Exploring 'The Last of Us' Season 2

A conversation with Neil Druckman, Craig Mazin, Bella Ramsay, Pedro Pascal, Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Dever, Young Mazino and Isabela Merced.

Bella Ramsay as Ellie. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO

If you’ve ever played The Last of Us, the hit video game from Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment, you remember it. It’s one of those stories that sticks with you — for its characters, its emotional depth, and how it hits you straight in the heart.

Set in a world ravaged by a strain of the Cordyceps fungus that infects humans and turns them into ravenous monsters, the game follows Joel and Ellie as they struggle to survive in a brutal, post-apocalyptic America.

In 2023, HBO adapted the first game into a television series — one that quickly became the most successful and most-watched debut season on the platform. Now, Season 2 is here, and the cast and creators recently sat down to talk about returning to this world and continuing the story.

The press conference, which I tuned into via Zoom, was held at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills on March 24, 2025. In attendance were Young Mazino (Jesse), Isabela Merced (Dina), Gabriel Luna (Tommy), Kaitlyn Dever (Abby), Pedro Pascal (Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie), Neil Druckmann (writer, executive producer), and Craig Mazin (writer, director).

Oh, and before we begin—fair warning: this article contains very mild spoilers for Season 2 of The Last of Us (thanks, Isabela!), and more than one well-placed f-bomb (thanks, Craig and Pedro!)

Proceed accordingly.