Future Days: The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere Review

Everyone’s favorite post-apocalyptic video game adaptation is back for round two. After two years, The Last of Us season 2 premiered with “Future Days,” a solid opener for what’ll undoubtedly be a full-throttle, anxiety-inducing season. It’s a high-octane, emotionally resonant outing that moves at a steady clip.

We pick up directly after Joel commits mass murder in the Salt Lake City hospital with the introduction of Abby, a crucial character in the game narrative. (Season 2 will adapt The Last of Us Part II.)

Then, we fast forward a whopping five years after Joel and Ellie return to Tommy’s commune in Jackson, Wyoming. Right off the bat, we notice that tensions are running high between our two leads, replacing that sweet father-daughter bond with a one-sided animosity. Their fractured relationship hurts more than any bite from an infected could.

---

Violence Reverberates

If there’s a through line in the season 2 premiere — which the creatives will probably establish thematically for the remainder of the season — it’s the repercussions of violence. Season 1 touches on this, but more via Ellie’s perspective as a 14-year-old. Joel seemed to kill without hesitation in the name of love despite claiming it never gets easier. Meanwhile, the effects of committing murder leave an indelible mark on young Ellie.

“Future Days” swiftly delivers the consequences of Joel’s actions that fateful day when he killed Marlene and her host of Fireflies while quashing the world’s hopes of finding a cure. Then, he lies to Ellie about it all. Abby, Owen, Nora, Mel, and Manny bury their dead friends. For Abby, though, it’s deeply personal – one of the Fireflies was her father. Owen and the others vow to help her track down Joel and kill him. Violence has a ripple effect.

Later, we learn that Joel’s therapist, Gail, is the wife of the late Eugene (who’s mentioned in The Last of Us Part II). Joel shot and killed him. They have a session on her birthday, her first since losing her husband of 41 years. Gail gets a bit tipsy and blurts out a bitter truth: She hates Joel for killing her husband despite knowing it was necessary. Violence reverberates. Even Joel feels the effects of Sarah’s violent death 25 years later. “Future Days” deftly weaves this theme into the fabric of the season.

---

They’re Strategizing

New season, new (and improved) infected. While on patrol, Ellie encounters a unique infected that doesn’t instantly pounce to attack upon seeing her. Instead, the creature strategizes. It strategizes, stalks, and boasts an awareness of its surroundings. The infected are evolving, y’all. This makes sense, given that infectious diseases evolve. Ellie passes this information on to Tommy, Maria, and the council, but we’ll see how seriously they take this development.

Additionally, Ellie and Dina encounter a disturbing display, featuring six slaughtered infected and the remains of a massive bear. This plants the seeds for a new mystery. Could the smart infected Ellie fought in the grocery store be responsible for this violent act?

---

New Characters

In addition to Abby, we also meet Dina and Gail – Ellie’s BFF-turned-love interest and Joel’s therapist, respectively. While Abby and Dina are video game characters, Gail was created specifically for the show. And who better to play her than Catherine O’Hara? Side note: Every time Gail mentioned Eugene, I thought of Eugene Levy. Schitt’s Creek for life.

I love the introduction of Abby and that we know her motivation right out of the gate. Gail will surely help Joel open up about the lie he told Ellie — a world-ending, earth-shattering lie, at that. Ellie and Dina are super cute together. Pedro Pascal clocking homophobes just feels right. Go, Dystopian Daddy, go!

Expanding on that, Seth exhibiting his homophobia at the New Year’s Eve party, claiming Ellie and Dina can’t kiss because it’s a “family event,” reminds us that the world ended in 2003 despite the year being 2028. It makes sense that folks would still cling tightly to their unsavory and discriminatory viewpoints.

---

The Performances

This cast is stacked, and they all deliver strong performances in the season 2 premiere. Pedro Pascal, in particular, is my episodic MVP. That therapy scene with Joel and Gail is heartbreaking. You see the weight of what Joel has endured over the last 25 years on his face. You see him struggle significantly with disclosing the lie to Gail, but ultimately, he chooses not to share. It’s nuanced, compelling work.

Catherine O’Hara is also wonderful in that scene. Gail’s pain is tangible — visceral, even. O’Hara and Pascal share an easygoing chemistry.

Bella Ramsey skillfully showcases how Ellie has changed over the years. They tap into Ellie’s wry, dark, biting (sorry) sense of humor. They also have electrifying chemistry with Isabela Merced’s Dina. Ramsey’s pitch-perfect performance reminds us that 19-year-olds are generally unlikable, and that’s okay. I certainly was at that age. Plus, factoring in everything Ellie has endured, it’s understandable that she wears armor around most people.

Kaitlyn Dever captures Abby’s white-hot rage in her all-consuming grief. I mean, she wants to kill Joel slowly and maintains this level of anger over the five years it takes to arrive at the Wyoming commune. She’s a force of nature.

---

Ellie and Joel

Joel and Ellie’s relationship is the crux of this series — its beating heart. This is another casualty of Joel’s murder spree. Joel might not want to admit it, but a part of him knows this. Secrets of this magnitude fester and eat away at you and those around you. It’s abundantly clear that Ellie knew Joel was lying to her before they returned to Jackson. She gave him an opportunity to confess the truth. Instead, he doubled down on his lie.

After Joel shoves Seth at the party, Ellie humiliates him in front of the town, declaring she doesn’t need Joel to help her. That’s clearly a dagger to the heart for him. He thrives on feeling wanted and needed, especially in the wake of losing his daughter. He’s determined to do better with Ellie and ultimately blames himself for Sarah’s murder.

How will Ellie feel when she finds out she could’ve been the cure if Joel hadn’t prevented her brain surgery? Once this secret inevitably surfaces, she’ll have that guilt to contend with.

Without Ellie to care for, Joel is left with his own thoughts and feelings, which is a veritable nightmare for him. He carries a lot of remorse.

---

An Infiltration

The cliffhanger delivers a two-fold narrative punch – the Cordyceps are now growing in the pipes of the Jackson commune, and Abby arrives outside said commune. It’s an infiltration on multiple fronts. This idyllic community is about to get deadly. I’m getting Alexandria from The Walking Dead vibes.

We’ve got a lot of exciting, heart-pounding action on the horizon, folks, and “Future Days” cleverly lays that groundwork for what’s to come. The Last of Us isn’t messing around.

---

What are your thoughts on the season 2 premiere of The Last of Us?

Join the conversation with other horror fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!