Spoiler Alert for The Last of Us Season Two, Episode One

The core of The Last of Us, whether in the games or the first season of the HBO series, is the bond between Joel and Ellie. This relationship was masterfully brought to life by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the first season; their chemistry was undoubtedly the show’s most compelling aspect. Therefore, it’s somewhat surprising that they share only a few minutes of screen time in the season two premiere, “Future Days,” and their interaction is tense, to say the least.

This pivotal moment occurs near the end of the episode. Earlier, the show picks up right where it left off, with Ellie accepting Joel’s deception about the events of the season one finale. In that episode, Joel slaughtered the Fireflies to save Ellie, who is immune. The Fireflies had planned to use her to find a cure for the cordyceps infection that devastated the world, but the process would have killed her. Her “okay” signifies acceptance of his story, even if she doesn’t entirely believe it. Five years later, the tension between them is palpable — so much so that Joel is attending therapy sessions.

We witness one of Joel’s therapy sessions with Gail, played by Catherine O’Hara, an actress whose involvement was highly anticipated since her character’s reveal in an early trailer. Both Joel and Gail are having a rough day during their meeting. Joel’s relationship with Ellie is what drove him to seek therapy, and he discusses the distance in their relationship, noting that she barely speaks to him and often sulks. Gail observes that Ellie’s behavior is typical of a 19-year-old towards her father figure but also senses that there’s more to their story. She shares a personal connection to Joel, revealing that he shot her husband, a character from The Last of Us Part II, in a past encounter. While she understands why Joel did it, she cannot forgive him for how she found out and admits to harboring hatred towards him for his actions.

The discord between Joel and Ellie is also hinted at through Dina, a new character introduced as Ellie’s best friend. Dina has a conversation with Joel, during which he shows a fatherly affection towards her, similar to what he usually displays towards Ellie. When Dina inquires about Ellie’s anger towards Joel, he responds vaguely, discussing their struggles as a pseudo-father-daughter duo and asks Dina to keep his therapy sessions confidential.

The most pivotal scene in this episode is the New Year’s Eve party where Dina and Ellie share a dance and a kiss, only to be interrupted by a drunk bigot. Joel intervenes, pushing the bigot to the ground and inquiring about Ellie’s well-being, which earns him a disgusted look and verbal rebuke from Ellie before he walks away, uncharacteristically.

It’s clear that things are not well between Joel and Ellie, and while this narrative direction is intriguing, it’s also somewhat disappointing due to the limited screen time and interactions between the two leads. Having them at odds is a reasonable storyline, especially considering Ellie’s age and the complexities of their relationship. However, the absence of their usual connection casts a subdued mood over the episode, a deliberate choice by episode writer and director, and showrunner Craig Mazin, which will likely influence the rest of the season.

Mazin also pays homage to the game in this episode, particularly with the town party scene. From the start of season one, it was expected that the show would recreate iconic scenes from the game nearly verbatim. However, the series has consistently defied these expectations, instead opting to expand on the game’s narrative while selectively incorporating tributes. The party scene is a perfect example, beginning with a shot of Ellie’s back as she watches the celebration, followed by a sequence nearly identical to the game in terms of dialogue, set design, and framing. What differs, though, is the timing, with this scene occurring much earlier in the story than it does in the game.

Another significant scene takes place at the beginning of the episode, where we’re introduced to Abby, one of the playable characters from the second game. We learn that Abby and her friends are survivors of Joel’s massacre of the Fireflies at the hospital in Utah, and Abby is keen on revenge. Showrunners Mazin and Neil Druckmann have discussed their decision to introduce Abby and explore her motivations sooner in the show than in the game, given that players form a relationship with her through gameplay. In this case, we’re aware that Abby is after Joel, and the episode concludes with her and her crew reaching Jackson. While “Future Days” focuses more on setting the scene than action, aside from some tense moments with Ellie and Dina against the Infected, it’s clear that the pace will pick up in the next episode — not just with Abby, but also with the introduction of a major Infected threat.

Infected Score: 6/10

One of the main criticisms from fans of the video games during the first season was the relative scarcity of Infected. The showrunners have indicated that they’ve made changes in season two to address this — let’s see if they stick to their word.

Episode one was primarily an exposition episode with limited action, but we did see Ellie and Dina discreetly take down a pair of Clickers. The most exciting moment was the introduction of a Stalker, which completely fooled Ellie and even managed to bite her again. Hopefully, we’ll see more of these stealthy creatures as the season progresses. The threat of tendrils lurking in the pipes of Jackson promises larger issues to come, but for now, it’s a waiting game. I’ve rated this episode a 6 out of 10 — while there wasn’t a lot of action, the reveal of the Stalker was intense enough to elevate the episode’s rating.