Post-apocalyptic narratives have always toed the line between good and evil, depicting survivors doing what they can and must to survive in a new era, but the nuance in game developer Naughty Dog’s action-adventure video game series, The Last of Us, presents a compelling masterpiece for the ages. The premise of redemption, forgiveness and revenge set against a backdrop of a fungal infection across society cemented the 2013 title as one of gaming’s greats, spawning not only a sequel in 2020 (and multiple remastered iterations) but now, a massively successful live-action adaptation in the form of HBO’s The Last of Us.
As the series, co-created by Neil Druckmann, who also co-created the game, gears for a highly anticipated return to the small screen with a sophomore outing, there are lofty expectations to live up to. Honouring the spirit of the original, Season 2 will follow the events of its gaming counterpart, The Last of Us Part II, retaining the same tonal shift that players are all too familiar with. Where the first season weaved together a surprisingly heartwarming narrative – for a post-apocalyptic setting, at least – centred on the unlikely relationship between smuggler Joel Miller (played by Pedro Pascal, Narcos) and Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones), a young girl whose blood might hold the key to humanity’s salvation, its second chapter is set to take a dark turn with the arrival of Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever, Last Man Standing), a woman who bears an immense grudge against Joel.
It’s only natural, then, that the cast of The Last of Us Season 2 has taken the steps to prepare themselves for a divisive and emotionally charged journey, while fostering authentic on-screen relationships that do the games, and fan expectations, justice. The camaraderie isn’t just limited to the main leads – as the sequel expands on lore established in the source material, which presents the roster of side characters a chance to bask in their fair share of the spotlight as well.
Of the list, no one has it tougher than 28-year-old Dever, who signed on to play one of the most controversial video game characters in recent memory.
“I was so aware of the conversations surrounding Abby and her character in the game,” she recalls in a virtual interview held for select media, including Geek Culture. “I do want to make the fans happy and make sure that they like what I do, but I also know that I can’t control a lot of that either, and a lot of it just lies in my dedication to the role, taking it on and doing [the character] justice.”
Despite the established story beats that Abby takes in the series, this didn’t deter Dever from placing her best foot forward and making the character her own.
“I think the way to embody this character is to get to the core of who she is underneath all of her anger and rage and what makes Abby, Abby within, and that was the most important thing to me. It was refreshing to know that [it] was also important to [game creator Neil Druckman and showrunner Craig Mazin], that each of these characters feels like a new take and very different from the versions of those characters in the game,” she adds.
On the opposite end of the conflict lies Ramsey’s Ellie, whose portrayal brings challenges of its own, considering the character’s development and her stark contrast between the two seasons. In the first season, she was an innocent child hunted by pockets of society for her value, and all that will change in this second season and beyond, as a third season for the show has been greenlit, even before the premiere for the upcoming second season.
“Ellie is still this innocent 14-year-old, [but she] has grown up and seen a lot of the world since [season one]; she’s seen sort of the complexities of different relationships,” says the 21-year-old actor. “She’s still the same person that she was at 14, just matured, grown and knows a bit more now about the world.
“She does get very dark and intense. This is sort of vengeful anger and need for justice, she’s got a harshness to her now in Season 2, which she didn’t have as much in Season 1, which was the hardest bit to me, to maintain the joy and silliness of Ellie. It was just [about] striking that balance.”
The layered characterisation injects vulnerability and a brittle sense of self into Ellie, tying into the thematic exploration of what it means to be human in a world devoid of it. After all, Joel’s ward isn’t all that different from Abby, with both characters trapped in a miasma of negative emotions – as shared by Dever, the latter’s strength comes from her past, which is rooted in a lot of grief, and the loss that she has experienced.
In the same way, Ellie’s actions and behaviour stem from anger, moulding her into a parallel to Joel, who is as morally grey as everyone else. Describing their character as “a beautiful storm of a lot of things,” Ramsey shares how there’s inspiration to be found in that rage.
“She’s very fierce and very mature and stubborn, and also has this sensitivity to her beneath, like the hard exterior of her heart, especially in the second season, [so] she kind of mirrors Joel in that way.”
They add, “The anger comes from a sense of justice, so she’s inspiring to me in that she fiercely loves the people and protects the people that she loves… She’s taught me a lot about myself, and taught me to fight for what matters”.
The pressure of undertaking the monumental task of The Last of Us Season 2 is softened by the warm camaraderie between series regulars and newcomers, and the flair the actors brought to their performances, starting with Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus), who plays Ellie’s girlfriend Dina. And yes, this same-sex relationship was lauded by fans who embraced the LGBT depiction of a key character in a popular mainstream video game.
“I infused a lot of my wit into Dina, [which] is a different kind of wit, because Shannon Woodward, who portrayed Dina in the game, had her own flair,” she shares. “I wanted to bring my own into it to give the game fans a new sort of dynamic and inevitably, because we’re two completely different humans, the chemistry did feel like it was a different shade of romance and tension.”
As for Young Mazino (Beef), stepping into the role of Ellie’s friend Jesse, the process was about “pulling from different threads, from people that I knew personally and my experiences outside of acting” that coupled with practical training, including weapon handling and horse riding, “amalgamate[d] into more of an unconscious performance.”
For the proverbial “old blood” returning from the hit first season, including Gabriel Luna (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who plays Joel’s brother Tommy throughout both seasons, guiding the season’s younger cast additions was a responsibility he not only accepted wholeheartedly, but one that he went above and beyond for.
“I will say Gabriel really kind of led by example with his energy on set. And I remember he gave everyone gifts at the beginning of production and socks at the end of the production,” recalls Mazino, drawing a chuckle from Luna, who explains:
“There was a place that did crystal mushrooms, like little polished stones. And I went back there because I would go to work and be like, ‘Oh, I forgot this person, that person or whatever.’ So listen, those guys made a mint of me because I went back five times, and I bought out all of their stone mushrooms.”
It’s these very bonds between castmates off-screen that can help elevate their performances on the show, which is especially important to convey the emotional nuances in a story like that of The Last of Us, where there’s never a clear distinction between right and wrong.
“I think a lot of [the show’s dynamics] relied on how we were naturally in a scene together and how it sort of played out energetically,” Merced adds, speaking on her growing relationship with Ramsey both off and on the screen. “I feel like we were able to flourish as our interpretations of the characters and my relationship with Bella is very, very close now, we had each other’s back.”
“I’ve never had that sort of Die Hard ride-or-die camaraderie in a set before. I really feel like I was being watched and looked out for, and it was really rewarding.”
Season 2 of The Last of Us is now streaming on Max and HBO.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Natalie
