Season 2 of The Last of Us is finally here, and holy hell, I’ve been waiting for this moment since the credits rolled on Season 1. The premiere doesn’t just pick up where we left off; it digs into the aftermath of all that trauma and brings us right back into that emotional rollercoaster we’ve come to love.
After the gut-wrenching events of Season 1, we’re back in Jackson, Wyoming, five years later, with Joel and Ellie still trying to figure out how to survive – not just the infected, but their own pasts. Episode 1, titled Future Days, sets the tone for what’s to come, and it does it in a way that feels like a perfect blend of old and new. This one’s got heart, tension, and just enough mystery to leave us craving more.
Spoilers ahead – don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Back to Jackson, But Not Quite Home
If you’ve played the games, you probably know the drill by now: The Last of Us thrives in those quieter, slower moments – those in-between times where everything feels like it could explode, but hasn’t just yet. Jackson’s this fragile pocket of stability in a broken world, and watching Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) try to hold on to it feels like a ticking time bomb. I’ll be honest, seeing the town thriving in such a peaceful way threw me off a bit at first. We’re so used to the constant chaos that it’s weird, in a good way, to see people just living. But there’s an unease there, something lurking beneath the surface (as we see at the end of the episode, quite literally).
Joel’s trying to find his place in Jackson, working construction and acting like things are normal. But they’re not. Not even close. His guilt, his lies, his brutal past – it’s all weighing him down. And what really hit me in this episode was how the show handled Joel’s therapy sessions with Gail (Catherine O’Hara). Look, I’m not saying I wanted to see Joel crack under pressure, but man, it’s so real. The way Gail digs into him about his past and forces him to confront what he did to Ellie? That’s some heavy stuff. It’s like they’re letting us see the cracks in his armor, and it’s so much more nuanced than the game ever let us explore.
Now, let’s talk about Ellie. For those who played the game, you’ll recognize where she’s at in this episode. She’s no longer the scared, wide-eyed kid we met in Season 1. She’s growing up, making her own decisions, and learning to carry that weight of being the one person who could save the world – no pressure, right? Her relationship with Dina (Isabela Merced) is a beautiful addition that didn’t have to be there but adds so much depth to her character. The kiss at the New Year’s Eve dance was straight out of the game, and seeing that moment happen so early in the season, before all the chaos, felt like the calm before the storm. It gave me chills.
Joel, Ellie, and the Weight of the Past
Man, watching Joel and Ellie in this episode just hurt. Not in a loud, dramatic way – in that quiet, lingering way where you can feel something’s off but nobody’s saying it out loud. That unspoken tension? It’s doing so much work here. It’s been five years, but that lie Joel told? It never really left.
What I loved is how the show takes the time to sit in that discomfort. Joel’s trying so hard to play the good guy – building stuff, playing guitar, being “Dad” – but you can tell he’s still carrying the weight of what he did. And the therapy scenes with Gail? Honestly, some of the best additions that weren’t in the game. She’s so brutally honest with him, and he can’t charm or fight his way out of those sessions. She calls him out. And you can see it eating him alive. Pedro Pascal plays that guilt like it’s stitched into his bones.
And Ellie … she’s not dumb. She might not know exactly what Joel did, but she knows something’s wrong. There’s this edge to all her scenes with him – like she wants to trust him but can’t quite bring herself to. And that’s so real. Sometimes the people we love most are the ones we start building walls around, especially when we feel betrayed. Bella Ramsey nailed that emotional push-pull, especially in the more quiet, in-between moments.
For me, though, the standout moment was that scene with Seth – the homophobic asshole who gets shoved down to the floor courtesy of Joel. Look, I’m not saying it was cool that Joel did that, but it was definitely earned.
A New Kind of Threat
Okay, let’s talk infected. The Cordyceps threat has always been horrifying, but this new variant? It’s different. Smarter. Creepier. Deadlier. That subtle shift in how they move, how they seem to think – it’s unsettling as hell. But it also feels like a metaphor, and I don’t think that’s accidental.
Think about it: the show’s telling us the world is changing again. Just when people like Joel and Ellie think they’ve found some kind of rhythm, the chaos evolves. And isn’t that how real life works? Just when you think you’ve figured it out – grief, relationships, healing – something new throws you off your game. The pandemic taught us that. Life isn’t about stability. It’s about adaptation. And The Last of Us continues to be brilliant at threading that truth into its world-building.
Also, I appreciate that they’re not overusing the infected. The show isn’t turning into a monster-of-the-week situation. Instead, it’s reminding us that this threat is still here. It hasn’t gone away. It’s growing in the shadows while we get caught up in our own emotional messes. And that’s a different kind of horror – the kind that sneaks up on you when you’re not looking. And with the rise of Abby and her group, it feels like the stakes are getting even higher. It’s not just about surviving – now it’s about navigating the chaos that others are creating around you. This is a dangerous world, and we’re seeing that unfold bit by bit.
A Faithful Start
For those of us who’ve played The Last of Us Part II, this premiere felt like slipping back into that familiar heartbreak. That New Year’s Eve dance? That’s a bold move, placing it right at the start of the season. In the game, that scene is a flashback – something we earn after hours of gameplay. But here? They frontload it. And honestly, I love that choice.
It puts Ellie and Dina’s connection right in front of us. There’s no ambiguity. No slow burn. This is who Ellie is. This is who she loves. And seeing that play out, seeing the public kiss, the tension, the shame, the rage – it hit way harder in live action. It reminds me how far we’ve come in seeing queer love portrayed on screen without apology. There’s power in that.
Even small touches – the guitar, the mention of “Future Days,” Abby on the snowy ridge – these are nods that reward fans without excluding newcomers. But more than that, they build the tension for what’s coming. Because we know what’s waiting around the corner. We know this is just the last moment of peace before the storm.
And yet, it’s not just fan service. It’s intentional. It’s storytelling. It’s setting emotional landmines we will step on later – and that’s exactly how it should be.
A Promising Premiere
So yeah – Future Days did what it needed to do. It got us back into the world, reconnected us with Joel and Ellie, introduced Dina and Abby, and set the stakes for what’s coming. But it also reminded us that this story isn’t about zombies. It’s about people. About grief. About love twisted by fear. About the stories we tell ourselves to sleep at night.
The pacing was uneven in places. There were scenes that felt like they were stalling instead of simmering. But if this episode is a slow burn, it’s because the fire’s going to be huge. This is the moment before the drop. You can feel it.
And the best part? The show still has the guts to sit with uncomfortable emotions. It’s not rushing to get to the big plot beats. It’s letting us feel things. That’s rare. It’s risky. And it’s why this show still stands out in a sea of post-apocalyptic noise.
So yes, there’s room to grow. But if this is the foundation, I’m all in.
Rating: 8/10
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