The Last of Us is back on our screens with season two. And the season two premiere episode picks up five years after The Last of Us‘ season one finale. That means there has been a whole lot of changing and evolving among our core characters, as well as new faces joining in the fungus fun. Unfortunately, the Infected have also had half a decade to learn and grow. And we’re not sure we like what they’re up to. And gulp, the Cordyceps virus isn’t the only new threat in town. Join us as we recap The Last of Us‘ season two premiere and highlight all the new revelations and questions it leaves us with.
There was a clear tension between Joel and Ellie at the end of The Last of Us season one. But after Ellie made Joel swear he wasn’t lying to her about what happened with the Fireflies, she seemed to accept him at his word. But, of course, it’s never that easy.
When we check back in with Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us season two, there is a painful distance between them. Ellie has moved out of the main house Joel lives in and into the garage. Dina thinks Ellie is angry with Joel, even if she’s not saying it, and we can see from their few interactions that it’s clearly so.
In therapy, Joel confesses that he did something to Ellie, but lables that something as “I saved her.” For her part, Ellie will barely look at Joel and won’t offer him full sentence responses in conversation. Clearly, something has been very strained between them. When Joel intervenes after Seth is rude to Ellie and Dina, calling them a queer slur, Ellie explodes at him in front of the whole town of Jackson. They exchange hurt looks outside their house after, but don’t say a word. We’re sad to see Joel and Ellie in this state.
As we mentioned briefly, Joel is in therapy. And honestly, we’re happy to hear it even if he isn’t being totally honest. More shows need depicitions of therapy, especially when it comes to masculine characters seeking to talk and express their feelings. Joel’s therapist Gail seems to know he’s leaving something out, but he isn’t quite ready to tell her.
We learn something new and interesting in The Last of Us‘ season two premiere episode. Joel evidentally shot and killed a minor character from The Last of Us—Part II game named Eugene. Eugene never appeared in The Last of Us season one, so this is all new information, discussing a portion of the five years that The Last of Us skipped that we haven’t yet seen.
Since Eugene hails from the games, we assume this will become important later on. In The Last of Us—Part II we never meet Eugene, but we know that he used to be a Firefly and had a weed farm. (Something that’s mentioned in The Last of Us season two premiere episode.) The show also gives Eugene a wife, Joel’s therapist Gail, played by Catherine O’Hara.
Gail tells Joel that she knows Joel had no choice but to kill Eugene, and she should forgive him, but she’s tried and she can’t because of how he did it. We’re not sure what that means, but we’re interested to learn more.
What a time to be alive in The Last of Us‘ world. The Last of Us season two premire episode introduces us to a new kind of Infected, a Stalker. Ellie encounters a Stalker when she and Dina break into an old grocery store on a “recon” mission for the Jackson town. Instead of just running for Ellie, the Infected he meets seemingly strategizes to try to infect her. Ellie later describes the Stalkers as “smart,” noting that they “took cover, planned, waited, lured her in” and didn’t just run at her as other Infected might. The group of Infected also seem to have fought together to take down a Grizzly bear.
At the end of the episode, we see Infected fungus vines/tendrils creeping in through Jackson’s pipe system, indicating the Infected are indeed planning something more than just running at Jackson’s walls.
If new kinds of Infected weren’t enough, there’s another threat descending on Jackson, Abby and the Fireflies. We meet Abby and her crew right after Joel kills the Fireflies in Salt Lake City. They have buried their dead who they failed to save and discuss going to Seattle where someone called Isaac is leading a group of Fireflies. Abby insists they need to find Joel first, despite not knowing where he went or what he looks like exactly. (Although Abby seems to have quite a few facts, including noting that he’s very handsome.)
The rest of Abby’s crew doesn’t seem so sure, but reluctantly agree to help her find Joel. Abby makes it very clear that what she wants is to kill Joel and slowly.
At the very end of The Last of Us season two premiere episode, we see that in the last five years, Abby has managed to get pretty close. She and her crew are right outside Jackson, gearing up to descend on the town.
Ellie and Dina are best friends, but clearly Ellie is crushing hard on Dina and Dina is not opposed. Throughout the whole of The Last of Us season two’s premiere, Ellie and Dina are flirting hard. And that culminates with a dance and a kiss on New Year’s Eve. (Although it’s rudely interrupted by Seth.) The moment is genuinely so beautiful. We’re rooting for those crazy kids, even if Ellie is convinced that Jesse and Dina will soon get back together.
It’s not looking great for Jackson at the moment. Between the newly wise Infected/Stalkers rising around it and infiltrating its pipes and Abby’s band of Fireflies at its doorstep, what will become of the happy community? We figure nothing good can last, but we don’t want to see disaster hit Jackson.
It took five years, but Abby and the Fireflies are close to Jackson, Joel, and Ellie. What will they do now that they’re there? We know what Abby wants, but will she get it?
Ellie and Dina took steps forward in getting together, but there’s probably a long way from drunken makeouts to experssions of feelings. Will they be able to fall in love in season two of The Last of Us? We sure hope so.
We know Joel killed Eugene and the way he did it haunts his wife Gail. But what exactly happened? It seems that The Last of Us season two’s premire is being purposefully vague about what caused Joel to shoot Eugene and what went down between the two of them. Obviously, we assume Infected were involved, but maybe not?
Joel and Ellie are in a sad state during The Last of Us season two premiere. Will they be able to work through their differences this season? We’ll keep our fingers crossed because we miss their dynamic in scenes together.
The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9pm on Max and HBO.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
If any team around the league is set to strike a blockbuster deal ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, it's the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the defending champions are expected to make a splash this summer, there's uncertainty as to where LA will look to upgrade the roster. The Dodgers could quite frankly use additions in several areas of the roster, including the bullpen, starting rotation, and lineup. Tanner Scott's ongoing struggles has stirred speculation that the front office will add a reliever this summer. Additionally, Scott and Michael Kopech are both injured, which leaves the bullpen short two high-leverage arms. Beyond the bullpen, the Dodgers are still missing two staples of their rotation in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. However, both pitchers appear to be headed for a return to the team down the stretch. Therefore, ESPN insider David Schoenfield believes the Dodgers will look to acquire an outfielder and a leadoff hitter in Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians. "The reasoning here: Michael Conforto just hasn't worked out," Schoenfield writes. "The Dodgers have given him 300 plate appearances and he's hitting under .200, plus he's not a good left fielder. They could also use a leadoff hitter. They just moved Mookie Betts there in front of Shohei Ohtani, looking to get Betts going, but Betts just hasn't been an offensive force in 2025 and shouldn't be hitting at the top of a lineup right now. Kwan would fix both issues and give them a nice OBP guy in front of Ohtani while providing a major defensive upgrade." While the Dodgers have been linked to Kwan, it remains to be seen whether the Guardians are willing to part ways with the Gold Glover. ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel gave just a 20 percent chance that Kwan would be traded. The All-Star outfielder is under team control through 2027, and is due $4.1 million this season. The Dodgers could send a large haul of prospects to Cleveland, as the organization has one of the best farm systems in MLB. However, the Dodgers are reportedly unwilling to move top prospects such as Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland.
The Golden State Warriors are still awaiting a decision by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga as the NBA offseason is nearing August. Of course, Kuminga has a major decision to make regarding the next step of his career and it appears likely that it will not be in Golden State but rather with another franchise. This comes after the young forward fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. While it appears Kuminga’s time in Golden State is nearing an end, the Warriors still have a major say in his next team as they will likely have to agree to a sign-and-trade deal. Despite this, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel recently reported that one Eastern Conference team could escalate the situation between Kuminga and the Warriors by making a major decision this offseason. “Other teams with rumored interest in Kuminga are the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets. Then again, the Nets, who have plenty of cap space, have yet to express serious interest in Kuminga,” Siegel wrote. “If they wanted to, Brooklyn could sign Kuminga to an offer sheet right now and escalate this situation.” This is a massive report by Siegel as the Nets do have enough cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet which would tie the Warriors’ hands. Of course, this is unlikely to happen as the Nets are also dealing with their own restricted free agent problems with Cam Thomas as they are not wanting to offer the young guard the contract that he wants. While that may be the case, if the Nets end up moving on from Thomas in a sign-and-trade deal with another team they could shift their focus on Kuminga, who they have been linked to over the past two seasons. This would be the worst-case scenario for Golden State and one that would extremely hurt them heading into next season, especially with their lack of moves thus far this offseason.
On Thursday, wrestling icon Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea died at the age of 71. "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the company said in a statement. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s... WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans." Hogan was the first true superstar to emerge in the wrestling industry, capturing a casual audience worldwide and bringing new eyes to the sport. He was an unbelievable draw, both as a baby face and as a heel. From his time as an All-American hero to leading the New World Order and teaming with Randy Savage as part of the "Mega Powers," he has been a staple of the scene for decades. Who can forget his WrestleMania III moment, where he defied the laws of physics to body-slam a 520-pound Andre the Giant? Or, more recently, his match with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania 18? His last appearance on WWE RAW on Jan. 6 saw him booed throughout, highlighting the rocky legacy Hogan leaves behind. Hogan's universal popularity has plummeted in recent years, primarily due to a racism scandal that led to his removal from the Wrestling Hall of Fame, only to be reinstated in 2018. Nevertheless, the damage had been done. Hogan's outdated and unwelcome outlook on specific aspects of life derailed the final stanza of a legendary career. Still, there's no denying that without Hogan, the wrestling we know and love today wouldn't exist. There wouldn't be WWE on the world's largest streaming platform, or All Elite Wrestling, which is developing into one of the most successful challenger brands. Instead, there would be smaller, more localized promotions, all competing for a sliver of television time. Hogan popularized the sport by bridging the gap between the wrestling ring and Hollywood. During his time in the spotlight, Hogan appeared in movies such as "Rocky III," "No Holds Barred" and "Suburban Commando," all of which helped bring his larger-than-life persona to a new audience. It's no surprise, then, that The Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista have all made similar jumps in recent years. Hogan leaves behind an everlasting imprint on the wrestling world. Unfortunately, it comes with multiple asterisks; however, that doesn't change what he achieved as the first global wrestling star.