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The Last of Us S02E01: "Future Days" gets us into the action, introducing us to new faces while spotlighting Joel and Ellie's demons.
Posted in: HBO, Review, TV | Tagged: the last of us
The Last of Us Season 2 E01: "Future Days" Review: The Road Not Taken
The Last of Us S02E01: "Future Days" gets us into the action, introducing us to new faces while spotlighting Joel and Ellie's demons.
The Last of Us creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann had the daunting task of setting up season two from Naughty Dog's video game of the same name as we start to see Part II unfold. Considering the HBO series is looking to stretch the timeline of the game across multiple seasons, there are tons of opportunities for exposition ahead, and we begin by meeting Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who we find is more consumed by rage than sorrow after the events of the season one finale that found Joel (Pedro Pascal) killing all the Fireflies at the hospital where Ellie (Bella Ramsey) was set to have fatal surgery before saving her with his rampage. She talks to her friends Owen (Spencer Lord), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer), and Manny (Danny Ramirez) in the aftermath of the attack and their ominous plan for revenge. The following contains minor spoilers for "Future Days."
The Last of Us: Establishing Joel's More Miserable Present and Ellie's Brighter Future
Before the opening credits, we have a recap of Ellie asking Joel if he's being honest about what happened back at the hospital and Joel lying about her rescue, blaming their escape. As we fast forward five years later, we go to Jackson, Wyoming, as the two settle on their lives alongside Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley), facing the difficulties of running an enclosed community with the daily struggle scavenging for new supplies, replenishing what they can from their natural resources, and being overwhelmed by the increasing demand from new survivors that make their way to their town to join their ranks.
"Future Days" certainly contrasts with the original series premiere episode, "When You're Lost in the Darkness," in establishing that new normal. Joel finds himself in a familiar position where he remains emotionally distant following the loss of his daughter, but unlike the premiere episode, his guilt lives in another house as a young adult woman with a chip on her shoulder to be self-sufficient without Joel's constant watchful eye, harboring resentment.
As we progress in the story, the tension is there, and it gets dragged like an 800-lb elephant in the room that the local Jacksonians just accept exists without any explanation. Even when Joel literally spells out his problem to his therapist (Catherine O'Hara), it feels a bit hollow because it's exhaustively going to drag. As much as we get the other figures involved, much of the "Future Days" is about establishing how Joel and Ellie both need to feel functionally useful. For Joel, it's trying to respect Ellie's space and not fall into his old habits. For Ellie, it's about earning the respect of her peers without having Joel's interference come into play somehow.
We also get to know two of the prominent residents in Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino). As fans of the games will feel the familiar beats, we see how much Dina gets involved in both Joel and Ellie's lives, reaching them in a way others don't. She becomes a refreshing presence since both main characters remain in their angst to the point where it would drag most stories down. Those concerned we'll only get buildup won't be disappointed because Mazin, who directed the episode, gives us plenty of human-on-fungal action as Ellie becomes more proficient in taking out the infected but still lacks maturity, patience and a huge chip on her shoulder to not make herself a liability.
Aside from the Joel-Ellie angst you can cut with a butter knife and the welcome presence of Merced's Dina, you also have a bright spot in O'Hara, who is a bit of a tour de force around Pascal's Joel as Gail, his psychologist. Bearing her fangs with cynicism and bluntness, it's the most prominent scene-chewing-worthy scene of the episode. I also want to credit Mazin for not doing the cheap shock death of the week we see so often in the apocalyptic genre. It's one thing to just randomly shoot, but there are far too many incidents where poor judgment results in a cartoonish type of kill from the horde.
"Future Days" is a great start to season two of The Last of Us. We have some beautiful scenes from O'Hara, Merced, and Ramsey. We also get more recreated game moments in the episode, like the practice scene between Luna and Ramsey. It feels poignant to see how well Pascal plays the wounded father because you can tell how much his character had to repress his emotions and how much his ongoing PTSD is catching up to him. We're also seeing how far along Ramsey has emerged in growing as Ellie as a series lead without Pascal. You're seeing shades of them embracing to take that initiative.
The Last of Us airs Sundays on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2: "Future Days"
9/10
With Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey's Joel and Ellie set in their new realities in The Last of Us S02E01: "Future Days," the HBO series also introduces several new characters - with standout performances from Catherine O'Hara as Joel's therapist, Gail, and Isabella Merced's empathic Dina. In both instances, we have characters with such natural charismatic charm that they chew up every scene that they're, bringing a fresh energy that served to balance the tension and drama between Joel and Ellie.
Credits
Director
Craig Mazin
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