‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Turns a Game Tutorial Into an Even Better Scene
Editor’s Note: The below contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 premiere and The Last of Us Part II.The Last of Usis one of the most ambitious and ultimately successful video game adaptations in history because it benefits from source material that was already expertly written; the level of character development, thematic resonance, and socio-political commentary within Neil Druckmann’s original game is frankly much stronger than the majority of the films that are released in theaters in each year. While the first season of The Last of Us was able to be a fairly direct translation of everything that happened within the game, the second season had to adapt a much more divisive sequel that told its story in a non-linear way. Season 2 of The Last of Us had to change the context of key events to fit within the more straightforward narrative structure that Druckmann and co-creator Craig Mazin have opted for.
One of the key moments in The Last of Us: Part II is a flashback tutorial in the “Finding Strings” chapter, in which Tommy (Gabriel Luna) helps teach Ellie (Bella Ramsey) how to shoot with a scope. Although the tutorial serves more of a narrative purpose than a character-based one, The Last of Us Season 2 is able to dive deeper into the complex relationship between Tommy and Ellie, showing how they are both struggling with how to treat Joel (Pedro Pascal) when he is in a fragile emotional state.
How Does ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Premiere Differ From the Game?
The Last of Us: Part II implies that this tutorial moment takes place shortly after Ellie arrives in Seattle and before she has become adjusted to the community and become enamored by it. The television version of The Last of Us takes place in winter and establishes a more significant time jump of five years. Although it has already been revealed that Ellie has been on patrols with Dina (Isabela Merced), and has been established as a ruthless defender of the community, her scene with Tommy implies that they are preparing for a more dangerous threat that is looming. It’s a clever bit of foreshadowing, as the episode’s final moments tease a more evolved version of the infected that are preparing to strike.
The scene is more designed to showcase the bond between Tommy and Ellie, who have already gotten to know each other as a result of spending five years together. While the scene in the game wasn’t as centered on their character interactions, the series reveals how Tommy has been someone that Ellie has been able to open up to, particularly due to her strained relationship with Joel. While some have assumed that Ellie is going through a stage of rebellion that is inherent to being a teenager, Tommy understands how challenging it can be to share feelings with Joel, given their own family history. Tommy’s most insightful comment is that Joel and Ellie are far more similar than either of them would be willing to admit; this inspires a clever response from Ellie, who jokes that he should be used to losing arguments.
The training scene shows the significant burden that Tommy is under, as he is torn between the responsibilities that he has as a leader of the community and the loyalty he feels to both Ellie and Joel. While Ellie has grown comfortable enough about her immunity that she shrieks about it snarkily, Tommy still retains a heightened level of caution, as he understands the dire consequences of what would happen should the secret be unveiled. Nonetheless, Tommy has developed a personal bond with Ellie that goes beyond being a protector; he chooses to lie to Joel about what they were doing, suggesting that he is still concerned about how effective therapy with Gail (Catherine O’Hara) is going for his brother.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Premiere Strengthens Tommy and Ellie’s Relationship
The Last of Us gives Ellie a father figure who she can actually talk to, as the majority of the episode centers on how she has become bored and detached from the other adults in the community; even beyond the fact that she and Joel aren’t talking to each other, Ellie willfully misleads the other members of the patrol group so that she and Dina can go hunt the infected. While Ellie’s anti-authoritarian stance could have been very grating if she were entirely opposed to any outside assistance, Tommy does prove to be a rare figure with whom she can be honest. While she does not immediately respond to all of his tips about growing up, it may be because she knows that he is right and does not want to admit it.
Recontextualizing the structure of The Last of Us: Part II is important to the show’s future, as the early renewal for a third season suggests that the second game’s story will not be entirely wrapped up by the end of this season. While it would be creatively intrusive to add nothing but “filler” to stretch out the running time of each episode, adding an important piece of character bonding simply makes the show stronger on an emotional level. Despite how inherently cinematic The Last of Us games are, there is still a significant difference between the mediums of television and video games; as a result, Mazin and his creative team have needed to make adjustments in order to satisfy an audience that may not already have knowledge of what happens in the games.
The Last of Us series has also given time to its performances, which were already a significant reason why the first season was met with such considerable praise. The added character-building scene allows Ramsey to show how much Ellie has changed since the first season and why the difference in her attitude is so glaring. Luna was one of the most underrated performers in the first season, and it is nice to see him share a moment with Ellie without Joel. Should The Last of Us continue to make smart decisions like this, then its status as an all-time great drama show should not be in question.
New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere every Sunday on HBO and Max.
