The Last of Us S02E01 - Future Days

After a two year break due to strike related reasons and just the general lack of commitment to returning yearly for prestige television series HBO's The Last of Us released the first episode of it's hotly anticipated second season which is sure to be major every Sunday for the next two months until the seven episode second season comes to an end on May 25.


What I appreciate most about this premiere is rather than give us those big action moments that I'm sure are coming instead we were spoiled with plenty of character building/introduction moments that I'm sure will make the rest of the season more satisfying to experience. We of course again are mainly following Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they continue their survival in this post apocalyptic society the show and game (which I've never played so everything happening is new to me) takes place in.


What I liked most about this premiere was the multiple characters we were introduced to the best in show being Dina (Isabela Merced), Gail (Catherine O'Hara) and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). I don't know how major all three actresses roles are gonna be throughout the season but regardless I enjoyed having each of their unique presences featured in the episode. Merced played Dina so charmingly that I fully buy into the romantic ties she and Ellie seem to share. O'Hara a gifted comedian (also doing nice work on Apple's The Studio) brought a sense of pathos to her Gail delivering a brilliant moment of speech expressing her characters anger and sadness simultaneously. Dever the smallest of presences impressed in her single scene conveying an understandable anger that I'm sure we'll see later throughout the series and knowing Dever as I do I expect nothing but dramatic brilliance.


The height of the episode for me came in the episode ending dance scene which shows the series at it's best when it manages to imbue moments of character into physical acts not only relying on the words spoken. I am just impressed by this series adaptation and am happy to have the show back airing weekly. Not knowing what dramatically is going to come next I await to watch along with everyone.

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