The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season: An Excellent Step Forward for an Incredible Adaptation (4K Steelbook)

The Show:

When "The Last of Us" premiered on HBO back in 2023, there was an understandable amount of trepidation and concern over what the result would be. After all, it seems like the vast majority of video game adaptations come up short, leading to major disappointment for the fans, who look forward to seeing their favorites come to screens big & small. However, when it proved to be one of the few that turned out not just well, but extraordinarily well, it became quite a wonderful surprise.

The show not only received massive acclaim from critics & fans alike, but also went on to receive an incredible 24 Emmy nominations (the second most that year behind "Succession"), winning eight of them. As you can expect, this put quite a lot of pressure on showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to keep up the high level of quality that they had established with their adaptation of the first game. As we head into the first part of their adaptation of the second game, can fans expect to be blown away all over again, or will the pressure perhaps start to get to the talented duo behind the show?

Picking up five years after the first season, we find Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) settled in Jackson, Wyoming. We can tell right away that the relationship between the two has become strained, leading Joel to seek counseling from Gail (Catherine O'Hara), a psychotherapist, where he admits to saving Ellie, but nothing more. During her time in Jackson, Ellie has become quite close with her friend Dina (Isabela Merced), who has recently broken up with her boyfriend Jesse (Young Mazino). While at a New Year's Eve dance, Ellie and Dina share a kiss, which one of the locals objects to, causing Joel to intervene. However, this only makes their strained relationship worse, leaving us to wonder what could've possibly happened between them.

Meanwhile, a small group of soldiers from Seattle has arrived outside of the city, with their leader Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) hell-bent on taking revenge on Joel for his massacre of the Fireflies, which included her father. With an entire fortified community between her and her target, will she be able to carry out the mission that she's come a long way to do?

As mentioned, the first season of "The Last of Us" had been quite an extraordinary adaptation of the first game that stayed very true to the source, giving us an accurate depiction of the events and a pair of excellent lead performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, as well as great turns from the rest of the cast. Season two, which is the first of three seasons that will cover the second game, is no different, as it continues to stick pretty close to the material (though obviously making small changes here and there as they did in the first season), while featuring marvelous performances all around.

There were complaints from a few viewers in regards to a certain event that happens in the second episode, but seeing as how this is a major development in the story, one that ends up driving the plot for the remainder of its duration, you can hardly fault the showrunners for keeping it, seeing as how the only alternative would've been to rewrite the entire narrative. As for legitimate criticisms, it is rather fair to say that this season is a bit slower than the one before, but that's not to say that it doesn't have its fair share of excitement and surprising developments that keep it just as entertaining.

Some viewers were also a little annoyed at the fact that this season was even shorter than the first with a mere seven episodes, but anyone who's played the game or is familiar with the structure of the story will realize that it makes perfect sense to break exactly where it does, so that complaint stems more from not knowing how the narrative progresses through different viewpoints. It's similar to how some fans were displeased at the shorter seasons near the end of "Game of Thrones," but just like for that great show, if Mazin & Druckmann only need a certain number of episodes to tell this part of the story, it's much better to let them proceed as they see fit as opposed to forcing them to stuff it full of filler like some other shows would do to increase the episode count.

Overall, it may only be seven episodes and it may proceed a little slower than its debut outing, but the second season of "The Last of Us" remains an excellent step forward for what has been one of the most remarkable video game series adaptations to come around in some time, and with its continued critical acclaim, massive global viewership, and another 16 Emmy nominations to its name, it would seem that most agree. As we all anxiously await the coming of season three, we can only hope that Mazin, now the solo showrunner, continues staying just as true to the beloved material, but given what we've gotten with these first two incredible seasons, it really doesn't seem like we have anything to worry about.

Video/Audio:

"The Last of Us: The Complete Second Season" comes to 4K in 1.78:1, 2160p UHD transfers of excellent quality. All seven episodes look absolutely stunning in 4K, beautifully highlighting the show's incredible production design, cinematography, and visual effects. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a marvelous job in both departments for the show's latest physical release.

Special Features:

Disc 1:

Making The Last of Us: Season 2 (Episodes 1-3) (30 Minutes)

Growing the World of The Last of Us (2 Minutes)

Welcome to Jackson (Set Tour) (3 Minutes)

Battle of Jackson, Deconstructed (11 Minutes)

Disc 2:

Making The Last of Us: Season 2 (Episodes 4 & 5) (20 Minutes)

Joel's Journey to Season 2 (4 Minutes)

Ellie's Journey to Season 2 (3 Minutes)

Character Featurettes (4 Featurettes, 4 Minutes)

Mushroom Taste Test (5 Minutes)

Disc 3:

Making The Last of Us: Season 2 (Episodes 6 & 7) (23 Minutes)

Pedro and Bella Q&A (7 Minutes)

Open Book: Isabela Merced and Young Mizano (5 Minutes)

Stalker Showdown, Deconstructed (3 Minutes)

Camera Roll: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced & Young Mizano (3 Minutes)

In Action (5 Minutes)

Ellie's Path (17 Minutes)

Beneath the Surface: The Visual FX of The Last of Us (17 Minutes)

This edition comes with a marvelous selection of extras that consists of about three and a half hours of featurettes that delve into areas such as the making of the show (a featurette on each episode), multiple interviews with the cast & crew, character & scene breakdowns, and an in-depth look at the show's VFX. Warner Bros. has gone above and beyond by providing lots of great material for the fans to delve into, which will no doubt leave them quite satisfied.

Conclusion:

Season two of "The Last of Us" may run only seven episodes and have a slightly slower pace than its freshman outing, but it remains an excellent step forward for what has been quite an incredible adaptation of the popular video game series, one that stays very loyal to the material and features plenty of excitement, surprising developments, and fantastic performances all around. Season three simply can't get here soon enough.

Score: 4/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K Steelbook starting tomorrow.

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