The Last of Us creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have confirmed what fans of the game already expected: The Last of Us season 3 is going to centre on Abby’s story, with Kaitlyn Dever’s character taking center stage.
Where The Last of Us season 1 followed the beats of the first game pretty faithfully, the second game is more complex and needs more time to tell its story – so where The Last of Us season 2 centered primarily on Ellie after the horrendous events of episode two and only covered part of the story arc, the third season is going to do the same switch of protagonist we experienced in the game and give us much more time with Abby.
That suggests that the rumored fourth and final season (which the show’s composer Jake Staley suggests is definite, telling The Last of Us podcast Savage Starlight that “there’ll be at least two more seasons, no question”) will return to Ellie for its heart-stopping and desperately sad climax.
What to expect from The Last of Us season 3
As the Hollywood Reporter explains (with some spoilers for season 2’s big moments), season 3 is going to feel different. “It’s more of a water season than a fire season,” Druckmann revealed, as Mazin added, “It’s a wetter season than a hotter season.” And “season three is going to be starring – spoiler alert – Kaitlyn.”
I’m excited about season 3, albeit with some reservations: as someone who loved and was probably deeply traumatized by playing The Last of Us Part II, I felt that season 2 of the TV show didn’t feel like the game did.
That’s inevitable with any adaptation, I know, but there were two things in particular that stood out for me (and for my teen, who’s also a fan of the games): Bella Ramsay’s portrayal of Ellie, and Kaitlyn Dever’s casting as Abby.
In the game, Ellie’s a monster – and Abby is built like a tank, her muscular body a huge contrast to Ellie’s more slender build. But in season 2 Ellie’s sad, not mad, and Kaitlyn Dever doesn’t have the physical presence of her in-game equivalent. But her rage is just as terrifying, so maybe I just need to forget about the game and let the show do its own thing.
I think one of the things Mazin said about the show explains the different tone of the TV program compared to the game: “For me, this is not a show about revenge,” he said. “It’s a show about grief.” But if you’ve played the game to the end, you’ll know that it’s about both: it’s a meditation on the damage grief can do to people, both to themselves and to others.
The Last of Us season 2 is streaming now on HBO Max.
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