The Last of Us Season 2 Review

The Last of Us (2023-)

Season 2 - 7 episodes
Watch The Last of Us on HBO Max
Created by: Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Dever, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Wright
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
Joel and Ellie, a pair connected through the harshness of the world they live in, are forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across post-pandemic America.

With season two, they've found a home in Jackson but the past is tracking them down, set on revenge.

Verdict
With zombie like creatures, the action is always intense. This show does a great job with action scenes. No 'empty' building is ever really empty. The second episode of this season has the intensity and stakes of a finale. The rest of the season is a reaction to the events of that episode. I don't know if this is quite as good as season one, which was great, but I appreciate how this upends our expectations in just the second episode. We're provided enough information to understand both sides of the conflict. There's isn't a clear cut right and wrong. This show is, and continues to be intense but this is half a season. There's no conclusion, just a to be continued and a big cliff hanger. It's difficult to rate this season when we're only provided half of the story. It's certainly well made, and I will watch season three.
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Review
This is from Craig Mazin, writer of Chernobyl. That show was amazing, and the first season of this show was also great. The show has already been renewed for a third season with Mazin stating he foresees a four season arc.

In season one Joel (Pedro Pascal) agrees to escort Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country to Colorado so a facility there can develop a vaccine from her blood. She's the only known case of immunity against the deadly Cordyceps fungus that has turned people into zombie like creatures. They see plenty of monsters and dead humans, but Joel manages to get her to the destination. When he discovers that to create the cure the lab plans to kill Ellie, Joel breaks free, kills several people in the lab, and saves Ellie. He lies, telling her the lab had given up on the cure after several unsuccessful attempts. Season two picks up five years later.

The scientists Joel killed in season one were part of the Fireflies. We get why Joel killed people, but we also understand why the Fireflies want revenge, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) leading a detail. In the intervening years Joel and Ellie have moved to Jackson, Wyoming with his brother. Ellie has become a rebellious teenager with Joel being the over-protective parent. It's clear there is a rift between them. Does it stem from the end of season one or is it just the typical teenager-parent strain?

Joel has the role of construction leader, repairing what they have and building for new refugees. He's irritated that they allow refugees as building can't keep up with demand, but he's reminded he was once a refugee seeking shelter.

E1: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced play Ellie, Dina

The big thrill of this show is waiting for something bad to happen. Whenever a character wanders into an 'empty' building tension increases. I don't think any building is every empty, and in the first episode we learn that some of the clickers are smarter, employing tactics.

The second episode has the intensity level of a finale. The town is attacked and the Fireflies catch up to Joel. So many shows would stretch the confrontation. This episode is shocking. You get both sides of it, both the Fireflies and Joel's action which makes the situation all the more difficult. After this episode, I wondered what would happen next.

E3: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced play Ellie, Dina

Ellie is out for revenge. Will Jackson send a group or will Ellie take the task herself? She gives an impassioned speech to the town that it's not revenge, it's justice. No one outside the walls will protect them. She's going to get revenge whether the town approves it or not. Ellie's reckless, jumping in and shooting first. Dina (Isabela Merced) joins her, balancing Ellie's instincts with caution and planning. A guy that insulted Ellie a couple episodes ago provides her supplies in this episode. That action means more because of it, but it's also an example of every scene having a purpose. Episodes are focused and efficient.

Episode four first felt like a bridge episode to connect various factions to the main plot. While it is, running from Clickers always increases the adrenaline. Dina didn't know Ellie was immune, and this episode does a great job with the reveal. They're on their way to Seattle to attack the Fireflies. We know Ellie's plan is ill-advised, but she's not going to relent.

E5: Bella Ramsey plays Ellie

In episode five, Ellie finds the first person on her revenge tour. Ellie states she knows what Joel did when asked, but does she? This episode also reveals that the virus is now airborne.

We get a flashback episode with episode six. I don't mind backstory, but flashback episodes always halt the momentum of the plot. This episode tries to defy that by showing Joe's devotion to Ellie. It's sweet as we see him celebrate her birthday every year. As she grows older, there's a split that develops between them. She's less of a kid and more independent. Joel has to come to terms with Ellie growing up. She has questions about what happened with the Fireflies but she's hesitant to ask Joel, fearing the answers. We see what started the rift between the two, as well as what happened between Joel and Eugene. Joel had to do what he thought was right, but Ellie has her own opinions and disagrees with how Joel handled Eugene.

Episode seven doesn't feel like a finale. It's not a conclusion as the story won't conclude until next season or possibly the season after. Ellie still wants revenge on Abby despite the logic. She could cut her losses, but she's too stubborn. For someone so rash, Ellie only makes it this far through plot armor. She was saved by the plot earlier in the season, which I could excuse, but it happens again. Ellie's first attack left her feeling numb. Her second attack doesn't go any better. Will any of this change her mind?

The final episode is unsatisfying. We're still right in the middle of Ellie's revenge tour, left wondering what will happen next season. Just to punctuate the moment, we get a cliff hanger that seems superfluous as I expect the implication will be quickly resolve next season. We do get a preview of season three. It seems like we'll see the events of this season from Abby's point of view. The two seasons together might form a solid story, but until then it's an open question.