Into the Ellie of the Beast.

The Last of Us season two begins right where the first season ended.

He replies, “I swear.”

black and white promo shot of Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us season two

However, this is not what I want to talk about right now.

What I want to talk about is what, and who, the series shows us next.

The scene pans to a group of young people standing over some crosses.

Joel promo for TLOU season two

They’re who are left of the Fireflies following Joel’s massacre at the end of series one.

This relatively brief scene introduces viewers to Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever.

She is determined to find Joel.

Ellie promo for TLOU season two

“Fifties, grey, beard, six-foot tall, scar on his right temple.

When we kill him.

We kill him slowly.”

Kaitly Dever as Abby standing in front of homemade graves in The Last of Us season two

This short scene does two things for the viewer.

It is Owen that calms Abby’s initial spit of anger.

It is Owen that Abby is confident she can depend on.

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in season two of The Last of Us. She has tears in her eyes and a determined look on her face

She is not just a narrative gadget there to service Joel’s inner turmoil.

She has her own background and stories.

When we meet Gail, she reveals it is her first birthday without her husband in over 40 years.

Abby cries over a grave in The Last of Us season two

She also smokes pot, and drinks whisky.

She calls him out for lying to her, she tells him she isn’t going to validate him.

She also reveals this clanger - Joel killed her husband Eugene, and she is angry at him.

Spencer Lord as Owen in TLOU season two

First, the infected.

She isbrilliantas Dina, and her chemistry with both Rasmey’s Ellie and Pascal’s Joel is immediately apparent.

She oozes charisma and warmth.

Abby and Owen in The Last of Us season two

Fourth, I enjoyed how quickly Rutina Wesley’s Maria shut down Tommy’s casual and perhaps inadvertent sexism.

What did you think of the second season’s debut?

The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals."

pedro-pascal-catherine-o-hara as Joel and Gail in TLOU season two

Ellie cleans her gun in the second season of The Last of Us

Gustavo Santaolalla in second season of The Last of Us

Tommy and Maria in season two of The Last of Us

Dina in The Last of Us season two

Dina and Ellie dance and hold each other close in second season of The Last of Us