Ahead of its sophomore season, The Last of Us added Catherine O'Hara to its already-impressive ensemble. While the Emmy-winning comedian's The Last of Us role remains a mystery, there's really only one character O'Hara could be playing in season 2. Based on Naughty Dog's acclaimed video game of the same name, the show's first outing sees hardened smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) traversing the post-apocalyptic U.S. with Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a teenager who's immune to the deadly cordyceps brain infection. In fact, Ellie could help The Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group, develop a cure for the outbreak.
In The Last of Us season 1's ending, this plan to find a cure goes terribly awry when Joel realizes the Firefly doctors need to kill Ellie in order to procure a treatment. After slaughtering everyone who stands in his way, Joel rescues an unconscious Ellie and later lies to her about what happened. While The Last of Us season 2 is primed to adapt the second game in the series, it's not clear how the show plans to handle the time jump. For now, HBO has kept its announcements about the newly cast characters of The Last of Us.
Catherine O’Hara Is Perfect Casting For TLOU 2’s Mysterious Seraphite Prophet
Since The Last of Us season 2 is set to follow the narrative of the second game in Naughty Dog's series, there are very few preexisting characters who Catherine O'Hara could play in the HBO adaptation. While the first season wasn't shy about creating new characters when needed, including Melanie Lynskey's The Last of Us character, O'Hara is the perfect choice to play an existing The Last of Us Part 2 character: the Seraphite Prophet. In the sequel, Ellie's revenge quest leads to Seattle — the former battleground for FEDRA, the Washington Liberation Front militia (WLF), and the Seraphites.
The Last of Us season 2 starts filming on February 12, 2024.
Although she's only referenced in The Last of Us Part 2, the enigmatic Seraphite Prophet is a compelling character. After FEDRA established Seattle as a Quarantine Zone (QZ), the Prophet inspired others to live an egalitarian life without technology or pleasure. Not only did the Prophet prove to be a skilled fighter, but she enabled her followers to build a self-sufficient commune. Like The Last of Us' Emmy-winning Nick Offerman, O'Hara has the opportunity to play against type. Plus, Catherine O'Hara's best roles, especially the comedic ones, prove she has the chops to play an unhinged cult leader.
Why The Last Of Us Season 2 Needs To Give The Seraphites More Screen Time
As the player traverses the remains of Seattle, Ellie stumbles across artwork that depicts the Seraphite Prophet as a savior. "Feel her love," and "May she guide us," are popular — and incredibly unsettling — Seraphite mantras. Until later in the game, the Seraphites are a somewhat-peripheral group, but The Last of Us 2 does provide some insight into their origins. Thanks to her charismatic sermons, the Prophet convinced her followers that the infection was a punishment for humanity's sins. FEDRA, meanwhile, was too busy fighting the Washington Liberation Front to thwart the Prophet's growing influence.
After the WLF defeated FEDRA's forces, a guerrilla war ignited between the Seraphites and the WLF, which resulted in the Prophet's capture and execution. By the time Ellie arrives in the Pacific Northwest, the Prophet is long dead, but the Seraphites continue to worship their fallen martyr and wage war against the WLF in her name. If O'Hara is playing the Seraphite Prophet, The Last of Us season 2 needs to introduce the character and her cult sooner. Not only is she a compelling figure, but the Seraphite conflict adds greater dimension to Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) TLOU story too.
