The Last of Us shifts toward Abby

HBO’s The Last of Us is doing the risky thing on purpose. After spending Season 2 largely inside Ellie’s revenge story, the show is now setting up Season 3 to live much more with Abby — the character many viewers first met as Joel’s killer. That was already the shape of The Last of Us Part II, but the TV version seems ready to go even further into Abby’s orbit, her faction, and the people around her. The newest clue is casting — and it points to a broader Seattle story, not just a straight replay of the game’s beats. (variety.com) ### Why is Abby taking over now? Because the show basically ended Season 2 at the same structural handoff the game used — Ellie’s side runs up to a breaking point, then the story rewinds and makes you live with Abby’s version of Seattle. Catherine O’Hara tipped that shift early when she said Season 3 (variety.com)dard-sized season. (collider.com) ### What changed this week? The big concrete update is Li Jun Li joining Season 3 as Miriam, the mother of Lev and Yara. That sounds small if you only know the broad plot, but it’s actually a loud signal. In the game, Miriam is more backstory than active presence. Casting a recognizable actor for that role suggests th(collider.com)bing it after the fact. (variety.com) ### Why do Lev and Yara matter so much? Because they’re the hinge of Abby’s whole arc. Ellie’s story in Part II is about revenge hardening into obsession. Abby’s story is what happens after revenge — and Lev and Yara are the people who crack her worldview open. If the show wants viewers to do more tha(variety.com)anest ways to do it. (screenrant.com) ### What does Seattle have to do with this? Seattle is where Abby stops being just an event in Ellie’s life and becomes a full protagonist with her own social map. That means the Washington Liberation Front, the Seraphites, Isaac’s war, and the daily machinery of Abby’s side of the city. The show(screenrant.com)oyalties formed before they judge what she does next. That’s the hard sell, but it’s also the whole point. (thegww.com) ### Is this exactly what the game did? Yes in structure, but maybe not in scale. The game always pivoted to Abby. The TV show seems more willing to widen the material around her, especially with side characters who were thinner on the page or mostly offscreen. Li Jun Li’s casting is the best evidence of that so far. Turns out adaptation here is not just compression — it may also be expansion. (variety.com) ### Does this affect how long the show runs? Probably. HBO renewed Season 3 back in April 2025, and Casey Bloys later said the series is planned for 2027 while Mazin works out whether the remaining story needs two more seasons or one longer final stretch. So Abby taking center stage is not just a char(variety.com). (deadline.com) ### Why are fans so split on this? Because Abby is the test case for whether the adaptation can make viewers sit with discomfort instead of just delivering catharsis. In game form, that perspective swap was divisive but unforgettable. On TV, it may be even rougher, because viewers don’t have the same player-le(deadline.com)ough writing, casting, and added context. (collider.com) ### So what’s the real takeaway? Season 3 is not shaping up as “more Ellie, plus some Abby.” It looks more like HBO committing to Abby as the engine of the next chapter — and using expanded material around Lev, Yara, and the Seraphite-WLF world to make that gamble work. If that lands, the show gets bigger. If it doesn’t, it risks splitting the audience right down the middle.