HBO’s television adaptation of the 2013 video game The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season. The renewal announcement comes just two episodes into the show’s nine-episode run after the premiere, and subsequent airing pulled in major numbers for the network. Following on from HBO’s second biggest debut episode since 2010, the second episode saw a 22% jump in viewership, marking the largest in HBO’s history. With numbers like these and a rapidly expanding fanbase for the show’s lead stars Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie), it’s hard to imagine a world in which season 2 didn’t get the go-ahead.
HBO’s The Last of Us follows the post-apocalyptic struggles of smuggler Joel and his latest cargo, a wise-cracking 14-year-old, Ellie. Based on the game series of the same name, the show is being co-helmed by Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin and game developer Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckman. In our review of the show, we praised the two lead performances and attention to detail but wonder about the strength of its writing, though those gripes seem small in contrast with the show’s mammoth success.
It’s still early days on official confirmation of what exactly season 2 of The Last of Us will cover but given how season 1 wraps up, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mazin and Druckman adapt the controversial The Last of Us Part II. Fair warning to television viewers, if you’re unfamiliar with the events of the games we would absolutely recommend not even a cursory Google search on the sequel. For those who are aware, this upcoming season is sure to continue HBO’s trend of shocking and infinitely discussable storytelling.
If you’re after more The Last of Us talk, check out WellPlayed’s VHS Podcast, on which we are doing weekly episodic breakdowns.
Are you excited about a second season? Be sure to let us know in the comments or on social media.
One part pretentious academic and one part goofy dickhead, James is often found defending strange games and frowning at the popular ones, but he's happy to play just about everything in between. An unbridled love for FromSoftware's pantheon, a keen eye for vibes first experiences, and an insistence on the Oxford comma have marked his time in the industry.
