Strap in, survivors! If you thought Season 1 of HBO’s “The Last of Us” left you breathless, then Season 2 just turned that gasping into full-on howling at the screen. I’ve scoured every critic take, Reddit thread, TikTok, and, of course, the big official recaps to break down what actually happened after all the dust settled—and why everybody’s feelings are basically a post-apocalyptic hellscape of their own.
We Return to Jackson: The Calm (Not Really) Before the Storm
Season 2 launches us five years ahead, so Ellie’s taller, Joel’s grayer, and Jackson kind of feels like a weirdly functional community. That’s saying something in Mushroom Man Land. The tension simmers just under the peace, though, and you can feel it with every sideways glance between Joel and Ellie. And, speaking of tension, the showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann wasted no time dropping new faces right into the powder keg.
So, who are these mysterious newcomers?
- Abby (Kaitlyn Dever): Built like she could straight-up suplex a Clicker, and carrying some major emotional baggage.
- Dina (Isabela Merced): Basically Ellie’s reason to wake up in the morning, but with her own secrets too.
- Jesse (Young Mazino): He’s the friend who’d literally take a bullet for you—sigh, and that matter-of-fact foreshadowing isn’t just for fun.
Each fresh arrival pulls new emotional threads, and not all of them are knotted tight.
The Cliffhanger That Made Us Scream at Our TVs
Let’s rip the Band-Aid: the finale, aptly named “Convergence,” catapulted us into meme-making overdrive. The tension boils over into an all-out brawl. Abby storms in, Jesse goes down, and Ellie takes a bullet too. But before you can even process who’s bleeding, the show does what only “The Last of Us” dares—it yanks the story from beneath our feet.
Now, instead of picking up right after the chaos, the camera pans to Abby waking up at the WLF stadium as Seattle Day One dawns. For game fans, this moment is peak déjà vu: it matches the infamous timeline split from “Part II,” promising another three-day journey, but this time strapped into Abby’s soul and moral compass.
And for all of you asking—no, Ellie isn’t dead. The finale just pressed pause, good old HBO-style, so now we’re all gnawing our nails until Season 3. Writers confirmed this in post-finale interviews and no, your messy timeline charts aren’t wasted. We’re circling back.
Critical Praise: Hot Takes and Standing Ovations
So, what did the pros say?
First, John Nugent at Empire Magazine basically called it “post-apocalyptic television at its peak” (seriously, print that on the DVD box). He loved how the show doubled down on both heartbreak and hope, even with all the violence swirling around.
Ross Bonaime from Collider? He didn’t hold back. In his review, he crowned Season 2 “one of 2025’s best TV seasons,” which is high praise considering the competition this year (hello, dragon show and that new sci-fi reboot).
And let’s talk acting. Pedro Pascal as Joel brings a heck of a lot more warmth this time. But he doubles down on regret, too—which, let’s face it, suits a guy with a violent past. Bella Ramsey broke hearts online with her performance as not-just-a-kid-anymore Ellie. Ramsey plays grief and trauma like it’s a symphony, and the crowd noticed. TikTok edits? Overflowing.
Still, not everyone handed out roses. Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter liked the strong gut-punch moments but missed the “rich lyricism and devastating finality” of Season 1. A handful of critics pointed out pacing issues, too. The verdict? Star performances, strong adaptation, but maybe a little less poetry.
Fan Feelings: Between Ecstasy and Outrage
Now, onto the fans—because, let’s be real, this show lives or dies by social buzz.
After the finale, #LastOfUsMeltdown started trending within the hour—no joke. People threw compliments and complaints around with equal enthusiasm. It seemed like every social feed became a therapist’s office, but with more memes.
Common feelings bubbled to the top:
- Joel’s Death: Look, fans expected it. Game players braced themselves. Still, a huge slice of the fandom mourned the moment, rewatching it with tissues on standby. Some griped that the series version lacked the raw, stomach-churning impact of the game. But others thought Pascal and Ramsey sold every beat of pain.
- Abby Steps Up: When Abby became a main character, online message boards split in two. Some users praised the writing for adding depth and nuance (even sympathy?) to a game villain. Others, though, wanted more time to process. The argument? The narrative shift felt jarring and rushed for TV-only crowds.
- The Cliffhanger Rage: Let’s just say, folks did not enjoy that sudden cut. Some viewers compared it to “waiting for winter to end in Boston.” Others found the callback to split timelines a smart, risky move. But no one felt indifferent.
Even with all the heated takes, engagement went through the roof. The finale broke viewing records for HBO Max and made “The Last of Us” the streaming king (for now). If misery loves company, so does cliffhanger suspense.
What Worked: And What Got…Fungused
It wouldn’t be fair not to highlight both the applause and the gripes. So, in classic Jackson bulletin board fashion:
Fans and critics LOVED:
- Bold performances by leads and newcomers.
- The willingness to address complicated emotions—revenge, regret, forgiveness.
- Faithfulness to major game story beats (shout out to Neil Druckmann flexing his executive producer muscles again).
- Stunning sets, costumes (seriously, Jackson’s winter gear? Fire), and mushroom-zombie VFX.
But some left the season scratching their heads:
- Pacing felt uneven—blame split narratives and a lot of story crammed into only seven episodes.
- Side characters (especially Isaac and even Jesse) felt more like plot devices.
- Some missed the poetic touches that made Season 1 so haunting.
The Bigger Picture: Changing the TV Game (And Not Just Because of Cordyceps)
While the fandom debates everything from Joel’s last words to Abby’s biceps, TV insiders are taking notes, too. Season 2 split the story halfway, making fans wait until next year for the full three-day perspective switch. It’s ambitious, and some call it genius, others torture. But it serves a purpose—showing us there are no easy villains here, only messy humans and terrible choices.
Showrunners Mazin and Druckmann dropped hints recently: We might need a fourth season. The aim is to give Abby, Ellie, and this bleak, broken world the space to breathe, meaning we won’t have to say goodbye anytime soon. That’s both a relief and, given this track record, a promise of more emotional carnage.
Streaming and Where to Binge (for Re-Watchers and Newbies Alike)
If you feel the urge to jump back and spot all the narrative bread crumbs, you’re in luck. Both seasons are up on HBO Max in the US. And for those across the pond, Sky and NOW got your back. The show ranks as a top streamer every week, and renweal buzz is off the charts.
So What Now? (Grab Your Snacks, It’s Gonna Get Bumpy)
In true “The Last of Us” consistency, Season 2 didn’t give us closure. Instead, it handed us more questions, more heartbreak, and plenty to hash out on Discord at 3am. The dual-timeline twist set up Season 3 to explore Abby’s drive and guilt—plus whatever revenge plan Ellie’s cooking up, injured or not.
And if you’re still furious about the cliffhanger, take a breath. As every fan of the game knows, sometimes the greatest payoffs need time to stew. Until then, meme hard, argue harder, and rewatch those Season 2 gems. This fungal apocalypse isn’t over yet. See you at the next outbreak!
