REVIEW: The Last of Us S2
After a stunning first season, how could The Last of Us S2 improve upon what has gone before, after the brutal ending it follows, and would it be able to adapt a game that is one of the most critically acclaimed of all time? The Last of Us S2 builds upon perfection and adds further depth to the post-apocalyptic world inhabited by Joel and Ellie as the pair start the season with some tension.
This is a series that deserves to be watched and enjoyed (if that is really the right word here) without any spoilers. The world of The Last of Us S2 is brutal and unforgiving and the showrunners want you to know that from the start. There’s no easing the audience in. It hits you like a golf club to the head (multiple times) and only relents to allow you a moment to breathe and appreciate the beauty in darkness before smashing you in the face again. There’s genuine peril for our protagonists as members of the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) look for revenge for Joel’s attack at the end of the last season and the infected begin to show signs of evolution that can only lead to trouble for the settlement that Joel and Ellie now call home. It’s an action-packed season with new interesting characters added to the stunning world. New factions are introduced, each with their own ideals and goals causing them to be at odds with one another as they attempt to carve out a piece of life in the hell that they now live in. Some have looked to faith and a time before technology (Seraphites) whilst others rely on the law and order of the military (WLF). Ellie is of course caught between them all and new addition Dina played brilliantly by Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus, Superman) is a standout performer as she joins Ellie on her mission across Seattle. It was also great to see the menacing Jeffrey Wright acting as the same character he voiced in the game, Isaac. I’ve loved to see the little links between game and TV characters across the two seasons and it is something that will be enjoyed by the game’s original audience.
The heavy work of the show is carried by Bella Ramsay as Ellie. Some people have moaned about her casting but her acting is incredible across the season and really carries the season forward as she manages the emotional depth of the show. The Last of Us S2 works so well because of her. The mix of rage, love, grief, loss, joy is all there with each little movement and she truly understands the character of Ellie. New to the season and playing the divisive Abby is Kaitlyn Dever. Again, her acting is mesmerising and she is someone the audience will love to both hate and pity in the story and the series only works with these two phenomenal actresses bringing their A-game. For those of us who want action along with an emotional core, there is a battle scene early on that reminded me of some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones and looking back, it is probably one of the best episodes put on a TV screen. HBO really knows how to do this stuff.
Intense, beautiful, and as gut-wrenching as the first season. The Last of Us S2 adapts one of the best games ever made and doesn’t falter. Great performances by its stars, stellar writing, and some amazing action scenes mean that you will not be disappointed by this great series.
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