Did you play The Last of Us Part II? If yes, then I hope your ready to have you blown by the new season of this video game adaptation. And if no, then your mind will still be blown.
This season starts out pretty similar to the game it is based on, there’s a time jump and the relationship between Joel and Ellie is a little rocky. Things get even more intense when Joel goes a little too far to stand up for his daughter. Does this all sound familiar? Well, this is where things are changed up a bit.
Now I’m obliviously not here to share spoilers, just to review. I think the changes are necessary to the show’s narrative and while the games storyline still stays intact, the changes are good for the shows story – in my opinion. This season is Ellie’s story, but Joel plays a huge part in her decisions.
Bella Ramsey is fantastic and she really carries this series. Pedro Pascal is brilliant just like in season one, delivering scenes that will crush your heart. Now if you played the game then you know exactly what happens between Joel and Ellie, so I won’t go into that. I want to focus on the new characters.
Isabela Merced is awesome as Dina, she really embodies the strengths and kindness of the character. I might even say she’s my favourite part of the show, but I’ll talk more on that during my weekly recaps. Kaitlyn Dever as Abby on the other hand is perfectly cast.
I know people originally wanted her as Ellie, a role she would’ve been great at but I think we needed her as Abby. Her strength and badassery is perfect for the role. She really demands your attention. She’s one of those characters that you just love to hate and I know a lot of people hate Abby. Just wait until Kaitlyn changes your perception of the character.
The rest of the cast is incredible, Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as Isaac Dixon and yes, he is incredible. I’m not going to go through the whole cast, but just know that there are some interesting cameos. My favourite character in the series is Tommy and that brings me to my biggest issue with this season.
We do not see enough of Gabriel Luna as Tommy. His characters should’ve played a bigger part in the overall story, but his story arc seems to have been put aside for Ellie and Abby’s story. Which I understand, but I’m not happy about.
One of the things people always want to know when it comes to these type of shows, is what does it look like. And I’m happy to report it is beautiful. I love this world and the blend of practical effects and CGI perfectly transports into The Last of Us.
I watched screeners and some of the episode still had temporary CGI elements and it still looked great. You probably want to know about the zombies? A lot of zombies finally debut in this season, but I’m not allowed to say which zombies and in which episodes. Some other reviewers might spoil this for the audience, but I’m sticking to HBO’s rules.
What I can say is you will be surprised by the amount of action in this season, probably more than in season one. I think my favourite episode is part of season 2. They also turned up the horror side of things, which I adore.
