Right now The Last of Us is in the thick of its second season, and events are progressing at breakneck pace. In last Sunday's episode, Ellia (Bella Ramsey) and her partner Dina (Isabela Merced) made their way into the ruins of Seattle, where they hope to track down Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), the woman who murdered Ellie's foster father Joel (Pedro Pascal).
They didn't find Abby by the end of the episode, but an awful lot happened, including a swapping of big secrets by our new leading duo. Dina found out that Ellie is immune to the cordyceps plague which has destroyed civilization, and Ellie found out that Dina is pregnant with Jessie's (Young Mazino) baby. Afterward they had sex, solidfying their relationship in a much-needed calm amidst the storm. The romance between Ellie and Dina is a key element of this season, and the show has been giving it plenty of attention.
Isabela Merced spoke to Variety earlier this week about Ellie and Dina's relationship. There's been a lot to pore through, but buried deep in the interview, there's a tidbit that could have large implications for the overall series: Merced mentioned the filming window for season 3.
When asked whether she knows yet when the show will begin production on season 3, she said, "No, but I think it should be next year." If that's true, The Last of Us won't start filming season 3 until 2026.
A long filming schedule could hurt The Last of Us
While The Last of Us season 2 has been a solid ride so far, there's also been a little bit of a cloud hanging over it because of its shortened run. This season only consists of seven episodes total; because of that, no matter how good each episode is, I always find myself thinking that we're getting close to the end.
Taking two years between seasons has become the norm for big budget genre television shows; many viewers expect it at this point, but to have that kind of gap after only seven episodes makes such a wait even harder to swallow. The only way that sort of shorter run works out is if the gap is smaller not larger, like what Netflix has done with Squid Game seasons 2 and 3, which are premiering around six months apart. If The Last of Us takes two years between its second and third season, I worry that it could hurt interest in the show.
That's especially true due to the narrative arc of the story. So far, The Last of Us season 2 is sticking surprisingly close to the unusual structure of The Last of Us Part II video game. If it continues to do that for the rest of the season, then chances are very high that we're going to end on some kind of cliffhanger, rather than any sort of true resolution like we got in season 1. This could make people even more impatient.
All that said, the structure may offer a hidden solution to this problem that Merced didn't address. SPOILERS from the video game ahead.
Ellie and Dina may not appear much in The Last of Us season 3
There is one other possibility, and until showrunners Craig Mazin or Neil Druckmann put out some kind of concrete statement, I'm going to cling to it like a drowning man to flotsam. The Last of Us Part II has a very weird structure that plays with timeline and perspective, specifically during the Seattle section, which forms the bulk of the story. First, we see Ellie and Dina's quest for revenge over the course of three bloody days in the city. Then The Last of Us Part II pulls out the rug, forcing players into Abby's perspective as she lives out those same three days. In a nutshell, Ellie is on a quest for revenge; Abby is finding redemption after getting her own gory payback at the start of the game.
Abby's section of the game is substantial and has a lot of incredibly memorable moments. The flipping of perspectives is one of the great strengths of the game's story, making you question whether anyone in this tale is truly a hero or villain. Before the season we weren't sure if the show would stick to that exact formula, since it would mean leaving star Bella Ramsey on the sidelines for most of season 3. But now that we're so deep into the season, it's looking more and more likely.
If the show goes this route, it could start filming Abby's story earlier. Since HBO renewed it for season 3 before the second even aired, I'm really hoping this the case. If it is, then Merced and Ramsey wouldn't be needed for most of the season. They could come in to film their scenes late in the shoot, after Kaitlyn Dever has already shot the majority of Abby's material for the season.
Of course, this is speculation on my part — and it's important to note that we still have three episodes left, so The Last of Us may prove me wrong and show us more Abby before all's said and done this season. But even if it does, I'd expect to see the main thrust of her storyline next season.
Hopefully we find out more soon. Until then, we've got a few more episodes of The Last of Us season 2 to enjoy. They premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
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