The Shocking Truth Behind The Last of Us Season 2 Finale Revealed!

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heads up: The following content reveals spoilers from both seasons of The Last of Us television series and The Last of Us Part II video game.

The Last of Us‘ second season ended with a literal bang.

In the end, one gunshot echoed as the confrontation between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) unexpectedly switched to a dark screen similar to the ending of The Sopranos series, leaving viewers puzzled about who ultimately came out victorious in the fight.

The situation becomes all the more confusing as the scene transitions to Abby stirring awake at her W.L.F. base, and a title card informs us: “Day One, Seattle.” (In this context, ‘W.L.F.’ stands for Wildlife Preservation, and ‘base’ refers to their camp.)

So, did Abby kill Ellie? Was it all a dream? Not quite.

In these video game versions of the HBO series, control switches from Ellie’s perspective to that of Abby, and the storyline moves backward in time by about two days. We then follow Abby’s journey until her encounter with Ellie, at which point the narrative returns to the present timeline.

One key fact about the creators of The Last of Us series is their dedication to maintaining elements consistent with the game’s original storyline, as confirmed by co-creator Craig Mazin.

In his conversation with IGN in early April, he stated, “We strive to create the finest show possible, and we do so with a deep appreciation for the elements of the game that truly shine. To be frank, if we’re not doing this to honor those aspects, then why are we even doing it at all?

It is highly probable that The Last of Us season three will primarily center around Abby’s narrative, as hinted by Catherine O’Hara (Gail’s actor) in her interview with Variety.

However, it’s important to note that the season two finale wasn’t Bella’s final appearance on screen. The show has been flexible in modifying or introducing new plotlines to foster character growth, extending Bella’s screen time.

Consider Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett). Although their video game personas lacked detailed backgrounds, the emotional depth of their 10-year romance was beautifully portrayed in the heart-wrenching first season episode titled “A Lasting Love – A Long Time Ago” or simply “Long, Long Time.

In the second season, Eugene (previously known as Joe Pantoliano) didn’t die from natural causes like in the game. Instead, Joel (Pedro Pascal) ended up executing him before Ellie could aid him in sharing his last words with Gail.

Eventually, the betrayal drives Ellie to have an emotional confrontation with Joel, during which they say their goodbyes – a poignant scene that is revealed as a flashback right at the end of the game.

Neil Druckmann, one of the creators of the game and show, shared during an interview with Deadline on May 18th that no other adaptation has been quite like this one. He explained that while considering other adaptations, such as those from novels, people generally have unique ideas about the characters. However, he noted that the game was already quite cinematic, which is why there are specific expectations for how it should be portrayed in an adaptation.

He went on to say, “However, due to its inherent ability to change and develop, it’s a process I’ve found utterly captivating.

For more secrets about the making of HBO’s The Last of Us, read on.

In an interview with TopMob News, production designer John Paino stated that the game served as their vision for the 2013 PlayStation title which HBO’s “The Last of Us” is based on. He pointed out that the concept art for the game had a cinematic feel to it, with a strong sense of location, lighting, and realism.

However realistic it appeared, it remained a video game. The role of Paul Healy, the set decorator named Paino, along with hundreds of other skilled artisans, was to create physical representations of the game’s battlegrounds: the slightly retrofuturistic 2003, and the time-frozen iteration of that same year, two decades after society as we knew it disintegrated.

In my own words, I’d say, “Working in a real-life setting proved to be the greatest hurdle, as we were tackling a period piece amidst an arid apocalyptic backdrop, all while delving into the lives and emotions of characters. It was a complex task, with layers upon layers.

The production began in Calgary in July 2021, and according to him, the city was put to good use, but he added that “no location had been overlooked by the art department or renovation efforts.” Moreover, he mentioned that “everything has been neglected for two decades,” implying that even areas suitable for filming would require modifications to make them less identifiable as modern, such as replacing computerized parking meters with their vintage counterparts.

The first time Paino interacted with the producers, he presented them with collages that, as he put it, “symbolized the game for me.” Among these, a specific collection stood out: pictures of battered restaurant chairs found in an alleyway in Hong Kong, which locals had repurposed using improvised repairs such as traffic cones or wooden replacements for missing legs.

20 years without anything led Paino to ponder, “What strategies do people use to endure?” He mused. “I’ll exhibit this image to illustrate the aridity and resourcefulness – that mix of despair and optimism.

According to Paino, series co-creator Craig Mazin found those pictures quite impressive, and that was all it took for them to get started on the project.

Credit for the incredibly lifelike city backdrops, overseen by Alex Wang and his visual effects team, was rightfully given, as they effectively emphasized the scale of destruction. However, all the details that the actors interacted with closely were real and physically present.

He explained, “Leaving the QZ, everything they see is constructed or sculpted. They walk through this environment, then we zoom out, and that’s all digitally created. Our general approach was to elevate our set design by 20 feet above them, and then dress everything around them. They aren’t walking through green screen sets, not at any point.

In a series primarily set in a devastated world aiming to halt the progression of an untreatable cordyceps fungus that transforms victims into clickers, creatures with onion-like heads, the color scheme of The Last of Us surprisingly avoids gloominess.

Inside the Boston quarantine area, there’s a sea of red brick interspersed with bursts of blue and yellow, whereas beyond the QZ, nature has been actively repossessing her territory. She’s adorned buildings with ivy (artfully crafted by hand) and various lush, vibrant greenery.

“I never wanted it to feel like a Dutch painting, where everything was brown,” Paino quipped.

For Ellie, who had never ventured beyond the Quarantine Zone until she embarked on her journey with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Tess (Anna Torv), everything seemed a bit more vibrant to her as she was discovering the world with newfound curiosity. The eerie clickers provided splashes of color, and even the seemingly harmless fungus had become a part of the landscape, making some surfaces appear leathery and plant-like.

Intricate white model cards were found to be extremely useful by the production designer as well. (Indeed, even this entire universe exists in a miniaturized form.)

Paino enthusiastically stated, “We had an outstanding individual who crafted magnificent models for us,” he said. “My personal favorite was the large-scale model featured in episode five, ‘Endure and Survive,’ where the clickers emerged from the ground. The entire sequence required a great deal of stunt coordination.

Movement specialist Terry Notary conducted a training session to prepare the background actors for convincingly depicting a swarm of the infected.

In the role of Jackson, Wyoming, the town of Canmore served as a stand-in for where Joel’s brother Tommy, portrayed by Gabriel Luna, resides. This small, enclosed community offers him a comfortable and modern lifestyle with conveniences like electricity and movie nights within its boundaries.

Paino pointed out that they constructed sections of the walls and extensively renovated the fronts, but what truly delighted him about that project was the construction of an enclosure (paddock) right in the midst of a parking area.

He exclaimed, “I truly enjoyed having that spacious enclosure filled with livestock! We had some cows, sheep, and even horses. The work done by the set decoration team was remarkable.

In episode seven titled “Left Behind,” Paino particularly enjoyed the location where Ellie and her close companion, Riley (Storm Reid), initially had an exceptional evening. However, the unsettling reality that no place can guarantee safety unexpectedly surfaced in this setting.

According to the designer, the Northland Village Mall in Calgary was “fatefully ours,” as he put it. It had been slated for demolition, but we managed to acquire it just in time. All of its facades were rebuilt anew. The signage, the old junk, the ivy, and even the carousel were all carefully transported.

The decorators located underwear similar to what might have been displayed in a Victoria’s Secret window back in 2003, costumes suitable for a Halloween shop, and the more limited variety of American Girl dolls that could be found at the branded boutique during that time, among other items.

In Paino’s observation, all the brand names – ranging from storefronts in shopping malls to a deserted Arby’s in Kansas City, which always displays “Matchstick Men” and “Underworld” on its theater marquee, to the sign indicating acceptance of Mastercard at a restaurant where the wine glasses on untouched tables are covered in moss – were unique to the show. This is because the video game did not incorporate any trademarked items.

In simpler terms, the company hired to create the attraction leased the carousel with a western theme, which Ellie and Riley enjoyed riding, from the Spruce Meadows entertainment complex in Calgary. They then transported it in parts and put it back together at Northland Village for everyone to enjoy.

They added reflective panels to the center of the ride to add to the surreality of the experience.

Regarding Raja’s Arcade (inspired by the game), Paino remarked, “Having grown up in the ’70s, I spent countless hours at the mall arcade, making it an effortless depiction for me.

He enthusiastically added, “Setting up the vibrant neon lights was such a blast!” he exclaimed. “We managed to find an authentic ’70s-style carpet adorned with the iconic Zippy satellite pattern.” They also gathered various games, including timeless classics like Tetris, Frogger, and Mortal Kombat.

He mentioned that some of those could be rented, but a large number were constructed by him, and indeed, they functioned effectively. However, the old CRT monitors used in games from two decades ago appeared pixelated when filmed, so he opted to swap them with sleek LED screens to ensure crisp footage of the action.

“That was a lot of fun,” he reflected. “I loved that set.”

In second place among Paino’s preferred locales was the town where Nick Offerman (Bill) had been contentedly residing in solitude until Murray Bartlett (Frank) arrived in 2007, disrupting everything. Although Frank had only recently been mentioned in the narrative, their profound love story – a key element of the series – introduced a unique brand of sorrow as the plot veered away from Joel and Ellie’s adventure.

In a tight timeframe, Paino mentioned, they managed to prepare the setting, ranging from arranging the vegetation to shaping the Civil War monument. He added that they were working quite late into the previous night before filming began.

In Paino’s explanation, he conveyed that Bill’s home had a strong resemblance to his mother’s, a woman with substantial means who kept it meticulously neat, almost as if it were a museum. This was the impression given when we are initially introduced to the gruff survivalist.

As I arrived, I found myself pondering, “Alright then, what’s the plan?” Thoughts whirled in my mind like a stormy sea. The answer became clear: “I must embark on a journey to Target, seeking the elusive paints.

Even though the charming village appeared deserted swiftly, it retains a Home Depot. Paino suggested, “Head over to Michaels, decorate with paint, put up your photos, inject some vitality and flowers,” he added, “Creating an engaging environment like that is great world-building.

After 16 years as one, Frank’s artwork adorns every wall in what is now our shared home, leaving us in tears.

In episode 5, some of Sam’s sketches were actually created by actor Keivonn Montreal Woodard, who portrays the tragic character. However, most of the artwork was produced by the art team, with the game serving as their primary source of inspiration.

The heartwarming moment when older brother Henry (played by Lamar Johnson) daubed some paint on Sam’s face, in a superhero fashion, to lift his spirits, was a fresh addition to the narrative, despite the sad ending remaining consistent.

Mazin possibly called episode 8 (“When We Are in Need”) their “cold episode,” however, the crew experienced numerous cold episodes while filming at Waterton Lakes National Park. As Paino put it, during winter, “there’s hardly anyone around” and there was roughly nine feet of snow.

While exploring Waterton, the location where Ellie had her encounter with Scott Shepherd’s cannibal cult, Paino recollected, “We climbed a hill, and suddenly, we were all sent tumbling down.” He spent 16 months on set. “No special effects were needed to make us fall; we just flew naturally. Yet, it was an incredible location.

In contrast to the sheep and horses seen in a typical paddock, the giraffes seemingly eating grass on an old sports field during the final episode titled “Look for the Light” were genuine animals. However, instead of bringing the set to them, as is often done, the production had to travel to where they resided.

In downtown Calgary, there was a construction site we transformed into a set. As Joel and Ellie walked through this altered environment, they climbed a staircase that had been constructed on stage. Meanwhile, at the zoo, the giraffes’ enclosure had a balcony where keepers would feed them. Over about six weeks, we gradually added pieces of real-life scenery and green screen to match the famous scene of Joel and Ellie ascending the rooftop of a dilapidated building and gazing upon Colorado. According to Paino, this set piece was masterfully put together.

Paino commented with a hint of irony, “It seemed like around four minutes of the episode, but it was exceptionally beautiful.

Despite its grandeur, the production was also filmed in a more personal and close-up manner, as Paino pointed out. It’s a tale focused on characters rather than showcasing wide views of the world. We don’t present many expansive scenes exclaiming “”.

In the end, he clarified their intention wasn’t to create sensationalized depictions of disaster, often referred to as “disaster porn”. Instead, they aimed for a more relatable and poignant impact, such as when Ellie searches through an abandoned home and finds a needle and thread, emphasizing that “this was someone’s home, this was someone’s bar.

In the realm of The Last of Us, I’ve found that the intricate details were not always intentionally crafted, yet they lend an unsettling beauty to the game. We aimed to weave a tale of poignant irony throughout, creating moments that resonate with players on a deeper level.

They somehow managed to surreptitiously place a moldy, old “Be Back in 5 Minutes” sign that had been carelessly left hanging for the past two decades.

“If I ever have a screensaver,” Paino said, “I think it’ll be that.”

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2025-05-26 05:18