It’s been just over two years since audiences last saw Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s rugged post-apocalyptic survivors in The Last of Us, but anticipation continues to run at an all-time high for the return of HBO’s latest genre epic. Earning widespread acclaim with its initial season in 2023, fans and critics have gone on to describe The Last of Us as a visionary adaptation of its video game counterpart, complete with an engaging main story, sensational writing, and utterly superb performances from its ensemble cast.
Unfortunately, in spite of viewers’ insurmountably high expectations, the critical responses to The Last of Us’ second season has significantly paled in comparison to its preceding chapter. Though many early audience members have complimented the season for its emotional resonance and equally impressive lead performances (especially Pascal and Ramsey’s), those same viewers felt The Last of Us‘ second act left just as many questions as it did answers, spending far too much time and focus on laying the groundwork for a prospective third season.
As The Hollywood Reporter‘s Angie Han put it, “The Last of Us has always been peppered with reminders that this world is bigger than Joel and Ellie’s personal predicament. The difference is that the nine-episode first season took the time to meaningfully explore subplots like Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam’s (Keivonn Montreal Woodard), or detours like the extended flashback ‘Long, Long Time.’
“This seven-hour batch is leaner and more focused, but at the expense of the restless inquisitiveness that yielded some of the earlier chapter’s most rewarding surprises,” Han continues. “It’s also more open-ended, with more than one major plot development bubbling up simply to get shoved aside for resolution later.”
In the upcoming season of The Last of Us, Pascal and Ramsey’s pseudo father-daughter duo face off against a grave new threat in the form of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby: a shadowy figure from Joel and Ellie’s past seeking vengeance for a loved one’s death. The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere on April 13, with weekly installments scheduled for release until May 25.
