There is no denying it. The Last of Us season 1 has been a rollercoaster of emotions. The final episode manages to tear our heart out and then fix it, all within its relatively short 40-minute runtime. That emotional ending has very long-reaching ramifications for The Last of Us as a franchise, which we will discuss here in detail for your reading pleasure. We’re going to dive deep into that ending and what season 2 might entail, so beware of spoilers.

Credit: HBO
What happens at the end of season 1 of The Last Of Us?
Joel and Ellie reach the Fireflies in Salt Lake City. After Joel learns that the Fireflies intend to study and potentially develop a cure from Ellie’s brain, which will kill her, Joel rushes through the hospital to save her. He eviscerates everything and everyone in his way and storms into the operating room before the surgeons cut into Ellie. He executes the surgeons and grabs Ellie, running into Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, on the way out. She tries to reason with him; this is for the greater good. Ellie could be the key to saving humanity, saving the world. But Joel isn’t ready to let go of Ellie. He has already lost his daughter. He can’t lose Ellie too. So he shoots Marlene and drives off with Ellie. After Ellie wakes up, she asks what happened. Joel lies, saying a cure wasn’t possible, so they’re going to Tommy’s. Deep down, Ellie knows he’s lying but asks Joel again. He swears he’s telling the truth. The end.Will there be a season 2 of The Last of Us?
Yes, HBO has confirmed a second season is in the works.
Credit: HBO
How many seasons of The Last of Us will there be?
The showrunners have previously talked about wanting to explore the second game, The Last of Us Part II, over multiple seasons. This would make sense as the second game is even more morally ambiguous. While there’s no official word on how many seasons there will be, we’d expect the second game to be divided into two seasons.What will season 2 be about?
This is your last warning for spoilers. This article section includes spoilers for The Last of Us Part II. Still here? Great!
Credit: HBO
How does Joel’s choice at the end of season 1 create the base for season 2?
It’s ultimately Joel’s choice at the end of season 1 that really fuels everything that happens years later. The end of season one creates such a strong, emotional base for season 2 by not shying away from the moral ambiguity. As Marlene stops Joel on his way out, she tries to reason with him. And objectively, she’s right. What Joel has done is incredibly selfish, but we understand his character enough to know where it’s all coming from.
Credit: HBO
The Last of Us is streaming on Sky Atlantic now.