HBO's The Last of Us May Be Making TLoU 2's Biggest Mistake Again

HBO’s The Last of Us May Be Making TLoU 2’s Biggest Mistake Again

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Highlights

  • The Last of Us 2 surprised players with Joel’s early death, which sparked controversy among fans of the game’s narrative.

  • Players were further divided when they were forced to play as Abby, challenging perceptions and building a complex character.

  • HBO’s upcoming live-action adaptation may repeat Abby’s divisive approach, which could spark even more controversy.

Major spoilers ahead for The Last of Us 2

The last of us 2 is one of the most divisive games of the decade so far, and its upcoming live-action counterpart on HBO will likely be just as controversial. Ellie and Joel’s journey continues in The last of us 2but Joel’s journey is surprisingly cut short. Abby, seeking revenge for the death of her father at the hands of Joel, beats him to death with a golf club early in the game. Joel’s early death sparked a wave of division among the game’s players, but the controversy didn’t end there.

Many players were not happy to discover that The last of us 2 eventually puts them in Abby’s place later in the story. Not only that, but players spend almost half of the game with her. Although this was intended to generate sympathy and understand her as a complex and nuanced character, her execution was not entirely successful. Now that the advances of the last of us With Season 2 coming out ahead of its premiere in early 2025, it looks like the live-action adaptation could be making the same mistake.

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HBO’s The Last of Us Potentially Repeating a Controversial Abby Decision

Ellie’s trip could be interrupted

After the heartbreaking events of The last of us 2In the opening, Ellie heads to Seattle with her girlfriend Dina to get revenge on Abby. Ellie’s search through Seattle is exhausting, and after hours of following her on her quest, the game shifts her perspective by having players experience the story through Abby’s eyes. The biggest criticism from some players is that the game makes players deeply identify with Ellie and her pain, only to force them to play as the person responsible for that trauma.

The intention of this was to illustrate how someone’s supposed enemy is still a human being and revenge ultimately accomplishes nothing. There are many players who believe that such a bold choice is necessary for the story, but there are also those who believe that Joel deserved a better send-off. Both sides have valid points, but potentially repeating this in the HBO adaptation could cause even more of a stir. With The last of us 2 Spanning multiple seasons, there’s no telling when Joel’s demise in season 2 will occur, but the Abby-focused episodes are sure to ruffle some feathers.

Episodes focused on Abby could cause deja vu in players

Presenting Joel’s tragic end to an even larger audience

The HBO adaptation is even broader in scope than the games, and this will likely make anything that focuses on Abby’s perspective difficult for many viewers to enjoy. It is currently unknown how the HBO series will be handled. The last of us 2It’s dual narrative, but it will likely be through episodes that focus heavily on one character’s point of view. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where one episode highlights Ellie, while the following week’s episode returns to Abby.

This could bring many players back to 2020, when the revelation of Joel’s death and Abby’s prominence in the story came to light. Even though many long-time fans had to experience this again, newcomers who have managed to avoid spoilers for so long are in for a surprise. It’s unclear how the HBO series will portray Abby and the WLF, but given that the first season followed its source material fairly closely, it’s unlikely that Season 2 will change Abby’s role drastically.

The last of us 2 It may be a divisive sequel, but its story contains a powerful message. It will be difficult for the HBO series to capture the emotional rhythms of The last of us 2but it will be fascinating to see how audiences react to Joel’s fate once again.


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