Why The Last of Us Season 2 Has Only 7 Episodes and What’s Next

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In contrast to Season 1 of “The Last of Us,” which consisted of nine episodes, covering the entirety of Naughty Dog’s first game, Season 2 has a reduced episode count of seven. The producers of the HBO show have explained why this is the case; Season 2 only tells part of the story from “The Last of Us Part 2,” leaving us wondering how many episodes might be required for Season 3 to fully unfold the remaining narrative.

Neil Druckmann, executive producer and creator/director of “The Last of Us”, shared insights with Collider following the Season 2 premiere. He explained that the decision to split the second game into multiple seasons was made during the writing process as they were working towards a predetermined ending. This approach allowed them to craft the story without considering seasons or episode numbers, resulting in seven episodes for “The Last of Us” Season 2.

Initially, it became apparent on the first day itself that the project was too extensive to complete within a single season. However, we prefer working with a definitive endpoint in sight, which helps us decide the right creative directions as we establish set-ups and resolve them through payoffs. Gradually, we progressed toward this predetermined destination over time.

Essentially, this required us to piece together the entire story without considering seasons or individual episodes, right up to its conclusion. Then, we started working backwards and asked ourselves, “What amount of material is suitable for a single season?” With that in mind, we identified a suitable place to divide the narrative into seven episodes.

In their work on The Last of Us Season 2, co-writer Halley Gross shared that they didn’t feel any pressure to stick to a particular number of episodes from HBO. Instead, they were granted the freedom to follow “whatever the overall story of the season necessitates.” Craig Mazin stated this is a privilege they enjoy when working with HBO, as the network prioritized simply “delivering the best story they could tell.

We don’t let the anticipated number of episodes dictate our storytelling. Instead, we strive to ensure each episode is significant and impactful according to the holistic narrative of the season. The number of episodes, whether it be 10, 6, or 8, will depend on how the story unfolds as we develop the season. We’re not confined by a specific number.

Neil Druckmann notes that working for HBO offers us a unique privilege. From the start, our discussions have been more like, “How many episodes should each season contain?” followed by, “As many as you believe is fitting for this part of the story.” Throughout the entire process, they are deeply invested in creating the best narrative possible.

In my humble opinion as a movie reviewer, Season 2 of “The Last of Us” adapts roughly half of the original game’s narrative. Five years have passed since we last saw Ellie (Bella Ramsey), now living with her surrogate father Joel (Pedro Pascal) in Jackson. However, tranquility is short-lived as a group led by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) arrives, intent on taking the life of the man Ellie considers her father figure. The ensuing four episodes see Ellie embarking on a quest for vengeance within Seattle’s war-torn streets, navigating the volatile conflict between the WLF and Seraphite factions.

In the last episode of Season 2 for “The Last of Us,” Abby and Ellie’s confrontation at the theater ended with a suspenseful cliffhanger. The show then switched to a flashback, signaling that Season 3 will delve into Abby’s perspective, providing more details about her story. This narrative split in the season aligns well with “The Last of Us Part 2” game, as it too has a logical separation between the tales of Abby and Ellie.

In simpler terms, since The Last of Us Part 2 is nearly twice as long as the original game, the narrative would likely be spread over several seasons, unless the creators decide to maintain the same pace and produce a longer season with around 15-20 episodes.

Will The Last of Us Season 3 Have More or Less Episodes?

After the first seven episodes of “The Last of Us” Season 2 have explored Ellie’s tale, it’ll be intriguing to find out how many more episodes are needed to cover Abby’s storyline, and if an additional fourth season might be necessary as well.

Druckmann communicated to Collier that they are well-versed in the significant milestones leading to the conclusion of the story for The Last of Us, but as of now, they are uncertain about exactly how many episodes or seasons it will require to complete the game’s narrative.

Although we’ve mapped out our overall journey after this season, including significant milestones and the ultimate destination, we haven’t determined exactly how many episodes or seasons it will take to reach that point. We’ll need to work that out when we reconvene in the writers’ room.

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but notice that Abby and Ellie’s storylines in the game seem to share an even distribution of screen time. Over the course of three dramatic days in Seattle, they each tread similar paths before their fateful showdown at the theater. If the narrative structure remains consistent in Season 2, this could translate into about three episodes dedicated to Abby’s Seattle adventures – one for each day she spends in the city.

If the producers choose to include flashbacks for Abby or delve deeper into the stories of other characters, as they did with Bill and Frank in Season 1, the narrative could potentially be expanded. It seems that such an expansion might be on the agenda, given showrunner Craig Mazin’s comment about having more opportunities to “delve into additional aspects” in the latter part of the story, as he mentioned on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

As you delve further into the subject, there are more chances to uncover new aspects that aren’t explicitly covered in the original resources.

Apart from mentioning this during an interview with Deadline, Mazin also shared that they intended to move slowly with the remaining narrative. He expressed confidence that Season 3 would be notably expansive.

We believe that our story might extend beyond just two seasons (Seasons 2 and 3) due to our deliberate approach in exploring intriguing avenues, some of which we hinted at in Season 1. As long as the audience continues to watch and we can produce more episodes, Season 3 is likely to be much bigger. Moreover, there’s a strong possibility that the narrative could stretch into Season 4.

From my perspective as a passionate fan, the gripping finale of “The Last of Us” set in Santa Barbara, seamlessly transitioning between Abby and Ellie’s perspectives, could serve as a compelling foundation for a hypothetical Season 4. However, it’s essential to note that this chapter spans only a few hours in the game, potentially leading to a more concise season.

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2025-05-27 21:34