The Last of Us franchise took the world by storm when the first game was released in 2013. The game twisted through a heartwarming and emotional narrative leaving players feeling moved, yet also conflicted. This story-based narrative made the game one of the most successful games to date. The game itself revolves around a moral dilemma surrounding Joel’s choice to sacrifice a potential cure for a world-ravaging pandemic, in exchange for the life of a girl that had become his surrogate daughter. The question of how they would adapt this narrative for TV is one that sparked multiple debates. Being able to play as Joel, the character at the centre of this dilemma, was integral to the development of this story.

The eventual release of the second game in 2020 brought this feeling of narrative intrigue to a harsh and abrupt stop when Joel was murdered quickly with no explanation at the start of the game. Writers allowed the narrative to spiral on from there, with Ellie as the playable character. Many people felt deceived and tricked by Naughty Dog, as teasers and trailers contradicted the integral plot of the second game. Having travelled cross-country with 14-year-old Ellie in the first game, many players felt lost and angry at this unnecessary murder of Joel’s complex and detailed character. The Last of Us: Part Two was released on the 19th of June 2020, which could also lead to another reason as to why the game is so polarising. Was the game’s controversial reception due to the jagged, and somewhat tricky to follow storyline? Or the timing of the release date during the COVID pandemic? The decision to go ahead with this release of a darker, bleaker storyline may have not been suited to this audience at the time, when people wanted to use video games as an escape from the real world rather than a reflection of the fear they were experiencing day to day.

On the 5th of August 2024, HBO Max released their first full trailer teasing Season 2 of the TV adaption. The first season was a huge success, like the game, with the added bonus of its TV format bringing in a new audience that may have not even played a video game before. The new trailer for Season 2 begs the question of whether the second season will be as polarising as the second game was. Perhaps with the pandemic behind us, audiences will resume their better reception to this dark and unpredictable pandemic- centered world, and this may even add a layer of relatability that wasn’t there before.

The Last of Us: Part Two won Game of the Year in 2020, and despite online discourse, was an overall major success for Naughty Dog. People fell in love with Ellie’s character and seeing her change in the space of 6 years from such an innocent, carefree 14-year-old to somebody ridden by grief and rage is something both disturbing and somewhat relatable. The first game was hopeful, a game of redemption, however the second game became almost entirely centered around revenge and what violent obsession does to a person. Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie in the show, did an incredible job capturing Ellie’s lighthearted personality in the first season. However, they have a difficult job ahead of capturing this other, more dark side of Ellie she slowly leans into through her grief. This trailer has already done a good job at highlighting Bella’s range of ability. It flashes through many scenes in a short space of time, highlighting to viewers the chaotic and complex pathway the narrative is going to take.

One particular scene of Ellie, seen with her hair down, screaming, is a scene that didn’t seem familiar to players of the game. A few scenes, such as Joel’s chilling line delivered by a tearful Pedro Pascal: “I saved her”, and a shot of the back of Ellie’s head with fairy lights illuminating the background, were familiar to players. This helps connect the players to the TV version by mirroring the exact same shots captured in the game. However, this scene of Ellie screaming adds another layer of curiosity to this TV adaptation, where else can they take this story that isn’t seen in the game version? Will they change the narrative, improve it, or build upon what has already been set down? The continued adaptation of this trailer, centered around the questions of a new, unnamed character played by Catherine O’Hara yet again provokes questions that neither game players nor viewers can answer, building up layers of intrigue even for players that feel they know the story already.

Photo Credits: Unsplash