Spoilers beneath for each of The Last of Us’ accomplished seasons, so be warned should you haven’t but completed watching on HBO or with a Max subscription.
As The Last of Us’ second season went from growth and into the throes of manufacturing, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have been pretty candid about their plan to separate the online game sequel’s huge narrative in half. HBO nonetheless waited till the week earlier than Season 2’s massive premiere to formally renew the hit sequence for Season 3, however it’s undoubtedly confirmed as one in every of many upcoming online game variations. And what an thrilling season it’ll be.
After that wild Season 2 finale took out a major character (and a few others) whereas placing much more proper in hurt’s method, The Last of Us can have viewers on their toes questioning about Ellie’s destiny for the foreseeable future. However now that the wait is on, we’re maintaining monitor of all the massive Season 3 updates whereas additionally speculating about story beats and which characters will and received’t be again. So hop on Shimmer’s again and let’s trot by way of what we all know in regards to the third season thus far.
When Will The Last Of Us Season 3 Premiere?
With Season 2 having solely simply concluded, The Last of Us followers will seemingly be ready some time to see how the story performs out for everybody nonetheless alive within the theater. Up to now, no plans are formally in place for the manufacturing to start, a lot much less an official launch date on HBO.
It is doable new episodes will not arrive till 2027, which might line up with the almost two-year wait between the primary and second seasons. However hopefully the wait will not be fairly so lengthy.
Craig Mazin’s Plan Has Been To Begin Writing Season 3 After Season 2 Ends
In early April, co-showrunner Craig Mazin talked with GamesRadar+ and was, on the time, nonetheless neck-deep in ensuring all the ultimate particulars have been locked in place forward of the Season 2 premiere. As such, he wasn’t in essentially the most best place to start out breaking down the story for future episodes. However he did share that he’d be leaping proper again to work after a short interval away from his laptop, saying:
The renewal we bought from HBO means [there’s] this huge religion in it, and it means the viewers would not have to fret about it being canceled. They will watch Season 2 in peace figuring out there can be a Season 3. However I will take just a few weeks. Then if there’s one factor I find out about myself, I can be completely champing on the bit to get again to the keyboard.
Hopefully Mazin opens up on social media about when he begins digging down into outlining the brand new season.
What Will The Last Of Us’ Season 3 Story Be About?
Whereas the artistic group little doubt has some surprises in retailer for The Last of Us viewers, there are no less than two overarching storylines that we all know past a shadow of a doubt that Season 3 will dig into.
Abby’s Story
Mirroring the online game’s twin narratives. going down throughout the identical time-frame, The Last of Us delivered Ellie’s facet of this tragic story in Season 2, with the huge bulk of Abby-centric scenes being held for the third cycle. It is virtually a much bigger danger to bifurcate issues so utterly, because it provides TV audiences extra time to stew in hatred for the supposed villain, however I’ve little doubt that the writers will efficiently put followers in Abby’s footwear rapidly sufficient to considerably justify her terrible actions.
To that finish, Mazin and Druckmann may also take viewers deeper into Abby’s every day routine as a trusted soldier beneath Isaac’s WLF management, in addition to her private life and relationships with others in her group. Simply in case anybody thought that Owen and Mel’s deaths within the finale have been already tragic sufficient, there’s much more backstory to fill out for these two and others.
The Battle Between The Wolves And The Scars
As soon as Jeffrey Wright’s callous and intimidating Isaac was launched in Episode 204, I assumed the TV sequence would give viewers some type of bullet-pointed exposition giving context to the continuing battle between the militant WLF troopers and the cult-like Seraphites. However within the podcast episode that adopted “Day One,” Craig Mazin defined that Season 3 will present solutions to such questions, and that worries about not being renewed fed into the choice to carry off on these particulars completely.
I am unable to wait to see the place that journey into the guts of darkness goes, though I understand it is going to be as disagreeable as this present will get. With Isaac main dozens of Wolves to their assumed doom particularly to destroy the Seraphites’ island group, one might be certain this did not all begin over one thing inconsequential.
The Last Of Us Characters And Forged Members Most Seemingly To Return In Season 3
Ellie (Bella Ramsey) & Dina (Isabela Merced) – Alive, Presumed Alive
- I feel we are able to all agree that this duo is the obvious pair of characters destined to be again on the small display screen for The Last of Us Season 3, so it is probably not price going into the the reason why it is logical, even when we did not see the place Dina was after Abby breached the theater.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) – Overwhelmed And Stabbed To Demise By Abby
- Whereas it undoubtedly appeared like Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann utilized the majority of the video games’ Joel-centric flashbacks in Season 2’s penultimate episode, I am unable to assist however really feel just like the co-creators will proceed giving viewers emotional pops that coincide with Ellie’s recollections, or even perhaps Abby’s nightmares.
Tommy (Gabriel Luna) & Maria (Rutina Wesley) – Alive, Alive
- Whereas Maria’s security is not in query by the tip of Season 2, Tommy being on the finish of Abby’s gun barrel shouldn’t be the happiest state of affairs for the character. That stated, he did not look like fatally wounded in these ultimate moments, and it did not seem as if Abby’s ultimate gunshot was meant for his head.
Jesse (Younger Mazino) – Shot To Demise By Abby
- Truthfully, I do not anticipate Jesse to get a ton of additional scenes in Season 3, and whereas it will be good to see extra from him and DIna in personal, I actually solely anticipate to see Jesse return every time the present returns to that ultimate scene from Abby’s standpoint. A tragic cause to have the actor again on set, however nonetheless.
Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) – Alive
- Contemplating Season 2 ends together with her seemingly aiming to place a bullet between Ellie’s eyes, I would say the possibilities are increased than Gail that Abby will return virtually instantly when Season 3 kicks off.
Owen (Spencer Lord) & Mel (Ariela Barer) – Each Killed By Ellie
Regardless of being taken out of the story slightly unceremoniously within the midst of the confrontation with Ellie, Owen and Mel’s private tales have but to be explored, so I can solely think about that they will get even deeper backstories that assist make their eventual doomed fates all of the extra gut-wrenching to witness.
Nora (Tati Gabrielle) – Presumed Lifeless
As the primary in Abby’s group to get picked off within the recreation, Nora would not essentially have essentially the most attention-grabbing historical past to probe for the TV sequence, however Tati Gabrielle’s efficiency within the again half of “Really feel Her Love” was so glorious, I am unable to think about we can’t get just a few heartbreaking particulars from her previous to consider.
Manny (Danny Ramirez) – Presumed Alive
Manny is the one core member of Abby’s group whose destiny is not explored by the Season 2 finale, as he wasn’t seen once more past his look in “Day One.” So it will be baffling if this character did not present up once more earlier than the tip of the season.
Isaac (Jeffrey Wright) – Presumed Alive
The WLF’s slightly sadistic chief has but to have his actions explored or defined for audiences, so I’m ready for Season 3 to dig into Isaac’s twisted outlook and what the continuing battle between the troopers and the Seraphites is all about within the HBO sequence’ lore. And I’m assuming Isaac will nonetheless have his loyal second banana Burton (Ben Ahlers) round.
The Last Of Us Characters And Forged Members Least Seemingly To Return In Season 3
Eugene (Joe Pantoliano) – Shot To Demise By Joel
- As a lot as I would like to witness a scene the place Joey Pants and Catherine O’Hara have been truly on-screen collectively as married couple Eugene and Gail, I do not see the necessity for him to return after such an emotionally gripping visitor spot in “The Value.”
Gail (Catherine O’Hara) – Alive
I’m not 100% satisfied that we can’t see Gail once more in Season 3, as a result of I feel we are able to all agree it will be a TV sin to do away with Catherine O’Hara with no cause. But when Abby’s group will get the majority of the screentime in Season 3, I’m undecided how a lot time would have to be spent with Gail now that we have seen Eugene’s loss of life play out. Plus, Catherine O’Hara shared with Variety that Mazin instructed her she would not be again in Season 3.
Javier Miller (Tony Dalton) – Destiny Unknown, Presumed Lifeless
Contemplating Joel’s household historical past did not prolong past Sarah and Tommy within the video video games, the TV sequence launched the Miller boys’ father as a self-aware abuser hoping for Joel to interrupt the genetic cycle of violence. His lone scene was key to exploring Joel’s surrogate-father mindset in “The Value,” however he seemingly will not be required for any future introspective flashbacks.
Seth (Robert John Burke) – Alive
For all that I’m holding out hope to see extra from Maria and Gail, I am unable to think about The Last of Us will give the bigoted service employee one more likelihood to partially redeem himself for his slurred rudeness and Ellie and Dina kissed.
Season 3 Seemingly Will not Be The Ultimate Season
With a post-apocalyptic present like The Strolling Lifeless spanning eleven seasons and all kinds of spinoffs, one may suppose The Last of Us can be equally geared for an prolonged run, however that is by no means the gameplan for this universe. Mazin and Druckman have said in interviews that they do not wish to make the Recreation of Thrones mistake of taking the live-action adaptation past the beforehand current story.
And not using a third online game within the works but, and even absolutely confirmed to in the future exist, the implication can be that the TV present would wish to wrap it up after the occasions of the second recreation have been tailored in full. And but…
Craig Mazin shared with Collider that he would not suppose the artistic group will be capable of correctly match the remainder of the sport’s story into the third season, even when it finally ends up being longer than the second. In his phrases:
I feel there’s a good likelihood that Season 3 can be longer than Season 2, simply because the style of that narrative and the alternatives it affords us are slightly totally different. . . . I feel we’ll have slightly extra room there. However actually, there’s no solution to full this narrative in a 3rd season. Hopefully, we’ll earn our preserve sufficient to come back again and end it in a fourth. That’s the most certainly final result.
So there’s an opportunity that Season 3 will finish on the very same cliffhanger, simply from a unique perspective. I hope that will not be the case, however it actually appears doable.