Pedro Pascal in “The Last of Us” Season 2.
HBO/Max
The Last of Us Season 2 — starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey — premieres on HBO and Max on Sunday. Do critics feel the video game adaptation takes the story to the next level?
Based on the blockbuster video game franchise of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation gaming consoles, The Last of Us had a stellar first season on HBO and Max in 2023 with the episodes averaging nearly 32 million viewers.
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The official logline for The Last of Us Season 2 reads, “Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”
Gabriel Luna returns from The Last of Us Season 1 as Joel’s younger brother, Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Tommy’s wife, Maria.
ForbesWill There Be ‘A Minecraft Movie 2’ With Jack Black?By Tim LammersJoining the cast for The Last of Us Season 2 are Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars in an undisclosed role.
The embargo for The Last of Us Season 2 reviews lifted on Monday and early takes from Rotten Tomatoes critics are highly favorable. As of Monday evening, the show’s sophomore season has earned a 93% “fresh” rating based on 44 reviews.
By contrast, The Last of Us had a 96% “fresh” RT rating, but that was based on 456 reviews, so as Season 2 rolls along and more reviews are posted to the critic aggregation site, its rating could rise or fall.
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The Last of Us Season 2 consists of seven episodes, while Season 1 has nine.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘The Last Of Us’ Season 2?
Nick Schager is among the top critics on RT giving The Last of Us Season 2 a “fresh” rating, writing in his review for The Daily Beast, “Understanding its subject on both an intellectual and emotional level, it’s a viscerally conflicted monster — and continues, in this second season, to be the finest video game adaptation ever.”
Chase Hutchinson of The Wrap also gives Season 2 of The Last of Us a “fresh” review on RT, writing, “It’s a faithful yet reflective adaptation, carving out new character beats that not only give the excellent duo of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey additional moments to shine, but further complicates some of the questions raised by the game.”
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Kelly Lawler also gives the sophomore season of The Last of Us a “fresh” review, albeit with some reservations. In Lawler’s review for USA Today on RT, she writes, “The acting is still impeccable, particularly from leads [Pedro] Pascal and [Bella] Ramsey, the world is yet again meticulously rendered and the pacing and excitement is unparalleled. But it’s hard not to finish the [second] season without feeling somewhat dissatisfied.”
Forbes‘A Minecraft Movie’ Mines $157 Million At Opening Weekend Box OfficeBy Tim LammersAmong the few top critics on RT who give The Last of Us Season 2 a “rotten” review is Judy Berman of TIME Magazine, who writes, “It’s still the best video-game adaptation on TV. Yet to pretend that The Last of Us completely transcends its original medium would be to ignore the hole at the center of the show where insight and complexity and rich supporting characters should be.”
Created by Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckman, The Last of Us Season 2 premieres with Episode 1 on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streams at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Max. New episodes will premiere every Sunday through May 25.
