Roush Review: Humanity Amid the Horror in Season 2 of ‘Last of Us’
Review
The Last of Us
“Don’t pull punches.”
Post-apocalyptic teen warrior Ellie (the astonishing Bella Ramsey) wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s a child no longer, as we catch up with the heroine of HBO’s tremendously popular and affecting The Last of Us five years after the events of the acclaimed first season, and she’s still training for the inevitable fights ahead, demanding to be tested. Her plea also works as a mission statement for this unbearably suspenseful and tragic horror show, set in a contemporary world decimated by “infected” human monsters.
Courtesy of Liane Hentscher/HBO
The second season lands its body blows to the soul early and often, as characters reel from unimaginable loss with fury and despair, debating revenge and the remote possibility of mercy. Death be not proud, or pretty, when terror comes knocking, often when least expected. But what distinguishes this series, based on a groundbreaking video game, is its attention to emotional detail, especially in regards to Ellie’s turbulent relationship with her mentor and father figure, Joel (a soulful Pedro Pascal).
Their perilous travels made for a riveting first season, which ended with Joel saving Ellie’s life in a bloody act that puts him in the crosshairs of a vengeful young woman, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever, excellent and intense), who’s every bit as fierce as Ellie. For Joel, now ensconced as a leader in the thriving community of Jackson, Wyoming, there’s no greater purpose than raising and protecting Ellie, who unbeknownst to most is immune to infection. But his refusal to tell her the entire truth about his rescue puts a wedge between them, a painful situation made especially poignant in a remarkable episode that tracks their bond over a series of memorable birthdays.
A guitar, on which Joel movingly strums Pearl Jam’s “Future Days” (“If I ever were to lose you, I’d surely lose myself”), becomes a powerful symbol of happier times when Ellie sets out on a new journey with her best friend, Dina (saucy, sexy and spirited Isabela Merced). As they approach a city with fading remnants of a long-ago Pride festival, Dina wonders, “What’s with all the rainbows?” Ellie replies, “I don’t know. Maybe they’re all optimists.”
Wouldn’t that be nice. That’s not how things roll on The Last of Us, where the relentless ghouls appear more ferocious, faster, scarier and possibly smarter than ever. And yet it’s the infection to the human spirit that’s likely to give us nightmares.
The Last of Us, Season 2 Premiere, Sunday, April 13, 9/8c, HBO
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