Summary
For those who have played Naughty Dog’s sequel inThe Last of Usfranchise,next month can’t come soon enough. In only a few weeks, Season 2 of the incredibly anticipated HBO adaptation will return to screens and what seems to be in store for its beloved characters is almost too much to bear. However, just as the co-creators did with season 1, this time aroundthere will be some changes from the game. Neil Druckmann has now teased that viewers will get a different introduction to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) than the story fans will know from the game.
After premiering in 2023,The Last of Usquickly climbed the ladder and became one of the best video game adaptations of all time, breaking the curse that seemed to haunt the industry for many years, while also showcasing how adaptations can be successful. The series premiere ofThe Last of Uswas watched by almost 40 million people, and that was only within the first two months. Almost four months later, that number averaged out at around 32 million viewers per episode by May, firmly cementingSeason One as HBO’s most-watched debut season. As Season 2 peaks over the horizon, the show’s creators open up about what fans can expect from its characters.
The Last of Us Season 2 Will Change Abby’s Story From the Game
Speaking at apress conferencefor HBO’sThe Last of Us, the show’s co-creator, Neil Druckmann, teased fans thatAbby Anderson’s arc in Season 2 will be revealed much earlier in the show than it is in the video game,The Last of Us Part 2. “We couldn’t do that in the show because you’re not playing as her. So we need other tools, and that context gave us that shortcut,” expressed Druckmann.
“There are two reasons why we moved certain things up in the story. One of which [is] in the game…you play as Abby, so you immediately form an empathic connection with her because you’re surviving as her, you’re running through the snow, you’re fighting infected, and we can withhold certain things and make it a mystery that will be revealed later in the story. We couldn’t do that in the show because you’re not playing as her. So we need other tools, and that context gave us that shortcut.”
For those who haven’t played the game,Part 2is essentially split in half, where players play one half as Abby and the other as Ellie, which allows players to experience both characters' perspectives on certain situations, and in turn, gain empathy for their struggles. What shocked most players was the fact that they got to play as Abby for quite some time before realizing her true intentions about wanting to find Joel. Of course, this fairly intimate experience wouldn’t work in a TV series, so the show’s creators had to come up with another way viewers could beexposed to Abby’s backstorymuch earlier.
Druckmann also highlighted that the reason they had to change Abby’s story from the game was that people would have had to sit through many episodes to get to the crux of Season 2’s narrative, so it essentially wouldn’t make sense to drag it out. “Viewers would have to wait a very, very long time to get that context,” said Druckmann. It seems as though that dreaded Abby and Joel moment will arrive much sooner, which gives the recentepisode one title reveal forThe Last of UsSeason 2a lot more meat to its bones now.
The Last of Usseason two will premiere on April 13 on HBO Max.
