According to the very brief synopsis on offer for the second season of The Last of Us, five fictional years have passed since we last saw Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). And somehow, over those five years, Joel has kept his secrets from his not-so-young-anymore friend. But not for much longer. “Don’t you know what he did?” someone asks Ellie. Presumably she’s about to find out, given the way she says “You swore!” to him a little bit later.
By the time The Last of Us returns to Max in April, it will have been more than two real-life years since we last saw the struggling remnants of humanity face off against their former peers who have been infected with the cordyceps virus—a virus that messes with bodies in all kinds of horrifying ways. (One assumes there will be even more horrifying fungus monsters this time around.) The show, which is based on the wildly popular video game and co-created by games writer Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, was a blazing success in 2023. It remains to be seen if, in 2025, we are all as excited about watching people stumble through the wreckage of America. (Side question: Where do they get all those brand-new parkas?)
Season two adds Kaitlyn Dever as the contentious Abby; Isabela Merced as Dina, Ellie’s love interest; Young Mazino as Jesse; Ariela Barer as Mel; Tati Gabrielle as Nora; Spencer Lord as Owen; Danny Ramirez as Manny; Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, and Catherine O’Hara in a guest-starring role. Gabriel Luna returns as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria.
The Last of Us premieres April 13th on Max.
