6 Ways The Last Of Us Season 1 Finale Sets Up Season 2

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Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us season 1 and The Last of Us Part II video game!The Last of Us season 1 finale includes several moments that help set up The Last of Us season 2. HBO's hit live-action series based on Naughty Dog's acclaimed video game wrapped up the first chapter of its story in March 2023. The Last of Us season 1 finale brought Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) quest to deliver her to the Fireflies to a close, with Joel saving Ellie from an operation that would have killed her but possibly created a cure for the Cordyceps virus. The record-setting series for HBO is not ending at this point, as it has already been announced that The Last of Us season 2 is happening.

HBO gave The Last of Us a season 2 renewal well before the season 1 finale. The assurance that the show would continue meant confirmation that the series will move on to adapt The Last of Us Part II next. This will include splitting the lengthy story into multiple seasons. The Last of Us season 1 finale is not too heavy-handed with its setup for what is coming next for Joel, Ellie, and other characters. There are a few hints for future storylines, characters, and events from The Last of Us Part II that should play a role in the next season. Here is how The Last of Us season 1 finale sets up season 2.

Related: The Last Of Us Season 1 Finale: 4 Biggest Changes To The Game's Ending

Stalker Infected Sets Up The Rat King In Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us finale includes the first proper appearance by the Stalker infected type, as one of them is used to attack Ellie's mother, Anna, in the opening scene. The Stalker is the last of four main versions of the infected to appear in the series, joining Runners, Clickers, and Bloaters. The importance of the Stalker infected in The Last of Us season 1 finale is greater than Anna's death. In The Last of Us Part II, the Stalker infected is part of the most horrifying zombie form known as the Rat King.

The Rat King is The Last of Us' most horrifying infected form, as it combines Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters into a towering, grotesque amalgamation of the zombies. Now that the Stalker has been introduced, the Rat King can be formed in The Last of Us season 2. This could be the next time the Stalker infected type is shown in the series, as they might only return for another pivotal scene after The Last of Us season 1 finale. In the games, the Rat King is presented as a big boss battle for Abby during the Seattle Day 2 storyline, which could be in The Last of Us season 2.

How Joel Wanting To Teach Ellie Guitar Sets Up Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us season 1 finale sets up season 2 again early on with Joel mentioning he wants to teach Ellie how to play the guitar. This comes as they are preparing to enter Salt Lake City and Pedro Pascal's character mentions finding a broken guitar. It is one of The Last of Us season 1, episode 9's Easter eggs as the dialogue is almost directly lifted from the game, but it also sets up Joel and Ellie both playing guitar in The Last of Us season 2.

Scenes of Joel and Ellie playing the guitar are featured prominently in The Last of Us Part II, many of which come during key sequences. The Last of Us season 1 finale purposefully included this line as a way to foreshadow the emotional musical component of The Last of Us season 2. This includes the opening scene of the sequel game where Joel plays Pearl Jam's "Future Days," which reinforces how much she means to him. Ellie also picks up a guitar repeatedly during the second video game, and The Last of Us season 2 appears poised to feature a few such moments after this bit of setup.

Related: Joel's 3 Shocking Moments In The Last Of Us Finale Explained

Joel Killing The Surgeon Sets Up Last of Us Season 2’s Villain

The Last of Us season 2's villain was also set up in The Last of Us season 1's finale. When Joel finally finds Ellie after going on a rampage against the Fireflies, he does not hesitate to kill the lead surgeon ready to operate on her. It might not seem like a major character death for viewers who are not familiar with the games, as the unnamed doctor was not someone the show featured before. However, The Last of Us Part II made the surgeon way more important to Joel and Ellie's future, as the sequel game introduced the doctor's daughter, Abby, as the main villain.

HBO's The Last of Us adaptation will make some changes to the game when it comes to bringing season 2's story to life, but Abby should still play a key role in the sophomore season. She should enter the picture after The Last of Us season 1's finale as a determined daughter driven to get revenge on the people responsible for her father's death. The bulk of Abby's story could be saved for a potential third season, but she is still set up for The Last of Us season 2's story either through flashbacks to Joel's massacre or in the present-day narrative.

Anna Singing A-Ha Sets Up Pivotal Last of Us Season 2 Ellie Scene

The musical component of The Last of Us season 2 was also set up again through Ellie's mother. The opening sequence in The Last of Us season 1's finale included Anna singing "The Sun Always Shines On T.V." by A-ha. She sings this to Ellie as they wait for Marlene to find them after the infected attack that helped make Ellie immune to the virus and guaranteed Anna's death. While the specific song Anna sings is never featured in either The Last of Us game, another hit A-ha song does have a role to play in Ellie's The Last of Us season 2 story.

During Ellie's portion of the Seattle storyline in The Last of Us Part II, she plays an acoustic cover of A-ha's song "Take On Me." The somber cover comes after she begins to play the last song that Joel played for her. The Last of Us season 1's finale continues to add meaning behind Ellie's love for A-ha songs through Anna. The band is now associated with her mother's death, while "Take On Me" played in The Last of Us episode 7 too as Ellie and Riley had fun before the latter's death. The Last of Us season 2 featuring Ellie's cover of A-ha's song will be even more meaningful.

Related: How Ellie Is Immune Confirmed In The Last Of Us

Joel & Ellie Return To Jackson For Last of Us Season 2's Key Setting

Another small piece of The Last of Us season 2 set up in season 1's finale comes as Joel and Ellie return to Jackson. They are last seen standing on the mountains overlooking the small town that they will now call home together. After visiting Jackson in The Last of Us episode 6, it will become a focal point of the second season. This is where Joel and Ellie settle down and begin to find their new roles in life after their cross-country trip to find a cure abruptly ends.

The live-action show has an advantage over the video game at this point already when it comes to this setting. Players did not visit Jackson until The Last of Us Part II, but season 1 gave viewers the bulk of a single episode to get to know the town and its residents. Instead of The Last of Us season 1 ending with Joel and Ellie looking upon a place they have never been, there is a sense of familiarity already. This should help The Last of Us season 2 hit the ground running by showing how both are now living in Jackson and how their lives have changed as a result.

Joel & Ellie’s Final Scene Teases New Dynamic For Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us season 1's ending scene also helps set up season 2's Joel and Ellie dynamic. As they approach Jackson, Ellie finally questions Joel about if he told her the truth about what happened in Salt Lake City with the Fireflies. She does not believe his story that they gave up on looking for a cure and suspects that he is lying to her. All Ellie says in response to Joel's continued lies is "Okay," but there is plenty of doubt on her face.

After going to great lengths to save each other lives and developing a strong bond in season 1, The Last of Us season 2 will build on the budding distrust in their relationship. This should mean that Joel and Ellie's dynamic is a bit less playful as she continues to question what really happened in Salt Lake. The Last of Us creators confirmed (via GQ) filming an extended version of the ending where Ellie walks away from Joel a bit as they go down to Jackson, which would have further set up how The Last of Us season 1's finale events changed them for season 2.

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