The Last of Us returns with blood, heartbreak, and critics already singing its praises
Well, it’s time to break out the tissues and emotionally prepare for impact – The Last of Us is back, and it’s picking up exactly where it left off: tearing our hearts out with post-apocalyptic precision.
Season two of HBO’s gut-wrenching hit drops this Sunday, and the early reviews are already in. Critics are calling it “emotional,” “faithful,” and “devastating” – basically, everything fans were hoping for and dreading at the same time.
Set five years after the events of season one, we find Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the thick of yet another morally murky survival saga – but this time, they’re not just battling the infected or other humans, but their own trust in each other.
New season, new trauma, and yes – new faces. Season two introduces Kaitlyn Dever as Abby (video game fans, you know what’s coming), Isabela Merced as Dina, and Young Mazino as Jesse, plus a slew of newcomers to wreck us emotionally including Spencer Lord, Ariela Barer, Danny Ramirez, and even Catherine O’Hara. Yes, that Catherine O’Hara.
Already rocking a Certified Fresh 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, this season seems poised to keep its crown as the best video game adaptation ever made – something Collider’s Ross Bonaime doesn’t hesitate to confirm: “Season 2 reinforces that further while also creating one of 2025’s best seasons of TV.” Considering the competition (White Lotus, Yellowjackets, The Pitt), that’s saying something.
Chase Hutchinson at TheWrap says the show “carves out new character beats” while remaining “a faithful yet reflective adaptation” of the 2020 game The Last of Us Part II. That means more time for Pascal and Ramsey to shine — and more time for our emotional ruin.
There are, however, some splinters of unease. USA Today praises the acting and pacing, but admits it’s “hard not to finish the season without feeling somewhat dissatisfied.” Which… if you know the game, sounds about right.
BBC’s Caryn James hints at a “devastating creative choice” that will divide the fanbase (again, gamers – you definitely know what’s coming), while IndieWire leans into the philosophical, saying the season “unveils a challenging narrative filled with ideas people may struggle to reassess.” Sounds like existential dread is back on the menu.
But if you came for emotional carnage, Jamie Broadnax at Black Girl Nerds warns us straight-up: “Get ready for the tissues.” And Empire Magazine calls it “moving and devastating in equal doses,” declaring the show “post-apocalyptic television at its peak.”
Look, if there was ever a so-called “video game curse,” The Last of Us didn’t just break it – it lit it on fire, shot it in the head, and left it for clickers. Season two might not be the comfort watch you want, but it’s absolutely the one you need.
Get yourself ready. It’s going to hurt – beautifully.
