The first season of The Last of Us is about to end after nearly nine weeks of captivating viewers with its tense and emotional drama. The story follows Joel and Ellie as they travel across America, trying to find a cure for a devastating brain infection caused by a fungal outbreak while avoiding militia and monsters. Despite the series being adapted from a video game, HBO announced a second season after the first few episodes. This article will explore what viewers can expect from the upcoming season without giving any spoilers.

The Last of Us: Part 2, a video game sequel to the original, may provide clues as to what the upcoming second series of the TV adaptation may look like. The game was released in 2020 and expands the world of the story with new characters, factions, and locations. The game was a success despite the controversy surrounding its use of violence, and its director, Neil Druckman, has suggested that the TV show will continue to adapt the games without any plans to tell new stories. However, given the broader scope of the sequel, it’s possible that one series won’t be enough to do it justice, and the show may focus on just one portion of the story.

Drama

The first series of the adaptation of The Last of Us has been emotionally challenging, with characters coming and going. This trend will continue into the second series, as difficult decisions are made and loved ones are lost while the characters explore the post-apocalyptic America. The show will continue to have a constant threat of sudden death, as seen in the first series, and viewers can expect to shed tears throughout the season.

Themes

In terms of themes, the opening series of The Last of Us has explored authoritarianism and what it’s like to live under a dictatorship. The upcoming series will focus on religious fundamentalism and the arrival of the Seraphites, a violent cultist group that communicates through menacing whistles. Love has been the central theme of the first series, with characters doing their best to save loved ones. However, the second series will explore grief and how people cope with it. Different characters will have different approaches to grief, and viewers will be challenged to consider which approach they support.

Trama

The Last of Us has introduced three types of infected so far: runners, clickers, and bloaters. However, in the upcoming second series, viewers can expect to see more types of infected. In the video game, there is a character called ‘The Rat King,’ who is a massive and even more grotesque infected made up of multiple individuals fused together in a hospital. The game features a challenging set-piece where the characters are ambushed by the Rat King in a dark basement. Translating this unsettling encounter to television may pose a challenge.

Changes

According to Neil Druckman, the creator of The Last of Us: Part 2, diversity is important in video games and society. In the upcoming second series of the show, a transgender character named Lev will be introduced. Lev was one of the first trans characters to be featured in a major gaming release, and their story arc is expected to explore societal attitudes towards transgender rights in an emotional way.

Who and When

The Last of Us opening series has been a traumatic journey for Joel and Ellie, with heart-breaking decisions made and loved ones lost. Series two will explore religious fundamentalism through the arrival of the Seraphites, a group of violent cultists. Love was the central theme of series one, while grief will be explored in the second series. New infected characters will be introduced, including the massive and grotesque ‘Rat King’ from the game. The show will also explore societal attitudes towards transgender rights through the introduction of the character Lev. Dina will be a major character in series two, while the casting decision for Abby, a strong woman with a divisive storyline, is still unknown. The release date for the second series is unknown, but Pedro Pascal has hinted that filming could start in 2023 with a likely release date of 2025.