So much of what made The Last of Us s1 great was the interplay between Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. What happens when the second season has much less of them together? My review: https://t.co/EdUtV4ncE8
— Alan Sepinwall (@sepinwall) April 7, 2025
The highly anticipated second season of “The Last of Us” is set to premiere on Sunday, April 13, on HBO and Max. The post-apocalyptic drama series, starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, promises to deliver an intense and thrilling continuation of the story. Season 2 will consist of seven episodes, a shorter run compared to the nine episodes of the first season.
I've reviewed The Last of Us Season 2.
It's good! Just not quite as thrilling as its first season or stellar source material.
https://t.co/ttRof7srKO— Simon Cardy (@CardySimon) April 7, 2025
Despite the reduced episode count, co-creator Neil Druckmann assures fans that the season will delve deeper into the evolution and change of the characters and the world they inhabit. Critics have already praised the second season, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 92 percent positive rating. Reviews describe the season as “thrilling” and “addictive,” with impeccable acting from the leads and a meticulously rendered world.
A perfect Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey bring the humanity as HBO’s haunting #TheLastOfUs gets even more devastating with Craig Mazin’s humanistic CHERNOBYL sensibility intervening in the story as it sets forth for Seattle. It's great stuff folks
My review: https://t.co/Jp6amhq7p1 pic.twitter.com/qGhmTKP7Rm
— Chase 'Hutch' Hutchinson (@EclecticHutch) April 7, 2025
The new season takes place five years after the events of the first, with Joel and Ellie facing new conflicts and dangers in an increasingly unpredictable world.
New conflicts and dangers emerge
Escalation is a major theme, as different types of infected are introduced, adding to the challenges the characters must overcome.
Returning cast members include Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria. The second season also welcomes an array of talented actors joining the ensemble, such as Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, a soldier seeking vengeance, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, the leader of a militia group. Two trailers have been released, hinting at the intense and action-packed season ahead.
One trailer teases a strained relationship between Joel and Ellie, referencing Joel’s lie at the end of the first season about what happened at the Fireflies lab. The infected in the show are affected by a mutated fungus that has adapted to infect humans. There are various stages of infection, each with distinct characteristics and abilities, ranging from the fast-moving “Runners” to the heavily armored “Bloaters.”
With the success of the first season and the positive early reception of the second, HBO has already renewed “The Last of Us” for a third season.
As the series continues to explore the world and characters introduced in the PlayStation games, fans can expect more gripping storytelling and emotional depth in the seasons to come.
