Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 2, episode 1!
The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 is finally here, and here are the 9 biggest events that happened during the five-year time jump between the two seasons. The Last of Us season 2 will begin adapting The Last of Us Part II, the divisive sequel to the original video game that was adapted by the first season of the HBO series. A lot has happened in the time that was elapsed between The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2, and here are the nine biggest details that were revealed by the premiere of the highly anticipated second season.
The timeline of The Last of Us season 2 is interesting, as it doesn’t perfectly align with The Last of Us video games. Firstly, HBO’s The Last of Us takes place before PlayStation’s The Last of Us. In the games, the cordyceps virus outbreak took place in 2013, with the first game taking place in 2033. Meanwhile, the cordyceps virus outbreak took place in 2003 in the HBO series, with season 1 taking place in 2023. A five-year time gap means that The Last of Us season 2 starts out in late 2028 before quickly making it to New Year’s 2029, while the game mostly takes place in 2038.
9
Joel & Ellie Permanently Moved To Jackson, Wyoming After Leaving Salt Lake City
& They Have Stayed There Since
The first big event that happened in The Last of Us‘ time jump is that Joel and Ellie permanently moved to Jackson, Wyoming. In The Last of Us season 1, Joel discovers the Jackson settlement, learning that his brother Tommy lives there. Joel and Ellie eventually leave Jackson to continue their quest to Salt Lake City, where Joel hopes that Ellie can be used by Fireflies to create a cure to the cordyceps virus.
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After killing the Fireflies and lying to Ellie in The Last of Us season 1 finale, Joel and Ellie return to Jackson. Rather than moving back to Boston, where Joel lives at the beginning of The Last of Us season 1, the duo decides to stay in Wyoming. Joel and Ellie have been living in Jackson for around five years at the start of The Last of Us season 2, with them both becoming key members of the community. However, the residents of Jackson still don’t know about Ellie’s immunity.
8
Joel & Ellie Had A Falling Out In Between Seasons
It Isn’t Yet Known Why
Joel and Ellie were incredibly close throughout The Last of Us season 1, explaining why Joel was willing to kill the Fireflies for her. However, by the time of The Last of Us season 2, episode 1, they aren’t nearly as close. As is revealed in Joel’s therapy sessions with Catherine O’Hara’s character, Joel and Ellie have apparently had a falling out. However, exactly why isn’t revealed. It is possible that Ellie could have somehow found out about Joel’s lie, as her hostility toward Joel implies that their falling out was much more than a natural drift apart.
7
Joel Has Become The Head Of Construction In Jackson
He Has Risen Through Jackson’s Ranks
Since moving to Jackson, Joel has become a pillar of the settlement. Joel seems to work as a higher-up in Jackson’s construction field, with him meeting with Jackson leader Maria Miller in order to discuss the logistics of construction throughout the winter. Joel and Maria argue over construction work on some Jackson facilities like a school, showing Joel’s control over the settlement’s construction workers. Joel’s actual title isn’t revealed, but it is clear that he is playing more active role within Jackson than the did in the games.
6
Maria & Tommy Had A Child
& He Is New To The Show
Maria and Tommy are a couple in The Last of Us season 1, and by the time season 2 starts, they have a child. Maria and Tommy’s young son is named Benjamin, with him still being a child in The Last of Us season 2, episode 1. In The Last of Us Part II video game, Maria and Tommy don’t have a son, meaning that this is a major change for the TV show. It isn’t yet known why the HBO series added Benjamin’s birth in this time gap, with it being a major event to have happened off-screen.
5
Ellie Has Become Close With Dina (& So Has Joel)
But Joel & Ellie Aren’t Close
Much like in The Last of Us Part II, The Last of Us season 2 has introduced Dina, a new main character. Dina and Ellie became friends sometime between the events of season 1 and season 2, with them going on patrols and training together. However, they have grown closer than a friendship. Ellie and Dina’s kiss at the end of season 2, episode 1 shows that a romance has blossomed between Ellie and Dina, highlighting how close they have gotten.
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Ellie isn’t the only one who Dina has gotten close to. Dina and Joel also have a relationship in The Last of Us season 2, similar to the father-daughter dynamic seen with Joel and Ellie in season 1. Dina goes over to Joel’s house in order to learn about technology and construction, with Joel being happy to teach her. However, Dina is also attempting to get Joel and Ellie to reconcile, with her encouraging both of them to talk to each other.
4
Ellie Got An Arm Tattoo That Covers Her Bite Mark
It Is The Tattoo From The Game
Throughout The Last of Us season 1, Ellie has to hide the bite mark on her arm. The bite would reveal to anyone who saw her that she was immune, or it could put her in danger due to them falsely believing that she was infected. Rather than hiding it with her clothing, Ellie got a tattoo sometime before the events of season 2. This tattoo obscures the bite mark, allowing her to freely show her arm. The tattoo that Ellie bears in season 2 is similar to the one that Ellie has in The Last of Us Part II, carrying on this piece of gaming iconography.
3
Joel Began Seeing A Therapist (& Killed Her Husband)
But It Hasn’t Been Revealed Why
One of the biggest new storylines introduced in The Last of Us season 2 has to do with Joel seeing a therapist. Joel’s therapist is played by Catherine O’Hara, and by the time the season starts, he has seen her a few times. Joel’s therapist helps guide him through his falling out with Ellie. However, she also reveals that Joel killed her husband Eugene at some point, although she doesn’t reveal why. This development will surely be explored sometime in the future of The Last of Us season 2.
2
Abby & Her Friends Front Start Looking For Joel
& They May Have Found Him
Abby is arguably the antagonist of The Last of Us season 2, and by the time the season has started, she has already started looking for Joel. In The Last of Us season 1 finale, Joel killed a group of Fireflies in an attempt to save Ellie’s life. One of these Fireflies was the father of Abby, who is now seeking revenge. Abby and some of her Firefly friends have spent the last five years looking for Joel, and by the end of episode 1, they have seemingly found him.
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1
The Infected Have Gotten Smarter
Could They Be Evolving?
The final development that occurred between The Last of Us seasons 1 and 2 is that the infected have seemingly gotten smarter. While trapped in the supermarket, Ellie fights an infected that uses strategic thinking in order to fight her. Ellie reports this to the Jackson council, shocking them. This suggests that the infected may have evolved in the five years between seasons, making them an even bigger threat in The Last of Us season 2.
