After two years of waiting since the end of season 1, “The Last of Us” season 2 is almost here, and critics are raving about the show’s sophomore outing now that the embargo has lifted. /Film’s own Jeremy Mathai gave the season an 8.5/10 in his “Last of Us” season 2 review, praising the lead performances from Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, and Isabel Merced. “A show like this lives or dies by its ensemble,” Mathai writes, “and every facet of production seems geared towards giving them the time and space to shine.”
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Writing at Static Media sister site Looper, Nina Starner gave the new season a 9/10, noting particular highlights in the performances, direction, and expansive world-building. Those sentiments have been shared by the majority of critics who’ve shared their thoughts in the first wave of reactions. In short, fans of “The Last of Us” have a lot to look forward to when the series returns to HBO on April 13.
Business Insider entertainment reporter Eamonn Jacobs raved about the series on X, formerly Twitter, calling season 2 “a beautifully written season of TV” that “delivers an emotionally devastating story of trauma and revenge with astounding elegance.” Germain Lussier of Gizmodo shared his own thoughts on X, calling season 2 “bigger, scarier, and way more emotional than season one.”
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The Last of Us season 2 may be even better than season 1
Across the board, critics are celebrating the ambition and stellar craft of “The Last of Us” season 2. Ben Travers of IndieWire called the season “a challenging narrative filled with challenging ideas” in a glowing A- review, while John Nugent of Empire gave season 2 five stars out of five. The show is earning praise for staying true to the spirit of the video game while also leaving room for the story to grow and develop in this new medium.
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Yes, there will be some big changes in “The Last of Us” season 2, but most critics are praising those decisions and the ways in which they expand the narrative scope. “Even if you’ve already played the second game, there are still a lot of reasons to watch The Last of Us’ new season,” Andrew Webster wrote for The Verge. “It does an excellent job of rendering some of the game’s most touching moments.”
Not every reaction has been universally positive, however. Simon Cardy of IGN gave the season a more moderate 7/10, writing that the show struggles at times to make the unique timeline and narrative structure of “The Last of Us Part II” work cohesively on television. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone gave similar critique, writing that “there are also some odd issues with pacing and point of view,” and that “the season ends on a frustrating note” as a result. Those who’ve played the game may understand how chopping that story in half for season 2 and season 3 could be tricky, but overall, pacing issues don’t seem to be enough to bring “The Last of Us” down.
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The Last of Us season 2 won’t be as tight as season 1
As evidenced by the early reviews and reactions, many viewers will likely feel some sense of incompletion with “The Last of Us” season 2. Creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have been very open about their approach to adapting the second game in the series, which required it to be split up into multiple seasons. “The Last of Us Part II” also jumps around in time a good bit, presenting difficult decisions about where to cut things off. That’s extra tricky given the two-year production cycle that’s become standard for prestige TV series like “The Last of Us.” In the game, you can just keep playing to see what happens, but HBO viewers will likely have to wait until 2027 for any cliffhangers to be resolved.
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Clearly, though, any issues there weren’t too significant for the majority of early-watchers. Fans will be able to make their own judgments when “The Last of Us” season 2 premieres on HBO on April 13, 2025.
