Ava Harper
Article
...
Ava Harper
Article
...
The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1 “Future Days” Recap – An Emotional, Brutal Tone Setter
Let’s get one thing straight: I’ve played the games. I’ve lived through the trauma twice. So when HBO dropped Season 2, Episode 1 — “Future Days” — I didn’t just watch it. I braced for impact.
This premiere isn’t interested in shocking us out of the gate. Instead, it’s a quiet, layered reintroduction — and yeah, it’s got some brilliant highs and a few missteps. Let’s break it down.
Recap: What Actually Happened in “Future Days”
The episode opens not in Jackson, but in memory — with Ellie’s voice echoing the last line of Season 1: “Swear to me.” We’re immediately thrown back into the bloody aftermath of Joel’s hospital rampage, now from the perspective of former Fireflies. This includes Manny, Owen, Mel, Nora, and of course, Abby (played with icy intensity by Kaitlyn Dever).
We learn that Abby isn’t just upset — she’s hellbent. She vows to kill Joel slowly, kneeling by the grave of a fallen Firefly. It’s a stark emotional prologue, and a bold choice by the showrunners to introduce her motivation this early. If you’ve played Part II, you’ll recognize the weight of this. If you haven’t? It’s a breadcrumb trail loaded with dread.
Five Years Later…
We jump forward. Jackson, Wyoming is thriving and peaceful — on the surface. Ellie, now 19, is clearly simmering beneath her quiet demeanor. After beating a man half to death during a sparring match, we follow her through the town’s daily rhythm: therapy sessions, patrol prep, awkward interactions with Joel.
Oh — and Catherine O’Hara is here as Gail, Joel’s weed-bartering therapist. Honestly, she steals the scene. Joel, wrestling with guilt, can’t bring himself to say the truth about what he did at the hospital. So Gail does the heavy lifting: she confesses to irrational hate for her late husband's killer, forcing Joel to confront his own emotional dishonesty. Pedro Pascal delivers a raw, simmering performance that reminds us why he’s the backbone of this adaptation.
Ellie & Dina’s Clicker Hunt
Meanwhile, Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced, already magnetic) go on patrol and stumble across a mutilated bear — and an abandoned supermarket crawling with infected. What follows is one of the most game-faithful sequences yet: Ellie using a bottle to distract a clicker, sneaking through shadows, until it all goes sideways.
Ellie falls through the floor and is ambushed by a Stalker — a terrifying, faster variant of infected that fans of Part II will recognize. She wins the fight, but not without consequence: she’s bitten again. She hides it, slicing the wound to disguise it as a scar, just like in the game. It’s a gut-punch for those who know what’s coming.
The Dance Scene — Straight From the Game
Back in Jackson, we get a near shot-for-shot recreation of the dance scene from The Last of Us Part II. Ellie and Dina share a kiss, only to be interrupted by a drunk, homophobic local named Seth. Joel steps in, defends her, and gets shoved away emotionally in return. Bella Ramsey’s “I don’t need your f***ing help” lands like a slap. O’Hara’s Gail watches from a distance, silently clocking the unraveling relationship between Joel and Ellie.
The Final Moments
As fireworks pop outside, a sparkler drops into the town’s newly uncovered sewer line — where we spot infected tendrils coiling in the dark. At the same time, Abby and her crew arrive on a ridge overlooking Jackson. The episode ends with silence, dread, and an unspoken promise: this peace won’t last.
Review: The Good, the Frustrating, and the Potential
What Worked:
- Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby: Limited screen time, but already terrifyingly focused.
- Pedro Pascal and Catherine O’Hara’s session: Emotionally brutal and thematically essential.
- Clicker sequence: A masterclass in tension and homage to the gameplay.
- Worldbuilding: Jackson feels more lived-in, more human.
What Felt Off:
- Pacing: The early parts feel a little too gentle — not quite filler, but definitely setup-heavy.
- Lack of clarity for new viewers: Some scenes (like Abby’s vow) hit way harder if you’ve played the games. Otherwise, they might feel oddly placed.
- Joel’s distance: Intentional, but I craved more direct conflict between him and Ellie — not just awkward silences.
Analysis: Why This Episode Matters
“Future Days” is a study in restraint. It doesn’t swing for shock value. Instead, it lays emotional groundwork. It’s about guilt, grief, and the lies we tell to protect the people we love — even if it rips us apart.
That therapy session? That was the thesis. You can’t move forward until you say the thing you’re afraid to say. And in The Last of Us, that fear — and the violence it births — is what fuels everything.
From a storytelling perspective, I think starting one day earlier than Part II was smart. It gives Ellie and Joel’s distance a little more space to breathe before the story dives off the emotional cliff we know is coming.
Final Verdict: 8.7/10
A quiet but confident return. Some moments feel like setup, but the emotional payoffs (especially in the therapy scene and that clicker fight) make it land.
It’s the slow crawl up the rollercoaster. You can hear the chain clinking. You can see the drop ahead. And whether you know what’s coming or not — it’s going to hurt.
Let’s just say I’m nervous in all the right ways.
Share this post
Related Posts
Ava Harper
Ava Harper is a sci-fi writer and enthusiast, passionate about exploring futuristic worlds and human innovation. When she's not writing, she’s immersed in classic sci-fi films and novels, always seeking the next great adventure in the cosmos.