'The Last of Us' Season 2: Creators break down character deaths and Season 3 plans
After a two-year hiatus, The Last of Us stormed back into our lives with its soul-shattering second season. Clocking in at just seven episodes over seven weeks, the season was shorter than the first—but packed with devastating emotion, brutal choices, and some of the most iconic moments lifted straight from the game and elevated through live action. The result? A season that gave longtime fans a reason to grieve all over again—and newcomers a masterclass in morally complex storytelling.
Ahead of the finale, which aired on OSN+ on Monday in the UAE, I attended a virtual press conference with co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. As someone who has played the video game and watched the show evolve in real time, it was great to see the makers diving deep into character analysis and hinting at a bigger, more layered Season 3.
A shorter season, a heavier punch
Where Season 1 introduced us to Joel and Ellie's bond against the backdrop of a ravaged America, Season 2 flips the emotional equation. Joel's death, a moment to relive for those who played the game, and still gutting to watch, is the narrative thunderclap that reshapes the world for Ellie—and us. Unlike in the game, where players controlled Joel and Ellie, the show allows us to watch them with some distance, yet ironically brings us closer to their emotional core.
Craig Mazin described the death scene as the moment he was both most eager and terrified to shoot:
'It wasn't so much the mechanics of Joel dying… it was capturing the emotional devastation," he said. "Bella (Ramsey) was shattering in that moment.'
Pascal's version of Joel is notably softer and more open than Troy Baker's gruff, emotionally barricaded portrayal in the game—a shift Druckmann acknowledged. He said, "Pedro's Joel is more articulate, more outwardly vulnerable… It felt right for the version of the story we're telling.'
The show expands Joel's emotional vocabulary, especially in the penultimate episode like the porch scene, where he tells Ellie: ' Because I love you… in a way you can't understand.' That line—absent from the game—was added to underline the depth of his paternal bond with Ellie, and set the stage for her heartbreak-fueled arc.
Blood, guilt, and the drug of revenge
This season didn't just chart a path through post-apocalyptic Seattle; it charted Ellie's psychological breakdown. From a relationship that blooms with Dina (Isabella Merced, who is brilliant in the show), to a series of increasingly violent choices, Ellie walks a razor's edge. One of the season's darkest moments—the accidental killing of a pregnant doctor, Mel—is handled with almost surgical cruelty by the writers.
'If you're rooting for Ellie, that moment should make you feel dirty,' said Mazin.
'This breaks her,' he added. 'And Bella's performance in that scene is astonishing.'
Druckmann added that Ellie's obsession mirrors addiction. He said, "You can get over it… the question is, can she ever fully get over it?'
The idea that revenge is not a satisfying conclusion but a corrosive journey is baked into every scene. By the finale, Ellie is emotionally hollowed out—poised on the brink of a confrontation with Abby that the show smartly saves for a later season.
What's coming in Season 3?
While Mazin and Druckmann refused to share exact plot points about Season 3, they made it abundantly clear: Abby's story is next. As in the game, we're likely to shift into her point of view—and actress Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby, is not going anywhere.
'We haven't seen the last of Kaitlyn Dever… or Bella Ramsey… or a lot of people who are currently dead,' teased Mazin.
This aligns with the structure of The Last of Us Part II, where Abby's journey becomes central—and controversial—for players. The show seems prepared to embrace that polarising shift, with Druckmann adding, 'We're telling you next season… this other story is going to be really important.'
And what about Tommy, Joel's brother, played by Gabriel Luna? I asked them why his role felt muted this season, compared to his more active presence in the game. Mazin pushed back:
'He defended Jackson from an entire assault… I don't know if I agree with the premise.'
But then he added something more intriguing:
'There's the potential of seeing this other side of Tommy… once he's outside the confines of Jackson.'
That promise of a more vengeful, morally flexible Tommy is something fans can—and should—look forward to.
Druckmann's response? "Just wait."
A story still haunted by Joel
Though Joel dies early in the season, his ghost lingers in every frame. Whether it's Ellie hearing his voice, Dina recalling his kindness, or even the blood-stained memory of what he did at the end of last season's finale, his actions shape everyone's present.
Mazin summarised it best: 'Everything is under the cloud—or sunlight—of Joel. What Joel did to Abby and what he did for Ellie. That will never change.'
Even the show's structure continues to echo the past. Season 2 ends just before the iconic Ellie vs. Abby showdown. Why stop there?
'This is part of the genetics of how this story functions,' said Mazin.'We have to take risks… and HBO supports us in doing that.'
With Ellie emotionally shattered, Jesse (Young Mazino) dead, Tommy lost in vengeance, and Abby's perspective waiting in the wings, The Last of Us is gearing up for a third—and likely penultimate—season that will test every character's core beliefs.
This is a show that's never been about who lives or dies—it's about what survives in the aftermath: grief, love, guilt, and memory.
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