Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 1!
The Last of Usseason 2, episode 1 is finally here, and here are the 9 biggest events that happened during the five-year time jump between the two seasons.The Last of Usseason 2 will begin adaptingThe Last of Us Part II, the divisive sequel to the original video game that was adapted by the first season of the HBO series.A lot has happened in the time that was elapsed betweenThe Last of Usseasons 1 and 2, and here are the nine biggest details that were revealed by the premiere of the highly anticipated second season.
Thetimeline ofThe Last of Usseason 2is interesting, as it doesn’t perfectly align withThe Last of Usvideo games. Firstly, HBO’sThe Last of Ustakes place before PlayStation’sThe Last of Us. In the games, the cordyceps virus outbreak took place in 2013, with the first game taking place in 2033. Meanwhile,the cordyceps virus outbreak took place in 2003 in the HBO series, with season 1 taking place in 2023. A five-year time gap means thatThe Last of Usseason 2 starts out in late 2028 before quickly making it to New Year’s 2029, while the game mostly takes place in 2038.
9Joel & Ellie Permanently Moved To Jackson, Wyoming After Leaving Salt Lake City
& They Have Stayed There Since
The first big event that happened inThe Last of Us' time jump is that Joel and Ellie permanently moved to Jackson, Wyoming. InThe Last of Usseason 1, Joel discovers the Jackson settlement,learning that his brother Tommy lives there. Joel and Ellie eventually leave Jackson to continue their quest to Salt Lake City, where Joel hopes that Ellie can be used by Fireflies to create a cure to the cordyceps virus.
After killing the Fireflies and lying to Ellie inThe Last of Usseason 1 finale, Joel and Ellie return to Jackson. Rather than moving back to Boston, where Joel lives at the beginning ofThe Last of Usseason 1, the duo decides to stay in Wyoming. Joel and Ellie have been living in Jackson for around five years at the start ofThe Last of Usseason 2, with them both becoming key members of the community. However, the residents of Jackson still don’t know about Ellie’s immunity.
It Isn’t Yet Known Why
Joel and Ellie were incredibly close throughoutThe Last of Usseason 1, explaining why Joel was willing to kill the Fireflies for her. However, by the time ofThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 1, they aren’t nearly as close.As is revealed in Joel’s therapy sessions with Catherine O’Hara’s character, Joel and Ellie have apparently had a falling out. However, exactly why isn’t revealed. It is possible thatEllie could have somehow found out about Joel’s lie, as her hostility toward Joel implies that their falling out was much more than a natural drift apart.
He Has Risen Through Jackson’s Ranks
Since moving to Jackson, Joel has become a pillar of the settlement. Joel seems to work as a higher-up in Jackson’s construction field,with him meeting with Jackson leader Maria Millerin order to discuss the logistics of construction throughout the winter. Joel and Maria argue over construction work on some Jackson facilities like a school, showing Joel’s control over the settlement’s construction workers. Joel’s actual title isn’t revealed, but it is clear that he is playing more active role within Jackson than the did in the games.
& He Is New To The Show
Maria and Tommy are a couple inThe Last of Usseason 1, and by the time season 2 starts, they have a child.Maria and Tommy’s young son is named Benjamin, with him still being a child inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 1.InThe Last of UsPart IIvideo game, Maria and Tommy don’t have a son, meaning that this is a major change for the TV show. It isn’t yet known why the HBO series added Benjamin’s birth in this time gap, with it being a major event to have happened off-screen.
5Ellie Has Become Close With Dina (& So Has Joel)
But Joel & Ellie Aren’t Close
Much like inThe Last of Us Part II,The Last of Usseason 2 has introduced Dina, a new main character. Dina and Ellie became friends sometime between the events of season 1 and season 2, with them going on patrols and training together. However, they have grown closer than a friendship. Ellie and Dina’s kiss at the end of season 2, episode 1 shows that aromance has blossomed between Ellie and Dina, highlighting how close they have gotten.
Ellie isn’t the only one who Dina has gotten close to. Dina and Joel also have a relationship inThe Last of Usseason 2,similar to the father-daughter dynamic seen with Joel and Ellie in season 1. Dina goes over to Joel’s house to learn about technology and construction, with Joel being happy to teach her. However, Dina is also attempting to get Joel and Ellie to reconcile, with her encouraging both of them to talk to each other.
4Ellie Got An Arm Tattoo That Covers Her Bite Mark
It Is The Tattoo From The Game
ThroughoutThe Last of Usseason 1,Ellie has to hide the bite mark on her arm. The bite would reveal to anyone who saw her that she was immune, or it could put her in danger due to them falsely believing that she was infected. Rather than hiding it with her clothing, Ellie got a tattoo sometime before the events of season 2. This tattoo obscures the bite mark, allowing her to freely show her arm. The tattoo that Ellie bears in season 2 is similar to the one that Ellie has inThe Last of Us Part II, carrying on this piece of gaming iconography.
3Joel Began Seeing A Therapist (& Killed Her Husband)
But It Hasn’t Been Revealed Why
One of the biggest new storylines introduced inThe Last of Usseason 2 has to do with Joel seeing a therapist.Joel’s therapist is played by Catherine O’Hara, and by the time the season starts, he has seen her a few times. Joel’s therapist helps guide him through his falling out with Ellie. However,she also reveals that Joel killed her husband Eugeneat some point, although she doesn’t reveal why. This development will surely be explored sometime in the future ofThe Last of Usseason 2.
2Abby & Her Friends Front Start Looking For Joel
& They May Have Found Him
Abby is arguably the antagonist ofThe Last of Usseason 2, and by the time the season has started, she has already started looking for Joel. InThe Last of Usseason 1 finale, Joel killed a group of Fireflies in an attempt to save Ellie’s life. One of theseFireflies was the father of Abby, who is now seeking revenge. Abby and some of her Firefly friends have spent the last five years looking for Joel, and by the end of episode 1, they have seemingly found him.
1The Infected Have Gotten Smarter
Could They Be Evolving?
The final development that occurred betweenThe Last of Usseasons 1 and 2 is that the infected have seemingly gotten smarter. While trapped in the supermarket, Ellie fights an infected that uses strategic thinking to fight her. Ellie reports this to the Jackson council, shocking them. This suggests that the infected may have evolved in the five years between seasons, making them an even bigger threat inThe Last of Usseason 2.
