By Christopher Cruz
When it premiered in 2023, HBO’s The Last of Us was hailed by many as the best video game adaptation ever. An enormous a part of that acclaim was attributed to how carefully sequence’ creators Craig Mazin and Neill Druckmann (who co-created the sport) caught to the script when translating the 2013 title to tv.
For anybody who’d performed the sport, it appeared apparent; The Last of Us was designed to carefully resemble the language of cinematic storytelling. The primary season lifted the entire structure of the game — with 1:1 recreation of many scenes and contours of dialogue to the purpose the place followers may virtually communicate alongside the characters precognitively.
However followers additionally knew that by the present’s second season, a near-perfect adaptation could be far more tough. 2020’s The Last of Us Part II was a unique beast than its predecessor, with a extra sprawling story instructed from completely different views — and its personal tectonic narrative shifts from the primary entry that stirred controversy amongst audiences.
Whereas its creators have been open about how the story of The Final of Us (the present) might want to evolve to suit the medium of TV, it hasn’t stopped these in-the-know from counting off and decrying a few of the largest alterations to the sport’s plot. And whereas it stays to be seen simply how far the trajectory of the narrative will depart from the supply materials because the sequence progresses, stretching the sport out over a number of seasons, it’s clear from Season Two that even minor updates may have an infinite impression on how tv audiences will expertise the story of Joel, Ellie, and Abby.
With out getting caught up on trivia, a few of the differing decisions are obvious whereas others are extra refined. Listed here are all the most important modifications we’ve caught in The Final of Us Season Two from the video games.
[Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season Two, episodes one to four.]
The season premiere opens with a glance again on the ultimate moments of the present’s Season One finale, whereby Ellie confronts Joel concerning the occasions that happened in Salt Lake Metropolis. Joel lies about Ellie’s process that may’ve saved humanity from the cordyceps an infection and omits the entire bit about slaughtering nearly each Firefly within the hospital. It’s ambiguous as as to whether Ellie believes him — however the shadow of doubt looms.
Editor’s picks
Within the recreation, the introduction is framed as a dialog between Joel (Pedro Pascal within the present, Troy Baker in recreation) and his brother Tommy (Diego Luna within the present, Jeffrey Pierce in recreation). With somber flashbacks to the violent night time, the scene performs out extra grimly than within the present, reminding gamers that even when they agreed with Joel’s actions, he has harmless blood on his arms. When questioned by Tommy about what he actually did, Joel replies, “I saved her.” This line does find yourself within the sequence however is relayed later by Tommy when talking to another person. It’s a small element, however reducing the interplay provides Joel lots much less display screen time early within the present, which focuses extra on the individuals affected by his selections than his inner battle about them.
With the pivot away from Joel within the episode’s opener comes a a lot earlier introduction to Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her surviving Firefly cohorts within the rapid aftermath of the massacre in Salt Lake Metropolis. In a makeshift graveyard outdoors the hospital, surrounded by the giraffes that Ellie met in one of many first season’s most emotional scenes, the group talk about their subsequent strikes after burying their useless. Their mission is obvious: kill Joel, after discovering one other outfit to regroup and rebuild with.
Within the recreation, Abby arrives within the story additional down the road as a seemingly innocuous determine throughout a raid by the contaminated horde. Her motivations and allegiances stay a thriller till a lot later, making her function a extra bogeyman-like menace. Right here, she bears extra humanity up entrance, and is meant to be empathized with as a sufferer of Joel relatively than shrouded within the otherness of being the antagonist.
One of many largest modifications established in season one was in how the fungal cordyceps unfold and wreak havoc all through the world. Somewhat than infecting individuals via airborne spores (necessitating fuel masks throughout encounters), the fungus grows underground, stretching out a nervous system-like net of roots that assist it discover human colonies for prey.
In Jackson, the city the place Joel and Ellie have discovered refuge with Tommy, an initiative to broaden the neighborhood reveals a severe challenge with water pipelines which can be crammed with the fungal tendrils (though the menace they pose is performed down as a curiosity for individuals who might not recall their impression within the earlier season). All of that is new to the story, and units up a ticking clock towards a serious incursion in Jackson that’s by no means in any actual hazard throughout the occasions of the sport.
Early within the premiere, Ellie’s good friend and potential love curiosity Dina (Isabella Merced within the present, Shannon Woodard within the recreation) stops by to pay Joel a go to, discussing the city’s varied renovations and the off-kilter habits of Ellie. It’s rapidly established that Joel has taken a liking to Dina and sees in her a more healthy father-daughter relationship than he at present has with Ellie, who’s grow to be extra distant.
Their relationship is much less outlined within the recreation, with Dina seen extra via Ellie’s perspective. The deeper ties established right here play into moreover added character interactions and sequences that veer away from the sport in later episodes, however it additionally reinforces the pressure between Joel and Ellie, at the same time as we see them work together much less within the sequence than they did within the recreation.
One of many strongest features of the primary season of The Final of Us was the enlargement of characters like Invoice (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who go from footnotes within the journey to totally fleshed out individuals in one in every of the best episodes of television ever. Season Two does a lot of this, too, but additionally provides new characters like Catherine O’Hara’s Gail, who was initially meant to seem within the recreation however was in the end minimize.
Gail is the city therapist, and though she’s clearly broken and discovering solace in heavy consuming, her position is to assist assuage a lot of the trauma the survivors face day by day. Particularly, she is working via Joel’s points with Ellie — and the secrets and techniques Joel himself is withholding, although Gail hates Joel for killing her contaminated husband only a 12 months earlier. Gail’s session with Joel has shades of different conversations he has with Tommy in-game, and once more reinforces the unstable nature of Joel, who’s coming aside on the seams as his relationship with Ellie flounders within the face of his actions.
One of many largest alterations to an necessary scene from the sport comes on the finish of the premiere, the place Ellie comes throughout Joel sitting on his porch after making a multitude on the city’s occasion by punching Seth for his homophobic feedback. Having already instructed Joel off in entrance of everybody, Ellie pauses for a second to take a look at her would-be father earlier than silently passing by.
This is likely one of the most stunning pivots from the sport, which at this level within the narrative had spent extra time letting gamers breath within the short-lived household dynamic of the pair. In-game, this sequence is definitely the penultimate scene towards the very finish, a flashback diving into the final dialog Joel and Ellie ever had that recontextualizes a lot of their relationship. Within the area the place the porch scene exists within the sequence, there’s as an alternative a unique flashback the place Joel fulfills his promise to show Ellie how one can play guitar, performing an acoustic rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Future Days.” The omission of the track is smart on condition that “Future Days” launched in 2013, the 12 months the apocalypse occurs, which is modified to 2003 within the sequence, that means that the track was by no means written on this actuality.
From the preliminary casting announcement of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, many followers had been fast to level out that the actress lacked the bodybuilder-like physique of the in-game character (voiced by Laura Bailey, modeled after Jocelyn Mettler). Though the present’s creators have argued that the cumbersome musculature isn’t essential to the character, it serves a unique function in-game, the place on the portion the story that makes up episode two, gamers tackle management of the character to see that she performs very very like Joel did within the first recreation — a powerhouse in distinction to Ellie’s extra stealthy gameplay.
Whereas Abby’s lack of uncooked power makes her extra susceptible to hazard within the present, there’s additionally cutbacks to her emotional vulnerability with characters like Owen (Spencer Lord within the present, Patrick Fugit in recreation). Within the recreation, an early dialog overlooking Jackson reveals that Abby and Owen had been as soon as romantically concerned, however that he’s now with one other occasion member named Mel. He tries to persuade Abby that the menace is just too nice, and that they need to flip again. Within the sequence, the small print of their love triangle are pulled, and Owen as an alternative rallies the group to desert the mission behind Abby’s again.
Outdoors of reshuffling particular person scenes, it is a level at which deliberate decisions to which characters are current for particular sequences might actually impression the plot of The Final of Us transferring ahead. Within the recreation, it’s established that brothers Joel and Tommy at all times take their lookout patrols collectively, however with a large snowstorm looming over Jackson, the present opts to maintain Tommy planted in-town, whereas Dina as an alternative accompanies Joel for his or her ill-fated assembly with Abby. In a parallel subplot, Dina’s ex-boyfriend Jesse (Younger Mazino within the present; Stephen Chang in recreation) replaces Dina as Ellie’s patrol associate.
The consequences of this are twofold: It signifies that Ellie and Dina’s will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic is pushed additional down the road as a serious interplay between the potential paramours doesn’t happen right here; secondly, it locations Tommy in Jackson for a life-threatening motion sequence that teases his demise (however spares him), relatively than being within the room when Abby final executes his brother.
By far the most important addition up to now to the sequence is a large-scale motion sequence in Jackson that pays off on the tease of the cordyceps community beforehand launched beneath the city. Invaded by a sprawling horde of contaminated, together with a large bloater that just about kills Tommy, Jackson is left nearly completely in ruins. The occasions of the raid happen concurrently with Joel and Dina’s arrival on the resort the place Abby’s group waits in hiding.
Within the recreation, Joel and Tommy discover Abby surrounded by contaminated (as she is within the present), however the stakes are considerably decrease, and Joel’s intentions are extra altruistic — wanting to avoid wasting Abby and produce her in from the storm relatively than racing to seek out armed allies to assist quell the assault on his residence. For Joel, the endpoint is in the end the identical, however now his demise is coupled with numerous extra in Jackson.
For avid gamers, Joel’s demise has been a well-guarded secret within the lead-up to the sequence’ second season. Gamers knew it was coming, however it doesn’t make the sucker punch any much less painful. However there’s some softening of the perimeters — whether or not to make Abby feels barely much less savage or just keep away from comparisons to another shocking death in an identical present (The Strolling Lifeless) — Abby’s execution of Joel isn’t fairly as gratuitously violent.
Within the present, Abby does use a golf membership to beat Joel to the brink of demise, and the squelching of her fists towards his face is pores and skin crawling. However after Owen begs her to place an finish to it, Abby chooses to stab Joel within the neck with the sharpened fringe of the damaged driver. Whereas nonetheless unsettling, the scene performs extra as Abby offering a small mercy to Joel with silent blow, whereas within the recreation she continues to collapse his cranium with the membership as a restrained Ellie holds eye contact. It would sound like a nitpick to those that’d choose a much less bloodthirsty method, however it does change the framing of the scene thematically.
Episode three opens with the aftermath of Joel’s demise, seeing Tommy are likely to his physique and Ellie affected by PTSD as she recovers from each the extreme bodily and psychological trauma she endured on the night time of. The present jumps forward three months to point out each the city of Jackson and Ellie herself at an uneasy stabilization level. In her periods with Gail, Ellie is pretending to be high-quality regardless of the therapist’s inclinations in any other case.
All of that is newly offered context added for the present that informs how the individuals of Jackson selected to reply to each Joel’s demise and the horde assault (which additionally isn’t within the authentic story). Within the recreation, a choice to pursue Abby is made simply days after Joel’s burial, offering rapid motion and penalties to gamers who wish to get revenge themselves. It additionally modifications who from Jackson desires to take mentioned motion given the completely different circumstances the characters discover themselves in from the present.
Halfway via episode three, the plot shifts briefly away from Jackson to a gaggle of facially scarred vacationers (who we’ll later know because the Seraphites). Much less outfitted with expertise and weaponry than the opposite factions just like the Washington Liberation Entrance and FEDRA, the Scars (as they’re nicknamed) resemble a extra hunter-gatherer tradition, and wax poetic concerning the benevolent prophet of their cult. They’re subsequently ambushed and slaughtered by unknown attackers, with even the ladies and kids ruthlessly killed.
This differs extensively from the sport, the place the Scars debut later in Ellie’s trek via Seattle as a terrifying drive depicted extra facelessly and savage. Right here, Ellie and Dina uncover their corpses and assume the violence was the work of Abby’s group (the WLF), reinforcing their notion of the group as killers to be stopped. Within the recreation, the Scars play an important position in Abby’s private story, however at this juncture of the sequence, they’re simply one other sea of victims.
Stemming from the most important modifications made with episode two’s destruction of Jackson, episode three sees a city corridor assembly held for the neighborhood to debate whether or not they need to ship a looking occasion out to get revenge on Abby. Whereas Tommy himself desires blood, he’s extra involved about defending each the city and Ellie, the latter he is aware of will completely attempt to go it alone to get payback. Regardless of an impassioned plea from Seth and a comparatively well-reasoned one by Ellie, the council votes towards sacrificing sources for a suicide mission. In response, Ellie and Dina determine to sneak out themselves, minimizing the impression on the neighborhood with a smaller mission.
It is a stark distinction to the sport, the place Tommy himself decides to tackle the burden of vengeance, sneaking out to homicide Joel’s killers (as he believes Joel would’ve for him). Not like the present, it’s Tommy’s spouse Maria (Rutina Wesley within the present, Ashley Scott in recreation) who sends Ellie and Dina out, to not kill anybody, however to deliver her husband residence safely. The present’s divergence right here is big, first by grounding Tommy in Jackson relatively than because the chief of the violent tour and secondly eradicating any guise about Ellie’s intentions. Somewhat than utilizing the salvation of Tommy as an excuse to inadvertently kill those that wronged her, Ellie’s bloodlust is on full show to Dina.
A smaller repercussion of the altering dynamics and character pairings supplies the city bartender, Seth, with a second of redemption for his previous habits. In episode one, Seth spews homophobic rhetoric and slurs at Ellie and Dina throughout their dance, main the Joel’s intervention and subsequent shunning from his adoptive daughter. Within the present, Seth supplies the identical weak apology he’s coaxed into from the sport, however he additionally stands as much as help Ellie throughout the council assembly (though he makes it extra about projecting power than making amends).
His last act of penance is being the one to equip Ellie and Dina with weapons and provides for his or her enterprise and serving to them sneak out within the night time — the position performed by Maria within the recreation, sending the duo off to rescue her husband.
The present’s framing of Dina is total very completely different, giving her a lot deeper tactical data and avenue smarts than the extra impulsive Ellie. In some ways, she’s the one main the cost because the mind behind the operation. She additionally leads their blossoming relationship, luring Ellie into opening about their kiss within the premiere, though stopping in need of performing on their chemistry. She additionally reveals that inside the three-month hole added to the sequence, she’s gotten again along with Jesse (as soon as once more).
At this level within the authentic plot, Ellie and Dina have already slept collectively and are depicted as basically being a pair. Ellie stays strongheaded as at all times, however within the recreation there’s a extra tragic love story at play as she is pulling alongside a much less prepared and succesful participant below the false pretense of saving one in every of their very own. Right here, Ellie is extra reserved, whereas Dina has extra company and management.
Episode 4 picks up with a flashback to 2018 (15 years into the apocalypse), the place a platoon of FEDRA troopers is using in an APC. Their chief is proven to be Isaac (Jeffrey Wright in each the sport and present), a world-weary veteran who in the end activates the group, killing all however one solder earlier than aligning with the WLF (who get nicknamed as Wolves within the episode).
Within the current, Isaac is the chief of the Wolves and is waging a private battle on the Scars to eradicate the rival faction. In a later scene, he will be seen interrogating and executing a Scar at WLF’s residence base. That is all consistent with the sport however comes into play a lot ahead of earlier than — the place Isaac’s position is usually confined to Abby’s subplot that we’ll possible see in future seasons of the present.
Whereas the primary recreation was neatly damaged into 4 components based mostly on the seasons of the 12 months, The Final of Us Half II has a way more advanced construction. Episodes one to 3 of the present principally make up the prologue earlier than issues would’ve kicked into gear within the recreation. By episode 4, Ellie and Dina are in Seattle for the primary of three days that spherical out this part of the story. However taking part in the sport, every day is an arduous journey in their very own proper; conversely the present speeds via day one in a single episode.
Ellie and Dina make their means via Seattle, pausing for only one pitstop at a report retailer, earlier than focusing on a defunct TV station occupied by the Wolves. By eradicating Tommy from the equation, the duo isn’t discovering corpses left behind by Joel’s brother to chart their subsequent path — skipping over sequences the place Abby’s buddies start dying off. As of now, they’ve been pulled fully from the plot and will probably all be alive and nicely.
After fleeing the TV station and killing two Wolves in a remixed flip of occasions, Ellie and Dina discover themselves in a subway tunnel besieged by each WLF and contaminated. It’s a harrowing sequence lifted immediately from the sport, however the scene’s ending modifications to match the inner logic of the present’s actuality. Close to their escape, Ellie throws herself in entrance of Dina, taking a chew from an contaminated particular person to avoid wasting her good friend. On this world, that’s a demise sentence for anybody however Ellie.
The scene performs out barely otherwise within the recreation, whereby airborne spores drive everybody to put on gasmasks — together with Ellie, to cover her immunity. On this model, they’re additionally attacked however her masks is smashed, revealing the reality to Dina as Ellie manages to outlive the deadly inhalant. Within the present, the chew results in an all-night standoff the place Dina should maintain a gun to Ellie’s head till she sees that there’s no transformation.
Not like the sport, the place Ellie and Dina hook up early on, the present takes a while teasing out their potential pairing. Following Ellie’s chew, an awestruck Dina lastly makes a transfer after the emotional whiplash of realizing that she hadn’t misplaced her newfound love. It’s right here that Dina additionally reveals that she’s pregnant with Jesse’s child, with Ellie proudly proclaiming that she’ll be the dad of their triple parenting state of affairs.
Clearly, this intercourse scene happens a lot sooner within the recreation, however it’s additionally the impression of the being pregnant reveal that’s modified. Within the supply materials, Dina’s being pregnant is used as an excuse to depart her behind within the theatre, pitting gamers as Ellie alone, who can put aside any pretenses of the journey being something greater than a revenge mission with out her associate’s security to fret about.
Equally to the sport, the episode ends with a large explosion rattling downtown Seattle. Utilizing a stolen walkie lifted from the TV station, Ellie and Dina can suss out that it’s the Wolves who’re making a transfer on another entity, and the pair rapidly plan to make their transfer in the midst of the chaos to seek out their marks.
Though it’s unclear precisely who the Wolves are raining fireplace upon in each variations of the story, it’s presumed to be the Scars within the adaptation; whereas within the recreation, Ellie and Dina imagine that Tommy is chargeable for the carnage. If it seems to be Wolves attacking Seraphites, it is going to shift up the timeline of the sport the place the Wolves have escalated their makes an attempt to eradicate the group that performs closely into later parts of the story. For now, the id of who’s concerned stays a thriller.
This story can be up to date weekly as new episodes of The Final of Us air.
We wish to hear it. Ship us a tip utilizing our nameless kind.
Rolling Stone is part of Penske Media Company. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
