The Last of Us fans have claimed that a plot detail in season one may have ruined one of the big moments from season two.
The HBO series, adapted from the hit 2013 video game, has drawn rave reviews since its premiere last month.
Last week, it was announced that The Last of Us had been renewed for a second season, which will be adapted from the game’s 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part II.
While the TV adaptation has remained overly faithful to its source material, there is one tweak to the premise that could cause an issue down the line.
Mild spoilers follow...
The original Last of Us game begins in what was then the present day, with an outbreak of the zombie-like cordyceps fungus bringing around the collapse of society.
The story then flashes forward, with the rest of the story being set around the year 2033.
However, in the series, this was changed, so that the outbreak occured back in 2003, with the main story being set in 2023, in line with the series’ release.
Why does this matter? Well, it has to do with a song...
As those who have played The Last of Us Part II will know, some important scenes in the game, including its opening, feature the Pearl Jam song “Future Days”.
At the very beginning, Joel (played in the game by Troy Baker) is seen performing the song to Ellie (Ashley Johnson), with the song’s lyrics also providing a key thematic throughline.
However, “Future Days” was not released until 2013 – meaning Joel wouldn’t have known the song in the TV series, because the outbreak happened years before it would have been recorded.
Fans of the games noticed the timeline discrepancy on social media, and lamented the fact that it likely means the song will not feature in the second season.
The Last of Us is available to watch in the UK on Sky and NOW.
