Even in a world as brutal as HBO’s The Last of Us, some pieces of childhood innocence remain. Despite everything Ellie, one of the main protagonists of The Last of Us, has been through — the loss, the violence, the years of surviving on her own — she still clings to the belief that the people she loves are telling her the truth. That bittersweet trust is at the heart of “Future Days,” the long-awaited Season 2 premiere of HBO’s critically acclaimed series.
The episode opens with a quiet, heartbreaking moment that may feel familiar (since it’s the same way the first season concluded): Joel assuring Ellie that he told her the full truth about what happened with the Fireflies at the conclusion of season 1. And like any child desperate to believe in the adults she trusts, Ellie accepts his word — for now.
Season 2 picks up exactly where the first left off, but it doesn’t stay there for long. The Last of Us Season 2 has been one of the most anticipated TV returns of the year, and it wastes no time pulling viewers back into its haunting, post-apocalyptic world.
In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1 — spoilers ahead — and offer a critical review of the premiere. While “Future Days” is more subdued than some of the show’s most gut-wrenching hours, it sets the stage for a season that promises to be even darker, more emotionally charged and filled with devastating surprises (and plenty of Infected).
The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1: “Future Days” Synopsis
“Future Days,” written and directed by series co-creator Craig Mazin, picks up right where Season 1 left off — but immediately adds new context through a chilling flashback. After Joel’s deadly attack on the Fireflies to save Ellie, the surviving members mourn their losses and vow revenge, setting a new threat in motion. As Kaitlyn Dever’s new character Abby coldly states,
“Slowly… when we kill him, we kill him slowly.”
The premiere then jumps forward five years, where Joel and Ellie have built a quiet, if uneasy, life in the thriving settlement of Jackson, Wyoming. Over the course of the episode’s 60-minute runtime, “Future Days” offers a glimpse into their changed dynamic: a relationship weighed down by unspoken truths and survivor’s guilt, and a longing for normalcy in a world where true safety remains an illusion. Fans also get introduced to new characters living in the settlement, one of which is already lining up to become a fan favorite.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 1: Full Episode Recap
“Future Days” immediately opens the door for a new conflict (as if this series doesn’t have enough of those!). The surviving Fireflies, mourning their dead after Joel’s bloody rescue of Ellie, vow revenge. Leading the group is Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), whose chilling words — “Slowly… when we kill him, we kill him slowly” — set the tone for the season’s inevitable collision course.
While Abby’s role is teased here, she’s not the new character fans are already buzzing about. That title belongs to Dina (Isabela Merced), introduced once the episode flashes forward five years to Jackson, Wyoming, where Joel and Ellie have carved out the most stable life they’ve known since the outbreak.
But what’s obvious from the jump is that stability doesn’t mean harmony. Joel and Ellie’s once effortless bond is now strained. The first glimpse of Ellie shows her sparring against a much larger partner, only for her anger to flare when she learns Jesse (Young Mazino), her friend and instructor, told the boy to “go easy” on her — under Joel’s orders. The tension reveals that Joel, weighed down by guilt, has become overly protective, while Ellie, growing more independent, bristles under the restriction.
The Jackson settlement, depicted like a modern frontier town, offers a rare moment of peace for both the characters and viewers, but the cracks beneath the surface are obvious. Joel, now working as a contractor for the town, appears worn down — stressed, tired and consumed by guilt. His mood lifts briefly when someone he refers to as “kiddo” walks through his door, though it’s not Ellie but Dina, whose comfortable relationship with Joel hints at her closeness to Ellie.
After attempting to pry information about Ellie out of Dina — to which Dina mostly shrugs in a way that indicates “teenagers will be teenagers”. Despite her best attempts at hiding her emotions, though, it becomes clear that Dina, too, is worried about Ellie. Soon, we see why.
Meanwhile, Ellie finds her own escape. She and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) shoot at Infected from a distance, but an argument flares when Tommy, again under Joel’s influence, tries to reassign Ellie to less dangerous duties. Furious, Ellie screams, “I’m immune!” across the empty landscape — a dangerous secret that still haunts them both. And who can blame them, considering what happened five years ago?
Political tensions are brewing just below the picture-perfect facade of the Jackson town. Tommy and his wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley) are two the leaders of the community, and we see Maria pushing Joel to build faster to accommodate the increasing numbers of refugees coming through their doors. Joel’s resistance — arguing for border restrictions despite once being a refugee himself, as Maria pointedly reminds him — hints at a broader exploration of themes like immigration, refugee crises, finding normalcy amid chaos and belonging that the season seems poised to tackle.
Seeking to manage his guilt, Joel attends therapy sessions with Gail, the town therapist (Catherine O’Hara). Though weeks in, Gail hasn’t gotten Joel to open up. As a therapist, though, it’s clear to her that he is hiding something, and it’s starting to eat away at him.
Instead, she shares her own grief: it’s her first birthday without her husband Eugene, who, in a dark twist, was apparently killed by Joel at some point in the last year. Their uneasy dynamic underscores the show’s central themes of buried guilt and unspoken wounds.
Back on patrol, the budding relationship between Ellie and Dina takes center stage. With obvious romantic tension, Dina, newly single after breaking up with Jesse (for real this time, she insists), invites Ellie to the New Year’s Eve party. But before young love can blossom, the two recklessly hunt down a group of Infected responsible for mauling a bear — an ominous new threat.
It’s clear that the girls, energized by the imminent danger and the thrill of the kill, despite having had to mature much faster than normal kids, are still extremely immature and naive about the facts of life. Because even though Ellie is immune, Dina isn’t. And her immunity doesn’t extend to being killed by an Infected.
Inside a dilapidated market, Ellie falls through the floor, encountering a new, more evolved type of Infected that hides and lures its prey (a “stalker,” from the video game). Though Ellie and Dina survive, the Jackson council realizes a new breed of threat is emerging. Even more alarming, Ellie is bitten again. Though her immunity keeps her safe, she must hide the bite to avoid drawing attention.
Later that night, Joel tries to reconnect with Ellie, offering to restring her guitar — a tender callback to their journey together five years prior. But Ellie brushes him off, heading to the New Year’s party instead.
At the dance, an intoxicated Dina is dancing like no one is watching, lighting up the room. She asks Ellie to dance just as a slow song is switched on. Dina and Ellie share a tender, tentative slow dance — a beautiful moment of vulnerability between two teenagers trying to reclaim a sliver of normalcy. Their joy is shattered when a bigoted community member, Seth, throws a homophobic slur at them, claiming the party was a “family event”. Joel intervenes with violence, punching Seth in a misguided attempt to defend Ellie, only deepening the rift between them.
The episode closes with mounting dread: Abby and her group approaching Jackson, and a glimpse of a cordyceps tendril twitching in a broken pipe — a chilling reminder that neither the threats outside the walls nor the secrets inside them are staying buried for long.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Episode 1 Review
From the very first scene, “Future Days” establishes a tone that feels both familiar and freshly foreboding. The episode’s deliberate pacing creates a slow-burn atmosphere, allowing viewers to soak in the fleeting sense of normalcy that Joel, Ellie and the Jackson community have built. It’s a rare pause before the chaos to come — a storytelling decision that mirrors the fragile peace underlying much of the show’s world.
Visually, the cinematography heightens this mood. Jackson is depicted with a cozy, western-town charm blanketed in eerie winter stillness, offering a subtle reminder that peace, like everything else in The Last of Us, is temporary.
Thematically, the episode immediately sets the season’s emotional groundwork. Guilt, forgiveness and revenge loom large. Joel’s inner turmoil, Ellie’s rebellious isolation and the threat posed by Abby and the Fireflies all serve to remind us that happiness in this world is both fragile and fleeting.
When it comes to character development, Pedro Pascal delivers a quietly devastating performance. His portrayal of Joel is a masterclass in restraint — conveying guilt, fear and paternal love with subtle glances and weary body language. The bags under his eyes and the haunted look he carries say more than words ever could. Bella Ramsey continues to expand Ellie’s character brilliantly, evolving her from a headstrong survivor into a teenager whose recklessness suggests something deeper — whether it’s a cry for help, a way of numbing her pain or an unconscious self-destructive streak. Her mindset and actions are reminiscent of Bella Swan’s dangerous spiral in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, seeking thrills to mask profound grief.
The new characters introduced in “Future Days” also hint at a rich, complex season ahead. Kaitlyn Dever brings an immediate presence to Abby, whose hardened demeanor and quiet menace promise to challenge the series’ moral center. Isabela Merced’s Dina is a bright spot in Ellie’s increasingly dark world, her easy joy and openness providing much-needed contrast. Meanwhile, Catherine O’Hara adds unexpected emotional weight as Gail, the town’s therapist battling her own grief while trying — and failing — to help Joel confront his.
With “Future Days,” The Last of Us Season 2 signals that it’s ready to challenge, devastate and deepen its emotional core — and ours. It’s a bold, yet heartfelt return into a world where love and survival are in constant conflict — and one that demands both patience and emotional resilience from its viewers. If this premiere is any indication, heartbreak is not only a possibility this season. It’s a guarantee.
Watch The Last of Us Season 2 on HBO with DIRECTV
And that’s everything you need to know about the first episode of the second season of The Last of Us. What did you think of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere? Share your thoughts below!
And make sure to check back at DIRECTV Insider next Monday for the episode 2 recap of The Last of Us, which you can watch on DIRECTV!
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the first episode of The Last of Us Season 2?
"Future Days"
What new characters were introduced in the first episode of season 2 of The Last of Us?
Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Dina (Isabel Merced) and Gail (Catherine O'Hara) were the new central characters introduced in the season 2 premiere of The Last of Us.
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
