The Last Of Us Season 2 Review: A Dark, Complex, And (Mostly) Improved Adaptation

When creator Neil Druckmann's original "The Last of Us" arrived to instant acclaim back in 2013, it had the good fortune of doing so just as video games were scratching and clawing their way to be considered "respectable" or even "cinematic" art in their own right. Almost exactly a decade later, the thrilling first season of the HBO series adaptation avoided the need to address that pressing question. Instead, it faced a completely different challenge. By that point, even the most prestige of cable networks had become subsumed by streaming services and tech moguls, all of whom were ready and willing to burn hundreds of millions of dollars on any given IP. It was fair to wonder: Was there anything left for a live-action version of this post-apocalyptic adventure to prove in the first place?

Season 1 would answer this in the affirmative, mainly by lifting the so-called video game curse, but the real test comes with the release of this new season. Based on "The Last of Us Part II," a sequel commonly hailed as nothing short of a masterpiece in gamer circles, season 2 has always come with the added pressure of making lightning strike twice. Just ask Druckmann himself and co-writer Halley Gross, both of whom had the monumental task of crafting another satisfying, expectation-defying arc for main protagonists Ellie and Joel after doing so flawlessly the first time around. While their 2020 sequel accomplished everything it needed to and more (although allow me to unleash my hot take right at the start and state that the first game is far superior as a whole), it remained to be seen whether that same magic could translate to the much different demands of television.

It's both a relief and a genuine delight to say that the sophomore season of "The Last of Us" clears that incredibly high bar — and sets a new standard for every video game adaptation to follow in its wake. Yes, it should probably go without saying that these seven episodes (all of which were made available for critics to review) faithfully lift entire sequences that fans will recognize from the source material, oftentimes beat for beat and word for word. Still, there's never been much inherent artistry in replication or repetition alone. It's in the painstaking process of actually adapting, however, that season 2 truly soars. Following the broad strokes of the game is as straightforward as it gets, but making various changes to further enrich an already-compelling narrative? That's what puts this on another level altogether.

As a result, it's no hyperbole to say that "The Last of Us" season 2 comes pretty darn close to feeling like a miracle. Thanks to the rare combination of ambition, creativity, and a willingness to take risks, showrunners Craig Mazin and Druckmann do far more than simply retread old ground. They ultimately deliver a darker, more complex story that (mostly) improves on what came before.

After getting some brief (but poignant) table-setting details out of the way, season 2 picks up five years after the hardened duo of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) survive their harrowing journey across the infection-ridden countryside. Yet even as we watch the two characters in totally new territory, having integrated themselves into the community of Jackson, Wyoming that might as well be a snowy oasis in the middle of a dystopian desert, the cracks beneath the surface are already apparent to see. For reasons only hinted at in the early going, Joel and Ellie's once-tight-knit relationship has become strained in the years since. The former now resorts to therapy sessions with the unlikeliest of individuals (a world-weary Catherine O'Hara as original character Gail), while the latter spurns her father figure in favor of getting into trouble with her best friend Dina (Isabel Merced, a top contender for the best scene-stealing performance of the season) and intense training regimens with Jackson's steady leader-in-waiting Jesse (a perfectly-cast Young Mazino). All the while, a new threat descends upon our heroes far more frightening than any of the undead infected: Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, who takes all of one scene to show why the complaints surrounding her casting were always profoundly misguided.

If there's anything that separates every iteration of "The Last of Us" from its contemporaries, it would have to be the narrative's ability to take a relatively silly setup (oh no, mold-zombies caused the end of the world!) and ground it all in something meaningful and real. That sense of tangibility partially comes from season 2's continued focus on putting every cent of its massive budget on the screen, from actual location shooting amid majestic landscapes to staging legitimately "Game of Thrones"-sized set pieces to seamlessly integrating visual effects with practical makeup and prosthetics that make the hordes of infected even nastier than ever before. No, a show like this lives or dies by its ensemble, and every facet of production seems geared towards giving them the time and space to shine. Although much frostier this time around, Pascal and Ramsey's dynamic remains the heart and soul of the entire story. Both co-leads get plenty of flashy, show-stopping scenes ... but it's the moments in the margins that will linger most, the ones that let them express half a hundred complex emotions in something as subtle as an exchange of looks or one's expression changing as soon as the other's back is turned.

With the added dimension of Merced's willful Dina and Devers' fiery Abby as wild cards (along with one or two other major names that I dare not spoil), "The Last of Us" has rarely felt so formidable and so alive. This has always been a human drama and a potent morality tale first and foremost, even above its unabashed sci-fi/horror trappings. Not surprisingly, the entire cast once again rises to the occasion.

As it turns out, the problem that's plagued countless video game movies and shows in years past had a deceptively easy solution all along: Keep what already works, and change what doesn't. As obvious as that sounds, there's a reason why this has been so illusive for so long. There tends to be a disconnect between multiple layers of production. You have studio executives, who fundamentally misunderstand why a particular game became so popular to begin with, butting heads with creative leads profoundly ill-suited to that material. "The Last of Us" deftly avoids both pitfalls, likely as a result of the game's original creator Druckmann and the genre expert Mazin (whose work on "Chernobyl" feels like an oddly prescient launchpad for this) teaming up with a filmmaker-friendly network like HBO.

All parties involved could've easily insisted on nothing more than a live-action remake of "Part II," but that couldn't be less of a concern here. While season 1 defaulted a little too often to 1:1 recreations of the first game, the true strength of the show came from the crossroads where it diverged significantly and forged its own path entirely. The same holds true in season 2, though with the added bonus of both minor and major changes always rooted in justifiable decisions. (Yes, expect more expansive subplots similar to — though not replicating — season 1's famous Bill and Frank episode.)

This is precisely the approach that makes the second season of "The Last of Us" such a joy to watch, even for newcomers simply along for the ride ... and in spite of its almost relentlessly bleak subject matter. Who knew a saga steeped in loss, trauma, and endless cycles of violence could still be so much fun? Just like the games, one viewing of the harrowing twists and turns of season 2 will likely be enough for most. But, rest assured, this is a show that holds up to the scrutiny of re-watches. Scenes that play out one way the first time through suddenly take on fresh layers and new meaning the second time — a trademark of well-written scripts that have been carefully thought through from every possible angle. The not-so-secret sauce is a creative team working in perfect sync under one unified vision, from each episode director (including "Game of Thrones" veteran Mark Mylod, "Loki" season 1 alum Kate Herron, Peter Hoar, Stephen Williams, and Nina Lopez-Corrado in addition to Druckmann and Mazin) to the scripts (credited largely to Mazin, along with Druckmann and Halley Gross) to the below-the-line department heads and crew.

The series may never fully escape the mindless allure of those side-by-side comparisons certain to go viral on social media in the weeks ahead, but make no mistake: This is only the latest example of storytellers who understand that video games and their adaptations can be something more. The few times the season stumbles is when it resembles the game at its most basic level — not unlike the emotional distance of watching someone else play through "Part II" on YouTube. At its best, however, it proves why this game was worth adapting to another medium in the first place. So how do you improve on what came before? By doing exactly what "The Last of Us" season 2 does.

/Film Rating: 8.5 out of 10

"The Last of Us" season 2 premieres on HBO April 13, 2025.