Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Part 2.With The Last of Us on HBO being such a massive success, as the viewer count is increasing every single week, it is hardly a surprise that a second season has been announced. Much like the first season of The Last of Us, it will likely stick very closely to the source material, retelling the events of the second game and striving to capture its gloomy tone. However, following in the footsteps of the show’s inaugural season once would guarantee that some changes are made as well.
Though there is an oddly passionate group of gamers that despise The Last of Us Part 2 and continue to bash it to this day, most found its story to be impactful, innovative, and important. For this reason, changing too much about the big moments would be a misstep, as several things should stay the same. However, with the sequel’s story being incredibly massive and far more ambitious than the first game’s, and the showrunners suggesting two seasons could be needed to fully tell it, there will be opportunities for HBO's The Last of Us to expand upon certain aspects of it.
Expanding on Isaac, The WLF, and The Seraphites
The character of Isaac is undoubtedly the biggest missed opportunity in the original version of The Last of Us Part 2. While his role being so minor is understandable, since the Seraphite and WLF war is simply a backdrop for Ellie and Abby’s story, it is still a shame that Isaac’s death felt so rushed and that fans got little insight into his relationship with Abby. This is especially true since the talented Jeffrey Wright played him, an actor that would be great to see brought back for the series. The show can focus more on what makes Isaac and his group tick, just like it can dive more into Seraphite culture and its impact on Lev.
Giving Abby’s Group a Bit More Depth
Though Naughty Dog’s main goal was to make sure that players felt something for Abby, there is something to be said about how much less likable her allies are when compared to Ellie's group. Dina is incredibly loyal, as is Jesse, while Tommy is a good man despite his obsession with revenge. The games take time to show all these traits, but for characters like Manny and Nora, not as much is done to make them likable. The only characters players will likely feel for are Owen and Mel, and even then some more scenes with them could make their eventual deaths more tragic.
More Time With Joel and Ellie
Though players that hate The Last of Us Part 2 often downplay the significance of Joel’s role in the game, as he appears fairly often, the show could take things slow and spend a majority of the second Season showing Joel and Ellie together. This way, TV audiences would be able to grow closer to them, liking them more before tragedy eventually strikes. As things are now, the gap between Season 1 and 2 will be far shorter than the wait between the first two games, not giving fans the same amount of time to reflect and get attached. The first season of the show will be much shorter than the original game, too, meaning that a few extra scenes highlighting Joel’s love for Ellie could help new viewers connect more.
Lore About The Rat King
Considering how The Last of Us on HBO uses tendrils instead of the spores, and has delivered some interesting scenes that show the infected in a new light, more can be done with the most iconic creature in the series. The cold opens for The Last of Us on HBO have been brilliantly used thus far, and a harrowing one could focus on the Rat King coming together and growing larger as time progresses. This could be a great bit of lore that expands on a stellar enemy design, foreshadowing Abby’s fight with the monstrosity later in the episode.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.