The Last Of Us Season 2 4K UHD SteelBook Review
The second season doesn’t compare to the first.
Based on Sony’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi “The Last Of Us Part II” video game, the 7 episode second season takes place 5 years after the events of season 1 in which Joel and Ellie have made a home in Jackson, Wyoming alongside Joel’s brother Tommy among others. Ellie knows what Joel did to the Fireflies and harbors resentment towards him which causes tension between the 2. Ellie isn’t the only one who knows what Joel did, however, as Washington Liberation Front (WLF for short) member Abby seeks vengeance against Joel for the death of her father (a Firefly Doctor). Abby is joined by Mel, Owen, Nora and Manny on her quest to find and kill Joel.
Elsewhere this season plots involve Ellie developing a romantic bond with Dina, an infected horde attacking Jackson, the Seraphites group, Ellie and Dina venturing to Seattle (no spoilers as to why), WLF’s brutal leader Isaac, Dina’s ex-lover Jesse, and Jackson therapist Gail dealing with the grief of losing her husband.
Season one was a brilliant piece of television and one of the great video game adaptations (granted, there aren’t many at this juncture). Season two was always going to be a bit of a challenge. Not only was “The Last Of Us Part II” video game divisive in terms of its story, but it’s always difficult to live up to the debut season. It doesn’t help that season two feels like half a season because, well, in many ways it is as “The Last Of Us Part II” story is being split into two seasons. On top of that, a major event occurs in episode 2 (“Through The Valley”) which will undoubtedly upset and maybe even put off many viewers. It’s likely many of you readers know what the event is, but no spoilers here in case you don’t. In this reviewer’s opinion, “Through The Valley” is far and away the best episode of the season. Not only was it emotionally impactful, but it also had incredible action with the Infected invading Jackson. Truth be told, the show seems to flounder after this episode. Far too much time is spent setting things up, the pacing is awkward, and the narrative jumps around in time constantly to clunky effect. It’s hard to fully judge season 2 until season 3 is complete because the seasons will be so linked together. It’s possible season 2 will benefit from season 3, but it’s also possible the show continues to fall apart as well. We’ll just have to see what showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have in store.
Cast wise, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey still crush it in the roles of Joel and Ellie. The big moment in episode 2 just shows you how perfect they are for the roles. Ramsey also gets more to do this season with Ellie’s decidedly darker story arc. In terms of the new cast members, there are 3 major stand-outs. The first is Isabela Merced (Dina) who is now one of the show’s good guys as it were. Her character is linked heavily to Ellie. Kaitlyn Dever makes a bold entrance as the villainous Abby who is primed to be the central character of season 3. Last, but not least the always excellent Jeffrey Wright is absolutely terrifying as the WLF leader Isaac. Wright really can do any role.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? This is the best way to watch the series at home. The picture clarity and the colors are supremely sharp.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track delivers the usual layered and dynamic audio experience you expect with the name.
Extras:
* “Welcome To Jackson” set tour.
* “Making Of The Last Of Us: Season 2”- A 7 part extra that covers the making of each episode. Interviews, episode clips, and story and character discussions are included.
* “Growing The World Of The Last Of Us”- A behind-the-scenes look at the bigger and more ambitious season 2 with its action set pieces and new characters.
* “Battle Of Jackson, Deconstructed”- A look at the making of the Siege of Jackson sequence.
* “Joel’s Journey To Season 2” and “Ellie’s Journey To Season 2”- 2 season 1 character recaps.
* “Character Featurettes”- 4 featurettes on Joel, Ellie, Abby and Dina.
* “Mushroom Taste Test”- Kaitlyn Dever, Bella Ramsey, Young Mazino and Isabela Merced try mushroom dishes.
* “Pedro And Bella Q&A”- Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey answer questions.
* “Open Book: Isabela Merced And Young Mazino”- Merced and Mazino ask each other questions.
* “Stalker Showdown, Deconstructed”- A rundown of an action set piece.
* “Camera Roll: Bella Ramsey, Isabela Merced, And Young Mazino”- The 3 actors comment on photo stills.
* “In Action”- Cast and crew members talk about stunts and filming the action scenes.
* “Ellie’s Path” is all about Ellie’s character arc
* “Beneath The Surface: The Visual FX Of The Last Of Us” featurette.
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