Throughout season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us, the creators changed elements of the story from how they played out the source material. Sometimes, they were minor things that may have gone unnoticed. Others were things that didn’t happen in the game at all. In both cases, it worked out.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the best ten alterations made and highlight what made each of these changes the right choice to make.
10. The Council
Having a council in the Jackson, Wyoming, compound makes a lot of sense; rules and voting are among the most important things in ensuring a community like this one survives. They also served a purpose to the plot, adding drama to Ellie's storyline since they denied her request to go after Abby.
Having her go after Abby like she did with the game would have still worked in the series, but this was better and added more layers to the story.
9. The Battle of Jackson
The infected people storming Jackson was one of the best parts of the whole show. This scene displayed all of the togetherness that kept everyone together. However, like The Last of Us podcast pointed out, it also showed human nature when some people ran away. Plus, a lot of action and infected people getting taken out.
8. Dina is going with Ellie
During video game The Last of Us Part II, Ellie continued after Abby on her own after learning Dina was pregnant. It works for the game because it gives gamers the chance to show how great Ellie is, but it wasn’t logical and wouldn't have worked during the show. If it remained like the game, it may have been boring without Ellie having someone to talk to other than herself.
7. Isaac gets an origin story
Isaac's backstory was unknown in the game. We knew that he was one of the people in charge, but that was it. Seeing that he once believed in something and joined the Washington Liberation Front to help people showed that some people started out good and ended up somewhere else. Hopefully, we learn more about his history in season 3.
6. More stalkers
The stalkers having a bigger part of the story in The Last of Us season 2 was amazing. The runners aren’t as terrifying because they are commonly seen and killed. The bloaters are strong, but they’re dumb and slow. Adding the stalkers to the mix - and allowing us to see more of them - added another layer of fear to the adventure because they’re smart and deadly.
5. Jesse saves Ellie and Dina
Jesse helped Ellie escape the WLFs in The Last of Us Part II, but the stakes were higher in the TV show's adaptation of it in episode 5. If he hadn’t shown up, Ellie and Dina would have died. It also made Jesse look even better than he already was.
Actor Young Mazino was a star throughout the second season, but this was his shining moment in the role.
4. We meet Joel’s dad
Joel’s dad wasn’t part of the source material, so seeing him have a role in the show was a surprise. And just like when we saw Ellie's mother (played by Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in the video game) in season 1, his arrival added depth to the story.
Having him say to Joel “I hope you do a little better than me,” and then Joel himself later saying that back to Ellie was an incredibly emotional moment. You couldn't have asked for a better send-off for Pedro Pascal.
3. Ellie’s birthdays
Ellie’s birthday was a moment that fans of the game were looking forward to. However, more birthdays were added to show Ellie growing up before our eyes. We saw her be a kid diving into cake with her hands and later getting a tattoo and being romantic with another girl.
This became another example of stories that the game couldn’t really tell, but the show could. And it did so very, very well.
2. The porch conversation
The creators of The Last of Us mentioned that saving the infamous porch conversation between Joel and Ellie until later in the series would have been a mistake, and this writer thinks they’re right. It had a lot of emotional impact right out of the gate. Plus, it’s not like the scene can’t be shown again in another episode or the “previously, on The Last of Us" portion of an episode.
1. Mel's last words
Seeing Mel use her last words to beg Ellie to get her baby out of her stomach was tough to watch. It was the dying actions of a mother trying to protect her child. As much as I liked the scene from the game, the creative team upgraded this moment for the show. This was so emotional and raw, and it made viewers feel all of the emotions.
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