Given that the post-apocalyptic HBO drama “The Last of Us” largely covers the events of the first edition of the Naughty Dog video game on which it’s based — aside from standalone episodes like the “Long, Long Time” flashback following the love story of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Barlett) — it would be logical to assume that “The Last of Us” season 2 would similarly stick to the game script of “The Last of Us” Part II video game.
However, the powers that be have warned diehard “TLOS” fans that they should expect some “deviations” in terms of plot points and timeline throughout the new episodes, which will hit HBO and Max on Sunday, April 13.
“I think that’s part of the fun for people familiar with the game to see how we approached that challenge in the show,” series creator Neil Druckmann recently told Entertainment Weekly.
And while Druckmann wouldn’t get into specifics, he did share: “I will just say that we gave it a lot of thought and tried different things. There are some deviations of where we place things.”
“We certainly are going to mess around with time the way it was in the source material, but as Neil said, we messed around in ways that we felt were appropriate for the show,” co-showrunner Craig Mazin added. “When I say ‘messed around,’ I mean scientifically determined in a narrative way what we thought would be most impactful.”
One such change is that the second season will pick up five years after its predecessor, whereas “The Last of Us” Part II commences four years after the events of the original game, jumping from 2034 to 2038.
Based on recent trailers for the new season, “The Last of Us” season 2 will broadly stick to the source material, but that extra year will no doubt lend more of a dramatic contrast for our characters Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) from when we last saw them, as well as more texture and immersion in the overall “TLOS” world. That extra space in the story could also mean more room for flashbacks and standalone episodes a la our Bill and Frank excursion.
The second game also played with dual timelines, regularly swapping perspectives between Ellie and Abby (cast newcomer Kaitlyn Dever). So far, it’s unknown whether “The Last of Us” season 2 will stick to that same non-liner timeframe, will opt for a chronological structure instead, or in even more of a diversion, will split the women’s POV into completely separate seasons, with Ellie dominating season 2 and Dever’s Abby picking up in season 3.
“A big part of the theme of the second game is about perspective, how someone’s hero could be someone else’s villain and vice versa. It’s weird to talk about a story where its structure could be a spoiler,” Druckmann told Entertainment Weekly.
We’ll see exactly how those “deviations” change up the stories of Ellie, Joel and the like when “The Last of Us” season 2 premieres on April 13. Tom’s Guide will keep you posted on all things “TLOS” related, from plot points to character details to new teaser trailers.
