The Last of Us Part II was enmeshed in controversy when it was released in 2020, during a pandemic.  Many people had already made up their minds to despise the game before it was even launched, with a large portion of their ire directed on the new character Abby.  In spite of this, the game is a masterwork, a multi-layered tale about retaliation, the effects of violence, and the possibility of atonement.
 
Joel and Ellie's tale is central to The Last of Us season 1, which follows their development from reluctant friends to a close, unbreakable father-daughter bond.  However, Season 2 is primarily Ellie's, and for better or worse, it expands the environment she lives in to highlight the ways the ugly things around her have influenced and changed her.
 
Ellie is still wondering what actually transpired at that salt Lake City hospital at the end of The Last of Us season 1, and she battles the notion that her immunity, which she confuses with her identity, could not mean anything in the end.
 
However, given the harsh environment in which she was reared, Ellie is forced to face the person she has become and realize that who she wants to be may not really matter.  The role of violence in the post-apocalyptic world is explored in The Last of Us season 2, where teens learn to shoot guns as soon as they can ride a horse and how commonplace life events, such as first loves, significant betrayals, and heartbreaking losses, can be magnified to barbaric proportions.

Bella Ramsay is more than capable of handling the focus on Ellie's journey, which is where Season 2 excels.  The majority of the complaints directed at them are unfounded, such as the claims that they lack the skills to handle the dramatic weight of Ellie's story or that they don't appear old enough.  The fact that Ellie is so young adds to the sorrow of her story, and Ramsay does a fantastic job of managing the heartbreaking scenes in The Last of Us season 2.
 
However, they are often let down by the scripts.  All too frequently, The Last of Us skips over painful scenes and jumps right into the next interesting plot point.  Sometimes it seems like it's just checking boxes.
 
The season's structure and breadth were probably impacted by the historic 2023 simultaneous actors' and writers' strikes, which occurred during the production of this season.  The Last of Us will only keep growing as it progresses through Part II's plot, however it's unclear if this pattern will carry over into a third season.
 
Similar to the first season, a lot of the scenes are taken directly from the games and are also filmed like a video game.  However, a lot of Part II's impact is found in the moments that linger, and there isn't much time to sit with the emotional weight of some characters' decisions because the show tries to tell such a large story—even partially—in just seven episodes.
 
Despite its flaws, season 2 is still an engaging show with aspects that go beyond its narrative.  When Ellie, Joel, and Abby's journeys are given the space they require, the story of The Last of Us is as breathtaking to watch as it is to pick up the controller.
 
Overall, A sprawling, emotional epic that captures the game's spirit while expanding on the narrative

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐
 
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The Last Of Us Season 2 Review

G GOWTHAM

08/04/2025 11:38 AM