After today’s premiere of the first episode, the second season of “The Last of Us” started. In a current interview, those responsible now commented at the start and spoke, among other things, about the greater challenge that “The Last of Us Part 2” represents as a template compared to the first game.
The first season of “The Last of Us” turned out to be true success in 2023 and was often described by critics as the best adaptation of a video game ever. But the viewers and fans of the template also celebrated the series implementation. In addition, the first season won several awards and was able to Clear the 75th awarding of the Emmy Awards big.
And after a long waiting time, the time had finally come this Monday: The first episode of the second season of “The Last of Us” celebrated its premiere in Germany. The new episodes are based on the history of “The Last of Us Part 2”, which also presented the creators with completely new challenges. The participants now spoke about this in an interview and also gave further insights into the relay start.
Attention, spoiler! The following sections contain details on the first episode of the new season of “The Last of Us”. Reading at your own risk!
Season 2 provided new challenges
Abby is introduced in the first episode – much earlier and also in a different way than in the video game template. The reason: the audience should establish the emotional connection to her as emotional, which is a bit difficult due to the only seven episodes. “The time we would have to invest alone to find out Abby’s core and find out why it is so angry would take many seasons,” said her actress Kaitlyn Dever.
In conversation with Deadline She added: “I think it is really important for the spectators to see this page right from the start. We find it in a very raw and vulnerable condition. I think that makes it a little more human than the game, and I think that’s important.”
Basically, the series should convey the same feeling as the video game. As the showrunner explained, however, this required some major changes compared to the submission. The first season had a high similarity to the video game, but part 2 presented the makers with new challenges due to its scope: “You start with the greatest possible perspective. What is important to us? What touched us and why?” Says Craig Mazin.
“Afterwards, if you go in search of agreement and consensus, you keep bordering the possibilities … In the end you reach the goal, but it requires effort and care. Because we know that our final decisions about how the episodes and even seasons develop, all events in every single moment of the series influence.”
Consequences as a central topic
But despite the deviations in content, the first episode already has many parallels to the video game – even if some sequences are a little different. As an example, Neil Druckmann leads the scene in the supermarket, which dispenses with a stalker, and Joel’s conversation with Gail: “This conversation between Joel and Gail is there … It is very similar to the conversation that Joel led with Tommy at the beginning of the game,” said Druckmann.
So Gail was introduced to challenge Joel through a new figure, unlike Tommy did in the game. In addition, this conversation is used to illustrate the effects of Joel’s decision at the end of the first season, since consequences are a central topic of the new season: “Here we use it as a drama to feel the effects of Joel’s decision at the end of season season, because the season is so often about consequences.”
In addition, the first episode already indicates the development of the infected and so Ellie and Dina encounter a much more intelligent variant that she persecutes and even attracts them. This was also used compared to the game early introduction to “fire a warning shot across all heads to say: It’s not as easy as it looks.”
Finally, the final scene indicates a growing cordyceps in Jackson and Abby also reaches the settlement – so external threats close. At the same time, the city is becoming even more vulnerable, in which it is taking up more and more refugees and the initial arrogance of the residents in dealing with the infected people seems to make way more and more. However, as the makers emphasize, each scene in the season has a meaning and prepare for future developments – especially if the characters weigh themselves.
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