The Last of Us “Future Days” Review

Season 2 Episode 1 – Five years on, Joel seeks help in mending his relationship with Ellie, as the now 19-year-old faces a new threat.

Please note, our reviews are based on likes and dislikes. These contain significant spoilers, which may contain spoilers in relation to the game itself. If you haven’t already watched the episode, we recommend that you click off the article and come back once you have watched the episode. Enjoy!

What I Liked

1. We start the episode with a scene that wasn’t in the game. We see the events that follow Joel’s hospital shooting. We see Abby grieving at the graves of those who lost their lives. It’s at this point that she vows to kill Joel slowly. I kind of liked this. In the game, we know Abby was at the hospital after, so it was nice to see how this section played out.

2. The therapy session with Gail and Joel isn’t something that was in the game, as it has a lot of scenes so far, but this scene hit hard. It shows how much Joel is battling inside with what he did at the hospital. It makes sense above all else. This is a scene that should’ve been in the game to showcase Joel’s inner battle even further. I believe that we also get to see the destruction that Joel leaves behind. We’ve played the games or we’ve watched the series (or both), we know it’s not exactly pretty when he’s on patrol or on a mission. There’s always something. This scene did a great job in portraying that.

3. The one thing I’m glad that’s being added is the party itself. This was referenced a lot during the game, but the events were never properly shown. It was nice to see the build-up to it above all else, as we see how Dina and Ellie get closer than they were.

4. The party itself was nice to see. The Dina and Ellie dance followed with the kiss. I knew instantly what was coming, and I liked this scene. I’m happy it was shown early on, as we know it’s the next day, how it all goes down, more so with Seth and his sandwiches. You’ll see.

What I Disliked

I felt a little disconnected from the games. I’m a massive fan of the second game, so this caught me off guard a little as I fully expected them to go into everything post-party, but they didn’t. In some parts, it was nice to see what happened before this, but ultimately, there are sections I’m unsure of. The supermarket scene didn’t feel right, as this is supposed to be the day after what we saw. Of course, I’m not complaining or expecting it to be scene for scene, and I’m hoping now that the party has happened, we get into everything from the game. It’s a very small complaint at this stage, but I honestly felt lost in parts.

Favorite Moment

The end of the episode shows Abby reaching Jackson. I’m wondering how soon it’s going to be before the moment happens. Those who have played the games will know. It’s a terrifying thought.

Standout Character

The one character in this episode that truly stood out to me is Dina. The actress is cast very well. She felt like Dina, and you knew instantly when she was on-screen that it was Dina even without her being mentioned. I am excited to see Isabela Merced really take this role home as she did extremely well in the opening scenes.

Verdict

I’m intrigued. I’m excited. I was a little confused during the episode, but it all came full circle in the end. I’m devastated it’s a weekly release as I want to see everything already. I want to see Ellie and Dina’s relationship grow, I want to see Tommy in his journey, and I want to see Abby. I want it all. This episode was a decent opener, but I feel like, based on what we’ve had, it’s only going to get better.

Rating 8/10