"The Last of Us" season 2 premiere is just around the corner, and a new season 2 trailer teases some explosive consequences for Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) after how things left off with season 1.
If you've played The Last of Us: Part II, you're well aware that there's one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ahead (yes, even compared to what we saw in season 1).
While the latest trailer doesn't spoil the biggest bombshell coming in "The Last of Us" season 2, it does give us our best look yet at some of the key characters and events from Part II that the series will explore — including an iconic (and infamous) scene that was one of my favorites in the game.
More on that in a second. And this should go without saying, but we're entering spoiler territory here, folks. At least for the show's first season; we'll steer clear of the events of Part II to keep what's in store a surprise. So if you haven't finished watching "The Last of Us" season 1, easily one of the very best video game adaptations of all time, turn back now!
You can check out the full trailer below.
"The Last of Us" season 2 picks up in Jackson, Wyoming, after Joel lied to Ellie about slaughtering the Fireflies who planned to remove her brain to try to develop a cure. We get to see more of Jackson in the trailer, and things are looking bleak for the snowy human settlement.
The trailer kicks off with a scene of Ellie and Joel walking through the woods reminiscent of their season 1 dynamic before cutting to more action-packed scenes. A horde of zombies beat down Jackson's door, clickers pop up from the snow like daisies, and Joel flambés a hefty zombie (perhaps a bloater?) with a flamethrower,
But it's the slower moments that really caught my attention. In particular, the fateful Jackson barn scene where Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) awkwardly dance together before Part II's inciting incident.
Without giving away too much, this scene is key to establishing Ellie's budding chemistry with Dina, an important side character in the second game, as well as the distance settling between her and Joel.
It also marks a ground-breaking point in video game history. Ellie's sexuality, while not touched on in the first Last of Us, became the subject of controversy after the game's Left Behind DLC in 2014.
A kiss she shares with her friend Riley that's clearly a romantic gesture to anyone with eyes was nonetheless hashed and rehashed by fans in denial that Ellie could be anything but straight.
With The Last of Us Part II, not only did we get crystal clear confirmation that Ellie is a lesbian, but her relationship with a woman forms a huge part of her character arc. This was huge for gaming for many reasons, because Ellie was the first-ever openly queer female protagonist in a blockbuster game. I'm excited to see how Max handles their relationship in season 2.
A bombshell revelation
The trailer ends on a particularly ominous note with Ellie looking distraught and saying "You swore," presumably to Joel. That's significant because the second game keeps players in the dark for a while regarding what Joel's told her and how much Ellie knows about what happened at the hospital.
In the trailer, it seems like their conversation takes place in Jackson rather than at the scene of his rampage, which marks a significant departure from the game.
That's not incredibly surprising, as "The Last of Us" showrunners have already teased that "deviations" from the source material will abound in season 2. But it could have some branching implications down the line.
We'll have to wait and see to learn more. Other characters from Part II also appeared in the trailer, including Kaitlyn Dever as the revenge-fueled Firefly Abby, Young Mazino as Dina's ex Jesse, Tati Gabrielle as Washington Liberation Front medic Nora, Jeffrey Wright as militia leader Isaac Dixon, and Catherine O'Hara as a yet-unnamed new character that'll act as Joel's therapist.
"The Last of Us" season 2 premieres on Max on April 13.
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