The Last of Us – Future Days review S2 E1
Future Days marks the long-awaited return of The Last of Us. It’s unfair to compare the season primer installment with the high points of last season, but this was certainly a more subdued episode where most of the run time was spent establishing new dynamics and threats.
Future Days starts with a look at the now distant past when Joel lies to Ellie about the Fireflies. This is going to be a major plot point this season, but it’s hard to fault Joel for his actions. The Fireflies were going to kill Ellie for “the greater good.” That hypothetical better future days was going to involve Joel losing someone he’d become extremely close to over the course of their ordeal least season. To lose her would be like Joel letting someone willingly kill his own daughter in the name of science for a possible cure of the fungi infection.
Still, actions have repercussions. For Joel, one of them is a group of relatively younger Fireflies Owen (Spencer Lord), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Manny (Danny Ramirez) and Mel (Ariela Barer) at the freshly made gravesites of their fellow members. The ones that Joel tore through in rescuing Ellie. The apparent leader of this group, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), agrees to check back in with the Seattle Firefly outpost before going after Joel.
Five years later is a popular time jump. The Avengers did it in Endgame and we get the same in The Last of Us with Future Days.
Back at the homestead in Jackson, Wyoming; Ellie’s still intently training going over her MMA skills with two bigger dudes. She’s not got a starter sleeve tattoo likely to help cover up her multiple clicker arm bits. And she’s getting in some sniper shooting with Joel’s brother, Tommy. Ellie jumps at the chance to go back out on patrol as it seems like she wants to do anything but be around Joel.
Joel isn’t oblivious and says as much to Ellie’s BFF, Dina (Isabela Merced, Alien: Romulus) who wants to know why Ellie is mad at him. In hopes of getting some clarity or simply to just vent, Joel talks to the town’s psychotherapist Gail (Catherine O’Hara). Gail is not a typical therapist as she’s drinking and accepts her payment in marijuana.
Gail isn’t happy about spending this New Year’s without her husband of 41 years, Eugene. Coincidentally, Joel killed Eugene, who we have not met yet. Given his track record, I’m sure Joel had a good reason for it. While she hates him for it, the fact that Gail hasn’t sought payback and is actively counseling Joel seems to suggest she knows it was for a good reason as well. She does want to know what Joel did to Ellie. The tight closeup really gives Pedro Pascal a perfect showcase to sell the anguish Joel is facing in not telling the truth with what happened with Ellie and the Fireflies.
Why that kind act is eating him up so much is another question.
MORE:
- The King of Kings review (2025)
- Andor TV Series Episode Guide and Recap
- G20 review (2025) – Viola Davis is a blast as pistol packing president
- DC Comics reviews 4/9/25 – Absolute Batman 7, Aquaman 4
Another issue for Joel is the little matter of his sister-in-law, Maria, wanting to continue expanding Jackson to allow more refugees sanctuary. With walls needing to be patched up, windows not keeping the cold out and pipes starting to have those familiar fungi of branches coming through it seems like maintaining what’s already in place is a better strategy.
Dina is trying to help make peace with Ellie and Joel. It’s obvious Ellie is crushing hard on Dina who has some history with Capt. Kwong (Terry Chen, Jessica Jones).
Out on patrol, Ellie and Dina immediately disobey the orders and head off to see the remnants of a gruesome battle between a grizzly and some clickers. Ellie is totally in her rebellious teen phase and continues doing her own thing. It’s a good thing she’s invulnerable to being bitten as she is undoubtedly the most reckless character in a zombie-based show.
That costs her again as she falls through the floor of a grocery store and it’s too far for Dina to jump down. Ellie cautiously checking her surroundings while a clicker stalks her is the best action highlight of Future Days. Unlike some of the dumber clickers, this one is staying low to the ground and keeping the noise to a minimum. It’s a smart clicker and gets rewarded for its stealthy ways with a nice bite of Ellie. Getting older is understanding why Joel is so overly protective of Ellie.
A problem is starting to develop though as Ellie is too safe with her resistance to clicker bites. It’s made her brash, reckless and dangerous in potential combat situations. Yes, that might not cost her, but it could come back to (ahem) bite someone she cares about.
At the New Year’s dance, Dina starts dancing and eventually making out with Ellie. This doesn’t sit well with Seth, a clearly not as progressive member of the Jackson community. Joel didn’t like the slur and throws him down, but Ellie shuts him down by saying she doesn’t need his help. Is she really this high-key mad at Joel for the Firefly incident from five years ago?
Regardless they’re soon going to have more issues to face as the clicker fungi starts moving in the exposed pipe. That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing to deal with on New Year’s day after the townsfolk are fighting off hangovers…
And further out in the distance, the Firefly Revenge Squad sees the lights of Jackson in the distance. Well, that’s not a promising development at all for Joel.
Future Days really didn’t need to be this high-octane, action-packed installment. It needed to set up the new status quo and did that effectively. There’s plenty of intriguing developments that stemmed from this season premiere and if the last season was any indication, The Last of Us Season 2 will surpass all expectations.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Photo Credit: HBO
Enjoyed Future Days? Check out the inspiration for the season with The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation 4 on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.