What will the future hold for Joel and Ellie? Continue reading to find out more.
The upcoming second season of The Last of Us, is one of the most highly anticipated television shows, which will be making its return in recent times. It was created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO and is completely based on the highly acclaimed video game of the same name released back in 2013. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal infection has turned most of humanity into bloodthirsty mutants called “Clickers.”
The first season of the show garnered widespread critical acclaim, with Rotten Tomatoes giving an approval rating of 96% based on 467 reviews, with an average rating of 8.75/10. With such great reception from critics and fans, anticipation for the second season has risen to new heights ever since it was announced, which has left the fandom speculating about the potential future of the show, with many already debating whether the series will go beyond the planned second season or not.
As with any successful television show or film franchise, the decision to continue beyond a planned run is largely dependent on the success of previous content. So, if you are wondering the same, then you have reached the right place, as we have covered everything we know about the chances of The Last of Us Season 3.
First off, there are already a number of indicators that straight-up point to The Last of Us possibly getting a third season.
Firstly, The Last of Us is not just a popular television series but also a highly acclaimed video game with two parts, with the most recent one released a few years ago in 2020, which gives more material for the series to adapt for a third season. The success of the franchise in both mediums demonstrates the popularity of the series among fans.
The original game was one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful games of all time, and the first season of the show was likewise highly acclaimed.
So, any major network like HBO won’t just scrap, easily back out, or interfere with the possibility of this show being extended as a multi-season franchise for the next few years, which will obviously be beneficial for the network by meeting some of the audience’s demands this early on and getting profits from this long-running success.
In addition to this, Druckmann also stated to GQ that Part II will require “more than one season” to tell, which kind of confirms that the third season will ultimately be considered while the development of the second season is underway to expand this universe as a major post-apocalyptic drama franchise.
He continued, “Some of the stuff I’m most excited for [in Part 2] are the changes we’ve discussed and seeing the story come to life again in this other version. And I think it’s exciting because it leans into those feelings you had from the game, really heavily, in a new way.” However, when asked how many seasons exactly it would take to adapt Part II, the creators were mum.
No TLoU on HBO tonight. But Season 2 is already on its way! Endure & survive! pic.twitter.com/87bKKCDBeO
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) March 19, 2023
Secondly, HBO has a history of extending the run of its successful shows. One of the biggest examples from recent times is definitely “Game of Thrones,” which was one of HBO’s most popular shows for many years and lasted for eight seasons! The show initially had its planned season run, but because of its continued success, it was ultimately extended beyond its intended run. Hence, the same can happen to The Last of Us if the second season is also able to meet the same reception as the first season.
Finally, the franchise already has a well-established world that could be easily extended for additional stories. The post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us is rich in storytelling potential, and the characters are beloved by fans of both the game and the show. This presents an ideal opportunity for HBO to expand the franchise with additional seasons beyond the second. However, extending the run of The Last of Us beyond the planned two seasons also presents some challenges.
One of the main concerns is whether audiences will continue to be interested in the story beyond the second season.
If you recall how the second game has been received by the fandom, it may be the case that the story feels complete and there is no need or desire to continue.
For those who haven’t played the game, even though critical acclaim was on their side, praise was given for its gameplay, audio design, score, performances, characters, and visual fidelity, though its narrative and themes divided critics. The fans had completely different views, and as some players criticize the story and characters, eventually the discourse surrounding the game became adversarial.
Additionally, there may be concern about the quality of future seasons if they are produced solely for the sake of capitalizing on the franchise’s success.
There is no doubt that this game series has some major loyal fans who may worry that the quality of the storytelling and the acting could suffer if the creative team is stretched too thin. But if they only plan to extend the series by taking the video game’s Part II as a reference, then it can work in favor of the original creators’ creative liberty to expand additional seasons as per their choice and meet the requests of the viewers if they happen to renew another season in the future.
The final choice to continue The Last of Us past its second season will probably depend on aspects including viewer engagement, critical acclaim, and the franchise’s performance in other media. There is no reason to rule out the prospect of more seasons if the series continues to be a huge hit. In conclusion, even though it is unknown if The Last of Us will last longer than its first anticipated two-season duration, there are undoubtedly a number of signs that it might.
As fans eagerly await the release of the second season, the future of the franchise remains unclear, but its potential for continued success without any question or further doubt is vast and likely to remain the same in the future!
In the meantime, stream The Last of Us Season 1, which is now available to stream exclusively on HBO and HBO Max, and take a look at the official trailer, which showcases, “In 2003, a parasitic fungal infection ravaged the planet, turning humans into violent creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, hardened survivor Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie to the rebel Fireflies. But what should be a quick job becomes a harrowing journey in this hit series that brings the acclaimed video game to life.”
Let us know in the comments if you also think that the show should be renewed for another season or not, and keep up with Web News Observer for more The Last of Us updates.