The first episode of The Last of Us Season 2 kicks off today with a lie.

Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, says to Joel (Pedro Pascal), “Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true.” Joel betrays no emotion and says, “I swear.”

I’ve seen the episode that debuted tonight and here are my impressions. It’s still a little jarring that the actors in the show don’t look so much like the characters in the two video games that I have spent so much time with. I think all gamers who love the titles have a similar feeling, but I made my peace with it with the last season, which debuted in January 2023 to much acclaim. I’m very excited to see HBO take the awareness of this game series into the stratosphere, as it is my favorite game series of all time.

The opener carries a lot of emotional weight that the second game had as it kicked off themes about revenge and hate. If the first season and the first game set in motion set off a series of events that gave us a moving story about survival in the post-apocalyptic age, the second season follows the second game in giving us the consequences of the decisions made in the first.

This season will no doubt follow the course of the first half of the second game, and I expect the third season will take us to the conclusion of the second game. Beyond that, there’s no scheduled third game. So if this proves to be a popular show, we may eventually run into a Game of Thrones-like situation, where the show passes up the primary source material and creates its own fiction.

I won’t spoil the show, but everything about the show and the game is hard to watch, but it is so well done that it’s hard to look away or drop it.

Warner’s HBO just announced the Emmy-winning HBO Original drama series has been renewed for a third season, ahead of its season two debut. The seven-episode second season of The Last of Us starts today on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

The new season picks up with the beginning of events of the game sequel, The Last of Us: Part 2. Much like the game, the timeline in the show takes place five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

Season 2 cast: Season two returning cast includes Pascal as Joel, Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast members include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

We expect of course to see Abby, Dina, Nora, Mel, Owen, Manny, Isaac and Jesse — they’re all in the second game. But O’Hara’s psychotherapist, named Gail in the show, is someone entirely new for the show. Her patient is very reluctant to talk, much like the early Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. That could lead to interesting dramatic moments.

I feel like the casting is once again a bit jarring for the second season, but so far these actors are doing a great job convincing me they are the the characters. The actors for Abby, Dina, Owen and Jesse seem especially well cast given their mannerisms and their emotional intensity. So buckle up. This is going to be a pretty intense season.

The third season

Craig Mazin, creator, executive producer, writer, and director, said in a statement, “We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with season three.”

It may seem like stretching out the series to do a full third season, with perhaps 14 episodes altogether for the second game. But it’s good to remember that the second game is far longer than the first one. So I think they can pull it off for the show, especially if each season isn’t as long as you might expect.

Neil Druckmann, creator, executive producer, writer, and director, said in a statement, “To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support. Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast, and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us”

Season 2, based on the acclaimed video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation consoles, was written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells; with writer/co-executive producer Halley Gross.