For followers of Pedro Pascal who’ve been counting down the times with an emotional assist clicker in hand, we’re glad to report that the wait is formally over. The Final of Us is formally again with Season 2, and if the primary episode is any indication, the plot has zero curiosity in letting your coronary heart relaxation. Kicking off with a five-year time soar, we discover Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) settled in Jackson, Wyoming, making an attempt to stay out a model of peace that feels, fairly frankly, too fragile to final.
Set on New 12 months’s Eve 2029, the premiere leans right into a delicate, wintery ambiance. Lights twinkle, individuals smile, and also you virtually neglect the world outdoors is crumbling below the load of a fungal apocalypse. However the writers waste no time reminding us that consolation is a fleeting phantasm. As refined cracks start forming on this quiet city, it’s clear that one thing darker is effervescent beneath the floor. And whereas the storyline is brooding, the web’s response has been something however quiet.
Netizens react
Some followers have been deeply moved by the emotional depth of the premiere. One viewer shared their uncooked response: “No spoilers however ep 1 had me like… rattling. The burden of all of it??? They actually stated: let’s open the season w emotions, and I ate it up. The cinematography was too clear, pressure was on sluggish burn, and the performing? Yeah, they nonetheless received it. Can’t wait to emotionally undergo once more subsequent week.” If Season 2 is a check of emotional endurance, some followers are already down unhealthy — and loving it. Others who’ve gotten early entry to the complete season had much more reward to supply. One fan defined, “I’ve seen all episodes of The Final of Us Season 2 twice. Whereas I’ve some issues with small adjustments it makes from the sport, this can be a season that rips your coronary heart out, places it again in, after which tugs it again out once more. Brilliantly executed.” That emotional yo-yo impact appears to be precisely what loyal viewers have signed up for.
There was additionally love for the artistic route, particularly Craig Mazin’s haunting contact that echoes his work on Chernobyl (2019). As one tweet-turned-testimonial put it, “An ideal Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey carry the humanity as HBO’s haunting The Final of Us will get much more devastating with Craig Mazin’s humanistic Chernobyl sensibility intervening within the story because it units forth for Seattle. It’s nice stuff people.”
With the embargo now lifted, many positive reviews are being posted for The Last of Us season 2! pic.twitter.com/gdHCdx5TDF
— The Last of Us Source (@TLOUSource) April 7, 2025
first episode of the last of us season 2 has already exceeded my expectations this season is going to be so fucking good
— em 🌿 (@emthewilds) April 14, 2025
However not everybody was feeling the contaminated love. Twitter, in its ever-contrarian glory, had some very completely different takes. One significantly scathing evaluate declared, “The Final Of Us SEASON 2 premiered tonight — and it’s full rubbish! We give it a 1/10. It’s extra Hollywood rubbish pushing an agenda on the expense of story. Crappy writing and even crappier characters. Let’s see.” Ouch. That’s one approach to spend a Sunday night time. One other unimpressed viewer added to the backlash with, “They spent two years for this and produced this trash.” And for many who beloved the online game, some felt the variation didn’t fairly stay as much as its roots. One disillusioned fan wrote, “The Final Of Us Half II is considered one of my favourite video games ever, however its potent emotional beats are watered down in a rushed second season. It’s a narrative that wants room to breathe, however there’s no time to catch your breath with this one.”
Just turned off The Last of us season 2. It's absolutely horrible. Worst acting ever.
— Levi 🇺🇲🏈 (@MadewithSteel99) April 14, 2025
So, if Episode 1 is something to go by, The Final of Us Season 2 is doubling down on its most brutal components: sorrow, suspense, and storytelling with chew. It’s not good, and it could not please each nook of the fandom, however it’s daring and deeply felt — whether or not you’re cheering or cringing. So, seize a blanket, brace your emotions, and possibly maintain some tissues close by.
