Isabela Merced, left, as Dina, a new character introduced in Season 2, and Pedro Pascal as Joel in “The Last of Us.” Credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO via TNS

For television shows returning in their second season, it can be difficult to navigate new plotlines while upholding the same features that made them so successful to begin with. 

Luckily, “The Last of Us” conquers this in its second season’s first episode, released on Max Sunday. 

The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a mutated fungus — known as Cordyceps — causes infection, which turns people into monsters with one goal: to infect others. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is a hardened survivor who escorts 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who is immune to the infection, across the United States in hopes of finding a cure throughout the first season. 

The first episode of the new season, titled “Future Days” — written by Neil Druckmann, Wegryn Gross and director Craig Mazin — picks up five years after the end of the first season. 

For fans of the first season, the episode will likely exceed expectations in both writing and performance. 

Before the time jump, audiences are introduced to a new antagonist, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who makes her goal very clear — she’s determined to kill Joel. But this character, while desperate for revenge, seems to have a hidden, softer side. 

Five years later, Ellie is back with a rougher exterior. Her newfound strength and forearm tattoo transform her into a 19-year-old young adult. Despite this, her childlike nature still shines through the cracks of Ramsey’s performance; her sarcasm and wit can be seen in every conversation. 

The pacing of the episode was executed excellently. It gradually confronts the conflict between Joel and Ellie, which viewers can assume to be a result of the events of the finale of Season 1, while making time to explore the landscape of its new setting. 

The inclusion of new characters is successful, adding layers to already complex relationships.

Ellie’s best friend Dina (Isabela Merced) brings a lighthearted essence to the highly complex and emotionally driven plot. Her physicality, in conjunction with her quippy remarks, makes for a humorous and loveable depiction among a more serious ensemble.   

Ramsey and Merced’s chemistry is palpable and their banter feels all too real. The subtle hints at Ellie’s romantic feelings for Dina are portrayed excellently by Ramsey through their somewhat unnatural stance during physical closeness and blurred looks of longing. 

One of the most impressive aspects of the show is its ability to curate such realistic conversations amid the unrealistic circumstances. The therapy session between town therapist Gail (Catherine O’Hara) and Joel is strikingly self-aware, with a blunt tone that makes the exchange feel unexpectedly jarring. 

The episode also includes the same thrill and fear that audiences saw in the first season. In this episode, moments of suspense — such as a scene where Ellie fights off an infected in an abandoned building — almost felt even more dragged out, proving that the element of surprise has not been lost yet. 

The use of lighting in this episode added to the emotional complexity woven into the storyline. In the episode’s final scene between Ellie and Joel, they stand facing one another, yet are entirely separate. While Joel sits on his porch beneath the warm, golden hue of the porch light, Ellie stands strongly in the cold with the night sky behind her. 

This is what viewers are left to grapple with: How will the show navigate Ellie and Joel’s now rocky relationship, which was once the story’s heart? 

Overall, this premiere upholds the drama of the first season while cultivating a more moody tone. It sets up a highly emotional narrative for the remainder of the season to follow, leaving audiences to sit in suspense with an eerie feeling of uncertainty regarding what’s to come. 

Rating: 4/5