HBO has recently released the trailer for the second season of its hit series, The Last of Us, featuring the return of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie — proving once again that video game adaptations, when done correctly, could easily overthrow superheroes as the next big thing in Hollywood. The trailer also reveals a major change that makes the most heartbreaking moment from The Last of Us Part 2 even more devastating, so get your Kleenex ready because Season 2 may be a tearjerker.

The first season of The Last of Us was highly anticipated by the fanbase, and HBO really didn’t disappoint with the series. It was very well received by just about anyone, becoming a massive commercial and critical hit that has earned 24 Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. One of the things that makes the series great is that it closely adheres to the storyline of the original game, with some creative liberties taken to expand character backstories and world-building.

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However, the core events and the emotional beats remain faithful to the original game despite the added scenes and details that provide more depth and context. The first season ends with Joel and Ellie reaching the Fireflies’ Salt Lake City outpost, with Ellie prepared to sacrifice herself to develop a cure for the Cordyceps infection. Joel, on the other hand, isn’t willing to let her go and makes a rather devastating decision to save Ellie at the expense of killing everyone else at the hospital.

This violent act of betrayal is a pivotal moment in the acclaimed series and sets the stage for the emotional and moral complexities that are, at least for the time being, explained throughout the second game of the series. Those who had played The Last of Us games also know about the impending fallout between Joel and Ellie because Joel lied to her about what really happened to the Fireflies at the hospital.

The Season 2 trailer also shows Joel visiting a therapist, where he still struggles with vocalizing the truth that fueled his actions. The truth will eventually resurface and wreak havoc among the characters, making his confession in the second The Last of Us game all that much more devastating, especially when we consider Joel’s position and his emotional state. There are also quite a few other heartbreaking scenes present in the second game, but we won’t reveal any details to avoid major spoilers.

We will reveal that The Last of Us Season 2 will place a greater emphasis on The Last of Us Part II video game, so those who can’t wait for Season 2 to finally drop can play the video game to get a sense of a complete story. The Last of Us video game was released in 2013 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive title, in which players control Joel, who’s tasked with escorting Ellie across the post-apocalyptic US, infested by fungal-hybrid creatures.

It was a massive success that received praise for its narrative, gameplay, visuals, characterization, and portrayal of female characters. The game was so successful that it sold over 1.3 million copies in its first weeks, becoming one of the best-selling video games and one of the best video games ever made. Perhaps the biggest testament to its greatness is the fact that it won several Game of the Year awards and received a The Last of Us Remastered version for PlayStation 4, followed by a remake titled The Last of Us Part I, which was released for the PlayStation 5 in September 2022.

The original game finally received a sequel, The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020 for the PlayStation 4, which was later remastered for PlayStation 5. The game focuses on two playable characters, Ellie and Abby, and their adventures throughout the post-apocalyptic US. Abby is introduced as a complex and layered character whose motivations and personal struggles add depth to the narrative, showcasing themes of vengeance, redemption, and moral ambiguity that stretch throughout the entire gaming series.

The sequel was a massive success that received widespread acclaim for its narrative depth, gameplay mechanics, and the emotional weight of its storyline. It sold millions of copies, earning its place as one of the best video games ever made. Despite some divisive opinions about the story itself, The Last of Us Part II won more than 320 Game of the Year awards (and yes, that number is correct), and its legacy lives through its remaster for PlayStation 5, which further polished the already impressive graphics and gameplay mechanics.

Sadly, Sony and Naughty Dog currently have no plans for expanding this particular franchise, though sources say that writers at Naughty Dog have already outlined the script for the third game. This was later confirmed by Neil Druckmann, the co-founder of Naughty Dog, who added that the developer currently has no plans for continuing the game, thus limiting the amount of source material HBO can adapt into a television series.

HBO could take a different route and potentially stretch the events of the second game across two seasons — Season 2 and Season 3 — and explore not just the world of The Last of Us but also the complex relationship between Joel and Ellie, as well as Ellie and everyone else. Until Season 2 releases, the best we can hope for are bits and pieces of information spoon-fed to us by HBO and Warner Bros. So, why not kill a few Cordyceps-infected monsters on your home video game console?