Entertainothe Last of Us: As Season 3 can save the series (or ruin everything)

With another wave of shocking twists, the 2nd season of The Last of Usfrom the HBOit came to an end. Throughout seven episodes, the adaptation of the game to PlayStation He traveled a bloody path in his Seattle apocalyptic approach, killing characters to the crooked and right – some with greater impact than others.

And while season 1 of the series did not leave the regular reduction of the supporting cast, this year’s plot had an even greater impact on the viewers, with the abrupt and brutal end of the one who was considered the star of the series, Joel Millerinterpreted by Pedro Pascal. Just like those who read the series The chronicles of ice and fire before game of Thronesfans of the video game game have been silent about the death of one of the protagonists since the adaptation to the TV was announced in 2020.

Considering all this, TV audiences has accepted the turnaround naturally – or at least better than many players initially. After the launch of The Last of US Part IIin 2020, the death of Joel contributed to trigger a hate campaign against creators and the cast of the game, including the actress Laura Baileywhich dubbed Abby.

However, although there is a wiser response to the great turn this time, many viewers fear that the series lost its main appeal by losing the relationship between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). After the departure of Joelthere was a noticeable change in the online atmosphere; an even more exacerbated situation by the two moments of suspense at the end that leave the destination of Ellie In doubt for those who have not yet played the game.

But, as many fans already know, there is reason to have hope about the story to come. Despite some significant changes at certain points of the plot and characters, the vision of HBO on The Last of Us It remained surprisingly close to the complex (and controversial) game structure that inspired it. If the original plot is some indicative, what comes to come may be some of the best stories in the series.

What is the problem?

Since the series was first announced, the players have wondered how the creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (which also participated in the creation of the games) would address the ambitious history of The Last of US Part II. For the first season, it was kind of obvious; The Last of Us 2013 is a game that uses cinematic language and performances to capture movement worthy of the Oscar To tell a relatively simple story, easily adaptable to a movie or series. Following Joel and Ellie In a country’s odyssey, the story is divided into four seasons based on the year, with subcapites serving as small stops and narrative spaces where new characters enter and leave (usually dying).

The second game, however, is a much broader narrative that uses different perspectives and storytelling methods to shake things, reaching players with unexpected changes and deviations. The game begins with a prologue, which also serves as an extended tutorial and ends with the death of Joelstarting the search for revenge on Ellie. In the series, these events occupy three full episodes (almost half of the season) before the plot accelerates exponentially.

As mentioned, this season ends with two cliffhangers. First, Abby (Kaitlyn Duty) comes to a confrontation with Ellie. Devastated by the murder of friends, Abby points your pistol to Ellie and pulls the trigger before the screen is all black, leaving the destination of Ellie A mystery. The next scene shows Abby in a mysterious place that is revealed as the football stadium that WLF (Washington Liberation Front) It has been using it as its thirst. With a rhythmic beat of drums, it appears on the “Seattle, a day” – indicating that the story is backwards three days.

The first part is a classic suspense hook. Viewers now will have to wonder if Ellie It really dies (a plausible possibility, considering the current count of the dead), and the wait can last up to two years, given the previous interval between the seasons. It’s the second twist that is more interesting – and very familiar to fans of the game.

In The Last of US Part IIplayers control Ellie from a limited perspective, not knowing who is Abby or why she killed Joel. In fact, there is almost no information on Wolves or anything happening outside your vision. Playing the video game for the first time, the confrontation between Ellie and Abby It can occur about 10-12 hours within the game (ie the entire duration of the first part), and it seems that you are approaching the end. Then the trigger is pulled and the screen gets black. What comes next is an even greater surprise than the death of Joel; The game is not over; He may have just started.

Without great spoilers, the plot of The Last of US Part II is structured as a comprehensive epic that unfolds in three acts (outside the prologue) and the three -day journey of Ellie by Seattle makes up only one initial third. The next act revisits the same period from the perspective of Abby. From there, history continues after their conflict between them in the theater.

For years, fans wondered as the hell the show of HBO I would tell this story. Would it alternate between your perspectives or cut large parts of the larger picture? Season 3 was announced before the second aired, but there was still no nomination on a season 4. The structure of the original story could have been fully altered; It seemed unlikely that the producers would do the same surprise maneuver as the game, but that’s exactly what they did.

In a recent interview with Collider, Mazin It made it clear that you imagine the series lasting four seasons. He said, “There is no way to complete this narrative in a third season.” Based on the tip at the end, even those who don’t play can expect the next episode to be more focused on Abby – And that certainly seems to be the case. Talking to Variety, Catherine O’Hara (which interprets Gail), confirmed the theory when discussing if she would return to the show: “[Definitivamente] Not this next season. It is the history of Abby. “But without Joel or EllieWill anyone keep watching?

Abby’s rise

From the beginning, change history to the perspective of Abby It would be controversial, regardless of whether it is the game or series. After going through an emotional journey with Joel and Elliethe fans clung to the duo. To kill Joel Was it a tough blow, but forcing the players to take on his killer’s identity? Many found this an insult.

In the years following the release of the sequence, those who felt displeased went to the online forums to mourn the game’s choices. The largest critical community is in a Sub-Reddit dedicated to questions against history and more specifically the role of Abby in it, which gave rise to hate comments against the people involved with The Last of US Part II.

One of the central themes of Part II is the fact that everyone is seeing things only from their own perspective; All these characters who are dealing with losses and passing this suffering further do this in ignorance. Ellie does not know that Joel killed the father of Abby Until it has already poured enough blood in retaliation. Own Abby unaware of the atrocities committed by her and her coalition WLF until forced in situations where you start to know more about Serafites.

Change to Abby To relive 72 hours in Seattle allows players who previously only knew her as a bogeyman start to see why she killed Joel And from what she’s going through. After losing everything at the beginning of the story, she finds a new family with Wolves and other characters not yet presented in the series. After a few hours in the skin of Abby – while Ellie Chasing Seattle killing his friends – the papers are reversed. In this context, Abby herself is the protagonist – or at least as important as a protagonist can be.

Unfortunately, decisions already made by the program writers decreased part of this impact. Reveal the motivations of Abby In the second episode it takes a little out of the air from the later revelation in the season when she extracts information by force Daughter -in -law. There are also several sequences in the series that establish the larger conflict among the Wolves and the Serafitescentral to the history of Abby but without direct connection with Ellie.

But here is the point: the story of Abby It’s fantastic. It has all the components of the stories of Ellie – Family found, multiple loving triangles, growth in a dark world – all taken to the next level. She is a deeply friendly character despite her hard exterior, and events that eventually unfold the narrative arch of the other character seems small compared. It is an expansion of all things that did the two parts of The Last of Us They work so well before, and a more complex view of this world and its inhabitants.

Most importantly, the change in perspective may end up being the solution to the current hole left by the Joel in the series. If everyone is wondering why they would like to watch Ellie Without the partner, it can be better to move on with a new set of characters to meet and live fully. Back to game of ThronesOne of the biggest strengths of that series (at least at the beginning) was his constant change between characters and factions. The good ones did bad things; The bad things did bad things but we loved them anyway.

Much of the pleasure of that series came from the fact that spectators were forced to be critical of the characters who previously identified themselves, changing their own perspectives as time passed. This is what The Last of Us It will require from now on. It may have been easy with Joel (The charm of Paschal is contagious), but fans of the game know that it is possible with Abby.

If season 3 can deepen even more in the game to tell a different kind of story, there is hope that everyone – viewers and characters – find comfort in the unknown. For those who have an open mind, the best may be coming.

Article published on May 27, 2025 at Rolling Stone. To read the original in English, click here.

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