The Last of Us Season 2 is gaining momentum after the cast and crew unveiled the official trailer during the SXSW panel. The second season is confirmed to cover the earlier parts of the controversial sequel, and the latest trailer revealed some new footage that raised the eyebrows of hardcore fans familiar with the source material.
While it is common for adaptations to change a few things for a different audience, one can’t help but wonder about the decision-making process behind certain changes. Craig Mazin served as the first season’s showrunner and worked closely with Neil Druckmann, the game director, to bring this story to life and made some bold moves that could both harm and help this adaptation.
The Last of Us Season 2 Will Not Be a Faithful Retelling of the Controversial Sequel
Major spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 will be discussed beyond this point.
If the ending of the first season ended on a cliffhanger about Pedro Pascal’s Joel lying straight to Bella Ramsey’s face as Ellie, expect this to blow up in unexpected ways. In the source material, Ellie left and sought answers about what went down in the Firefly Hospital in Salt Lake City. Joel wasn’t too far behind, and Ellie was coming to terms with what happened after listening to Mel’s audio log from her recorder, forcing Joel to tell the truth.
It appears that the showrunners made another creative change to this heavy moment from the game for the show. Instead of running away to Salt Lake City on horseback, the HBO adaptation again took a shorter route and had Ellie confront Joel within the Jackson commune. This isn’t new since the first season removed entire combat encounters from the game, which was justified since the TV show can’t do what the games can.
Despite the creative changes, it is only a matter of time before fans react to this change and ponder what else Mazin and Druckmann alter for this new interpretation. Perhaps the live-action show will fare better than the original game when it was released 5 years ago on the PlayStation 4.
Nevertheless, fans of the game know how the story goes, and Druckmann has a second chance to surprise them and win their favor with the help of Mazin and the performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. This adaptation may not be as faithful as other live-action adaptations; it is best to keep an open mind and avoid entertaining lingering questions before watching the final product.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, get up to speed on which characters may or may not appear in The Last of Us Part 3, and Neil Druckmann’s comments about making another sequel.
Amazon Could Rue Shocking Decision for The Wheel of Time Game Adaptation
Even The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered isn't Stopping the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Hype T...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Finally Has Something in Common with Margot Robbie
The Last of Us Season 2 Callback to 2016 Pulls at the Heartstrings
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!
