With HBO's The Last of Us TV adaptation being so successful, it is no wonder that fans are already desperate to see the next season. The show opened up the franchise to a whole new audience, many of whom may be unaware of the events of the second game.
This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2With this in mind, HBO is presented with a unique opportunity in its portrayal of The Last of Us' second season. As this season will seemingly be exploring the events of The Last of Us Part 2, there is a clear blueprint that HBO should follow in showcasing the events of Part 2 in a way much better suited for television.
The Main Issues with The Last of Us Part 2
The Last of Us Part 2 is undoubtedly a critical success, cementing the franchise as one of the best in modern gaming, but the title is much more controversial than its 2013 predecessor. These alleged issues primarily stem from how some of the IP's most influential figures are dealt with, such as Joel. With Joel being brutally killed in only the first act of The Last of Us Part 2, many fans who had developed a bond with the character were outraged. This controversy was then heightened by the player taking control of Abby, the killer of Joel, for large portions of the title.
Abby's brutal introduction to the game made it hard for some players to resonate with her, with this being one of the main issues that TLoU Part 2 faced. Of course, many consider this plot line to be in-line with the franchise's overall themes of the relentless and unforgiving apocalypse, and held no issue with Abby's role. While Abby's actions are justified as more becomes known about her, HBO's The Last of Us could take a different approach in its second season to avoid the same fate as the game.
How HBO's The Last of Us Should Tackle Part 2
Season one of The Last of Us encapsulated the entirety of the first game's story, with it being safe to assume the second season will tackle Part 2's. With how shocking the events of Part 2 are, a change of pace or sequencing may be best for season two.
For example, Pedro Pascal as Joel is one of the key allures of the HBO show. If the show is to quickly kill off Joel in the same manner as the game then huge swathes of newer fans may be turned off to the rest of the season. While Joel could still appear in flashbacks akin to the game, killing the character off so early could have a serious impact on the show's viewership.
In this way, HBO could instead portray Abby's story first, before Ellie and Joel's. While this would depart from the sequencing of the game, it would crucially allow fans to develop a pre-existing bond with Abby before she is introduced to the previous main characters. The fatal interaction between Joel and Abby would then be more familiar to fans and could happen much later on in the show compared to the game. While HBO's The Last of Us has prided itself on the accuracy to its source material, a change could be quite necessary with its second season. By changing the sequencing of main events, the show can maintain its star power without compromising the fan reception of characters like Abby.
The Last of Us season 1 is available to stream now on HBO Max.