The conclusion to season 2 of The Last of Us is just around the corner, and with season 3 already confirmed, it’s safe to say there’s going to be a lot to unfold after the finale. Although some suspected the adaptation might shift things around compared to the game, especially after the initial focus on Abby, for the most part, barring some changes, the showrunners have been true to the original’s structure.
Unsurprisingly, season 3 will follow suit, as, according to Craig Mazin, the next season in question will be entirely about Abby.
Abby will be the central focus moving forward
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby | Credit: HBO
To say that TLOU 2’s narrative is relegated to a revenge tale would be a disservice to the writers. The structure itself, while controversial, was important for the story that Neil Druckmann and Halley Gross realized with the Award-winning game. And according to Craig Mazin, it seems the adaptation will stay true to the source material in that regard.
The Last of Us 2 | Credit: Naughty Dog
Considering the game itself is divided into two halves, the first being Ellie’s POV and the latter being Abby’s POV, the two-season structure seems ideal to translate this dynamic on the silver screen. Craig O’Hara further corroborated this speculation about season 3 being the story of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby when asked about her potential involvement in the next season.
Related: The Only Thing Sadder Than Joel’s Death is Pedro Pascal’s Farewell Speech to The Last of Us Crewmates
She added (via Variety):
I don’t know. Craig [Mazin] did say definitely not this next season. It’s the Abby story. Maybe. But I think it was to serve Joel and Ellie.
Although it was indeed surprising on the writers’ part about how early they unveiled Abby’s motivations, given the shift in medium, coupled with the hate that Laura Bailey received, it’s easy to see where they were coming from.
The Last of Us Season 4 is likely on the cards for the adaptation
While on paper, it seems like two seasons seem adequate to deliver the whole narrative, Craig Mazin is eyeing a potential fourth season. In an interview with Collider, Mazin expressed that the impact of Joel’s death prohibited them from exploring more standalone stories like season 1’s Bill and Frank (via Collider).
The Last of Us 2 | Credit: Naughty Dog
However, with season 3, they might branch upon this approach, which seems reasonable given how much more layered Abby’s side of the story is, whether it’s her own journey of redemption or the war between WLF and Scars.
I think we’ll have a little more room there. But certainly, there’s no way to complete this narrative in a third season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome.
If this is indeed the case, we might not see Ellie in action until the backend of season 3 or the potential season 4. As it seems, Santa Barbara will be out of the equation for one more season.
The Last of Us season 2 finale will premiere on HBO and Max on 26th May.
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