The first episode of The Last of Us Season 2 just dropped and the showrunners didn’t waste any time to get the story going with a few creative changes. The introduction was different from the source material, but it doesn’t mean it is flawed or any less entertaining.
Craig Mazin is back as the series showrunner after working on the first season and is ready to adapt the controversial sequel for this medium, and he is proud of the finished product regardless of what fans and critics say.
HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 Is an Easy Target for Critics and Fans
There is no way to adapt The Last of Us Part 2 without acknowledging everything the gaming community disliked about it, and the HBO team has prepared themselves for all the complaints and backlash. Mazin recently shared his thoughts about the fan reactions and recalled his reasons for bringing this project to life in a recent interview.
Look, we’re really happy. We think we’ve made something great. I think the season is pretty amazing, but now it’s time to kind of let the kid out into the world and see how people take it all in. It’s a lot.
Video game adaptations are starting to get better and the main reason behind it is that the people involved are fans. Mazin understood the lore and knew how to rattle some cages with whatever they put on the screen.
In 2020, The Last of Us Part 2 was shipped on the PlayStation 4, and the reception has been mixed, especially after major leaks surfaced months before the game was released. Director Neil Druckmann anticipated that not everyone would be on board with whatever story they were cooking, which applies to this live-action adaptation. Mazin knew some creative decisions would not sit right with fans and he has no issue with them since he did this show for the right reasons.
If I should stumble and fall, I stumbled and fell as I was loving it,” Mazin said of the decisions he made of “The Last of Us” Season 2. “I didn’t stumble and fall because I didn’t understand it, because I didn’t care because I came at it cynically or because I needed money. I did it because I loved it.
Mazin understood the assignment and adapting this story is no minor feat. HBO’s The Last of Us Season 1 was hailed as one of the best video game adaptations and for good reason: the people involved in the project knew what the story was about and Mazin loves the material more than he cares about making money.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out how Naughty Dog is milking The Last of Us franchise with another bundle, and what Hideo Kojima had to say about skipping boss battles in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
