The last episode of the first season of The Last of Us flicker over the domestic screens over two years ago. In the seven episodes of the second season, which appear on Sky and the Streaming Service WoW every week, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are now devoted to the action of The Last of Us Part 2.
With the plot of the second game, numerous new entanglements and heartbreaking branches await you that have shaped the gaming landscape. We were able to see the first episode in advance and reveal everything essential in series criticism at the relay - of course without spoilers.
Welcome to Jackson
The second season initially ties up seamlessly to the end of the first, before you catapult you into everyday life in Jackson. The town in Wyoming has an almost identical effect on the game. You will feel at home immediately if you have been strolled along the main street virtually.
Critics praised the great acting performance of the established cast around Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as well as the new additions such as Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced and Young Mazino.
Kaitlyn Dever still flies under the radar, although she can already book a few outstanding acting achievements, be it in series such as »Dopesick« or films such as »Booksmart» and »No One Will Save You«.
She embodies Abby, whose fate was largely influenced by the events of the first game. In the first episode, she only appears briefly, but in a scene that never existed in the game.
The showrunner had already announced in advance to want to reveal the secret to their history right from the start. This first scene is the beginning.
Isabela Merced has a special relationship with her role as Dina, Bella's girlfriend and allies in the second season. In »Alien: Romulus« she played Kay, the tough but loving ally of the main character, who, apart from the alien brood, has to fight her very own demons.
Alien director Fede Alvarez had a very specific template in his head when he wrote the figure Kay, namely none other than Dina from The Last of Us Part 2. For Isabela, a circle concludes and for us an intensive portrait of this multi-layered figure.
Dina radiates the same warmth and adventure lust that she already held in the game. What is new is that it apparently seems to be the emotional putty for our favorite almost father-daughter team.
Young Mazino embodies Jesse, who is organized in Jackson patrols and is friends with Dina and Ellie. You may have seen him beforehand in the "Beef" series, otherwise his portfolio has so far consisted of guest appearances. In the HBO series, some emotional and physical challenges await him.
Again room for new characters and stories
A completely new figure, Gale, also has her home in Jackson. Your relationship with Joel is a special one. In addition, it is entangled with another character that never showed in the game, but about which was only reported. The great Catherine O'Hara was recently on everyone's lips for her comedic talent in "Schitt's Creek" and takes a noticeably more serious way here.
Based on the trailer for the second season, one could have assumed that their role serves mainly as a catalyst to drive storytelling. In one scene, however, her fate is briefly taken up, which was influenced by none other than Joel himself. An intimidating conflict between the two seems almost inevitable.
The performance of Pedro Pascal as Joel is once again the heartbreaking. After five years in Jackson, he got used to everyday life there and replaced his past deeds. But the confrontation with the truth is only as far away from him as drawing daughter Ellie.
This tightrope walk, certainly due to the limited time, is formulated even more clearly than was the case in the game. The depressing atmosphere that creates this is so dense that you could better cut it with a machete than some clickers.
The evolution of the infection
In the second season, the stalkers also celebrate their premiere. The degree of their infection with the cordyceps mushroom lies between the runners and clickers. Your bodies are largely taken by the fungal fibers. Unlike the clickers, you can still see.
However, the fact that they are apparently more intelligent than the runners and potential victims in hidden upholstery, but only marginally concerns the residents of Jackson every day.
In addition, the braid-like excesses return, which formed the TV counterpart to the spores in the first season. The spores were not the part of the series, otherwise there would have been various scenes in which everyone would only have been seen with gas masks. Instead, a kind of communicating mushroom network ranks over the ground.
Employees of the month
For fans with eagle eyes, there are two "guest appearances" in the episode. In one scene, none other than composer Gustavo Santaolalla sits on the guitar. His music is a non -distinguishing part of The Last of Us and enriches the post -apocalyptic world across media. The second cameo will catch the eye of all those who have made every closed safe in the game. The associated combination is 07 20 13. [GF1]
The first episode mainly serves to captivate spectators again after the long break and to start new actions. As a result, the relay opening acts a bit slow on the one hand, but at the same time delivers some decisive moments of the game or prepare for them.
So the bad feeling remains that a very big storm brings themselves together that will break in the protagonists and fans alike. We were tied up and would have liked to continue with the next episode. Or started another game. People prefer to both.
From now on Spoiler follows a scene, so the last part of this article skipped if you prefer to start the great adventure of the second season.
Spoiler warning
The dance event in Jackson is partly taken over by word for word from the game, the dynamic between Dina and Ellie is in no way inferior to the template and so we are even more excited about everything they can expect.
Deviating or probably only shortened is the subsequent discussion of Joel and Ellie on the veranda. According to the first episode, this runs without a word before it turns away from it.
The series makers apparently protect the second part of this scene for a later time or even the end of the season.
So you stick a bit on the non -linear narrative style of the game, which should make the emotional blow into the stomach pit just as violent. We are excited like Ellies Bow.
