'The Last of Us' Season 2 Softens the Apocalypse

As someone who had been eagerly awaiting the release of the second season of The Last of Us, I was left deflated after the release of the finale. It seems that the moral complexity of The Last of Us Part II video game (which, admittedly, faced much flak at its release, but I adored) has been avoided in favor of a shallower, more family-friendly narrative. The season was not without strong moments, but now that it’s ended, I must admit that my criticisms outnumber my praises. 

Spoilers for The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2 ahead.

The second season’s biggest problem is characterization. In the first season, my one minor issue was that I felt that Joel’s character was softened from his ruthless game counterpart. In the second season, this has become a glaring problem among a number of the lead characters. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is revealed as attending therapy (really?) and is altogether, to quote my mother, “weepy”. The storyline with Eugene (Joe Pantoliano) – which is not in the video game – would be wholly unnecessary if Joel’s characterization was stronger and more consistent; it served only to cement the divide between him and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), when their conflict stems chiefly from the decision he made to save her at the end of the first season. There’s no need to add other little quarrels and waste an episode in an already spare season. It seemed to me that the writers felt it necessary to remind the audience that Joel is a merciless killer after having softened him too much in the preceding episodes, thus weakening the reason for his eventual demise. 

Ellie and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) are far more laid back than they should be after the inciting incident of the season. In the game, Tommy immediately goes after Abby after the death of Joel, and Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) follow shortly after. In his quest to find his brother’s killers, Tommy systematically massacres squads of Wolves, to the point where they believe they’re being attacked by a group rather than one man. In the show, months pass as Ellie recovers from an injury, with Tommy grieving but remaining in Jackson. He even cautions Ellie against leaving before eventually deciding to follow her. 

The central theme driving the show's plot is revenge, but the characters all act so mild-mannered and even reluctant in their pursuit that their motivations seem flimsy. This is particularly an issue with Ellie, as our lead. In the game she’s hell-bent on revenge, single-mindedly chasing down Abby despite the carnage unfolding from her choices. She displays none of this drive in the show, seemingly happy to meander around Seattle with Dina. She just doesn’t seem particularly bothered. As sweet as her interactions with Dina are (“I’m gonna be a dad?”), I feel that the driving forces behind these characters are barely being touched upon, in exchange for lighter conversations. The development of Ellie’s personality in Part II is not likeable, and only becomes less so as the story progresses. The game is an exploration of morality, of right and wrong, of justice and revenge, and it isn’t afraid to send the characters to some dark, complex places. The show isn’t willing to do so. 

A second issue which cropped up repeatedly was an epidemic of telling, rather than showing. Characters state their thoughts, feelings and observations overtly (examples: Joel saying “You’re gonna turn away from me” in episode 6, and Abby [Kaitlyn Dever] revealing who she is and her motive immediately rather than the truth unfolding during her section of the story). Probably a quarter of the dialogue could be cut and shown through actions and nonverbal acting, rather than blatant explanation. This would allow for deeper, layered characters who appear to have more going on beneath their surfaces. 

The milder characterization and dumbed-down dialogue point to a lack of confidence in the audience by the writers. I don’t understand why a television audience would be considered to be more in need of hand-holding than a video game audience. While I realize that concessions must be made in adaptations regarding inclusion and storyline, I think that the writers’ overcautious decisions are damaging the strength and complexity of these characters, which is such a shame when the source material is so rich in these areas – which brings me to another point.

The show is produced by HBO. Other shows produced by them include Game of Thrones, Chernobyl, True Detective, The Wire, Watchmen, Succession… The list goes on and on, but the conclusion I’m getting at is that the production company has no shortage of intense, intelligent, dark dramas with complex, morally grey characters. Why the hesitation to bring these qualities into The Last of Us? Especially when it has already been so skillfully plotted out in the game. As the first season followed its source material almost to a T, it may be that the showrunners are hoping to create something more independent of the original. Unfortunately, their gamble isn’t paying off.

All that said, I do have some commendations, such as the addition of an Isaac backstory; while I think that this inclusion could also be attributed to an impulse in the writer’s room to over-explain, I thought that his storyline fleshed out the world, gave more context to his character, and instilled a reason to both fear and respect him. Giving Jeffrey Wright more screen time can never go wrong, and the torture scene with Isaac and the Scar was one of the few moments where I felt the dark energy of the game manifesting onto the screen. Moreover, the crew behind costumes, special effects and production design have outdone themselves. The grimy, dilapidated, post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the game is perfectly recreated, along with the hauntingly beautiful reclamation of the ruined cities by nature.

Regrettably – but not surprisingly – Bella Ramsey is bearing the brunt of unhappy viewers' wrath. When they were first cast a few years ago, I was thrilled, having seen them dominate the screen as the memorable Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, despite only having a few scenes. I still staunchly believe that they’re the perfect choice for Ellie. The day before the finale aired, I happened to watch the season of the series Time in which they star as a young heroin addict entering prison, who discovers she’s pregnant. Ramsey’s emotional performance in this is electric. Ramsey has proved themself capable of crafting powerful, impassioned roles with great depth, but their ability to embody Ellie with the level of ferocity seen in the game is hindered by timid writing choices in the second season, and I hope as the story progresses in the third (and possibly fourth?) season, they are given the opportunity to express Game-Ellie levels of intensity, which they are clearly capable of.

The cast is made up of some incredibly strong players, but they can only do so much with what they’re given. I sincerely hope that the show finds its legs in the third season and realizes its full potential. 

The Last of Us season 2 is now available on HBO Max.

-Liam