Isabela Merced talks about the special relationship between Joel and Dina in The Last of Us Season 2

The Last of Us Season 2, also based on the video game The Last of Us Part II, much like the first season, is set to premiere on April 13. Pedro Pascal, an Emmy nominee for this role, will be reprising Joel's role for season 2, along with Bella Ramsey, who will play Ellie. They will be joined by newcomers as well, including Isabela Merced, who plays Ellie's best friend Dina in the show.

In a recent conversation with Screen Rant, Merced talks about how the relationship between Dina and Joel in The Last of Us Season 2 will be much deeper compared to their relationship in the video game.

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Dina and Joel in The Last of Us Season 2

In public opinion, The Last of Us is the greatest adaptation of a video game. This might be because the creators stick to their source material, the video game, when needed but are not afraid to step out of its constraints either. The changes in the first season with Bill and Frank were proof that the audience accepted these changes when they complimented the storyline. This might be the trend moving forward for The Last of Us Season 2.

Similarly, The Last of Us Season 2 is stepping out from the game's plotline when it comes to Dina and Joel's relationship. Dina and Joel in the video game have no relationship as such, which is surprising considering Dina is Ellie's best friend. In the show, Dina and Joe will have a special relationship, as they will be spending a lot of time bonding in the show. They have a shared love for Ellie, and their relationship will grow from that into a deeper connection. Here's what Merced had to say about this development in The Last of Us Season 2

There's a lot of creative liberties they took with, obviously, Neil's consent, because I think they wanted everything to just be more well rounded. If she's Ellie's best friend, they would have interacted. And so this is an opportunity to see how and I think they have a very light, warm relationship, where he's like the fun uncle, and she can confide in him, and he can confide in her. But mostly, you know their point where they really connect is their love for Ellie that they both have and share. And I think Dina, when we see her, she's sort of noticing this rift between them and trying to mend that.

Isabela Merced explains how Joel and her character Dina must've interacted with Joel in The Last of Us Season 2, and thus their bond is more like a fun uncle where they can be each other's confidants. As pointed out by Merced, Ellie and Joel will be distanced emotionally at the start of the season, so it will give space for Dina and Joel's relationship to develop.

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It will be interesting to see how this decision regarding the characters' relationship will alter their actions further into The Last of Us Season 2, considering she will also have a personal stake in the story apart from being Ellie's best friend. Dina has one of the most important roles in the video game, so it will be important to see how those stakes are altered by the fact that she shares a deep connection with both Joel and Ellie instead of just Ellie.

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