Summary:
- The Last of Us Season 1 follows Joel and Ellie’s emotional journey across post-apocalyptic America.
- Joel sacrifices a potential cure to save Ellie, setting up major conflict for Season 2.
- Season 2 premieres April 13, 2025, adapting The Last of Us Part II.
What Is the Setting of The Last of Us Season 1?
The outbreak begins in 2003, when a mutated Cordyceps fungus infects humans, turning them into horrific creatures: runners, stalkers, clickers, and bloaters. Society collapses within days. By 2023, survivors live in quarantine zones (QZs) under authoritarian FEDRA control or in dangerous wilderness regions.
Rebel group the Fireflies fights for freedom and a cure, while infected and hostile humans like raiders and cannibals pose constant threats. Resources are scarce, and every day is a fight to survive.
Who Are the Main Characters in The Last of Us Season 1?
Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal): A hardened survivor and smuggler in Boston’s QZ. After losing his daughter Sarah during the outbreak, he shuts himself off emotionally. Over the course of Season 1, Joel transforms into a protective father figure to Ellie. He ultimately kills to protect her, choosing her life over humanity’s future.
Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey): A 14-year-old girl who is immune to the Cordyceps infection. Orphaned and raised in a FEDRA school, she begins the journey as “cargo” but becomes family to Joel. Her resilience, sharp tongue, and loss of her friend Riley shape her character.
Tess Servopoulos (Anna Torv): Joel’s partner and love interest. She’s pragmatic and selfless. After getting bitten, she sacrifices herself to allow Joel and Ellie to escape, underscoring the mission’s gravity.
Tommy Miller (Gabriel Luna): Joel’s younger brother, a former Firefly who now lives in Jackson, Wyoming with his wife Maria. Joel confides his guilt to him, but Tommy ultimately refuses to escort Ellie, highlighting Joel’s responsibility.
Maria Miller (Rutina Wesley): Tommy’s wife and Jackson co-leader. She’s calm, strategic, and ensures the community’s safety. She also provides insight into Joel’s violent past.
Marlene (Merle Dandridge): Leader of the Fireflies and a close friend of Ellie’s mother. She orders Ellie’s delivery for a cure, but is killed by Joel to protect Ellie.
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What Are the Key Events in Each Episode of Season 1?
Episode 1: When You’re Lost in the Darkness The outbreak begins. Joel’s daughter Sarah is killed by a soldier. In 2023, Joel and Tess agree to smuggle Ellie out of the Boston QZ after learning she’s immune.
Episode 2: Infected The trio escapes Boston, encountering clickers. Tess reveals she’s bitten and dies by explosion to stop FEDRA soldiers.
Episode 3: Long, Long Time A flashback to Bill and Frank, an isolated couple. Bill helps Joel and Ellie after Frank’s death, showing that love persists in tragedy.
Episodes 4–5: Please Hold to My Hand / Endure and Survive In Kansas City, rebels hunt Henry and Sam. Joel and Ellie team up with them. Sam is infected; Henry kills him, then himself. A bloater kills Kathleen.
Episode 6: Kin Joel reunites with Tommy in Jackson. Joel nearly leaves Ellie with him but decides to stay, calling Ellie his “purpose.”
Episode 7: Left Behind A flashback shows Ellie’s night with Riley, her first love. They’re both bitten. Riley dies; Ellie survives, marking the origin of her immunity.
Episode 8: When We Are in Need Ellie tries to save a wounded Joel. She’s captured by David, a cannibal leader. Ellie kills him in self-defense, and Joel calls her “baby girl.”
Episode 9: Look for the Light Joel and Ellie reach Salt Lake City. The Fireflies prepare to operate on Ellie, which will kill her. Joel kills the doctors and Marlene, saving Ellie and lying to her about the cure.
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What Major Plot Points Set Up The Last of Us Season 2?
Joel’s Decision: In Episode 9, Joel kills the Firefly surgeon—Abby’s father in the game—and Marlene. He lies to Ellie, saying raiders killed the Fireflies. This deception creates the emotional and moral foundation for Season 2.
Ellie’s Immunity: Ellie’s survival after being bitten is the core of humanity’s hope for a cure. Joel’s choice removes that chance, and Ellie’s role in Season 2 will hinge on this lost purpose.
Joel and Ellie’s Relationship: Their bond evolves into a father-daughter dynamic. Joel’s lie threatens to rupture it. Ellie’s acceptance at the end of Season 1 is tinged with doubt, setting up dramatic conflict.
Jackson, Wyoming: A secure community where Joel, Ellie, Tommy, and Maria live. Season 2 starts here. Ellie forms new friendships—foreshadowing characters like Dina and Jesse—and where Joel’s past finally catches up with him.
READ MORE: What happens after Joel’s decision in The Last of Us Season 1?
When Does The Last of Us Season 2 Premiere and What to Expect?
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13, 2025. Set five years after Season 1, it follows a 19-year-old Ellie living in Jackson. Major developments include:
- Ellie’s strained relationship with Joel due to his lie
- Joel’s death at the hands of Abby, seeking revenge for her father
- Ellie’s quest for vengeance
The world remains harsh, the infected still roam, and no cure exists—only survival and consequences.
