The Last of Us: 3 Timeline Options Season 2 Could Use

Fans are eagerly awaiting Season 2 of The Last of Us which will adapt Naughty Dog’s second game in the franchise, The Last of Us: Part 2. One thing that is most curious about the second season is how the series intends to present the more complex timeline of the second game on screen.

HBO’s first season of The Last of Us stuck incredibly close to the source material. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey star in the series as Joel and Ellie, an unlikely duo who set out across post-apocalyptic America in the hope of finding a cure to the zombie virus that has ravaged the Earth. The first season covered the entirety of the first game’s story over nine episodes, but for Season 2 of The Last of Us, the team will have to get creative as it brings to life the larger story over multiple seasons.

How The Last of Us Season 2 Could Adapt the Game’s Timeline

Directly Adapt the Game

Given how faithful the first season of The Last of Us was, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the show follow suit when it comes to adapting The Last of Us: Part 2. This would mean that Season 2 and Season 3 of The Last of Us would be largely split between characters, with one season focused on Ellie and the other focused on Abby. In terms of plot, The Last of Us Part 2 focuses on two narratives of revenge and its consequences. One is Abby seeking vengeance against Joel for killing her father and the other is Ellie seeking revenge on Abby for killing Joel. Naughty Dog added a surprise twist for the player by allowing them to play as both Ellie and Abby for certain portions of the game, building empathy for both characters. This results in half the game being played from Ellie’s perspective before it rewinds time to experience the same three days from Abby’s perspective.

The chapters as they exist in The Last of Us Part 2 are as follows:

• Jackson Prologue (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 1 (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 2 (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 3 (Ellie)
• Salt Lake City Prologue (Abby)
• Seattle: Day 1 (Abby)
• Seattle: Day 2 (Abby)
• Seattle: Day 3 (Abby
• The Farm (Ellie)
• Santa Barbara (Ellie/Abby)

To adapt the series exactly like this wouldn’t be impossible for the show, but it would be difficult and it does risk alienating viewers. Similar to the game, audiences would likely be on board for an Ellie-focused season. However, when it comes to swapping to Abby's timeline, viewers may be less likely to get on board or persevere through her storyline following her actions at the beginning of the season. An Abby-focused season would also mean a season without major cast members Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, which could also be disappointing for viewers.

Chronological Order

Fans have long called for a director’s cut of The Last of Us 2 that would place all the scenes in the game in chronological order. Seasons 2 and 3 of The Last of Us could be Neil Druckmann’s chance to do just that. Dividing up the timeline between Ellie and Abby and switching their perspectives back and forth over their various days in Seattle could be an easier way to allow viewers to get to know the characters on both sides simultaneously, which would help build tension throughout the episodes. If the series were to follow a chronological path it would come out something like this:

• Salt Lake City Prologue (Abby)
• Jackson Prologue (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 1 (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 1 (Abby)
• Seattle: Day 2 (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 2 (Abby)
• Seattle: Day 3 (Ellie)
• Seattle: Day 3 (Abby)
• The Farm (Ellie)
• Santa Barbara (Ellie/Abby)

Start the Series With Flashbacks

Both Ellie and Abby’s stories in The Last of Us Part 2 contain flashbacks that help explain their journeys up until this point. When The Last of Us Season 2 picks up, it will come with a five-year time jump. Some of the flashbacks help to bridge the gap over this time, showing more of Joel and Ellie’s relationship throughout the years and what led to their fallout right before the story begins. Similarly, on Abby’s side, flashbacks show the character’s relationship with her father and her background with the Fireflies, including with her boyfriend Owen.

The flashbacks already seem to be a pivotal part of the HBO series, judging by The Last of Us Season 2's trailers, but where these scenes are placed could be the surprising element. One option the series could use is to order the flashbacks chronologically and use them to open the first few episodes of the season, setting up Ellie and Abby’s character journeys before the main narrative of the game begins. The flashback scenes are perhaps the biggest wild card when it comes to The Last of Us Season 2’s timeline, as they could be inserted in many places to help drive the story in a new way for television.