Each episode of the official podcast for The Last of Us has given listeners an inside look at the creative process of the show, explained why things were changed from the source material, and given hints about things to come. This was no different in its last episode of the season.
At the end of this episode, writers and directors Craig Mazin, Neil Druckman, and Halley Gross mentioned 10 questions that will be answered in season 3. I will answer them using what we've seen from the HBO series so far and from what happened in the video game, The Last of Us Part II.
*** WARNING! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US SEASON 3! ***
10. Where is Dina?
When Abby came to the theater, Dina wasn't around. She was still recovering from the hole in her leg thanks to the Seraphites (as we saw in episode 5). Don't worry, she will make her return at some point in the upcoming season, likely at the end of season 3 to save Ellie.
9. Did Ellie just die?
Before the season 2 finale of The Last of Us season 2 takes us back to Day 1, the screen cuts to black and there's a gunshot. In the video game The Last of Us Part II, Tommy pushes Abby in this very moment. This throws her aim off and ultimately saves Ellie from getting shot. That's likely what will happen during the show, too.
8. Why are we going back to Day 1?
The season 2 finale ends with Abby overlooking her compound with the text on the screen saying "Day 1." The reason for this is that it's time to see what Abby was up to while Ellie and Dina were looking for her.
What was she doing? Keep scrolling.
7. Where was Abby in season 2?
Abby wasn't having a normal three to four days while Ellie and Dina were out looking for her. The only thing that wasn't out-of-the-ordinary was fighting Seraphites. Even that was odd because there was supposed to be a truce. Nevertheless, there she was in the middle of another fight with the enemy of the Washington Liberation Front (or WLF).
6. How did Abby find Ellie?
After Abby returns to the aquarium in the source material, she finds Owen and Mel dead. While she's crying and puking, Lev finds a map showing the location of the people who killed their friends. But, who is Lev, and why was he with Abby?
5. Who was with Abby on her journey?
While Abby was looking for Owen, she was captured by Seraphites and later saved by two of them who went rogue. Her saviors were siblings named Yara and Lev. Without their assistance, Abby would've been killed multiple times. Plus, they helped Abby overcome a couple of mental hurdles she's been dealing with for years.
Look out for more answers about them in season 3!
4. What started the WLF and Seraphite war?
Just like before Outbreak Day and the real world, people fight over territory. In this case, the people of the Seattle compound (who are protected by the WLF) and the Seraphites were the ones doing the fighting. Thankfully, a treaty was created that kept the peace. For a while, at least.
During The Last of Us Part II, it's said that Seraphite teenagers were killed by WLF soldiers, and that restarted their war. However, there's no way to know if that's true. Both sides have extremists and are willing to lie for their cause.
3. Who is The Prophet?
The Prophet is someone who is said to have foreseen Outbreak Day (or the apocalypse) coming and prepared for it by gathering supplies and a way to stay safe. By doing this, she managed to keep a lot of people safe from FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency) and the infected people. This leads to people following her and the beginning of the Seraphites.
While the Seraphites ended up turning into more of a cult than a community, Lev says that everything changed after Isaac had the Prophet killed. They became less tolerant and more extreme. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen. Thankfully, that question should be answered in season 3 of The Last of Us.
2. Why does Isaac think Abby is the future?
You don't need to wait until season 3 to have this question answered. During the season 2 finale, Isaac says, “Despite their badass name, they’re sheep.” He's referring to his soldiers, the WLF (or, as it's pronounced, wolf). He knows that they aren't leaders, while Abby is. We see this during the first two episodes of the season when Abby's friends follow her orders despite not wanting to.
Despite knowing the answer, viewers will see why Isaac came to this conclusion. Years passed after Abby joined the WLF, and Isaac likely saw something in her during that time. Plus, we don't know if he and the WLF sanctioned their mission to kill Joel. If he did, he'd be proud that they succeeded. If he didn't, he'd still be pleased, because she defied orders and didn't blindly follow him.
1. What's on B3?
Quick and easy, it's the Rat King. I've talked about it in a few articles, and Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have all but confirmed that it's coming and it's on B3 (for more on that, watch season 2, episode 5). Sure, they haven't directly said it, but their hints are enough. Although the version we see in the show could end up looking more frightening than the one in the game.
The creative team has consistently taken time to change things to make the show better than the game. This could become another one of those moments.
Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow and their social media sites, Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter, for more news, opinions, and rumors about The Last of Us as they come out.