"Five years have gone by": The Last Of Us showrunner teases how Joel and Ellie's relationship has evolved in Season 2

Ahead of The Last of Us Season 2's release, Craig Mazin, one of the showrunners of the HBO videogame adaptation, had some interesting teases. These comments were published in the Times of India on April 8, 2025.

While Joel and Ellie's relationship slowly evolved over the nine episodes of the first season, it has also evolved as five years have passed between Seasons 1 and 2. Mazin teased a season that will delve deep into Joel and Ellie's complex relationship. Here is what he said:

"When we meet Joel and Ellie this season, five years have gone by, which in and of itself implies that things must have been going pretty well. They're still alive. They live in Jackson. And even between the two of them, things must have been going well. You can't exist in a state of conflict with somebody like that for five straight years. It's not possible."

This comment seems to suggest that Joel and Ellie probably share a strong bond in the first few episodes of The Last of Us Season 2. However, their relationship may deteriorate as the season progresses. Moreover, there are several other hints that Mazin had to offer.

The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin teases a distant Ellie and Catherine O'Hara's Gail

While everything seems okay on the surface in the beginning of the upcoming season, The Last of Us Season 1 ended with Joel saving Ellie's life but killing off all the Fireflies in the hospital as they tried to synthesize the cure for the zombie virus by killing Ellie. In the closing moments of the first season, Joel lies to Ellie, something that will play a crucial role in straining their relationship this season.

Ellie is nineteen in season 2, and Joel senses a change in her but is unable to put a finger on it. Mazin elaborates on Joel's attempts to identify the issue in the upcoming season by saying:

"And interestingly, Joel is trying to figure out why, which in and of itself implies that this is not something that's been going on for five years; it's somewhat recent. Why is she angry?"

Mazin teased that it is in such a confusing scenario that Joel meets the therapist Gail, played by actress Catherine O'Hara, for counsel. Mazin's comments imply that Joel is struggling with the weight of lying to Ellie after five years. His exact words were:

"'I've got a 19-year-old kid who's wanting independence, turning away and rejecting Dad.' But what's really going on? Can I do something differently? And her point is, 'No, I don't believe that is what's going on.' And you can see that inside Joel, there is this suspicion that somehow, it is this flaw that he introduced into their relationship, this lie, that maybe is starting to be the problem."

What is The Last of Us Season 2 about?

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie, respectively, in the second season. Five years have passed since Joel shot the Fireflies in the season 1 finale and saved Ellie. Currently, they're living with Tommy and Maria, at Jackson, the commune introduced in the first season. Now, the idyllic calm is disturbed as Joel's actions in the season 1 finale catch up to him.

The official logline reads:

"Five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind."

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The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1, Future Days, will air on HBO on Sunday, April 13, 2025. After that, the episode will be available to stream on Max.

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