be consequences to their actions, a leveling of fields, and a full consumption of rage in a vicious world. 

The second season of "The Last of Us" is expected to air on HBO and stream on Max in 2025. Meanwhile, you can stream Season 1 on Max. Stay tuned!