Warning: This article contains spoilers forThe Last of Us Part II.The scene between Ellie and Maria in season 1 of HBO’sThe Last of Ushas set up season 2 to explore their aunt-niece relationship in even more depth than the game. After season 1 told the story of the first game from beginning to end,The Last of Usseason 2will start to tackle the enormous nonlinear narrative ofThe Last of Us Part II. Following on from the ending of the original game, the sequel sees Joel and Ellie moving into Jackson and settling into a somewhat normal civilian life after their treacherous journey across the country.
After a four-year time jump, it’s established that during their time in Jackson, Ellie has grown closer toJoel’s younger brother Tommyand his wife Maria as a surrogate aunt and uncle. Ellie’s relationship with Maria is conveyed in a couple of key scenes in the game, but since the TV show isn’t burdened with getting to the action as quickly as possible, it has an opportunity to flesh out this relationship a lot more — and a crucial scene from season 1 suggests that’s exactly what the showrunners are planning to do.
The Last Of Us Season 1’s Ellie & Maria Scene Has Set Up Season 2 To Explore Their Relationship In More Depth
Season 1 Showed The Ellie & Maria Scene That The Game Skipped
The Last of Usseason 1, episode 6, “Kin,”shows the unseen interaction between Ellie and Maria while Joel is talking to Tommy. In the game, when Joel and Ellie find Tommy and his new bride trying to fix a hydroelectric dam just outside Jackson, Maria takes Ellie to get some food while Joel takes Tommy to one side to ask him to take Ellie off his hands. Ellie and Maria aren’t seen again until Joel and Tommy have to race back across the plant to save them from gun-toting raiders.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Already Answering Season 1’s Biggest Complaint
The Last of Us season 1 was criticized for its lack of action, but the season 2 teaser is full of great action scenes ripped straight from the game.
Ellie later reveals that Maria told her aboutJoel’s late daughter Sarah, but the game never shows that conversation. The TV show, on the other hand, shows that conversation as Maria cuts Ellie’s hair and warns her against putting her trust in Joel. InThe Last of Us Part II, it’s established thatMaria has become a sort of maternal figure in Ellie’s life, but it’s only seen in a couple of scenes. Season 1’s Ellie and Maria scene has set up season 2 to explore that relationship in more depth.
Why Maria Is So Important In Ellie’s Life
Maria Is The Only Maternal Figure In Ellie’s Life
Throughout the first game and the first season of the TV show, Joel became a father figure to Ellie and took her under his wing as if she were his own daughter. In the four-year time jump at the beginning ofPart II,Ellie grows a lot closer to Tommy, too, as he takes on a similar paternal role as the cool uncle who teaches her how to use a sniper rifle. Butwhat makes Maria so important is that she’s the only motherly figure in Ellie’s life after Tess and Marlene’s deaths(and her own mother’s death, of course).
The Last of Usseason 2 is expected to air sometime in the first half of 2025.
The Last of Usseason 1 already expanded on Maria’s maternal role as she provided Ellie with the kind of parental guidance that most men aren’t capable of.It’s unlikely that Joel or Tommy could’ve given Ellie a haircut(a fashionable one, anyway) andthey definitely wouldn’t have the forethought to give her a menstrual cuplike Maria does. Maria is also the most emotionally healthy influence in Ellie’s life. Joel passes on his ineffective means of grief management and Tommy passes on his unstoppable desire for revenge — with Maria’s guidance, Ellie actually has a chance at good mental health.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Has A Perfect Opportunity To Expand Ellie & Maria’s Relationship
Maria Can Help Joel & Ellie Get Settled In Jackson
InThe Last of Us Part II, Ellie sees Maria when she’s on her way out on patrol and again when Maria reluctantly allows her to go to Seattle and seek vengeance. Maria also gets Seth away from Ellie after he calls her a homophobic slur in the party flashback. But those are the game’s only opportunities to explore Ellie and Maria’s relationship, becausein its original medium, the story was under pressure to dive into the action as soon as possible. Season 2 of the show can spend a lot longer exploring Joel and Ellie’s lives in Jackson.
This presents the perfect opportunity for the TV show to expand on Ellie and Maria’s relationship.As the leader of Jackson, Maria would be heavily involved in getting Joel and Ellie settledonce they move in.The Last of Usseason 2 can show Ellie and Maria growing closer as Maria sets Ellie up in Joel’s guest house and gets her a job on the farming rotation.
The Last Of Us
Cast
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
