The disparity and arguably downfall of HBO's live-action adaptation of the video game of the same name, The Last of Us, is truly mind-blowing. What started as one of the best television shows in recent history slowly descended into mayhem over one controversial decision.
For context, The Last of Us season 1 received a 96% Tomatometer score, with the audience providing an 86%. However, season 2 received a 91% Tomatometer score with a 37% audience score.
What happened? The decision, as it occurred nearly scene for scene, line for line, to have Abby brutally kill Joel with a golf club, sent the fandom spiraling.
Fans of the video game were disappointed once again. Fans of the show with no prior knowledge of the video game were betrayed.
The heart and soul of the story, the father-daughter relationship and bond between Joel Miller and Ellie, was over. Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, recently spoke on The Awardist podcast about the incessant hate the show has since received, leading many to wonder how it will recover next season.
In an article by Deadline, Ramsey said, “There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. The show is out. There’s nothing that can be changed or altered. So, I’m like, there’s not really any point in reading or looking at anything,”.
Ramsey continues explaining that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, stating that, in regard to the upcoming third season, if haters hate the show so much, "You don’t have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again,”.
Truthfully, the chances of Joel's death were 50/50 until you looked deeper into the evidence that his death was imminent. Disregarding how it unfolded in The Last of Us Part II, Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, was hardly on set (filming for the Fantastic Four: First Steps in London looming), and a majority of scenes from both the season 2 teaser and official trailer were of a younger Joel, hinting at flashbacks instead of the present.
It has been confirmed that The Last of Us season 3 will be focusing on Abby's story, most likely leading up to where season 2 left off. While we cannot deny that Joel's death wasn't brutal and devastating, the effects of which will live on as strongly as Glenn's demise in The Walking Dead and the loss of several Stark family members on Game of Thrones, we are craving context, understanding, and Abby's point of view.
How did she become involved with The Wolves? What was her relationship like with her father?
How did she finally learn of Joel's location? If we look at The Last of Us as a whole, each season follows a different character's story, beginning with Joel, continuing through Ellie, and perhaps ending with Abby.
Stream The Last of Us on HBO MAX.